Pippy's Hot Dog Truck

Palenville

Hot dogs are usually not thought of as gourmet food, but that all changed when Heather Williams debuted her food truck, Pippy’s — a 1973 box truck painted fire-engine red and painted with flowers — in 2012. The 100-percent beef hot dogs feature all-natural casings and range in price from $2 for a Standard Dog, accompanied by basic condiments; to $4 for edible masterpieces like the Chili Cheese Dog, prepared with Williams’ grandmother’s chili meat-sauce recipe; and the Asian Dog, tricked out with slaw and wasabi mayo. You must try the Hawaiian Dog: bacon, pineapple-ginger-mustard sauce, chopped Vidalia onions, and Pickapeppa sauce. Judges at the 2012 Bacon Fest in Hudson awarded it first place in the savory category. Whenever possible, Williams prepares all her own condiments, like the pickled carrots topped with fresh cilantro that go so well with grilled veggie dogs. “It’s a pain in the butt to make,” she says. “But everyone loves it so much!” She also enlists local vendors to make the fixin’s, such as the spicy “purple haze” sauerkraut supplied by New World Home Cooking, the crowning touch to her Hendrix Dog. Look for Williams beginning April weekends as she revs up to her full-time schedule. Once the weather settles, she’s out from around 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; check Facebook for updates. Just don’t call her Pippy; that’s a childhood pet name she used to call her sister. Reopening March 20. 845-853-2287; www.pippyshotdogtruck.com

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