New York City: Pizza / Bagels
When you think of New York City, pizza should be the first thing that comes to mind. For any true believer, there’s no question that NYC pizza is the best of the best. Thin, crispy crusts, delicious sauce and any topping you can imagine—but a classic cheese pie is just as delicious. Gotham’s delicious crust is due to the high-gluten flour used to make it. And you know what they say about the city’s tap water–apparently it provides it with that special texture and flavor. And if you don’t think about pizza 24/7 like the rest of us, then surely your thoughts turn to the city’s stellar bagels. Specifically, an everything bagel smeared with a heaping dollop of scallion cream cheese. Or maybe that’s just me? Again, you can thank the water quality for that. Its low mineral content helps create the perfect texture for dough and the best bagels there are.
Hudson Valley: Apple Cider Donuts
The symbol we all know truly signifies the beginning of fall in New York’s Hudson Valley is the ubiquity of delicious apple cider donuts everywhere you look. In an area blossoming with orchards, it’s only right that these tasty treats would be up for grabs. These sweets date all the way back to colonial times when leftover apples were combined with spare dough as to not waste anything edible. Safe to say it wasn’t the most delicious of bites, but the good news is the apple cider donuts we know today are definitely better than the OGs. Today’s yummy confections are made with an apple cider dough, baked off and dusted in cinnamon sugar. You can’t go wrong with stopping at any orchard in the Hudson Valley. Who’s ready to lick cinnamon sugar off their lips?
Adirondacks: Maple Syrup
As winter begins to thaw, the Adirondacks smell a bit sweeter as maple sugaring takes place across the region. Groves of maple trees throughout the region are responsible for one-third of the state’s production of maple syrup, aiding New York State in being the second-largest producer of syrup in the country. Syrup has become a central part of the Adirondack culture, so much so that Maple Weekend Festivals take place at the end of March across the region, teaching about this sweet tradition. If you attend, make sure to grab a stack of pancakes slathered with the Adirondacks’ finest maple syrup.
Utica: Half Moon Cookies / Chicken Riggies
I’m sure you’re looking at the title and thinking Black and White Cookies, I know what those are. But no, don’t be mistaken, these are different–and much better according to Utica locals. The Half Moon Cookie started in Hemstrought’s Bakery in 1925, where you can still try the original recipe today. The cookie itself is large with a cake-like base that you can find offered in both vanilla and chocolate flavors. And unlike the almost crispy glaze of a Black and White, Half Moons are topped with generous amounts of chocolate and vanilla buttercream on either half. You can find them at almost any Utica bakery or grocery store.
Somewhere within Utica, a chef cooked up a pasta dish consisting of chicken, rigatoni and hot cherry peppers and tossed it all together in a spicy, creamy tomato sauce and Chicken Riggies were born. Where exactly that happened, we’re not too sure, as lots of local chefs have claimed to be the originators. Regardless, whomever made it most likely threw together some leftover ingredients and struck gold when this delicious comfort dish was the result. The name itself is simply a fun shortening of the word rigatoni, something that might sound a bit funny to non-Central New Yorkers. Today, the dish is a regional classic and served up at almost any Italian-American restaurant
Plattsburgh: Michigan Hot Dogs
Despite the name, Michigan Hot Dogs started up in Plattsburgh. Again, there’s no real consensus where these came from, one story claims the popular concoctions go back to the first known Michigan Hot Dog Stand in 1927, owned by Eula and Garth Otis who (apparently) were from Michigan. The most important part of a Michigan is the sauce, often a tomato-based mixture with vinegar, brown sugar and spices with ground meat. On top of the sauce goes onions and yellow mustard and then you have a Michigan. Order your onions “buried” to have them placed under the meat to really feel like a local.
Saratoga Springs: The Oboy
In 1955 at Esperanto restaurant in Saratoga Springs, chicken, cheese and spices were wrapped into a pizza dough crust, baked off and the Oboy (formerly known as the “Doughboy”) was born. Starting off as an experiment, the Oboy has become a celebrity of its own in Saratoga. In the past two decades, more than two million Oboys have been sold at Esperanto’s, making it a favored treat for a lot of Spa City residents and visitors. If you can’t make it to Saratoga, don’t worry, they’ve developed an Oboy finder for you to find the closest spot to you carrying this unmistakable tasty treat.
Buffalo: Chicken Wings
I mean, it’s in the name: Buffalo wings. And you can thank Teresa Bellissimo of the Anchor Bar for the creation of this delicious American food staple. One night in 1964 she tossed some leftover wings in hot sauce for a quick late snack for her son and his friends. Today you can travel across the Buffalo Wing Trail to try all the variations of this beloved dish across the city. The cayenne pepper-based sauce is combined with butter, vinegar and other spices to create that iconic tangy, finger licking taste that changed the American sports bar scene forever.
Rochester: Garbage Plates
In 1918, Nick Tahou Hots, a Rochester restaurant started serving up Garbage Plates. Despite the less than appealing name, the dish, also known as the Rochester Plate, Trash Plate or just Plate, is something special. In its original form it consists of “hots” (sausages), potatoes, beans and Italian bread with butter. Today though you can find all sorts of variations with hamburger meat, chicken fingers or ham rather than hot dogs, macaroni salad and a chili meat sauce. The name wasn’t coined until the 1980s when hungry college students began asking for “the plate with all the garbage on it.
Rochester: Garbage Plates
In 1918, Nick Tahou Hots, a Rochester restaurant started serving up Garbage Plates. Despite the less than appealing name, the dish, also known as the Rochester Plate, Trash Plate or just Plate, is something special. In its original form it consists of “hots” (sausages), potatoes, beans and Italian bread with butter. Today though you can find all sorts of variations with hamburger meat, chicken fingers or ham rather than hot dogs, macaroni salad and a chili meat sauce. The name wasn’t coined until the 1980s when hungry college students began asking for “the plate with all the garbage on it.
