Brock and Jed Kosiner and the cart (photo by Rich O’Corozine)
Jed and Brock Kosiner have always done things together. They worked at Paddy McGee’s Restaurant in Island Park, Long Island as teenagers; and after Jed graduated from Hofstra in 2005, joined brother Brock in New Paltz (who graduated this past December from SUNY), and both worked in New Paltz’s alternative organic restaurant, Karma Road (with Jed also playing drums in the local bar-band SnowBear). So, when the moment came to start something up, it was a no-brainer. The close-knit brothers would join forces — “It was easy, we just know each other’s ins and outs,” said Jed Kosiner — and open a hot dog stand.
“Here I was with my new MBA and I’m selling hot dogs,” said younger brother Brock (he’s 26 to Jed’s 30).
Well, it wasn’t just any old hot dog stand. It was The Kosiner Brothers Organic Hot Dog stand, and Water Street Market in New Paltz beckoned. “We talked to Harry (Tabak, the owner) about it and he was looking to open some kind of hot dog store, but it didn’t happen,” said Jed. “So we proposed a hot dog cart and here we are,” said Brock. “It was what the town needed,” added Jed.
So the brothers purchased a Top Dog Cart from a Florida company. “It’s much bigger and better equipped than the New York City varieties,” said Brock, alluding to the many homemade toppings available to put on your Dog. Next were the permits from the village, the county, the Board of Health, etc.; then pick a spot to put the Kosiner Brothers Organic Hot Dog Cart. “It was perfect, right at the Main Street entrance,” said Jed.
The Brothers, self-described “picky eaters,” wanted their version of “street food” to be top-of-the-line, so they decided that organic was the way to go, and homemade at that, so all the toppings — zucchini relish, spicy peanut sauce, caramelized onions, sweet ‘n spicy chutney and 10 others — are made from scratch, smothering that Applegate Organic Hot Dog or the more traditional Sabrett Hot Dog or innovative Veggie Dog…and even a homemade organic Sausage of the Day.
The Brothers opened June 1 and have had a veritable Hot Dog fest since (five or six people stopped to order a Dog in the 15 minutes-or-so that I was there), and hope to stay put until late November/early December. In the meantime, besides offering the street version of “manna from heaven” the Brothers are sponsoring a Hot Dog Eating Contest on Monday, July 2 at 6 p.m. “Just before the Water Street movie night showing of Jaws,” smiled Brock. The contest is a first-come event, with the cut-off at 20 contestants, with an additional contest in the Veggie Dog category if need be. “And we’re donating 10% of the take to Family [of New Paltz],” added Brock.
As of now the Brothers lock their cart in a nearby warehouse, but are looking to bolt it down at its present spot. “We’re looking at this long-term,” said Jed.
The Kosiner Brothers Organic Hot Dog Cart will be there six days per week, weather permitting, usually starting around noon.