From Inwood Out

How to Eat Like a Local in Utica, NY

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Utica Greens in a cast iron skillet on top of a red and white dish towel.

When in Central New York, be sure to treat yourself to some of the famous local dishes in Utica. After a plate of spicy chicken riggies or hearty Utica Greens, topped off with a Halfmoon Cookie or pusties for dessert, you might never want to leave this upstate foodie haven.

So many famous dishes have originated here that it’s a serious point of pride for residents. In fact, ask someone from Utica how to eat like a local and you’ll likely make their day!

There are lots of activities to choose from in Utica but sampling local cuisine is a must. The restaurant scene is top notch. There are also several longstanding Italian bakeries and delis where you can pick up a fresh sausage roll or tomato pie. But to truly eat like a local, be sure to sample the food that has put Utica on the Upstate New York culinary map! Read on for those dishes, as well as the best places to find them.

Chicken Riggies

A close-up view of chicken riggies served in shallow, ceramic, blue bowl.

Chicken riggies. Utica and, in fact, all of Upstate New York loves this dish that’s simple, filling, and bursting with a loads of complementing flavors. A spicy creamy tomato sauce is mixed with tender chicken, garlic, green peppers, and cherry peppers that are either hot, sweet, or both. In some versions, onions, black olives, and mushrooms are added. Variations include shrimp riggies and steak riggies.

The rich, savory sauce and everything in it is tossed with rigatoni pasta to create a scrumptious and filling crowd-pleaser of a meal. Because chicken riggies are chock-full of ingredients, they make a satisfying dinner on their own or with a simple side salad and always, always, a loaf of fresh Italian bread. 

Chicken riggies is a dish so passionately loved that local events like Riggie Fest and Riggie Wars are held on a regular basis. In these competitions, local restaurants whip up their best version of the dish and enter to win the honor of being the local riggies champion.

Here are a few local restaurants well-known for their chicken riggies:

Utica Greens

Utica Greens in a cast iron skillet on top of a red and white dish towel.

As the name implies, this is one of the most famous local dishes in Utica. It’s made with escarole, which is sautéed with garlic, prosciutto, and cherry peppers, then topped off with a thin layer of seasoned breadcrumbs and Romano cheese, all broiled to a light crispiness.

The result, Utica Greens, is a kaleidoscope of flavors: earthy and slightly bitter, salty and rich, hot and tangy, topped with the sharpness of Romano cheese. 

Utica Greens are readily found on local menus. There are lots of variations, but the art is in the ratio of ingredients. Too many breadcrumbs cause a mushy mess, a heavy dose of prosciutto is overpowering, and cherry peppers should create a pleasant—but bearable—mouth heat. 

Utica Greens are usually offered as an appetizer on restaurant menus and in my opinion, they’re absolutely meant to be shared because the dish is so rich and filling. It also makes a satisfying side dish. 

Utica Greens date back to the late 1980s, when chef Joe Morelle concocted the dish at the Chesterfield, a popular restaurant that has since closed. Luckily the family now owns Chesterfield’s Tavolo, where the beloved food is listed under its original name, Greens Morelle. 

Local restaurants famous for their house versions of Utica Greens:

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Four images of food: Utica Greens, tomato pie, pasticiotti, and chicken riggies.
Four images of food: a Half Moon Cookie, chicken riggies, a fried bologna sandwich, and a fish fry.

Italian Sausage Roll

A loaf of sliced Italian sausage roll, sitting on a cutting board and garnished with parsley.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve noticed the similarities in these local dishes. They’re all rich and hearty, filled with deeply satisfying ingredients like bread, pasta, and cheese to create the ultimate in comfort food. An Italian sausage roll is no different. 

Sweet Italian sausage is pan fried to a golden brown and placed on top of pizza dough. A layer of mozzarella is added, then the dough is rolled into a loaf and brushed on top with an egg-white glaze. Once it’s baked and sliced, you’ll see an irresistible swirl of ground sausage, cheese, and bread. The result is a simple, satisfying—and very addictive—local delicacy.

A slice of Italian sausage roll and a glass of red wine.

Customers usually buy their freshly baked sausage roll from one of the local bakeries listed below. Order yours ahead of time to be sure it’s available, though it’s often possible to walk in and purchase one, too.

Bring an Italian sausage roll to a party or potluck and it’s almost guaranteed to be instantly demolished. It also makes a nice addition to brunch. Spinach rolls are often available alongside sausage rolls.

In Utica, the following places are favorites for this comforting treat:

Tomato Pie

a whole tomato pie in a pizza box, with just one corner piece missing.

Tomato pie starts with a light and airy dough. It’s topped with thick, tangy tomato sauce, then topped with a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese. The finished pie is cut into to squares before you buy it and is hands down one of the best things to show up with at a party.

