Peter Newman never really thought he’d be running Poughkeepsie’s iconic hot dog business, Noshi’s Coney Island.
When asked by Hudson Valley EATS how he got into the hot dog business, he said “it was a quick surprise. It was for sale and I just happened to pop in, had lunch with my wife, sat here, made my observations.” “It’s small, it’s quaint, it’s me, it’s personalized.”
Like many restaurateurs, his introduction to the business was as a dishwasher when he was 15. He’s got a business background from college as well as a culinary background. After stints in corporate dining, and higher education he decided it was time to strike out on his own.
One of the attractions of Noshi’s was that “there’s nothing else here like it, and that’s what drew me to it.” “It’s comfort food, it’s hot dogs and burgers. I didn’t make it better, I enhanced it.”
That was two years ago and since then he’s expanded the menu without losing sight of what made Noshi’s, Noshi’s—their hot dogs. Now you can have them in any way, from a breakfast dog (scrambled eggs and cheese) to a dessert dog (peanut butter, bacon, whipped cream and chocolate sauce) and anything in between, including all the classics.
Their most popular hot dog is a chili (mild or spicy) dog but some of their special dogs are right up there. Tennessee buffalo (Buffalo chicken, touch of Jack Daniels and blue cheese) Ptown (grilled mushrooms, bacon with BBQ and cheese sauce), Keg (peppers, onions mayo and ketchup, created by a customer) Texas bell (deep fried stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon and drizzled with ranch dressing) and the classic corn dog.
Peter has added veggie and vegan dogs, gluten free buns and offers a gluten free mac & cheese.
If you’re not in the mood for a dog, no worries. There are burgers grilled to order and a variety of sandwiches, featuring one of the best gyros in town—made in the traditional way, carved off the spit and grilled to order. Get it soon because it may not last—not enough demand.
Although there are only 3 salads on the menu, they’re all well prepared and worth seeking out.
Also worth seeking out are the knishes, grilled to enhance their flavor, good Buffalo wings, baked beans and of course, all sorts of fries and onion rings. You can wash this all down with a soda, but those in the know go for the milkshakes.
At a recent lunch, we had knishes, 2 hot dogs and a Cobb salad with Buffalo chicken (not on the menu but if you ask nicely they’ll make it and it’s delicious).
We tried the Detroit Dog and one of the many special dogs of the day. The hot dogs came straight off the grill nice and hot, heaped with toppings. Underneath those topping was a "snappy" dog, just the way we like them. Each dog could have been a meal on their own, but we seemed to have no trouble finishing them.
As a fan of supporting local, Newman uses ingredients from small-batch local food companies. He incorporates them in his creations and has them for sale in the restaurant. Some of our favorites are there-Screamin' Onionz, Big Guy BBQ Sauce, Rama Fare.
Noshi’s opens at 7 for breakfast with eggs, wraps, and the aforementioned breakfast dog. Peter also does catering and there may be a food truck in the future.
803 Main Street
Poughkeepsie NY
(845) 473-7586
[AM1]What kind of hot dogs were they?
