An Ode to Stretch's Chicken Savoy

How a dish on a local menu sent this Jersey Girl down a chicken rabbit hole

“Do you guys want to meet for dinner at The Hawke on Saturday?” asked my friend. ‘Sounds great” I responded as I casually googled the new menu for this recently re-opened restaurant just a stone’s throw across the Delaware River in Lambertville, NJ.  I spotted a ‘Chicken Savoy’ on the menu, billed as ‘roasted on the bone with balsamic vinegar and pecorino’.  Curious, I googled ‘chicken savoy’ and wow, did it send me down a rabbit hole.

Before I jump into the fascinating story behind this dish, let me tell you this dish is absolutely DELICIOUS - the late addition of vinegar elevates the chicken to an entirely different level! How in the world did I grow up in New Jersey and not know about this dish? I grew up in the western part of the state on the banks of the Delaware River. I lived in central Jersey near Princeton for a good portion of my life until I moved far, far away – across the river to Pennsylvania. Our mom made all the Italian-American specialties and constantly traded recipes with other Italians in the area. Our dad was president of our Italian-American Social Club for decades (Sidenote: our grandfather from Italy built the Club. He built it in the likeness of the local club in his hometown in Italy). Tony, the chef at the club, whipped out aluminum tray after aluminum tray of all the classics for every event.

Never once did we have or do I remember ever hearing about Chicken Savoy! So first question - is anyone out there familiar with this dish? Second question - why didn’t you tell me? 😊 I was fascinated as I read about its history. As I googled, I found an article by Serious Eats - a fascinating piece about the history of this dish and the restaurant where it was created. You can find it HERE. (definitely worth the read) There is also a great piece on Foodindigenous.

This simple dish originated in Northern New Jersey – specifically at a red sauce joint in Belleville, NJ named the Belmont Tavern. This old-school Italian American restaurant has been around since 1967.  Rumor has it that the dish was created by their butcher-turned-cook named Stretch who thought the name made the dish sound fancy. It became so popular with the locals in North Jersey that it is still advertised with a classic-Jersey-neon sign in the window.

Photo from Food Indigenous

Although this dish isn’t difficult to replicate, the Belmont Tavern won’t tell anyone exactly how it is made nor what makes their version so special (is it the screaming hot commercial oven?) When Saveur attempted to get the recipe, they gave up after the owner said, "If I tell you, then we'd have to kill you on your way out the door." Many have tried to duplicate the recipe. Apparently, the dish can now be found on the menu of many North Jersey restaurants (although how it made its way onto the menu of the local restaurant I do not know.) However, locals maintain that nobody can touch what it tastes like at the Belmont.

After trying the dish at our local restaurant, I needed to give it a go at home. I found a few versions of this recipe online but Saveur’s version seemed closest to the original based on reviews. And I would argue that indeed it is pretty damn good.

Stretch’s Chicken Savoy

The dish is quite simple - cut-up chicken parts are browned in a skillet, smeared with a delicious mixture of pecorino, garlic and herbs, and roasted in a hot, hot oven until done. At the very end, the dish is doused with a healthy amount of red wine vinegar which coats the pieces in heavenly, juicy aromas. Wow - if you are a vinegar lover, this dish is a *must-make*. (Our neighborhood restaurant subbed balsamic vinegar for the red wine vinegar which I have since read is a big no-no. I much preferred the red wine vinegar version although their dish was tasty as well.)

One note - be careful when you add the red wine vinegar to the hot pan - turn your head as those fumes can make your eyes water. (And you might as well roast some potatoes to serve alongside since the oven is screaming hot!)

As for the Belmont Tavern, Joey and Mark arrive on Monday to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with us (woohoo!) And guess what - we are planning a road trip to the Belmont to give their version a try! So excited …stay tuned. 💃🏻 I promise to report back!

For the recipe, click the button below or head to OurItalianTable.com.

Before we go….

Joey and I want to wish all our American friends, a beautiful and happy Thanksgiving 🍁

And for all our readers, as we enter this season of gratitude, we want to pause to say grazie ❤️ to every one of you; for being part of our little world and for supporting the work that we do. Our hearts are full.

Joey and I are doing a special Feast of the Seven Fishes version of our podcast for the December episode - we look forward to sharing our love of this special Italian American celebration with you all. 🐟

Grazie di cuore,