A Question on Greens and Beans

In the Capital Region, Italian-American food is like the air we breathe.

There are several reasons why I’ve never really delved into the Italian-American restaurant landscape of the area. For starters, it’s just too massive. Cataloging all of the different red sauce joints we’ve got in the region could be your life’s work. And while I may truly love a great chicken parm, there are only so many I can eat. A lot of this food is heavy stuff based on refined grains, sometimes fried, and usually smothered in cheese.

Then you have the issue with portions, which are massive. And prices, which might be fair given the quantity of food served, but still quite high for the quality of the ingredients. Plus, I’m a pretty capable cook of Italian-American dishes, and all the ingredients one might need are readily available.

That said, there is another dish of almost equal ubiquity as chicken parm, which is loaded with vegetables, and typically served as an entree sized appetizer: Greens and beans.

Here’s the deal. I did not grow up surrounded by Italian-American restaurants. And for a large part of my life, these kinds of places were largely off my radar. They just don’t occupy the same ubiquitous space in Miami and San Francisco that do in the northeast.

My hunch is that Greens & Beans is fairly common across the northeastern Italian-American restaurant scene, but I just don’t know. Maybe it’s a regional variant of Upstate New York, much like the ubiquity of tripe on Italian-American menus is characteristic of Old Forge, Pennsylvania.

For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, especially since greens and beans can take on so many forms, let me explain the dish that has really captured my heart. It’s a deeply comforting blend of cannellini beans, escarole, chicken broth, parmesan, olive oil, and garlic.

Sometimes there may be things like chili flakes, pancetta, or sausage. The beans could be swapped for other white beans. The greens can take the form of broccoli rabe or another bitter green. Every now and again, you may get a whiff of anchovy that was melted into the oil.

It can be served on the brothier side with a spoon, and I’m pretty sure it can be a bit drier and served with a fork. I’ve also seen versions tossed with pasta. Locally, I’ve also found it used as a base for grilled sausage.

Today, I’m looking to local readers for some insight and guidance, but also those further afield to see how far and wide this dish is available across the country.

If you are a fan of this dish, what are the characteristics that you look for in a remarkable preparation, and where locally do you think is your favorite place to get it? I’m also curious if Utica greens are simply a variation of the form, replacing the beans with breadcrumbs, and pepper flakes for cherry peppers.

Whatever the case may be, I’m on the hunt for warm, soulful, and satisfying plates of greens cooked in garlic and chicken broth. And I’m hoping to make up for some lost time this winter, and really dig into some of our more classic Italian-American institutions. Even if it’s just for a plate of this appetizer at the bar.