Trapper’s Pizza Pub is turning 20 this month, and to celebrate two decades of serving up pizzas in our East Syracuse-Dewitt community we are publishing a blog series to highlight the occasion. This week we were able to chat with Greg Rinaldi, who is the original owner of Trapper’s, Trapper’s II in Minoa, Stingers in Manlius, and Wildcat in Camillus.
Stay tuned later in the Summer for updates on a 20th Anniversary Party that is currently in the works.
An older version of the Trapper’s Pizza Pub restaurant.
Vision of Community
Greg Rinaldi grew up in Fayetteville and attended Fayetteville-Manlius High School. He currently resides in Minoa and is the owner of Superior Seal and Paving. When he first opened Trapper’s Pizza Pub, Rinaldi was living in East Syracuse and had already opened Superior Seal and Paving. His original motivation for opening Trapper’s was as a way to offer year-round employment to his Superior Seal and Paving staff, who were typically forced to find work in the Winter season. Opening Trapper’s Pizza Pub was the perfect way to offer a steady stream of employment.
Rinaldi’s vision for Trapper’s was of a family-friendly atmosphere where everyone and anyone could come in and enjoy themselves. He took bits and pieces of other restaurants and bars he had come to love and combined them to create the pizza pub we now know and love.
Expansion
When Rinaldi decided to open Trapper’s II nine years later, it was because his employees wanted him to expand and grow the business. “I felt I could. I had good people working for me and they were all pushing me to open a new location,” he says of that point in time.
He would go on to open all four locations, running each of them as well as Superior Seal and Paving at the same time.
Transition
Rinaldi eventually stepped away from running his four restaurants when his son was young. “I had so many employees, it was wearing me down… it was eating up all of my time,” he said of the decision. Now, he enjoys frequenting Trapper’s and his other former restaurants as a regular customer. Most of the restaurants have employees that he hired back in the day, so there’s always someone to say “hi” to or catch-up with.
When Alex Szlamczynski, the current owner of Trapper’s Pizza Pub, was first hired he was just another employee. Rinaldi said of Alex, “He came in and worked really hard. He was a smart kid.” Alex took over the operation of Trapper’s, as well as the day-to-day management of the East Syracuse location. Keep an eye out for a forthcoming interview with Alex too for this series.
The Trapper’s Pizza Pub patio open in the Spring, Summer and Fall.
20th Anniversary Message
When asked how he felt about his original restaurant turning twenty this year, Rinaldi was thrilled. “I think it’s great,” he said. “The success of it [a business] is that when someone leaves, it continues to run. It’s a credit to all the owners. I’m happy for everyone. I’m happy watching them succeed.”
He left us with the following message for all of the Trapper’s staff, customers, and community: “I’m just grateful that they’re [all of the restaurants] still around. I’m grateful to the community and the people who own them who’ve honored the original vision. They stuck with the plan and made it better.”
“Maybe I was right with the things I did originally,” Rinaldi mused about his original vision for Trapper’s. “I can’t say enough about how hard they all work,” he said about the new owners of his former restaurants. “People don’t realize it’s hard to work in the restaurant industry. They all have great owners and they all work.”
Trapper’s Pizza Pub’s 20th Anniversary is this May 2021, but we’ll be continuing the celebration into the Summer. Thank you to our staff and loyal customers for continuing to support us throughout the pandemic. Thank you, also, to Greg Rinaldi for taking the time to talk to us for this post. Keep an eye on our Blog for more on the 20th Anniversary.
Monday, May 3rd marks the start of the first session of Trapper’s Volleyball League. After a long year with plenty of hand-wringing around whether or not volleyball was allowed, we’re excited to be able to get back to it.
This throwback picture is from a Trapper’s Volleyball game from back in 2015.
Volleyball Registration Details
If your volleyball team hasn’t already signed up, we strongly encourage you to follow this link and do so now. Spots are filling up fast and we don’t want you to miss out! Our website takes PayPal for payments, but if you’d prefer to pay with cash or credit card you can head into Trapper’s Pizza Pub this week to sign up in person. It costs $115.00 (before taxes) to register your team online, but if you register in person we are offering you a $15 discount on that price.
Trapper’s Volleyball Facebook Page
We’re also here to plug the new Trapper’s Volleyball Facebook Page once again. If you haven’t joined yet, head on over and become a member now. It’s a place for everyone to communicate about coming games, to find a sub, to look for that missing fourth member of the team, or just to discuss the latest volleyball news. We hope everyone will keep it a safe, inclusive place for everyone.
