Tag: Oct BRM
thursday november 6th 2008
Gary Sperrazza: Apollo's Orbit
Once upon a time, Gary Sperrazza owned a shop on Elmwood Avenue known as Apollo Records. Sperrazza displayed his wares in row upon row of black bins, rimmed with day-glo pink marker. Anyone who looked into the windows could almost see everything at once, while the beat beckoned them in.
If a patron cared to, Sperrazza would educate them on every type of music they could imagine, and he was frequently responsible for putting the oddest genre combinations together. "I had a total cross-cultural thing going. When a DJ would come in from the other side of town, I'd cue up what we were playing here and vice versa. DJs would come in for one thing and I'd introduce them to things they never heard of. Imagine mixing Paul Revere and the Raiders with Sisters of Mercy. They'd say, 'What the Hell is that?' and then take it back to their clubs."
Sperrazza, who alternately calls himself a music nerd and part rocker, part soul-boy, didn't so much keep shop as he did create a scene. He was in …
User Options
thursday october 23rd 2008
DiGiulio's Delight
It is a rarity to find a restaurant as elegant as it is comfortable, with a menu that can please picky eaters and foodies alike. DiGiulio & Co. on Hertel is a delightful example of one of these atypical finds. Set back against the nearby storefronts, a very welcoming patio with a garden of beautiful flowers and fresh (utilized!) herbs welcomes diners into the restaurant.
DiGiulio’s is a truly exquisite space—including an open kitchen with attached bar seating, a large and inviting dining area with a picturesque glass ceiling, a sizeable bar, and a well decorated private room. Deanna DiGiulio, partner and daughter of Joanne DiGiulio, warmly greeted us. Beautiful, framed line drawings decorate the perimeter, and the carefully designed seating creates a stylish and relaxed atmosphere. DiGiulio's is equally inviting to couples, families and singles who are looking for a …
thursday october 16th 2008
Way Up There: Mark Croce
When he’s not looking for new ways to improve his downtown businesses, Mark Croce aims for the sky—literally. The Buffalo businessman spends a lot of time in the air, flying his airplane all over the east coast. When he’s not flying his plane, he gives his helicopter some attention.
Cape Cod, Nashville, Atlanta, and New York City are some of his top destinations. "New York City," Croce says, "is my favorite place to visit. I love the action, diversity, variety, and vibrancy there." In addition to relaxing in NYC he also shops for new concepts and trends in restaurants including architecture and design, as well as new food and beverage ideas that he can bring back to Buffalo to thrill his clientele at his Franklin Street bar and restaurant holdings, which include the Buffalo Chophouse & The Franklin Room, D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Pub, Laughlin’s, SkyBar and the Buckin'…
wednesday october 15th 2008
Sunday Suppers: Ed and Karen Healy
Fresh and Fabulous from the Farm – A Sunday Supper
One of my favorite things to do while assisting at the Slow Food Buffalo, Chef Demo table at the Bidwell Market is to people-watch.
I get a kick out of observing the customers. They scurry from table to table curiously checking out what each vendor has brought in that week to tantalize their taste buds. Little kids sneak a blueberry while some people secretly squeeze a tomato. Many smell the flowers, sample some sausage or engage in lively discussion with the vendors. Neighbors say “Hello” to each other and catch up on local news amongst the hustle and bustle of the crowd. Wagons filled with kids and goodies and arms laden with recycled bags full of fresh, local goods leave the market, prepared to feed the family for…
tuesday october 14th 2008
Paladino Unplugged
More often than not, Carl Paladino comes across as a guy who has a gripe about plenty of things in Buffalo—its politicians, its development projects and even the way its schools are run. And, more often than not, he makes a fair argument. Still, no one can deny that he is a full-time Buffalo Booster, with a particular passion and unconditional love for this city. It’s obvious in his dedication to doing business here.
As CEO of Ellicott Development Company, a real estate development and property management firm which he founded in 1973, he manages 2.8 million square feet of office and residential property, making him Buffalo’s most invested landlord.
Among the properties of which he is most proud, Paladino is particularly pleased with his acquisition of the Ellicott Square Building and its role as a viable entity downtown. He also takes pride in his impressive conversio…
monday october 13th 2008
BeHoLD the Winners
The six local filmmakers of BeHoLD Pictures are making their mark on the local film industry. As the winner of Best Film in this year's Buffalo 48 Hour Film Project and being voted the Audience Favorite in 2007, they will be competing in the National 48 Hour Film Project this fall.
"We've got great gear and great people and we know how to make a movie," said Jordan Lema, the director of photography.
The group also includes Drew Boeing, writer; Aaron Bourker, production manager and producer; Dave Dutchess, director; Jason Holler, editor; and Dave Lesinski, best boy. Each of them grew up in Buffalo and attended college here, except for Bourke who moved here three years ago from Maine after attending college in Long Island.
The group connected to form BeHoLD Pictures through previously being friends, attending Canisius College and/or wo…
Suit-clad and smiling, Donn Esmonde may appear to be your average Buffalonian. But if you’ve ever read his column in The Buffalo News, you can understand that maybe he isn’t so typical after all.
In 1982, Donn Esmonde moved to Buffalo, for the same reason that most young professionals move—for a job. Having worked as a sports writer in Poughkeepsie, New York, Esmonde was out for a better paying job at a bigger paper. “I was incredibly struck by the sense of community in this city,” he says, of his decision to accept the job.
Raised in Long Island, New York, Esmonde commonly refers to his view of living in his hometown as feeling like existing as just another ant on the largest anthill in the world.
“Coming to Buffalo just felt like ‘wow, this is a real place,'" Esmonde said. "In a city this size, not only do you get the benefits of a large city, but i…
sunday october 12th 2008
Buffalo’s B-Team—Building a Better Buffalo Through Rogue Community Service
It is no secret that Buffalo has seen better days. Sometimes it seems like if we could just catch a break, we might be given the opportunity to force through whatever it is that is keeping us back. The B-Team, a group who believes that the city is turning a corner, is a loose network of individuals united under the single most powerful force Buffalo has at its disposal—resilient people. They are not looking to be given anything, they are looking to take back Buffalo by the horns and engage civilians in civic activity.
Matt Carlucci and Joe Malczewski, two of the group’s founders took time between jobs, football practice—both play on a semi-competitive flag football team—new families, volunteer projects and events to tell us a little about what the B-Team stands for.
Carlucci offers this analogy: “It’s the fourth quarter and we’re down by 6. The starting quarte…
tuesday october 7th 2008
Half & Half Trading Co.
Debbie Sidel opened the door of Half & Half Trading Co. at the age of 22. Now, even after 35 years of business, Debbie has not lost an ounce of enthusiasm for her role as owner of the little boutique.
Debbie has dressed generations of women in Buffalo. “Sometimes three different generations of women will walk in, a girl, her mother, and the grandmother, and they can all find something they like!” Debbie said. “I started out dressing college kids, then, as they grew up, the shop grew with them.” She pointed to the little baby shoes in a glass display. “Some of my customers are becoming grandmothers; and they’d come and tell me ‘Debbie, I’m going to be a grandmother!’ so I started ordering baby stuff!” Debbie enthused.
It is easy to see why Half & Half has remained so successful over the years. Debbie’s uncompromising attention to detail has a lot t…
