Signature dishes of New York in Albany
Where to find 5 upstate New York specialties in Albany — from chicken riggies to the mini hot dog — done well and priced under $18.
Plate of chicken riggies with red sauce
Chicken riggies
Upstate's most defensible original dish: rigatoni with chicken, hot cherry peppers, and a spicy cream-tomato sauce. Invented in Utica, but Albany does a good version. Cafe Capriccio on Grand Street plates a $22 riggies-style pasta. For a cheaper, closer-to-original version, try Ragonese Italian Imports on Delaware Avenue in the summer takeout months.
Mini hot dogs (Gus's dogs)
The Capital Region's most beloved snack: 3-inch steamed hot dogs in a soft bun with meat sauce, mustard, and onions, eaten by the half-dozen. Gus's Hot Dogs in Watervliet (a 10-minute drive from downtown) has been serving them since 1951; six with everything runs $10. Ted's Fish Fry, Nick's Ristorante, and several diners also do a version.
Fish fry
A whole beer-battered haddock fillet on a soft roll with tartar and lettuce, the upstate Friday-night ritual. Ted's Fish Fry has locations across the region; the fish fry sandwich is $9. Off Shore Pier on Broadway does a sit-down version for $16.
Beef on weck and half-moon cookies
Beef on weck (roast beef on a caraway-salt kimmelweck roll) is more Buffalo than Albany, but the Ale House on North Pearl Street plates a good one for $14. For half-moons — the black-and-white cookies of central New York — Bella Napoli Italian Bakery on Central Avenue has them for $3.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask before they set off on this one.
No single iconic dish. It's a crossroads — Italian-American, upstate diner classics, and increasingly a good farm-to-table scene from the Hudson Valley.
For proper Utica-style, drive to Utica (90 minutes west). In Albany, Cafe Capriccio and Grandma's Country Restaurant come closest.
Yes. It's 10 minutes from downtown Albany, cash-only, and open until 3am on weekends.
Bros Bagels on Central Avenue and Ragonese for old-school. Both under $3 with cream cheese.
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