Events are Back
As we move into the Summer months here in Syracuse, Trapper’s will be bringing back live music on Friday nights. Local musicians can contact our Events Department at events@trapperspizza.com to schedule performances.
We also had our first Right Mind Syracuse crafting workshop on Tuesday, April 18th, which was a great success! Attendees used stencils and paint to create a DIY porch sign. The next Right Mind event is a Macrame Plant Hanger Workshop on Tuesday, May 18th. Tickets are already available on the Right Mind Syracuse website.
We can’t wait to see Trapper’s and our community come back to life this Spring and Summer. Stay safe and remember to follow CDC Guidelines.
There’s no doubt about it, the coronavirus pandemic has affected industries and companies in New York State and around the world in different and unexpected ways. While restaurants, events venues, and wedding vendors, among others, have been particularly hard hit this past year, a few surprising industries have actually seen a boom in demand. One of those areas, as it turns out, is golf.
Golf season in Central New York is finally here.
Upstaters Love to Love Golf
Golf in Central New York has always been a popular sport. In a region that experiences unprecedented levels of snowfall during the Winter months, it only makes sense that so many Central New Yorkers would wish to spend the Spring and Summer seasons outside enjoying the sunny weather.
Golf is a great excuse to see friends and get outside for some much-needed Vitamin D. Of course, you don’t need to be surrounded by fellow golfers to head out onto the course for an afternoon. One of the many reasons golf is enjoyed by so many is because it’s a sport that can be enjoyed alone and with a group.
Golf in the Time of Corona
When the first lockdowns began in New York State over a year ago now, many sports were forced to shut down. The NBA famously enacted a plan to have teams play in “bubbles” and with a much shorter season than normal. At the same time, recreational sports like volleyball and ice hockey were deemed too high risk and shut down indefinitely by Governor Cuomo’s administration in June of 2020. Meanwhile, golf saw a +14% surge in play last Summer, according to the National Golf Foundation. This bump has been attributed to a few factors, all tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
Remote Work Means Less Wasted Time
In 2018, the average commute time across the United States per person was around 54.2 minutes a day, and that average time was set to increase by nearly 11 minutes every year. That’s quite a lot of time wasted on simply commuting to and from work every single weekday. With the shift to remote work in March of last year, the average worker is likely saving 4 days’ worth of time by simply removing their daily commute.
This time savings is one of the reasons given for the uptick in golf play in 2020. After all, if you get off of work at 5 o’clock in the afternoon and can head out to the nearest golf course with enough time to get a quick game in before dinner, why wouldn’t you? Not only are workers saving time, though, but they’re also saving money. About $2,000 each, to be exact. That’s more money to spend on new clubs and more rounds of golf throughout the year.
Golfers enjoying a gorgeous day out on the green.
Is the Golf Surge Here to Stay?
More and more it seems like remote work is here to stay. Companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, and Slack have already announced that non-essential staff will be allowed to continue working from home far into the future. We’re not likely to see the increase in golfing go away anytime soon. Especially since the coronavirus is very much still here.
Golf is played outside, making it a welcome way for friends family to see each other without having to be stuck indoors where the virus is more likely to spread. Golfing provides a relaxing way to quiet the mind after a long week of work, and a welcome way to see friends who might not be fully vaccinated quite yet.
Bring Your Score Card in for a Free Pitcher
The nice weather in Syracuse means that golf courses around the city are opening back up this month. For customers playing at local courses like The Links at Erie Village, Rogue’s Roost, Arrowhead Golf Course, Wa-Noa Golf Club, Green Lakes Golf Course, and others, we’re offering a FREE pitcher of Labatt Blue, Labatt Blue Light, Bud Light, Yeungling, or Blue Moon to the golfer in your group with the highest score on their card. Since we’re still abiding by the New York State Law that allows us to only sell alcohol when it’s accompanied by food, we do ask that you order an appetizer along with your pitcher.
Daffodils in snow by local East Syracuse photographer, Mallory Roach.
As we officially head into Spring here in Central New York, there are quite a few changes happening at Trapper’s Pizza Pub, and a lot to look forward to, as well. In typical Syracuse fashion, the weather has been all over the place this past week, with temperatures in the 80’s over the weekend. We can look forward to some April showers this upcoming week, but the mild temperatures of Spring should stay strong.
