Can We Talk About the Chicken French?
The Chicken French entree from Edibles Restaurant and Bar in Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts (NOTA).
My first visit to Rochester before moving downtown was during a wild time in my life. I had moved from New York City to a small town in the Southern Tier during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was searching for a new job, wondering if I would return to NYC. It was a dark time, and without real career prospects in the big city, I decided it was time to move on and do what felt best for the future. I traveled the Finger Lakes and Western New York, first visiting Buffalo, and feeling like I did not fit in.
During my first visit to Rochester, it all made sense, which I laugh about now. Entering the city from S. Clinton Avenue felt welcoming, especially once you see the “Welcome to Rochester” sign, the Geva Theater marquee, and Washington Square Park upon entering the city. While passing the Innovation Square building, my eyes caught sight of the glowing lamps at the Metropolitan building, reminding me of the Urban Light installation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), which was unique to behold emerging from the darkness. Little did I know then what I know now: that I would somehow rebuild a post-pandemic life here in Rochester and eventually highlight the fantastic things there are to do in this highly underrated city.
Over the years, I have come to learn a lot about ROC City, its history, and especially the local food scene. The first local dish I was recommended, and have heard about over and over, is the renowned Garbage Plate. You know the story; if you don’t, you can read about it here.
The Garbage Plate has become Rochester’s most recommended dish. It’s simple, it’s a plate consisting of burger patties or Hots (essentially something in between a traditional hot dog and a Polish sausage) layered over mac salad, and home fries, and atop is a mess of something called meat hot, it’s just Rochester’s version of a chili. Like I said, simple, it’s appetizing, not so easy on the eyes, but if you find the right one, it can be satiating. However, while this generous meal gets much of the regional attention, Rochester, New York, is also known for another staple dish found in most Italian eateries across the city: the Chicken French.
The Chicken French, in my opinion, is Rochester’s most underrated dish as far as recommendations go. According to Rochester First, the Chicken French started back in the 1970s, when two brothers, Chef Nate Cianciola and his brother James, known as Chef Vicenzo, swapped a Veal French recipe by replacing the veal with chicken, an act to ease frustration with local animal-rights activists protesting outside a Brighton eatery that permanently closed in 1997, the Brown Derby Restaurant. They began promoting the dish as the Chicken French, and lo and behold, a new Rochester recipe was born. One that has since spread across New York State and even internationally.
Another simple recipe, the Chicken French is made with chicken cutlets cooked to perfection in a unique golden egg batter, layered with a mouthwatering buttery lemon-sherry wine sauce, and finished with thin slices of Parmesan. The dish tastes fantastic with linguini, but it is noteworthy that different restaurants may offer different accoutrements or renditions. When it comes to this zesty dish, I tend to prefer the recipe as is, but I have found that artichokes can make for a complementary side.
While Rochester, like many other cities, has been blessed with some interesting cultural dishes, the Garbage Plate is far from the only dish worth raving about. It’s time to talk about the Chicken French.
