My name’s Lia Tobin. I’m a senior at Utica College, studying journalism with a concentration in broadcast. This is my second year being the copy editor for my school’s newspaper The Tangerine. I am from Fairport, New York, which is a couple hours away from my college. After graduating from Utica College, I’d love to land a job as a TV reporter or as a fashion editor for a high-end magazine such as Marie Claire, Elle, or Vogue. I’d be happy with either job. I’ll be covering this site’s Events page.
Jeff Mitchell
My name is Jeffrey Mitchell, born and raised in Syracuse, New York. I am 22 years old, senior at Utica College. I am a public relations major, focusing on sports communications. My favorite hobbies are playing basketball, football, and video games. My favorite teams are the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Knicks. I’ll be covering this sites sport section.
Nick Woodman
My name is Nick Woodman. I am 21 years old and was born right here in Utica, New York. I went to Thomas R. Proctor High School. I am a senior at Utica College majoring in Public Relations with a concentration in sports with a minor in journalism. I’m one of the four captains on the football team. When I’m not doing anything related to football I like to hangout with my friends and play video games. I will be covering the events section on the Utica Entertainment website.
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 Entertainment 