The alleyway between the Dublin House Pub and a row of shops off Monmouth Street in Red Bank has been quieter than usual at lunchtime lately. Missing is the line of customers that one might see spilling out the door at That Hot Dog Place.
What’s Going on Here? Read on for the answer.
That Hot Dog Place owner Gary Sable takes a breather in 2006. (Photos by Trish Russoniello, top, and John T. Ward, above. Click to enlarge.)
Owner Gary Sable , who started the one-man soup shop in 1995, had to temporarily close it a month ago to have hip replacement surgery, he tells redbankgreen. The procedure was done Monday, and he had his first physical therapy session Thursday, he said.
Now, his goal is to get back on his feet and back on track with a plan that was already in the works: transferring the 175-square-foot takeout-only shop to a new owner/chef.
Better known for its daily soups than wieners, That Hot Dog Place is slated to become Soul Sandwich under the ownership of borough resident Steve DeAngelo. The change is roughly scheduled to occur around Labor Day, after a six-week period in which Sable and DeAngelo work together to smooth the handoff, they said.
For DeAngelo, a self-described “pretty serious home cook” who’s been working as a carpenter for 15 years, it’s a career change. “I love being a carpenter, but I hate being a contractor,” he said.
In addition to selling soups and sandwiches, DeAngelo plans to add “small plates” to the menu.
Sable, meantime, is aching to get back to Monmouth Racetrack for his beloved horse racing. “Here it is Kentucky Derby weekend, and I haven’t had any income for 35 days,” he said. “But that’s okay.”
Check out redbankgreen‘s 2006 interview with him here.