Shaking Things Up
April always brings with it a sense of transformation. It’s a time for Spring cleaning and putting words into action. Here at Trapper’s, we’re coming out of the past Winter with some big plans, and we’re excited to share them with all of you. If you’ve been to Trapper’s Pizza Pub recently, you may have noticed that the restaurant has a fresh, new coat of paint. While the familiar faces of our hand-painted mascots have been a part of the barroom for years, we felt it was time for the restaurant itself to take on a more modern look and feel. We’ll be rolling the rest of the updates out over the next couple of months, so make sure to keep an eye out for more changes to come.
The Trapper’s Pizza Pub barroom gets a new coat of paint and a fresh look this month.
Trapper’s Pizza Pub’s 20th Anniversary
Can you believe that next month is the official 20th Anniversary of Trapper’s Pizza Pub? We’re so grateful to have been a part of this community for the past two decades, and because of this important milestone, we have a lot of exciting plans for the rest of 2021 in the works. It’s also partially why Trapper’s itself is getting a facelift. After 20 years in business, it felt like time to make some aesthetic adjustments. In honor of our anniversary, we’re also putting out a series of blog posts on the history of Trapper’s Pizza Pub, interviews with the people who created, a special conversation with its current owner, and more throughout the month of May. New blog posts drop every Sunday!
The Brand New Trapper’s Volleyball Facebook Group
Warm weather means the first session of Trapper’s Volleyball League is right around the corner, and this year is no different. Unless we hear differently from New York State, Session One is scheduled to begin the week of May 3rd. That’s only three weeks away! If you haven’t signed your team up already, head on over to the Volleyball Page to register today via PayPal. You can also sign up in person at Trapper’s Pizza Pub for a $15 discount.
If you’re interested in joining but aren’t already part of a team, head over to our new Volleyball Facebook Group to connect with others in our volleyball community. This group is meant to be a place for open communication about all things related to the Trapper’s Volleyball League. We encourage everyone involved to join, and we can’t wait for the volleyball season to officially start! Also, if anyone out there is interested in becoming a Moderator for the Facebook Group, send us a DM and we’ll be happy to add you on.
Trapper’s Pizza Pub is hiring pizza and grill cooks! Email events@trapperspizza.com to apply.
We’re Hiring Pizza Cooks
The last bit of April news is that Trapper’s Pizza Pub is hiring! We’re in need of pizza and grill cooks to join our growing kitchen staff. Ideally, we’re looking for someone (or multiple people) who has experience with both a pizza oven and grill, but for the right person, we’re happy to train in one area or the other. If you’re interested, please send a resumé over to events@trapperspizza.com. If you know someone who would be a great fit for this role, please send them our way!
We’re looking forward to a beautiful Spring and Summer this year. Our patio is open and ready for days when it’s too nice out to eat at your desk, and nights when all you want is to enjoy a margarita with your closest friends. Check back weekly for more news and updates!
The pinball table itself is gorgeous – even to someone who knows very little about pinball machines – wrapped in artwork from the Led Zeppelin III album cover. Designed by Steve Ritchie, a renowned video game and pinball game designer lovingly referred to as the “King of Flow”, whose voice has been immortalized as the iconic announcer in the classic fighting game, Mortal Kombat.
The Led Zeppelin Pro Pinball Machine
The Led Zeppelin Pinball Table was designed to mimic the experience of attending a Led Zeppelin concert during the band’s heyday in the ’70s. At the top of every game, players can choose a song from the setlist, but that’s not all, you can also play through different “tours”, allowing for a smooth transition from song to song, as you play.
Perhaps the most exciting thing about this specific pinball table is the fact that there is a Led Zeppelin pinball machine at all. The band is known for being protective of their IP, rarely releasing the rights to their songs for commercial purposes.
The Stern Pinball Led Zeppelin Pro Pinball Machine, out this year.
The Pro version of this table can now be found at Trapper’s Pizza Pub, thanks to our friends at United Vending Services, who own and operate the machines found at our restaurant and several others in the Central New York region. The Led Zeppelin table isn’t the only one at Trapper’s, either. We’re also currently home to both the Avengers: Infinity Quest and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball machines from Stern Pinball, which manufactures all of its tables in Chicago.
