Pat's Hubba Hubba
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Pat's Hubba Hubba was a famous late-night greasy spoon restaurant located in the village of Port Chester in Westchester County, New York. The restaurant is now known as "Hubba" but its devotees still refer to it as "Pat's Hubba Hubba" or "Pat's". The restaurant was originally known as "Texas Chili" and was owned and operated by Millie, an elderly chain smoker who served blazing hot chili with a complementary plastic gallon jug of water. Pat Carta bought Texas Chili in the late 1980's and changed the name to Pat's Hubba Hubba. Pat expanded the menu from simple chili and chili dogs to variants including the most popular dish--chili cheese fries (described by ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons as the "best drunken late-night food ever"). Pat's most unusual dish was arguably the chili cheese clams - fried clams covered in Pat's signature greasy chili and melted cheese. The main ingredient in most of Pat's offerings is the chili, which is made with ground beef and hot chili peppers and little else. The chili contains no beans, tomatoes, or vegetables of any kind. As the chili cools, a viscous red oil precipitates out and eventually coagulates into a thick red wax.
Pat's (now Hubba) is open until 4 a.m. every night, and later on weekend nights. The food at Pat's has a near cult-like status among patrons of Southern Westchester's and Connecticut's late night scene because it is particularly delicious after a night of heavy drinking or smoking marijuana.
Many observers have also commented on the egalitarian nature of Pat's clientele, and that Pat's is actually a microcosm of the melting pot that is Port Chester, New York. Peter Applebome of the New York Times describes Pat's as "where the yin and yang of suburbia north, with addictive regularity, get to face down both ennui and intestinal distress."
When eating at Pat's, you are served Hubba Water instead of regular water, which is water with a drop of fruit punch in it.
Sources
- ["Everybody Comes to Hubba's. O.K., Maybe Not the Health Food Crowd"] by Peter Applebome, New York Times, July 10, 2005; Section 1; Column 1; Metropolitan Desk; Our Towns; Pg. 25 [(Click here for Cached Google page of this article)][(click here for article's associated slideshow)]
- "In the Wee Small Hours in the County" by Nick Ravo, New York Times, November 29, 1998, Section 14WC, Page 19
- [Bill Simmons, ESPN.com, June 17, 2005]
- [Bill Simmons, ESPN.com, June 17, 2005 Cached Google page with the Pat's reference intact.]
- [Love Song to the Might and Majesty of the Chili Dog, Steve Bunche, June 26, 2004]
- [Pat's Hubba Hubba mentioned on metafilter.com]
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