Historic Brighton Fall Event - Nate Cianciola and the Creation of Chicken French
Sunday, October 25, 2026
- Presented by Nate Cianciola
- Brighton Memorial Library
- 2300 Elmwood Avenue
- Meeting begins at 2 p.m.
- Free Admission
Growing up in a large family nourished by their mother’s excellent Italian meals, it was natural that Nate Cianciola and his older brother James would develop a love of food. By helping their mother with its preparation, and later by working in various restaurants as teenagers, the brothers acquired the knowledge, the skills, and the desire to open a restaurant.
Nate and James opened Brighton’s very own Brown Derby on February 14th, 1967 at 1456 Monroe Avenue. For thirty years, this very successful restaurant drew crowds and fed both Rochester natives and visiting celebrities, such as Chuck Mangione, Jeff Tyzick, Liberace, Victor Borge, Harry Bellafonte, Arnold Palmer, and Bonnie Raitt. The Brown Derby also generously donated many meals to the Feed the Children and the Help Hospitalized Veterans organizations.
The Brown Derby’s recipe for Veal French won international recognition in the 1970s. Later, due to the changing tastes of their customers, the brothers refashioned this dish into an equally popular dish – Chicken French. Nate will discuss the development of this recipe and the frenching cooking technique.
Nate Cianciola is also the author of Frenching Food Italian Style. (available in the Brighton Memorial Library and online.)
Historic Brighton’s Ray Tierney III (l) with Nate Cianciola