Pinball Culture in Syracuse
For many of us, pinball machines are simply colorful relics of a bygone era. After all, recent years have seen the rapid growth of virtual reality gaming systems like Oculus and Playstation VR. A whole new realm of gaming that, back when pinball machines were at their height in the U.S, was nothing more than a glimmer in the eye of early Science Fiction novelists.
Despite the advances in gaming that have taken place since 1931, when the earliest version of a coin-operated pinball table was built, the pinball scene in Syracuse and other Upstate New York cities, is still alive and well thanks to passionate spokespeople like Syracuse-area teacher, Ryan Zlomek.
“Syracuse is wherever you are. It’s a mindset more than a physical location.”
Ryan Zlomek
Syracuse PINheads
We spoke with Zlomek over the phone this week to discuss his undying love of everything pinball and his equally as ardent love for the city of Syracuse itself. “Syracuse is wherever you are. It’s a mindset more than a physical location,” he tells us when asked where PINHeads’ followers are generally located. “My goal is to consistently demonstrate to people that Syracuse is a hub of people with great passions. Mine happens to be pinball. It’s important to be proud of what we’re most passionate about.”
Syracuse PINheads, which Zlomek runs, is a lifestyle brand intended to grow the pinball audience in Central New York.
A neon sign directing customers to pool and pinball.
Although the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit PINheads just as hard as many other local businesses and brands, with the recent lifting of restrictions on bar games Zlomek is hoping to get the (pin)ball rolling once more. Specifically, Zlomek imagines hosting more big events around the city to put Syracuse on the map. He also called out the popular Facebook group CNY Pinball, which is full of pinball hobbyists who put on tournaments at local establishments.
Zlomek explains that thanks to Trapper’s Pizza Pub’s centralized location, great food, and the fact that we have multiple pinball machines, has made Trapper’s a popular spot for these pinball tournaments. Trapper’s is also the premier location to test out the newest pinball machines in Syracuse.
For the Love of Pinball
For Zlomek, pinball found him fairly early in life. He recalls playing pinball and other games with his dad at Buttons Arcade in Eastwood as a kid. He also remembers a family friend who had a pinball machine right in his basement. “Childhood has a way of staying with you,” Zlomek muses. “When I got my first full-time job and was looking to buy a house, the idea of having a pinball machine was part of me. One [pinball machine] turned into two turned into three.” As he dived more into collecting, he also became immersed in the culture. “There’s always been a subculture [of pinball], even going back to the ’40s.”
A Pinball Prohibition
For more than 30 years, pinball machines were actually banned in New York. From the 1940’s to the year 1976, pinball was considered a form of gambling. A game that lacked any real skill, Mayor LaGuardia in New York City ordered the destruction of thousands of pinball machines throughout the city, and, up until 1976, illegal pinball game rooms continued to be raided. Something to consider the next time you see a pinball machine tucked in the corner of a laundromat or displayed at your local bar.
The Making of a Pinball Machine
While Zlomek admits that most people aren’t exactly “clamoring” for the latest pinball machines, he still believes that they have an important place in American history and insists that they’ve developed a robust cult following over the years. After all, there’s a lot to love about pinball machines. Consider what it takes to create just one. You need engineers and fine artists working together to design the game, making decisions about the way in which the gameplay interacts with the physical art. Then, you need all kinds of workers with all different skill sets, working together to make the pinball table.
The average machine costs around $6,000 to purchase, but it can cost the company producing them upwards of a million dollars just to get the concept off the ground. They’re also one of the few items that are still 100% American-made.
“The designer was familiar enough with the comics that every time you play the game you’re inside the universe.”
Ryan Zlomek
What Makes a Game Great?
Pinball machines are ranked on playability, invention in engineering – meaning the different ways you use magnets and ramps – and theme. We asked Zlomek what the most memorable pinball machine he’s ever played on was. The answer? The 1993 Judge Dredd Pinball Machine developed by John Trudeau.
“The designer was familiar enough with the comics that every time you play the game you’re inside the universe,” Zlomek says. “Someone decided to take this obscure British comic book character but made it so you can interact with every aspect of the actual comics. You’re immersed in that world and living as that character.” This total immersion in the theme of the pinball machine is part of what draws pinball fans to the game in the first place, and it’s also what makes the Led Zeppelin table so special too.
Three people playing (from left to right) an Iron Maiden, Star Wars and Ghost Busters pinball machine.
