Day: September 14, 2015

Jersey Boys at Broadway Utica

Broadway lovers who are looking for a fun night off campus are in luck.

Clear your schedules for next weekend as Broadway Utica presents “Jersey Boys” at The Stanley theatre in downtown Utica. The show days are Sept. 17-20 starting at 7:30 p.m. The final showing starts at 2 p.m. Sunday.

“Jersey Boys” tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The musical is by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. Avid fans can pick up the 10-year-old “Jersey Boys” soundtrack.

Utica College students and faculty members can purchase tickets at UticaTickets.com. The next step is bringing the printed ticket to the Strebel Student Center in room 205 to pick up show tickets.

Utica Coffee Roasting Co.

“Can I start you off with something to drink?” is the first question you are asked when out to eat somewhere for the first time. Your first sip of Utica ought to be a signature one and Utica Coffee Roasting Co. is surely a hot spot. Utica Roasting sources the world’s highest quality coffee and roasting in Utica since the year 2005, according to its homepage.

“We’re committed to offering the highest quality coffee available from around the world- right here in downtown Utica.”

Utica Coffee Roasting also offers tea and sells brew kits, brewing supplies, apparel, and additional merchandises.

Utica Coffee Roasting also has what is known as Coffee of the Month Club. Members are sent two 10-ounce bags of Arabica coffee, single origins, blends or specialty origins every month. Customers can choose between being a part of the club for three months, six months or for an entire year. One must become a member before the fifth day of the month in order to begin that month or else the membership will not begin until the next month. Three months for $54, six months for $105, and 12 months for $204. A year-long membership will give you the lowest monthly price and those members will receive a free Utica mug.

Find more information on http://uticacoffeeroasting.com

The website also has additional videos and a blog. There you can also subscribe to Utica Roasting’s mailing list. You can keep up with the latest updates on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Utica’s Famous Tomato Pie

Being that I was born and raised in the city, this very famous dish is quite foreign to me. Tomato pie is very well known in the Central New York area and gained its popularity here in the 1900’s. In Utica, one of the best places to buy tomato pie used to be O’scugnizzo’s Pizza in 1914,when the owner would make whole pies and sell them for five cents. His grandsons have kept the tradition alive by continuing to make tomato pie and pizza with a few of their own variations on the original recipe and the prices, as well.  The pie is very similar to pizza but unlike pizza, has little to no cheese. Tomato pie is a Sicilian based dish and can easily be found in Sicilian-American communities. Much like Sicilian pizza, tomato pie is served in square slices. It usually isn’t served fresh out of the oven; it sits for awhile and is served at room temperature. The ingredients used are quite simple and are as follows:

Thick, porous dough

Tomato sauce

Grated romano cheese/Parmasen Cheese (optional–but who doesn’t like a little cheese)

In the Utica area, this pie is available in almost every pizzeria. It can also be found in eateries that don’t constitute as pizzerias which, in fact, speaks highly on the dish’s popularity. A few local places to find tomato pie are:

Tony’s Pizza

Venice Pizzeria

Holland Farms Bakery & Deli

Karam’s Middle East Bakery

Minar Fine Indian Cuisine

Tomato pie is one of those dishes that you can serve at a get together or even when you’re looking for something to eat that’s not too heavy. It’s a great way to feed an appetite for under 20 bucks. 

The Utica Comets Broken Down

The Comets franchise has been around since 1932.  The Utica Comets however are very new. The Comets franchise was purchased by the NHL team the Vancouver Canucks and started their operation in Utica in 2013. Go follow the Comets on Twitter for information about the team and ticket sales.

The Comets play their home games at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, better known as the Aud. Built in 1957, the Aud can fit up to 3,800 fans for a Comets game.

In just the two short years that the Comets have been in Utica they have had huge success. Last season they were in the American Hockey League (AHL) finals. Unfortunately, they did not win the championship but they were named conference champions.

The Comets are in the Eastern Conference of the AHL and in the Northern Division. There are seven teams in the Comets division and 15 teams in their conference. Finishing best out of all those teams in just their second year in Utica gives the fans a lot to cheer for.

To show how much better they have gotten over just one year, take a look at the numbers, here.

Without a doubt the Utica Comets are among the most popular teams to follow in Utica, and for all the right reasons. Their quick success has made them a team that is nationally known in the world of AHL hockey. Utica can only hope that this success continues. Hopefully with their success it brings even more fans to their games and more championships back to this great city.

Utica College Football

On Saturday September 5, the Utica College Pioneers earned their seventh straight season opener win by defeating Misericordia University 42-28. The team looked great for their first game of the season as five Pioneers added points to the scoreboard. The weather was great and the Pioneers were getting loose early in warm ups, hosting on their home field.

UC started off with a big 50 yard touchdown run from Junior Nicodemus Gambell. Gambell fits in great with the Pioneers offense, he’s a nice speed back that will make big plays when they need it.  Jerred Beniquez, a junior, returned a 90 yard kickoff for the touchdown, setting the school record for the pioneers.

UC quarterback Teddy VanGalen, completed 18 out of 25 passes and ended the game with 263 passing yards with one passing touchdown to wide out Gregory Palmer. Palmer has been catching passes for the Pioneers for three years and is still looking to make his last year a highlight reel. Palmer finished the game with 160 receiving yards and a 62 yard touchdown which gave the Pioneers some in the first half cushion.

The Utica College Pioneers finished the game with a total 263 passing yards and 221 rushing yards, marking 483 total offense yards of the game. Defensive End Nick Woodman, Utica native, added 1.5 sacks and tied the school record for sacks at 18.0. Juwan Wilson added a team high 11 tackles for the day. The Pioneers have started off the season in a positive manner, they are now 1-0 and looking to keep the ball rolling. They are traveling all the way to Ohio to face Northern Ohio University September 12.

Unique Sports In Utica

The city of Utica is home to a number of sports teams at many different levels. For the size of Utica, being home to an American Hockey League (AHL) team, a college team and multiple high school teams is quite impressive.

Probably the most famous of teams in Utica, the Utica Comets are an NHL affiliate team with the Vancouver Canucks. The Comets started calling Utica home in 2013 and play their home games at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

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Utica is also home to Utica College, a Division III collegiate school that houses multiple men’s and women’s sporting teams. Founded in 1946 and affiliated with Syracuse University,  Utica College is now a private institution. The Pioneers have had growing success in their sporting programs and now have one of the biggest inflatable domes to play and practice sports in the entire country!

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No matter what age, anyone can find a sport to entertain them in Utica.