Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern Likes Real Italian In East Utica

The Travel Channel episode "The Mighty Erie," with Host Andrew Zimmern just aired on cable in mid-September. However, it was a long and twisted road to get the interview done.

While Andrew was in town filming "The Mighty Erie Canal" he took some time to meet the owner of Chesterfields Sal Borruso and sampled some of the best in Italian food that Utica has to offer. Chesterfield's has been a staple in East Utica since 1941 and Sal has owned the restaurant since 1987.

The episode that contains Utica will be broadcast several more times and dates are available on The Travel Channel. Who knew it would all start with two reporters from the New York Times with a Utica connection and a suggestion to do an interview with the owner of Chesterfields in Utica. Wires would get crossed and Sal the owner hung up on the reporter thinking he was someone else and not from the Times, not once but numerous times.

This was all taking place around the time The Travel Channel was working on the piece for Bizarre Foods. So, what started as an interview for the FOOD section of the New York Times ended up being one of the segments for the Travel Channel's Bizarre foods on cable.

You just never know who is on the other end of the phone

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