HOTS NEWS: Everything you ever wanted to know about Texas hots
(but were afraid to ask) is answered today by Pete Plumpis of
Tonawanda, N.Y., son of the man who owned one of  Bradford’s
legendary Texas hot joints for many years.

Pete tells us that his father was one of about a dozen men
coming from the same town in Greece, Siastista, who came to America
for work.

Many landed in Salamanca, N.Y., because it was a railroad hub
and provided easy access to jobs. They eventually fanned out to
nearby towns. “They provided the braun for railroad repair, the
lumber yard and leather works,” he said.

From the 1930s to the 1950s, they ran many local hotels and
restaurants — the Port Allegany Hotel, Eldred hotel, Butler Hotel,
and establishments in Olean, N.Y., Warren, and Salamanca.

In Bradford, Greeks ran the Bay State Hotel, Candyland, Congress
Street Diner, Coney Island Lunch, Old Spain Restaurant, The Star,
Texas Hot Lunch, the Galanis, Famous Lunch, the Keystone,
Washington Street Luncheonette, and Main Street Diner.

There was also the Sugarbowl which later became Johnson’s
restaurant, Dipson Theater, Bradford Shoe Repair, and a hat
cleaners and shoe shine shop on Main Street owned by an
Albanian.

He had an interesting story about Nick’s. At one time, it
apparently had been known as Nick’s Texas Red Hots but “Nick” was
taken to court over the name and had to change it to the more
generic Nick’s Red Hots.

As for Johnnie’s, it had been known as Bill’s Place but it was
so rough and tumble they lost their liquor license and the new
owner thought it best to change the name.

As for the specific questions about Bradford’s “hot” spots,
Johnnie’s was at 24-26 W. Washington St. and was cream colored. The
window writing was in gold and red. Across the street and up 30
feet or so was that Washington restaurant better known as Ma
Pete’s.

Needless to say, all the establishments claimed the original
Texas hot recipe from Greece

Pete tells us that Texas red hots are found only in a large
geographical triangle running roughly from  Cleveland to Syracuse
to Pittsburgh and northwestern West Virginia.

Pete, who is the first American-born historian in a Greek
society in his hometown, has no idea how  Texas became part of
Texas hot sauce.