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Mike's Submarines Dressing

Subject: Recipe Request
From: Janan
Date: 7/8/2020, 1:14 PM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com

Hi:
Need a recipe for Mike's Submarine oil dressing. They were located in the 
Capital Region of NY from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Thank you!!
Janan 

Janan,

If it wasn't "Jersey Mike's", was it the "Mike's" that was on Central Avenue in Albany?  He was the same Mike that had NEBA - the roast beef sandwich shop.

Phaed

From: Janan
Date: 7/9/2020, 9:44 AM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com

Yes!!! The one on Central Avenue.

Hi Janan,

The scoop on "Mike's Submarines" is that it was owned by the same Mike(Davis) who also owned "NEBA Roast Beef Sandwich Shops", that also served Mike's sub sandwiches. Some of the shops, along with the recipes, were sold to "Mr. Subb", which apparently didn't catch on. In 2017, a "Mike's NEBA" re-opened in Schenectady, with rights to the name and claiming to have the original Mike's recipes. That shop, if it is still open, is at 451 Edison Ave, Schenectady. There is a good article about Mike's/NEBA here: Restaurant-ing Through History

I could not find an actual recipe for Mike's house oil & vinegar dressing. However, I found a couple of tantalizing clues. I found a note that for the vinegar in their oil & vinegar, Mike's used the vinegar from jars of pickled pepperoncini peppers to give the dressing a tang. I also found a list of ingredients, supposedly of Mike's oil & vinegar dressing at: All Over Albany
To wit: ...a small turkey sub with lettuce and house dressing (a spicy blend of oil, vinegar, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder).
No amounts were given, but if you experiment with these ingredients, you might be able to make something close. I think the vinegar from jars of pickled peppers might be on the mark. I'd try it first, instead of the cayenne.

Phaed