Rabia Stevenson’s Guide to Local Rochester Food: Part 1
Rochester, New York, located close to Lake Ontario and near the Finger Lakes region, has had a food culture that has evolved over hundreds of years. This evolution was influenced by many factors including native indigenous ingredients, continued immigration, the region’s ability to succeed agriculturally and more. The current result is a diverse abundance of ingredients and foods that combine regular food staples and regional favorites.
In this initial overview, I want to highlight the history and a few local ingredients and dishes, local to Rochester, New York, that may not have been on your radar. Come along with me, and let’s start to explore the food of Rochester, New York.
The History of Rochester, New York’s Food Culture
Dating back hundreds of years, before heavy European influence, the native people of the area had an abundance of local ingredients to satisfy their diets. This included their primary protein sources, which came from wild turkey, deer, rabbit and fish from the rivers and lakes. On the side of gathering, they were able to source wild rice, berries, apples, nuts, as well as a wide variety of plant roots. Among the most common were the people’s harvested corn, squash and similar vegetables.
Over the years, these historical staples can be seen in modern food favorites and traditions that still live on in some way. Local cabbage used for sauerkraut, berry production and apple orchards are just a few examples of these ingredients that have stayed native to Rochester, but have evolved to meet our current tastes.
The ingredients in their raw form were less common to see at restaurants, but with the ever evolving movement for “farm to table”, “local and organic” as well as “back to basics cooking”, it is not uncommon now to see a few of these historic staples on a plate at a local Rochester restaurant.
Some Popular Dishes local to Rochester, New York
As our followers know, the blog and website are dedicated to cooking, specifically sharing recipes. Here we need to first highlight some local dishes, and then in the future we can explore bringing these into your kitchen.
The Garbage Plate – Nick Tahou Hots – Main Street, Rochester, New York
The Garbage Plate has roots back over 100 years. It was originally created by a Greek immigrant, Alexander Tahou, and served in his restaurant in Rochester. Years later his son Nick took over, changed the restaurant name to Nick Tahou Hots, and continued to serve up the Garbage Plate. The Garbage Plate was rooted in the blue collar workforce in the area, who needed a single but filling plate to satisfy their hunger and fuel their bodies. While the plate has evolved since inception, the overall makeup is mainly unchanged.
The Garbage Plate is typically a base of home fries and macaroni salad. While similar plates can be found elsewhere using French fries… true lovers of the Garbage Plate will spot the difference instantly.
From there, a meat style chili sauce is added. The key here is that this is not chili, but a special chili meat sauce with origins back to the early days of the dish. The condiments from there are up to you. Often found close by will be ketchup, mustard and onions, in which you can dress to your taste. A side of bread is provided to help scrape up anything left on the plate.
This Garbage Plate is widely known and loved in Rochester and the surrounding areas. It has been covered by the media extensively and despite many other local shops trying to deliver a similar plate, the locals hold Nick Tahou Hots’ Garbage Plate as the original, and still the best! The company website is a bit outdated, but you will find exactly what you need… the address and phone number.
The White Hot Dog & Zweigle’s – A Rochester Staple
Dating back to 1880, Zweigle’s was founded by Whilhelm Zweigle, a German immigrant in Rochester, New York. The first iteration of the company was a small butcher shop named “Old World” that would sell their sausages to the local markets and eateries. Since then, 5 generations of the family have manned the helm, and continue to keep the brand alive and famous.
These “white” hot dogs are locally renowned and can be found in restaurants, stands and even grocery stores across the Rochester area. The company today still maintains manufacturing on Plymouth Ave in Rochester and tries to keep their local and historical roots grounded, right where it all started. While Zweigle was not the first to make this variation of sausage, he and his family surely were part of the reason they are so famous.
The name “White Hot” derives from the color, which is a result of the process and ingredients. The meat is a blend of uncured pork, beef and veal. From there, the mixture is placed into natural casing, which will pop open upon cooking. This “popping” feature has made its way into variations of the name, and even on their packaging.
The common serving of the White Hot is on a bun, topped with mustard and then raw, chopped white onions. Due to the White Hot being a famous local Rochester food, it has also found its way into other local dish variations, such as the Garbage Plate we explored earlier in this article.
If you find yourself in Rochester, it is likely that you will see these in stores, and eateries alike. Do not pass up the chance to try it for yourself. You can learn more about their products and history on their website here: https://zweigles.com/.
More Rochester Food to Come
While this article simply touched on a bit of history, and 2 dishes local to Rochester, New York, there is much more to explore. I will work to continue to share more about Rochester, the food history, the food culture and we all may even see some of these dishes and recipes coming to the blog here soon.
