About a month ago, Sag Harbor Village saw the opening of two new hope-to-be-year-round eateries, both offering fast food vibes at relatively affordable prices.
At the end of June, Nikki’s Not Dog Stand opened in the space next to What the Falafel (situated between Rector and Division Streets) that was formerly inhabited by Ruby Murray’s. Owned by Nikki Glick, who originally grew up in Manhattan and is now a resident of Springs, the eatery serves vegan hot dogs, aka “not dogs” (cute, right?!) in the style of classic hot dogs found throughout the ubiquitous street food stands of major cities around the country.
The vegan dogs are provided by Field Roast, a plant-based meat and cheese company, and are made of soy, pea protein and potato starch. Served out of a narrow but delightfully chic diner space complete with a Formica-topped counter set with a handful of retro-looking stools, offerings are available for take away or to be eaten in.
“Sometimes the vegan world can be a little bit exclusive,” says Glick, “and I wanted to try to do something that wasn’t polarizing. So, when you walk into our place, it’s a classic diner space with familiar old-school menu items. You might hear Dion or Bobby Darin or Patsy Cline or Sarah Vaughan playing. Not out of nostalgia, but because health food is in the tradition of American innovation.”
Menu items include a half a dozen vegan hot dog options, like the Chicago Dog ($12, drenched in electric green relish, shopped onions, yellow mustard and sport peppers) and the New York Dog ($11, classically dressed with sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard and tomato onion sauce). Glick is also serving four vegan burger options, plus sides, desserts and an assortment of drinks. Click here to check out the menu and/or to place an order.
Fun little local tidbit: Glick’s ultimate intention is to give 10% of profits to local food banks, so even more reason to give ‘em a try. Trust us, you won’t miss the meat!
Nikki’s Not Dog Stand is located at 51 Division Street and is open Thursday through Monday, noon to 8 p.m., and on Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.. Call 631-899-4429 for more information.
On the other side of Main Street, nestled into the space that used to be Water Street Wines & Spirits (across from the post office in the old 7-Eleven parking lot) is Cluckman’s, a new family-friendly smash burger/chicken sandwich joint opened by Hamptons restaurateur Michael Gluckman. With a simple and straightforward menu, Cluckman’s (see what they did there?) is the self-described “Shake Shack of the Hamptons,” positioning itself to fill the void that was left by LT Burger, which shuttered two years ago and is now El Tacobar, and Bay Burger (formerly located on Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike in what is now Goldberg’s), which closed several years before that.
Offerings include single, double or triple patty smash burgers (ranging from 9 to $17), a crispy chicken sandwich ($14 for classic, Nashville Hot, or sticky sweet and spicy Korean style), as well as sides (starting at $5, pro tip: don’t sleep on the onion rings, because they figured out how to keep them crispy, even to-go!), four salad options ($10 to $16) and a kid’s menu. Milkshakes (for $9 each) will also be available as are bottled beverages and a couple of vegetarian options. Available mostly for to-go (although there are a handful of tables and chairs for dining-in), Cluckman’s is open every day from noon to 9 p.m. and is located at 24 Long Island Ave., 631-919-5039. Click here to check out the full menu and to order.
