We Upstate New Yorkers know how to eat. Some of the most beloved foods in America originate right here in our own kitchen. But what are the quintessential foods of Upstate New York? Many things could be included on the list: Half-moon cookies, apple pie a la mode, yogurt, disco fries and poutine, pizza rolls, frozen custard, ice cream sandwiches, turkey joints, cheese curds, Cornell chicken, potato chips, dairy and Jell-o. But the dishes that are indicative to our culture and cuisine not only feature unique recipes; they also have a clear home base from where to eat them.
Photo: A plate of chicken wings at Anchorbar in Buffalo, N.Y. (Joed Viera | newyorkupstate.com)
No football game or night at the bar is complete without wings, perhaps the most renowned food to come from Upstate New York. Many places make good wings, but if you want authentic Buffalo wings, go to the place believed to have invented them in 1964, Anchor Bar.
Where to eat it:
Anchor Bar1047 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14209
Photo: The garbage plate from Nick Tahou Hots in Rochester. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
Far more appetizing than it sounds, a garbage plate is simply a platter of macaroni salad or baked beans, fried potatoes, and some sort of meat (hamburger, hot dogs, chili, even fried fish). The best way to eat it is either to starve yourself for a day and spend several hours chipping away at the massive plate of food, or it's a great cure for even the toughest hangover. Nick Tahou Hots is revered as the birthplace of this mammoth plate of food.
Where to eat it:
Nick Tahou Hots
320 W Main Street
Rochester, NY 14608
Photo: Grace Carlic
If you are sensing that hot dogs are a prevalent theme in Upstate New York, you'd be right. We love our hot dogs in all sorts of ways, not least among them, as Michigans. No one is exactly sure where the name derives from, but the gist of a Michigan is a "red hot" style hot dog that has been steamed, nestled into a New England bun, and topped with meat sauce, chopped raw onion and yellow mustard. Plattsburgh residents embrace the term, though the style is prevalent in Albany and Buffalo, too.
Where to eat it:
Clare and Carl's Hot Dog Stand4727 State Route 9
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Photo: Schwabl's beef on weck sandwich. (Joed Viera)
Any food that relies on just three ingredients better get those three things quite right. Beef on weck does just that. Roast beef on a kimmelweck roll (or kummelweck, depending on who you ask; either way, it has to be dotted with caraway seeds and coarse salt) topped with grated horseradish, and that's it. Few sandwich shops outside of the Buffalo area will feature this treat on their menu boards, making it a must-eat when in Western New York.
Where to eat it:
Schwabl's789 Center Road
West Seneca, NY 14224
Gary Walts
The crown jewel of Utica's Italian-American cuisine is tomato pie, a nod to Sicilian pizza that makes upstate distinctive from downstate (and New York City) when it comes to a slice of pie. Each region of Upstate has its own version of pizza, but few are as well loved or known as Utica's tomato pie, which features a thick, chewy crust and tomato sauce on top of cheese (which is why it is sometimes known as COB -- or "cheese on bottom" -- pizza).
Where to eat it:
Napoli's Italian Bakery412 Culver Avenue
Utica, NY 13501
Photo: A chicken Spiedie from Lupo's S&S Char-Pit. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
Behold, all you carb and protein lovers, this is the dish for you. Marinated, zippy meat stuck on a skewer and grilled (or pan-fried), then laid inside a bready roll to be consumed at every Upstate festival, fair and backyard cookout of your choosing. If one were to present a quintessential taste of Upstate New York, it would be this, the spiedie (on a paper plate with a side of butter-slathered salt potatoes and a ear of sweet corn).
Where to eat it:
Lupo's S&S Char Pit6 West State Street
Binghamton, NY 13905
White Hots
The dirty water dog carts of Manhattan's busy streets might give most outsiders the idea of what a hot dog in New York is, but for a real taste of the iconic sausage, look to White Hots. The uniquely colored sausages originate in the Rochester area, according to The Washington Post, but backyard cook-outs across Upstate New York aren't complete without the appearance of White Hots, most notably, the Snappy Griller from Hofmann's, which created its version in 1932.
Where to eat it:
Heid's of Liverpool
305 Oswego St
Liverpool, NY 13088
Or enjoy them at The Great New York State Fair
Photo: Salad with Thousand Island Dressing from the Thousand Island Inn inn Clayton. NY Photo By Frank Ordonez / The Post-Standard
Thousand Islands Dressing
You have to be really special to have a salad dressing named after you. Essentially, you have to be an independent nation (Russian, French, Italian). Unless you are the Thousand Islands, in which case, you are special enough that you span two countries and have your own condiment
Where to eat it:
Most restaurants in Upstate New York will offer you Thousand Island dressing to top your green salad, but if you are in the area, stop by River Rat Cheese Store and grab a bottle of the original version to take home.
