Get Ready to Brawl, Italian Style
Get Ready to Brawl, Italian Style
Meatball Street Brawl VII Packs a Tasty Punch on September 24th
Who doesn’t love a good meatball? Those little round bundles of deliciousness are a staple in most households and restaurants, each claiming their own “special” recipe passed down from generation to generation. But who makes the best meatball in the area? (Besides your nana, of course.) Well, that’s a loaded question, and Osteria 166 is ready to help you find the answer when they host the ultimate meatball showdown. Meatball Street Brawl VII is coming to the Buffalo location on Sunday, September 24th from 11:00am-5:00pm.
Osteria 166 (and Villaggio EVL) owner Nick Pitillo was more than happy to share details about this year’s event. He let us know that there are many great competitors coming out to show off their balls (Oooh, a pun!) and as far as attendance goes, they typically cater to approximately 2,000 guests.“It’s a lot of fun,” Pitillo said. “Besides eating some great food, we tie in Buffalo’s favorite fall pastime. There are two huge TVs and we watch the Bills game during the event. All voting on the meatballs needs to be done by the end of the first quarter and we present the awards at halftime.”
Now there really isn’t any theme besides making a traditional tasty meatball, but a few years ago Nick said they added a “freestyle” category for more eclectic entries, in an effort to include many additional restaurants.
The competitors registered for this year’s MBSB VII so far are:
• Osteria 166
• Lock 34 Bar & Grill
• Artigiana
• Kaydara Noodle Bar
• Ilio DiPaolo’s (last year’s Judge’s Choice Freestyle winner)
• Frankie Primos +39
• Marco’s
• Bada Bing Sports Bar & Grill
• Amici Ristorante (last year’s People’s Choice Traditional winner)
• Steelbound Brewery & Distillery
• Butera’s Village Brew House
• This Little Pig
• East Eden Tavern & Smoke House
• Jocko’s Pizza & Pasta
• Arriba Tortilla (last year’s People’s Choice Freestyle winner.
• Ristorante Lombardo (last year’s Judge’s Choice Traditional winner)
That’s a powerful line-up and a lot of meatballs to ingest! Don’t worry though, your tastebuds can get a meat break by enjoying some beer, wine, bread, or dessert provided by Ellicottville Brewing Company, The Bubble Bar, Clarksburg Cider Co., Hamburg Brewing Company, 42 North Brewing Company and Artigiana.
Big point to note: This isn’t just about stuffing your face full of delicious balls. (Ha, again!) It’s about supporting a number of great causes. Nick said, “We typically raise around $15k to $20k for local charities each year.” This year’s event will benefit the Response to Love Center, P.U.N.T Foundation, FEEDMORE WNY Foundation, Frank Pitillo Memorial Lighting Fund, The Buffalo Police Athletic League Lt. Craig Lehner Scholarship, and Little Smiles Hospitality Scholarship Fund for the NYS Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. All great causes that deserve as much support as they can get.
Now for the particulars. The event will take place on W. Mohawk Street in Buffalo, between Franklin Street and Delaware Avenue. Advance tickets are available for $25; or $30 on the day of the brawl. You can snag a VIP ticket for $125. (VIP gets you an open bar till 5:00pm, private seating, additional TV for the game and all meatball sampling on a private buffet.) Tickets can be purchased at meatballstreetbrawl.com or stop into either Osteria or Villaggio to purchase tickets in-person.
All ball jokes aside, this is an amazing event that supports a lot of great organizations and is a super fun way to spend a Sunday. Nick concluded by saying, “We love to come out, show off our skills and party with a lot of awesome local establishments and members of our communities. The competition aspect is really just for fun and we can’t wait to brawl with everyone on the 24th.”
For up-to-date info on competitors, to order tickets or to check out past brawls, be sure to visit meatballstreetbrawl.com.
