New U Street sports bar slings Upstate New York eats
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French bread pizzas at Upstate FTW, a new sports collab on U Street. Photo: Courtesy LeadingDC
Spiedies. Garbage plates. Real-deal wings. U Street's new sports bar collab champions Upstate New York.
Why it matters: Upstate FTW, launching tomorrow, brings hometown eats from chef Scott Drewno, who grew up near Syracuse and the Finger Lakes.
Dig in: The Fried Rice Collective (Chiko, Anju, I Egg You) is taking over the kitchen at Sports & Social, dishing up Drewno's hometown specialties rarely seen in D.C.
Must try: Spiedies (marinated skewers) with salt potatoes and Utica greens.
- "Garbage plates" — Drewno's college staple in Rochester — a mash-up of mac salad, home fries, chili and cheeseburger.
- Zweigle's hot dogs, a Rochester institution, white or red.
- Utica-style chicken riggies (rigatoni) with herby bread crumbs.
- Late-night eats like French bread pizza.
The intrigue: The wings take time. "No short cuts," says Drewno.
- He taste-tested around Buffalo and timed the best. "No wings came out in under 22 minutes" (most kitchens par-cook them for speed).
Zoom in: Upstate's wings are brined, air-dried and fried-to-order, tossed in a variety of sauces like house-made Buffalo (mild or hot), lemon-pepper or smoky double-barbecue.
- Match 'em with Utica Club or Genesee beer.
What's next: Football season, but no Bills on blast (Bills bar Exiles is down the way). When it comes to sports, "We're a Commanders and D.C. bar — a love letter to my adopted home," says Drewno.
If you go: Upstate FTW. 1314 U Street, Northwest. Open at 4, Mon-Fri, and 11:30 Sat-Sun.