242 James Street
Clayton, NY 13624
Photo: A slice of Marilyn Peet's homemade grape pie. Frank Ordonez/The Post-Standard
Grape Pie
Somewhere between grape jelly and double-crusted fruit pie lies the grape pie, ubiquitous to grape-growing regions in Upstate New York, but especially the Finger Lakes. While it might sound strange to those who have never had it, it only takes one bite to be a grape pie convert.
Where to eat it:
Monica's Pies7599 State Route 21
Naples, NY 14512
(Honorable mention to Cindy's Grape Pies, also in Naples)
Photo: Salt potatoes. David Lassman | dlassman@syracuse.com
Salt Potatoes
Salt potatoes are a culinary anthropologist's dream. The origins of the food are deeply linked to the immigrants that came to Upstate New York, the industry of the area, and our geological composition. This is to say, salt potatoes were developed as the primary foodstuffs of the Irish immigrants who mined salt out of the Syracuse region. Today, we still love our salt potatoes, and they are very hard to find outside of Upstate.
Where to eat it:
Bob's Barbecue5290 State Route 281
Homer, NY 13077
Photo: Chicken Riggies prepared by Chance Bear, chef at Francesca's on North Salina St., Syracuse. Gary Walts / The Post-Standard
Chicken Riggies
Chicken Riggies are a classic of Utica Italian-American cooking, and one would be hard pressed to find the dish outside of Upstate NY. Many restaurants lay claim to inventing the dish, but all versions rely on the same elements: Rigatoni, chicken, hot and sweet peppers, and tomato cream sauce.
Where to eat it:
Teddy's851 Black River Boulevard
Rome, NY 13440
Photo: A plate of Utica Greens. Stephen D. Cannerelli / The Post-Standard
Utica Greens
Most cultures have their own version of braised greens, but in Upstate New York, we have Utica greens, a spicy mix of bitter greens (like escarole and kale), hot peppers, cheese, and Italian cured meats. Utica greens are another example of the city's rich Italian-American heritage.
Where to eat it:
Chesterfield Restaurant1713 Bleeker Street
Utica, NY 13501
Photo: Peppermint Pig at The Feathered Nest, in the Fayetteville Towne Center, Fayetteville, New York. (Photo by Stanley Walker)
Peppermint Pig
No Christmas celebration is complete without the Peppermint Pig, a pink, minty confection (in the shape of a pig) that comes with a small gold-colored hammer to break the pig into bite-sized pieces. The Pig is especially popular as a holiday gift to friends and family. (Now you finally know how to win the Secret Santa exchange at work.)
Where to eat it:
Saratoga Sweets Candy Company
5 Washington Street
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Photo: Mini dogs from Famous Lunch in Troy, NY. (Gillian Chadsey | Facebook)
Mini Dogs
Okay, okay, so we really like our hot dogs here in Upstate New York. But each listing here is unique and special in their own ways. In the Capital Region, it is all about the mini dog (usually made by Hembolds), which are exactly as they sound: tiny hot dogs. Top them how you want, or get a variety of accouterments, as most orders of mini dogs come in a "litter" of three or six.
Where to eat it:
Famous Lunch11 Congress Street
Troy NY 12180
Melba Sauce
When most people think of melba sauce, they imagine a raspberry swirl atop of piece of cheesecake. But folks in eastern Upstate New York best know melba sauce as a thing you dip fried mozzarella into. Cheese and fruit is a classic pairing, made only better when deep fried.
Where to eat it:
Ralph's Tavern1328 Central Avenue
Albany, NY 12205
Photo: Boston Shake from The Snowman in Troy, N.Y. (Snowman)
Boston Shake
Much like Michigans, a Boston Shake sounds foreign but is rumored to hang its hat in New York state. A gluttonous delight, a Boston Shake is a milkshake that is topped with a hot fudge sundae. Have trouble making decisions? This dessert is for you.
Where to eat it:
The Snowman531 5th Avenue
Troy, NY 12182
Photo: Sponge Candy. (Courtesy of Visit Buffalo Niagara)
Sponge Candy
If the perfect meal in Buffalo consists of chicken wings as the main entree, then sponge candy is definitely for dessert. It's crunchy and sugary on the inside and chocolate covered on the outside. Its main ingredients are typically brown sugar, corn syrup and baking soda.
Where to eat them:
Watson's Choclates
738 Elmwood Ave
Buffalo, NY 14222
Photo: David Lassman | dlassman@syracuse.com
READ MORE: 10 best Italian markets and bakeries in Upstate NY
Let's take a look at a list of favorite Italian markets and Italian bakeries scattered throughout Upstate. Stop in for a bottle of olive oil, a chunk of Genoa salami or a cannoli sometime. You won't regret it.
» READ: 10 best Italian markets and bakeries in Upstate NY
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