Garbage Plates Are A Thing And You Should Definitely Eat One
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@withthelocals
The phrase “garbage plate” might not crank your appetite into high gear, but you shouldn’t let the name scare you. Born in Rochester, New York, about six hours north of New York City, this bizarre dish is a heaping plate of mixed American comfort foods. Put into simplest terms, a garbage plate is basically a giant pile of classic picnic sides that all mesh together to become one.
A garbage plate usually starts with two base items. They can be anything from home fries to pasta salad to baked beans to mac and cheese. After you have a starch-packed foundation, some kind of protein goes on top, then various toppings and sauces. A restaurant called Nick Tahou Hots in Rochester makes the OG garbage plate.
At Nick Tahou Hots, garbage plates are turned out as fast as people can order them with a base layer of pasta salad, crispy home fries and baked beans, and then a sprinkle of chopped onions and spicy mustard. Next, you have a choice between chili, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, Italian sausage, chicken tenders, eggs or grilled cheese. Finally, there’s a drizzle of ketchup or hot sauce. At this Rochester joint, the dish comes with two slices of Italian bread and butter.
Garbage plates vary depending on where you are, but the concept stays the same. Try battling a hangover when you have garbage plates at your disposal. They may not be the epitome of health, but hey, we’re only human and sometimes we just need to stuff our faces with comfort food.
This iconic dish is just about as American as you can get. If you have any sort of dietary restrictions, you’ll probably want to steer clear. Other names for this hearty dish are “trash plate” and “dumpster plate.”
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