by newera_212 » Fri Feb 09, 2024 10:42 pm
Ivan wrote: ↑Thu Feb 08, 2024 3:00 pm
newera_212 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 08, 2024 2:12 pm
Coincidentally this is the only made guy I've ever met / encountered in my life (
Federici greeting diners at his restaurant shouldn't really count lol)
Wait does this mean I can't tell any more lame anecdotes about how I met Todaro at his pizzeria in Buffalo?
Tell it again! I'd like to hear it lol. He seems like a colorful, fun guy. Pizza isn't too bad either - never been to the location but I've had it visiting people I know in Buffalo. La Nova has the concessions for Buffalo's AAA baseball team (Toronto's minor) and I believe at the Bills stadium as well. So "Bills Mafia" may be a literal thing. If you get a box/suite at one of those places and it comes with the food, it's going to be La Nova pizza.
Cheech wrote: ↑Thu Feb 08, 2024 5:50 pm
@new_era I remember you telling that story before.
Re: Parkside. Ate there twice. I would go to the US Open for work and stay over. Parkside is right by there as you know. I would eat at the bar. I think u walked in and bar was on your left iirc. He was there once when I was there. I will tell you there were guys right out of central casting. All playing the part. I wonder if you noticed a similiar vibe. Corona is a shit hole. I used to stay right in Corona at the Corona Hotel on roosevelt. The train above. Terribly annoying. Hookers everywhere lol
Yeah you're recalling correctly. Bar on the left, dining room on the right and it goes back kinda far and might even wrap around. I've been a handful of times, maybe 4-5 and I've always been sat in the same area, never seen the entire place. Never noticed a lot of central casting guys either, lots of big groups of couples all dressed up, people there as a big to-do for whatever reason. I've never been whenever something was going on at Shea or Tennis but I always heard it's packed then.
Each time I've gone, Federici was visible and pretty active in what was happening. I was there once with just my ex and I, and he was going table to table, talking to customers like they were all VIPs. I had an espresso and he offered a little sambuca and poured it himself. Just seemed like a total pro and knew how to make you feel like you were getting your money's worth.
My ex grew up close by to the Parkside so I know Corona fairly well. It's a pretty crazy place but once you get away from the train and you're no longer in what would be reasonable walking distance from Roosevelt, it's not so bad. Lots of good food all around. Roosevelt is crazy - pretty unique even for NYC. Between Flushing and Sunnyside you pass through like a dozen different ethnic strongholds and everyone is always outside. You could probably get anything and everything under the sun in just that stretch on Roosevelt.
However you guys remember roosevelt / corona, it's probably a lot worse present day. I'm not a big fan of alarmism but it's kinda undisputed that nyc is just a fuckin dump in a lot of places. A lot of depressing, dystopian vibes all around.
[quote=Ivan post_id=274171 time=1707429610 user_id=64]
[quote=newera_212 post_id=274168 time=1707426765 user_id=5522]
Coincidentally this is the only made guy I've ever met / encountered in my life ([b]Federici greeting diners at his restaurant shouldn't really count lol[/b])
[/quote]
Wait does this mean I can't tell any more lame anecdotes about how I met Todaro at his pizzeria in Buffalo? :lol:
[/quote]
Tell it again! I'd like to hear it lol. He seems like a colorful, fun guy. Pizza isn't too bad either - never been to the location but I've had it visiting people I know in Buffalo. La Nova has the concessions for Buffalo's AAA baseball team (Toronto's minor) and I believe at the Bills stadium as well. So "Bills Mafia" may be a literal thing. If you get a box/suite at one of those places and it comes with the food, it's going to be La Nova pizza.
[quote=Cheech post_id=274175 time=1707439834 user_id=71]
@new_era I remember you telling that story before.
Re: Parkside. Ate there twice. I would go to the US Open for work and stay over. Parkside is right by there as you know. I would eat at the bar. I think u walked in and bar was on your left iirc. He was there once when I was there. I will tell you there were guys right out of central casting. All playing the part. I wonder if you noticed a similiar vibe. Corona is a shit hole. I used to stay right in Corona at the Corona Hotel on roosevelt. The train above. Terribly annoying. Hookers everywhere lol
[/quote]
Yeah you're recalling correctly. Bar on the left, dining room on the right and it goes back kinda far and might even wrap around. I've been a handful of times, maybe 4-5 and I've always been sat in the same area, never seen the entire place. Never noticed a lot of central casting guys either, lots of big groups of couples all dressed up, people there as a big to-do for whatever reason. I've never been whenever something was going on at Shea or Tennis but I always heard it's packed then.
Each time I've gone, Federici was visible and pretty active in what was happening. I was there once with just my ex and I, and he was going table to table, talking to customers like they were all VIPs. I had an espresso and he offered a little sambuca and poured it himself. Just seemed like a total pro and knew how to make you feel like you were getting your money's worth.
My ex grew up close by to the Parkside so I know Corona fairly well. It's a pretty crazy place but once you get away from the train and you're no longer in what would be reasonable walking distance from Roosevelt, it's not so bad. Lots of good food all around. Roosevelt is crazy - pretty unique even for NYC. Between Flushing and Sunnyside you pass through like a dozen different ethnic strongholds and everyone is always outside. You could probably get anything and everything under the sun in just that stretch on Roosevelt.
However you guys remember roosevelt / corona, it's probably a lot worse present day. I'm not a big fan of alarmism but it's kinda undisputed that nyc is just a fuckin dump in a lot of places. A lot of depressing, dystopian vibes all around.