The tomato pie’s lack of gooey cheese and its thick, porous crust are what separate it from pizza, along with the fact that it tastes best at room temperature. 

Wherever you find good, fresh sausage bread in Utica, you’ll likely find excellent tomato pies, too, so look for them here:

Fish Fry

Fried haddock with French fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce, and a lemon slice on the side.

I know Central New York doesn’t have a monopoly on a fish fries, but what I do know from experience is that the farther south of Utica I travel, the less likely I am to find a traditional fish fry readily available on restaurant menus. 

The upstate fish fry I’m talking about is made with a haddock filet, which is breaded and fried to a golden crispiness. French fries and coleslaw are always on the side, along with plenty of lemon and tartar sauce to put on top of the flaky, crispy fish.

An Upstate New York fish fry is not to be confused with fish & chips, which is usually made with beer-battered cod and reminds me more of an English-style meal. Nor is it the same as fried catfish, which is more of Southern African American tradition.

Rather, the haddock fish fry traces its roots to Catholic immigrants in the late 1800s, who avoided eating meat on Fridays during Lent. These days, fish fries in Upstate New York are often available year-round. Some restaurants serve them as part of their regular menu, while others whip them up only on Fridays.

These are some of the local restaurants popularly known for their tantalizing fish fries:

Fried Bologna and Hot Pepper Sandwich

A woman's hand holding fried bologna and hot pepper sandwich.

Slices of bologna are fried until the edges are crisp and a little burnt, then placed between white bread and topped with Italian long hot peppers that are fried long enough to bring out an even balance of sweet and spicy. You can ask for mayonnaise or mustard but the natural oils of the bologna and peppers usually add just the right amount of flavor.

Fried bologna and hots is an old school sandwich that some of you were likely raised on (I certainly had my childhood share, minus the peppers). The novelty is in ordering a nostalgic comfort food from restaurants that put it together simply yet perfectly, including these:

Utica Club Beer

A flight of four beers and one pint of beer.
Brews at 1888 Tavern at Saranac F.X. Matt Brewing Co.

The famous local dishes in Utica deserve to be paired with only the best local beverage! Here, that means Utica Club, a brew that happens to have been the first legal beer served in the U.S. once Prohibition ended in 1933.

Utica is home to Saranac F.X. Matt Brewing Co., where visitors can tour the beer-making facilities and then grab a seat at the on-site 1888 Tavern for a pint of Utica Club beer (or a Saranac beer, if you prefer). You can also pick some up at any local grocery or convenience store. 

Pasticciotti (Pusties)

Two small Italian tarts called "pusties." One is cut in half to reveal a chocolate custard filling.

And finally: we’ve come to dessert! 

In this region, Upstate New York food is often synonymous with the divine Italian pastries called pasticiotti–better known locally as pusties. Each individual tart-like dessert is baked to a golden brown, then filled with fresh chocolate or vanilla custard, resulting in an exquisite contrast between flaky outer shell and creamy inner filling. 

The full name for this delectable dessert is pasticiotti but locals are so committed to using the shortened word, pusties, that I truly didn’t know the full name for them until I was fully grown up.

Be sure to add pusties to your list of famous local dishes in Utica, and then head to these bakeries to load up:

Half Moon Cookies

A person's hand holding a Half Moon Cookie.

This simple but scrumptious treat consists of a large pillowy cookie topped with half chocolate and half vanilla frosting. If you’re in Utica, you can try Half Moon Cookies in their city of origin.

The closer you live to Utica, the more likely you are to call it a Half Moon Cookie. Live closer to New York City? You probably know it as a Black and White Cookie.

So, are Half Moon Cookies the same as Black and Whites? 

Not exactly. When you actually drill down to the ingredients, there are some differences. While the NYC version is usually made with a dense vanilla cookie base and topped with fondant or icing, the base of a Half Moon is a fluffy cake-like cookie, spread on top with half chocolate fudge (or buttercream) and half vanilla buttercream frosting. The base is traditionally chocolate but also widely available in vanilla. 

The generally accepted origin of Half Moon Cookies is Hemstrought’s Bakery in Utica, whose founder created them in 1920. Hemstrought’s still bakes them fresh daily and customers can even order them in custom colors for parties, weddings, or other special celebrations. 

Another popular Half Moon bakery is Holland Farms. The cookie is also widely available at local grocery stores. 

Final Thoughts on Famous Local Dishes in Utica

For an authentic Upstate New York food experience, sampling the famous local dishes in Utica are an absolute must! Not only will your stomach be extremely satisfied, you’ll discover incredible local restaurants in the process. To eat like a local, be sure to include plenty of this Upstate New York cuisine in your plans.

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