By Kate Bartlett
Osteria 166 recently announced many exciting changes in the coming months to better serve the Buffalo communities. The original restaurant location, at 166 Franklin Street, will operate until the end of March, then relocate near the Buffalo Medial Campus in collaboration with Ulrichs Tavern. Osteria also recently expanded to the North Towns with its catering business, Occasions by Osteria, establishing a catering and events center on Grand Island.
Owner and founder, Nick Pitillo, opened Osteria 166 in 2013 in downtown Buffalo, near The Statler and City Hall and serves a wide variety of popular Italian dishes, including pasta, pizza and house-cured meats for lunch and dinner. “We love our Buffalo community and decided to relocate in order to better serve our guests as well as our employees, several of which live downtown and on Grand Island.”
Their new location at 674 Ellicott Street will be in collaboration with Ulrich’s 1868, the oldest operating Tavern in Western New York. “Osteria will operate the food aspect and Ulich’s will operate the bar,” explains Nick. “I’m looking forward to working with long-time friend Sal Buscaglia, owner of Ulrich’s, and bringing this vision to life, merging two Buffalo businesses to join forces.” The new location is anticipated to open late spring 2026.
Additionally, Osteria 166 recently launched Occasions by Osteria’s catering and event center on Grand Island. Nick was approached by an Ellicottville friend, Joe Mancuso, about this opportunity and decided to act. “It’s a great opportunity for us to expand to the North Towns and host events,” explains Nick. “It’s an exciting time for Osteria. We’re evolving and changing for the better.”
The event center, located at 1841 Whitehaven Road, boasts 2,116 square feet of stunning, modern interior event space, and 5,500+ sq ft of outdoor event space with scenic views year-round and outdoor seating during warmer months. “It’s simply beautiful,” explains Nick. “The large windows bring in natural light and offer incredible garden views”. With a beautifully updated interior and versatile layout, the venue can host events ranging from 150 to 1,400 guests, depending on the occasion.
Beyond the impressive renovation of the building’s façade and interior, Occasions by Osteria features an expansive multi-use outdoor patio and grove area. A breathtaking, LED-lit dual waterfall serves as a dramatic focal point creates the perfect backdrop for wedding ceremonies and special celebrations.
Just beyond the waterfall, guests will find a spacious firepit lounge surrounded by Adirondack chairs, offering a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. Our outdoor amenities also include two private pavilions located at the rear of the property. Additionally, more than an acre of flat, open land adjacent to the pavilions provides plenty of room for lawn games, casual sports, or simply letting kids run and play freely. “These spaces are ideal for anyone looking to host a modern-day cookout without sharing space like you would at a public park,” describes Dan Rossiter, Sales Manager for Occasions by Osteria. “Ed, Nick and the Osteria team have completely transformed this property into Grand Island’s newest premier event venue.”
Nick is looking forward to hosting all types of events, including but not limited to corporate events, bridal and baby showers, celebrations of life, reunions, birthday parties and more. The menu offers a wide variety of options, not just Italian, including their best-selling chicken franchise and fillet mignon. “We still offer our famous meatballs, but we have a vast catering menu with something for everyone.”
The catering and events center recently held an open house on February 7 and is currently open for business and available for events 7 days a week. On Easter Sunday, they’ll host an Easter Egg hunt for the community and an Easter Brunch with multiple seatings.
For more information, visit Osteria166.com, occasionswny.com and follow on social media. Call (716) 858-3118 or contact Dave directly at Dan.R@occasionswny.com for events. You can also visit Nick and his family at Villaggio in Ellicottville, NY.