We had a blast last week at my Birthday Party/Buffalo Eats Happy Hour at the Pink and the event was made possible by my new buddy Sean at Spooky Business. I’ve been hearing about Spooky Business for a while (and noticed their massive sticker behind the bar at the Pink) but was never sure exactly what it was or who they were until recently. Spooky is made up of Sean T. Heidinger and Stephen Pieroni (above, left and right), a pair of DJ’s who throw a really good party with really good music. They’ve built up a strong reputation in Buffalo throwing parties all over downtown (from Elmwood Village to Allentown to South Buffalo) and have even branched out to bigger cities like LA, NYC and Chicago.
They have some pretty cool events coming up too, this weekend they’ll have a dunk tank set up in front of The Pink for the Allentown Art Festival. On July 21st they’ll be throwing their next event at Hardware (see image below) and will be partnering with New Era Caps for custom Spooky cap. Plus they’ll be DJing the first Audio Buffalo Happy Hour that’s taking place at the Pink this June 27th!
If you like to party or want to help them out, I highly suggest following Spooky Business on twitter or facebook to stay up to date with their latest events. I sent our usual Buffalo Foodie questions to Sean and Stephen to see where they like to eat, drink and hang out in Buffalo. Here’s what they had to say….
Right now, where are some of your favorite places to eat in Buffalo?
Stephen: Hands down, best restaurant in WNY is Left Bank. Every single visit continues to be better than the last. Normally I order the pork tenderloin or the cheese tortellini. What I like most about the restaurant is the relaxing, intimate ambience. Runner-ups would include Prime 490, Sonoma Grille, San Marco Ristorante, Vera Pizzeria, Sole, and Black Rock Kitchen and Bar. For some inexpensive chow, you can never go wrong with a sub from Bob and John’s, a chicken souvlaki from Vasilis Express, or a steak sandwich from The Pink. When it comes to wings, Gabriel’s Gate all day.
Sean: Lately, I have been really trying to get to some new spots in Buffalo in an attempt to eat better and support more businesses in my community. I have found myself most recently frequenting La Te Da as their Seared Tuna is fantastic not to mention their Buffalo Eggplant Wing appetizer is unreal.
I was just at Trattoria Aroma on Bryant, the Rigatoni Aroma is to die for and the pizzas are cooked in a brick oven to perfection! At Hutch’s the Lamb Chops have been a favorite of mine for a while but what I most recently discovered was their unbelievable desert option: the Almond Lace Cookie Cup with fresh berries and mango, sweet whipped cream and caramel sauce in an almond cookie cup.
When I don’t have much time to sit down and eat, I prefer to grab a quick sandwich from Spot Coffee on Elmwood. The Chicken Focaccia at Spot is a really great sandwich that is partnered with fresh greens or chips. Another place I like to stop for a sandwich is, believe it or not, The Pink on Allen Street! The BBQ chicken sandwich is great but the almighty steak sandwich is unmatched at only $10. It is perfect. If you don’t know you better ask somebody!
Where do you like to grab a drink on the weekends or after work?
Stephen: I would have to say that my top three would be Hardware, J.P. Bullfeathers, and 223 Allen aka the Old Pink. All spots have great bartenders and loud tunes to keep their patrons satisfied.
Sean: After work there are a few places that I like to stop for a drink. The Statler’s Lobby Bar is a great environment peppered with young professionals and a fun atmosphere. Scarlet has a fantastic Tuesday night Happy Hour. The drinks and a special menu are all half off. The food is great and they offer fun drinks on top of a regular drink menu, which has proven to be a really fun place to go on Tuesdays.
On Wednesdays, The Pinkhosts “Weenie Wednesday” from 5:30 – 8 PM. The drinks are DIRT cheap and they offer two Sahlen’s hot dogs for $3 with your choice of chili and cheese, or plain. On the weekends, I have a couple favorite spots to go to. I like to go to Hardware on Saturday night’s for Hip Hop night and wrap up my night at The Pink with the rest of my peers. Also, Trattoria Aroma is a very chill environment after dinner on the weekends where you can grab a martini and listen to some fun live music.
If you are interested in getting down by the water, Templeton Landing has a great outdoor patio and bar that is amazing if the weather is cooperating. Also, Vera has got it down. I love that place.
If you had a friend visiting from out of town, where would you take them for a good time?
Stephen: I would show them to some great eats around the Elmwood Village. Globe Market is always a good choice and they have a great pulled pork sandwich. Depending on what night of the week they were in town for, I would take them out to either Blue Monk, Essex Street Pub, or somewhere in Allentown. In order to complete a “good Buffalo time”, of course we would have to grab some chicken finger subs from Jim’s Steakout for the walk home.
Sean: I just had some friends in from Orlando! We had dinner on Allen at Hardware and had pulled pork tacos which were fantastic, went to the Albright Knox for a bottle of wine in their restaurant, and then went down to the Statler where we had drinks until we made our way to Allen St. for the rest of the night. My friends came to town for the Spooky Booze Cruise, which was the next day and was absolutely fantastic 3 hour boat cruise in the Buffalo Harbor. That day we had lunch at Globe Market and then went down to the water for the cruise.
What are some food memories you have from your childhood?
Stephen: My home cooking memories consist of grilling all year round and making crazy amounts of cookies. Holler at my mom if you haven’t tried her homemade sugar cookies! Growing up in Lewiston, I had some solid restaurants around me. I couldn’t help but to be obsessed with pizza as a child, so I would always hit up Favorite’s Pizza on my way home from school. It’s like the show “Cheers” there, where everybody knows your name! La Hacienda on Pine Avenue in Niagara Falls was, and still continues to be, a hot spot for pizza. In addition, Tin Pan Alley and The Silo were always a favorable choice. After a scrumptious dinner, it’s a tradition for Lewistonians to grab some ice cream from Hibbards Custard on Center Street. Honestly try it, it is the best custard you will ever have in your entire life.
Sean: HA! This is a funny question as my mother’s home cooking was where my father squeezed in most of his comedy while I was growing up. She can make some great brownies and a fantastic pasta dish with red sauce, but I never really became too involved.
I never really cooked much as a kid, but have found myself cooking much more these days with my girlfriend as she is extremely talented, picking up most of her skill from her mother. They continue to blow my mind every time I get to eat what they have prepared and I like to think I am learning to cook myself, but time will tell.
What foods/restaurants would you like to see more of in WNY?
Stephen: I would like to see President’s Choice gourmet barbeque sauce always stocked in Wegman’s (unfortunately it’s only available in Canada).
Sean: I want to see more Food Trucks! I feel that Lloydas the flagship food truck is blazing the trail for many more truck opportunities. Since their debut there have been a number of new trucks about town, but not enough for the demand. We need more! I would also like to see the Bidwell Farmer’s Market continue to grow so that it stretches as far down the park as possible. There is a ton of space to work with, the community really takes advantage of the market as it is, and so I would like to see it continue to grow.
More solid restaurants on the waterfront would be much appreciated as well!
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A big thanks to Stephen and Sean for taking time out of their busy schedules to answer our questions. Again, follow them on twitter or facebook to keep up to date with the latest news and announcements. They have some big plans this summer.