Playing the Led Zeppelin Pro
We asked Zlomek for some tips on playing the new Led Zeppelin pinball machine for all of the pinball newbies out there. “Oftentimes we have to give something a try not one, not two, but three times to really fall in love with it,” he tells us, clearly urging all of us beginners not to give up too quickly.
As for the Led Zeppelin game itself, he admits that it was more challenging than he thought it would be, and says that it even took him more than three tries to really get the hang of it. This particular game was also the first time Zlomek was personally invited by United Vending Services to test out a new pinball machine before it was released to the public. The fact that he was one of the first people in the whole country to play a brand new game was certainly not lost on him.
Thinking about getting involved in Syracuse’s pinball community? You can follow Syracuse PINheads on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news and behind-the-scenes peaks into pinball culture, and keep your eyes peeled for big events and tournaments on the horizon.
You can also check out the newest pinball machines right at Trapper’s Pizza Pub. “Right now, pinball subculture is full of the most creative, entrepreneurial minds I’ve ever met,” Zlomek says. “Over the last five or six years, I’ve met some of my best friends through this cheesy hobby.”
The Trappers x Right Mind Pizza & Craft Kit and a To-go Cocktail Pouch available for pick-up and delivery at Trapper’s Pizza Pub in East Syracuse, New York.
This month, Trapper’s Pizza Pub is excited to be premiering our new collaboration with our friends over at Right Mind Syracuse. This new project incorporates our popular Make Your Own Pizza Kits, featuring our homemade pizza dough, sauce, fresh mozzarella, and a topping, with a Right Mind Syracuse craft. We’re calling it the Trappers x Right Mind Pizza & Craft Kit, and the craft in question will be a Scrabble Coaster, as pictured above. The kit retails for $28 and is perfect for anyone looking for a fun night at home with the family. Make a delicious pizza and craft with your kids while it’s in the oven!
This kit is also perfect for grandparents who still may not be able to spend long periods of time with grandkids. We suggest ordering the Pizza & Craft Kits for both homes and spending the evening bonding over pizza, crafts, and a Zoom call. There are so many creative ways to use these kits!
Don’t forget, you can add a bottle of wine for $10 or order one of our cocktails to go in a take-out pouch if you’d rather enjoy a boozy version of this night.
Right Mind Syracuse
On this week’s blog, we thought we’d introduce our readers to the woman behind Right Mind Syracuse, Claire McKenney. Trapper’s has been partnering with Claire and Right Mind Syracuse to host crafting nights for a while now, maybe you’ve even come to a few of them! We even have one scheduled for next month, on April 20th! Keep your eyes peeled for more information on that in the coming weeks.
This past year has been a tough one for many local businesses in Syracuse, so we wanted to hear from McKenney herself about how Right Mind Syracuse has been navigating the challenges of the pandemic, and what we can expect from them in the future.
The Early Days
McKenney grew up just South of Buffalo, but her husband is from right here in Syracuse. She tells us that after graduating from college, they moved to Hawaii together for a little bit, and when they came back to the mainland they ended up going on a cross-country adventure driving back to New York State. Not sure where exactly they’d plant their roots, both McKenney and her husband applied for jobs in Buffalo and Syracuse. In 2010, Syracuse won, and the two of them moved here.
Claire McKenney in her Right Mind Syracuse gear.
Before she became the mind behind Right Mind, McKenney worked for the non-profit Camp Good Days, a free camp for children and adults who have been touched by either cancer or sickle-cell anemia. McKenney had worked for a corporate paint and sip company before starting Right Mind Syracuse, and while she enjoyed connecting people to art and being in venues around the area, she soon realized that working for a corporation wasn’t allowing her to get as local as she wanted.
Opening Right Mind Syracuse
When McKenney opened up Right Mind Syracuse, she also opened the idea up to encompass not just painting, but all different areas of crafting as well. She explains that people would tell her they didn’t know what to do with their paintings after the Paint and Sip nights. “Some people joked about hanging the paintings in their closets,” McKenney says. Exploring outside of the traditional paint night also allowed her to connect with even more artists and the general community. It gave people the chance to find their own creative outlets.
Right Mind Syracuse began operating only six months before the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic. “We were just gaining momentum when it started,” McKenney says. She remembers thinking, “How are we going to stay relevant? How will people remember us when everything starts back up again? We didn’t have a big audience yet, it’s not like everyone knew about us.”
