Summer Skewers

An Italian tradition in upstate New York

By Brent Cox

Credit: Todd Coleman

I go way back with spiedies. During my childhood days near Rochester, New York, there was a trattoria, since gone, called The Vineyard that my family would hit for a night out. Next to the meatballs on the buffet were the spiedies—tangy, tender cubes of grilled pork on skewers that tasted exotic to our suburban palates. We couldn't get enough.

At the time, we did not bother to question the provenance of spiedies. Now that I am grown up and more curious, I find that Rochester is 150 miles northwest of the spiedie sphere of influence, which revolves around the tri-cities of Binghamton, Endicott, and Johnson City in New York State's Southern Tier. The story has it that spiedies, whose name is derived from spiedino or spiedo, Italian words for "skewer" and "spit," respectively, were the invention of Augustino Iacovelli, an immigrant from Abruzzo. Previously employed in the area's shoe-manufacturing industry, Iacovelli opened a restaurant called Augie's in Endicott in 1939 where the specialty was skewered chunks of lamb, rubbed with garlic and dry herbs, and basted with a vinegar wash during cooking (see recipe below). They caught on and spread to eateries across the region, including The Vineyard, which was opened in the 1980s by two of Iacovelli's sons. Today, the standard upstate New York spiedie is cubed pork or chicken marinated overnight in a zesty oil-and-vinegar concoction, grilled, and served on a metal skewer with Italian bread.

The specialty is so popular, particularly during grilling season, that there's an August festival dedicated to it. Precubed meat is sold for spiedies in markets, and though the marinade is easy to make yourself, prepared ones are widely sold. My sister, who now lives in Virginia, has Salamadia's Original State Fair Spiedie Sauce shipped to her by the case.

If you find yourself hungry near Binghamton, though, the thing to do is head straight for Sharkey's, an unassuming tavern whose reputation for spiedies is righteous and deserved. When I found the place on a recent visit, it was mostly quiet, with two old smokes parked at the bar and one booth filled. But the spiedies were as succulent as I'd remembered from The Vineyard, the earthy oil and the bright acids shaking hands and deciding to get along. I used the bread as a mitt to pull the meat off the spit. Then I ordered seconds.

See the recipe for Spiedies »

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #140

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Comments (4)

by Karen Deyle on 2011-08-02

Grew up in the same era in Rochester and remember the Spiedies and the Vineyard well! Grapevines hanging from the ceiling, dimly lit. Also on the brick buffet - fried smelts and an enormous wedge of italian cheese - Not Reggiano Parmesan, but something far more exotic than the orange cheddar we knew. An indelible food memory - thanks!

by VKUBIC on 2011-08-07

You got it half right with the recipe. Spiedies should marinate at least 24-48 hours, the longer the better. If you can find metal skewers, they are reusable and cook much better than wood. And spiedies are always served on a slice of good Italian bread, never a roll!

I live in Endicott, NY - birthplace of the spiedie.

by FOOD-DUDE on 2011-08-22

You guys really missed the boat on this article. Having lived in the Triple Cities area of NY all my life, you've totally overlooked the real spiedie hotspots of the area. The local taverns such as Stu's Place, restaurants like Lupo's and the Spiedie and Rib Pit are the true epicenters for spiedie aficionados. These places have received many awards for their spiedies and are far superior in flavor than the restaurant mentioned in the article.

by 100 on 2011-09-30

We called these spiedies because the roads around the tri city area were rife with deer. Speeding along, inevitably a deer would jump out in front of a vehicle and you either waited for the game warden or....
What else could one do?......throw it on the roof or in the back of the truck, take it home and grill it up! Spiedies!

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