24 Hours in Utica, NY

There are only a few possible reasons why you may know of Utica, NY: 1) you are an avid fan of the Office and memorized the line “we will burn Utica to the ground!”, 2) you have had a conversation with Taylor Madison DuRoss in the past, 3) you know that it is a landmark by the Eerie Canal.

If you know me, you know that only one of these options could explain how I know about the wonders of Utica. Through the years that I have lived with Taylor, little bits of her childhood have been brought to me: her dad’s sauce in the gnocchi we would prepare for dinner, our conflicting associations with Enchanted Forest, whole boxes of tomato pie that we would snack on, the best halves of half moons, frozen loaves from Utica Bread, and a good majority of her family. Despite a very brief visit to Utica on New Year’s of last year, it was about time to have the true Utica experience.

On Friday, our friends all loaded up a weekender bag with more than enough outfits for an overnight stay at the DuRoss household. The drive involved a lot of karaoke, iced drinks, and a mandatory pit stop in Lee where we refueled up on ketchup and happy meals. We arrived in Utica at about 6PM where an impressive array of charcuterie and Utican specials awaited us. If you know Taylor’s mother, you know that the first Christmas tree goes up on her birthday at the end of October, so of course the entire house was lit up with a dazzling display of candles and lights. Even though the air was chilly, the ambiance was so so warm and not a single room lacked in thoughtfully placed decor. For appetizers, we enjoyed a cheese board, rice balls, and blood marys prepared by Taylor’s father before taking a break to pick up our favorite board game at Target where we got very distracted (naturally). Then, we returned for a delicious dinner of chicken riggies, Utica greens, garlic knots, salad, and half moons. The original plan included rolling through Ocean Blue, but it had already closed by the time we were ready so we hung out by the electric fire to cozy up before bed.

The next morning, we were able to wake up with ease and rolled out of bed to a substantial selection of bagels and cream cheese picked up from the bagel grove. Then, we went down to the Broad Street Cash and Carry, a wholesale warehouse of Italian goods with mixed reactions from the family. This location first captured my attention when Taylor generously shared a Tupperware of parmesan cheese with me, only to hear that her family had recently obtained very large quantities of it at an impressive price. My take away thought of Broad Street is that I wish we had one here in Boston so that I could make a boatload of Italian foods all the time. I purchased my own large tub of cheese and of course and a gallon of Utica grind. For quite a few years, I genuinely thought it was called Utica grime until I saw the label of the bottle sitting on their kitchen counter last January. Hopefully, it is enough to last me until my next visit to Utica.

Our next stop was a new food shop called Smith’s in Bagg’s Square, which featured some local produce, gourmet items, and a separate eating area. Though more my aesthetic, I have to say that the Cash and Carry had a way better selection. We also made a few stops at Utica Bread for pastries, Bite Bakery for more pastries, and Maria’s for fresh pasta and fried meatballs. Out of all these places, my number one recommendation would be to get yourself a fried meatball- they were that good. Then, we hit up another famous Utica character (amongst our friend group), Taylor’s boyfriend, for tea and coffee at Cafe Domenico where they fell in love with each other (very on brand). We visited some more of Taylor’s old stomping grounds before heading back home for the ultimate comfort food, mac and tomatoes with a side of cucumber tomato salad and a slice of bread for soakin in the sauce. Finally, we topped off the night with coffee and tea and shared our collection of pastries amongst each other. Honestly, I should have probably titled this post “Eating Our Way Through Utica, NY”, but food is truly such an important component of culture, and it was all so so delicious.

It didn’t feel like such a fast turnaround, but by 7PM we were saying the dreaded goodbyes and deciding which road to take out of Utica (the scenic one, of course). Fortunately, there was little to no traffic and we blasted music all the way back to our home in Wellesley, MA at a volume level of 25 (yikes) with another mandatory pit stop at Lee. Thankfully, we had a bounty of Italian goods and a tray of half moons to fuel us through the drive. And when I got home at night, I will confess that I did cook myself up some gnocchi with all the ingredients we hauled back from the various local establishments and have to say, Taylor’s dad’s sauce is infinitely better.

It is one thing to hear about Utica and taste the foods and see the pictures, but it is another thing to smell the food cooking and go to the source of all the dishes that each local could argue as to who makes it better and eat a home cooked meal. However, what I truly learned on this trip was that it’s not just the food that brings Utica to life, but Taylor’s family that anchors this special little town by the Eerie Canal. I love the close knit community, the stories that her family had to share, and the overflowing fridge of foods for all the guests (not just us!) that the family hosts so often. I am incredibly fortunate to piece all these elements of a world so close to Taylor into a cohesive picture and learn a little something more about her heart.