The creative team behind Right Mind Syracuse.
Navigating the Pandemic
McKenney’s fears were not unfounded. Yelp, the infamous restaurant review website, reported that 163,735 businesses in the U.S. had closed their doors by August 31st, 2020. Many small businesses struggled to pivot in the wake of the March and April shutdowns. Attempting to stay in business while also prioritizing the safety of staff and customers at the same time was a challenge some businesses were just fundamentally unable to overcome. Syracuse Stage closed its doors back in March after only one performance of Amadeus. Since then, the regional theater company has pivoted to online performances in lieu of in-person shows.
So what did Right Mind Syracuse do when their in-person events were all canceled? They started creating art kits to sell on their websites. These kits range from the At-Home Spa Day Kit, a collaboration with Camillus spa Based Wellness, to the recent Tipp Hill Traffic Light String Art Kit, inspired by St. Patrick’s Day. “If people are going to be home, we might as well give them something to do,” McKenney says. “I think people appreciate having something creative to do.” These art kits have helped Right Mind Syracuse to stay top-of-mind for their loyal customer base, while still managing to draw in new customers even during the darkest days of the pandemic.
A Post-Pandemic Right Mind Syracuse
As a return to normalcy looms just ahead, Right Mind Syracuse is already cautiously making plans for a post-pandemic world. “We’re getting back to in-person events, slowly but surely,” McKenney explains. She also has some exciting plans for the future of Right Mind Syracuse. “We’re in the early stages of renting a studio space in Syracuse,” McKenney says. Having a studio space will open up the possibilities for Right Mind Syracuse. They’ll have the flexibility to hold classes at any time, and a home base to not only store equipment, but to hold even the messiest of crafting nights. Even with a potential studio space, Right Mind Syracuse will continue to partner with local venues to hold events around the city.
Although the pandemic seems to be on its way out, we’re certainly not out of the woods quite yet. In the meantime, McKenney says that she’s excited to be able to collaborate with other small businesses. “We can help each other through the struggle,” she says.
Trappers x Right Mind Syracuse Pizza & Art Kits are available to order for pick-up or delivery.
Green beer available at Trapper’s Pizza Pub. Turn any beer green without affecting taste!
In Syracuse, New York, St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday most people look forward to all year round. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Syracuse is always scheduled on the Saturday before the actual holiday, which lands on March 13th this year. Unfortunately, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade for 2021 has been canceled. This is the second year in a row that the city of Syracuse will go without its beloved Parade Day.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Although the Coronavirus pandemic is inching slowly, but surely towards the end, it’s still not safe enough for large crowds – like the ones the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Downtown Syracuse usually draws – to gather. Despite the fact that we won’t be able to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the normal way this year, there’s still a lot to cherish about one of the most fun Syracuse cultural events of every year.
History of St. Patrick’s Day
Our readers who are not of Irish descent may be wondering, why is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated? Saint Patrick lived during the Fifth Century and has been the Patron Saint of Ireland since with an unusual story. He was brought to Ireland as a Roman slave, and after being either released or escaping from slavery, St. Patrick chose to return to Ireland to convert the Druids there into Christians. A mission he was largely successful at accomplishing. The day itself is said to mark the death of St. Patrick and is celebrated in his honor.
The very first recorded St. Patrick’s Day celebration in America took place, not in Boston or New York City, but in St. Augustine, Florida in the year 1601. At the time, the Floridian city was a Spanish Colony and one of the priests who presided over the settlement, Padre Ricardo Artur, was actually of Irish descent. He’s the one who began the celebration, but it did not continue after his death, which is why we don’t typically think of Florida now when we think of St. Patrick’s Day.
The Irish in America
Between the years 1845 and 1850, nearly 500,000 Irish emigrated to the United States. This was, in large part, due to The Great Famine, in which a horrible fungus devastated the potato crops in Ireland. Thanks to inaction on the part of the British Government, nearly a million Irish died of starvation over the course of five years. The Irish immigrants who fled their homeland for America did so to escape the inevitable death that waited for them at home.
Irish Settlement in Syracuse
Most Irish immigrants entered the United States through Ellis Island, and those who found their way Upstate did so in search of work, which they found in Syracuse, New York. In the 1840s, the salt industry in Syracuse was booming. Thanks to the advancement of the Erie Canal as well, there was plenty of work in the area, and so plenty of Irish families settled down in our city. To this day, the Irish American population in Syracuse remains robust, with a sixth of the population here claiming to be of Irish origin.
