By Jessica Miller
Mohawk Street in Buffalo will once again be shut down due to a brawl on September 24th. And readers should definitely bring the kids along to be part of it.
But this particular run out in the streets is all in good fun and in the name of supporting some good causes. The seventh annual Meatball Street Brawl will once again give Western New York’s finest culinary talent the opportunity to demonstrate their kitchen might to ticket holders.
Of course, the Buffalo Bills vs Washington Commanders game will be playing during the festivities, so no one has to choose between meatballs and football. “Everybody is hungry for the competition to start – both on the football field and on West Mohawk. We’re gearing up for our seventh year of ‘Meatball Street Brawl,’ and we are excited to make this year’s event the biggest, best, and tastiest one yet,” promises Meatball Street Brawl founder and owner Osteria 166 in Buffalo and Villaggio in Ellicottville, Nick Pitillo.
Competition for the coveted meatball titles promises to once again get spicy. Attendees will get to vote for their favorites as a panel of celebrity judges will select who claims the 2023 championship belts for Best Traditional (Menu) Meatball and Best Freestyle Meatball. Current vendors and contenders can be found on the event website https://meatballstreetbrawl.com/. Attendees can win too—a chance to have a Bills tailgate at an away game is a prize any Street Brawl ticket holder would covet.
Enjoying the Italian staple isn’t just for fun, however. Ticket proceeds will go to multiple good causes that help people nearby: FeedMore WNY, the Michael Donald Perry Fund at the Response to Love Center, Little Smiles, the P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative, the Buffalo Police Athletic League’s Lt. Craig Lehner Scholarship, the Frank Pitillo Memorial Lighting Fund, and the New York State Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Previous Street Brawls have raised over $100,000 for supported organizations and the seventh incarnation is sure to help these groups continue their important work.
Advance tickets can be purchased online from the event website or in person at Osteria 166 (166 Franklin St, downtown Buffalo). General admission tickets are $25 presale and $30 at the door; VIP tickets are $125 and children under eight have free admission. Tickets include beer, antacids, brea, and all you care to eat meatballs.
Continuatio Caption: We’re gearing up for our seventh year of ‘Meatball Street Brawl,’ and we are excited to make this year’s event the biggest, best, and tastiest one yet,” promises Meatball Street Brawl founder and owner Osteria 166 in Buffalo and Villaggio in Ellicottville, Nick Pitillo.