Utica Greens: A Central New York Staple With Multiple Identities
'They don’t normally call Utica greens Utica greens in Utica.
“Somebody calls here and says they want Utica greens, I tell them we don’t have those,” said Sal Borruso, owner of the Chesterfield Restaurant in this city of 60,000 in central New York.
In 1988, Chesterfield’s began serving the hearty dish of escarole, fried prosciutto, hot cherry peppers, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and bread crumbs.
It went on to become one of those American specialties that are beloved as a regional staple without reaching much further. From Albany to Syracuse, the dish is served in Italian-American restaurants as Utica greens.
But not so much in Utica.
“They’re greens Morelle,” Mr. Borruso, 55, said, standing at his restaurant’s gleaming wooden bar. The “Morelle” is Joe Morelle, the 59-year-old man in a red V-neck sweater, buzz cut and gray mustache who sat nearby, sipping a Scotch and water and explaining the dish’s murky origins.
“Us being Italian, our grandmothers all made greens,” Mr. Morelle said. “They would call it ’scarole. Just sautéed with garlic and olive oil.”'>>>
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/dining/utica-greens-recipe-italian-american.html?