Nancy Duffy and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Despite our regions very large, and very visible, Irish population, the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Syracuse didn’t happen until 1983. Nancy Duffy, a pioneering female reporter in Central New York led the charge on getting a parade up and running in Syracuse 38 years ago. It was originally run by a group of passionate volunteers, and remains that way to this day. Syracuse’s St. Patrick’s Parade has grown to be one of the largest parades, per capita, in the entire country. Something we can all be proud of.
Trapper’s St. Patrick’s Day Drinks
On the left, the Pot of Gold Mimosa, and on the right, the Honeydew Martini. Both available at the bar and to-go.
Syracuse is both the most Irish city in New York State and the snowiest city in America. What do these two facts have to do with each other? Well, when considered in the context of St. Patrick’s Day, they help to explain why Parade Day is such a big celebration year after year. Think about it, after our typical freezing cold, snow-filled Winter comes March, and with it a day of celebrating Irish culture in the form of green beer and music. By the time we get to mid-March, everyone is looking for something to do to drive off any lingering cabin fever.
Without the parade this year, our bartenders have taken it upon themselves to create a list of St. Patrick’s Day-themed drinks. A perfect way to celebrate a low-key version of everyone’s favorite holiday. Stop in all this week and ask the bartender for our list of nine different specialty cocktails all created in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day tradition. From the Irish Margarita to the Pot of Gold Mimosa, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
A thin crust cheese pizza topped with mozzarella cheese and sauce.
Mozzarella is a soft, stringy cheese from the pasta filata family, which includes other cheeses like Queso Oaxaca and Caciocavallo. Pasta filata translates to “spun paste”, referring to the method of kneading and pulling used to create the distinctive mozzarella balls we find at the grocery store. All cheeses are made in the same general way. They start out their life as milk from a cow, goat, sheep, or even a buffalo, and once all water is removed it leaves behind a cheese. From there, different processes are used to create all of the cheeses we have come to know and love. Mozzarella is a fresh cheese, meaning that it is meant to be eaten fairly soon after being formed, and usually has a mild, slightly sour taste.
Mozzarella and Pizza: A Perfect Pairing
Mozzarella is the most prevalent cheese used to make pizzas, and there’s a very good – and very scientific – reason for that. You see, when the mozzarella is heated in the oven, all of its water content comes to a boil, and then evaporates. This process creates a bubble within the cheese that grows until it pops, releasing the newly formed steam and allowing the cheese to brown. Other types of cheese have either too much oil or too little water content to form the bubbles needed to allow the cheese to brown properly. The chemistry of mozzarella makes it an essential base for any pizza.
History of Mozzarella
Mozzarella was first developed in Southern Italy as far back as the 1st Century A.D., although the earliest form of the cheese was most likely made using sheep’s milk. The story goes that it was first made on accident when a few cheese curds fell into a pail of hot water. There’s also a story from the 3rd Century A.D., in which the monks of San Lorenzo di Capua were recorded handing out bread to locals with a cheese they called “mozza”. We may never know how mozzarella cheese first got its start in Italy, but we do know that it didn’t leave that particular region until the 20th Century when refrigeration technology had advanced enough to allow the cheese to be transported around the world.
Types of Mozzarella Cheese
Did you know that mozzarella is one of the healthiest types of cheese out there? It’s low in both sodium and calories, and some variants even contain probiotics important to overall gut health. Traditional cow’s milk mozzarella – the type most of us are familiar with – is known as fior di latte, or “flower of the milk”. You may also have seen Mozzarella di Bufala listed on menus or at the grocery store. This type of mozzarella is made from buffalo’s milk and has a creamier texture. Both are equally excellent for pizza making. In the United States, there are also different mozzarella choices when it comes to moisture content. Mozzarella cheeses with low moisture content are specific to the U.S., and the kind usually distributed to pizza restaurants. They’re easier to transport and keep fresh. High-moisture mozzarella is available in grocery stores but has a much shorter shelf-life than its cousin.
