Most touring cyclists are easy to please: they don’t need sunny skies, plush beds, or souvenirs. They do, however, need lots of food – and not just any food, good food. Rome’s Savoy Restaurant is the place to get both. For more than a century and three generations of one Italian-American family, the Savoy has been a stopping point for hungry canal travelers.
Located at 255 East Dominick Street near the Fort Stanwix National Historic Monument, the Savoy is easily accessible from the Erie Canalway Trail. The walls of the dining room are covered with autographed photos of famous diners and pennants for local sports teams and colleges. The menu features Italian-American pasta dishes great for reloading after a long ride. Carb-adverse diners will not be disappointed with the Savoy’s offerings either. The Savoy also serves lunch buffet for cyclists who are stopping only briefly in Rome.
For proof that the Savoy can accommodate the appetites of hungry cyclists, look no further than the dinner rush caused by the dozens of Cycle the Erie Canal riders who choose to dine at the Savoy, many arriving past the restaurant’s official closing time. The Savoy’s hospitality toward two-wheeled travelers is not limited to July either. According to manager Frank Destitio, “We love what cyclists bring to Rome. We get them, and we think they get us.” At the Savoy they fully embrace the motto “take care of your customers and they will come back.”
Canalway Trail Times 