The DOP Label
If you’re a particularly savvy grocery shopper, you may already be familiar with the DOP label. For those who don’t know what we’re referring to here, the DOP label stands for Protected Designation of Origin (Denoimazione d’Origine Protetta) and is meant to differentiate high-quality Italian products made in their region of origin from low-quality, imitation cheese, wines, olive oils, and other food products. When you see the DOP label on a mozzarella cheese this means that the cheese in question was made in Southern Italy and that the quality has been approved by a governing body. For most of us, this designation may not be very important at all, but it’s important to know what we’re buying when we shop.
Mozzarella at Trapper’s
At Trapper’s Pizza Pub, we do take our pizza making very seriously. We’ve even experimented with making our own homemade mozzarella cheese, just for fun, in the kitchen at Trapper’s. While it’s not something we plan on keeping up, it was a great experience, and gave us a real appreciation for the ingredients that go into making our signature pizzas so special. In addition to our pizzas, we also use mozzarella cheese on our Meatball Sub, Chicken Parmesan Sandwich, Baked Ziti, and in our Calzones and Strombolis. Fresh mozzarella also comes with our Make-Your-Own Pizza Kits, along with homemade pizza dough, sauce, and a topping of your choice.
To view more of our Food Menu, including all of our specialty pizzas, follow this link.
Local Syracuse photographer, Hal Silverman, sets up a shot of Trapper’s Pizza Pub’s customer-favorite hot chicken wings.
This past weekend, Trapper’s had the absolute pleasure of working with local photographer Hal Silverman on a shoot featuring some of our signature menu items. This photoshoot has been in the works for some time, as we’ve been working hard behind the scenes at revamping the Trapper’s Pizza Pub website and social media accounts. This push has been ongoing since November, and we hope you’ve enjoyed seeing more of us in your feeds and timelines across Facebook and Instagram.
Summer & Volleyball
The shoot this month is just the beginning, as we have a slew of plans to make your favorite neighborhood pizza joint even better, just in time for the Summer months ahead when we’ll all (hopefully) get to see each other more often. While we’re still waiting to find out more about timing for the start of volleyball season, we’re already accepting team sign-ups on our website. Click here for more information or to enter your team.
Trapper’s Pizza Pub owner, Alex, and photographer, Hal, discuss the next photo on the shot list.
New York State Easing Restrictions
As more and more restrictions are lifted for bars, restaurants and other venues, we’re seeing life slowly return to normal. Trapper’s is committed to keeping our customers, staff and community safe throughout this time, which is why we’ve recently installed plexiglass between booths, and are still careful to maintain proper social distancing between tables throughout the restaurant. We also have multiple heaters on the outside patio for those patrons who are still understandably concerned about dining indoors.
Plexiglass has been installed between booths in the Trapper’s Pizza Pub bar area.
The White House reflected in water. Picture by Kendall Hoopes.
As if there aren’t enough holidays packed into the relatively short month of February, we have another one right on the heels of Valentine’s Day this year. That’s right, tomorrow is President’s Day, which means that many of you have a three-day weekend for Valentine’s Day!
The History of Presidents’ Day
President’s Day has been a national holiday since the year 1879 when it was originally created in honor of George Washington’s birthday, which was on February 22nd (yes, our first president was a Pisces). In 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed, decreeing that holidays like President’s Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day and Veterans Day should all fall on a Monday, thereby giving American workers several 3-day weekends throughout the year.
This Act made it so that George Washington’s day would always fall on the third Monday of the month of February. According to Lifehacker, those in favor of this act believed that having more designated vacation time on the calendar would make it so that workers would be less likely to skip out on workdays. If you know you have a long weekend coming back, you might not call out of work so flippantly.
Presidents’ Day Today
When the holiday was changed from the 22nd to the third Monday of the month, it began to fall between Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays (Lincoln was born on February 12th). Many soon began to celebrate both presidents on that day, and, eventually, businesses realized they could use the day to market huge discounts and bargains as a way to drum up sales during a normally slow month. Hence, our current Presidents’ Day. By now your email inbox is probably chock full of emails offering you savings on every item you’ve ever so much as glanced at online.
George Washington
Here in New York, Presidents’ Day is considered George Washington’s Day, and for good reason. After all, Washington was the first-ever President of the United States of America. Seems like a good enough reason on its own to celebrate the man. Ironically, Washington himself did not particularly care about his own birthday while he was still alive. Instead, he would typically spend the day tending to matters of estate at Mount Vernon.
While nationwide, the third Monday of February now represents all former presidents, there is one tradition of honoring George Washington that has stood the test of time, and that’s the annual reading of his Farewell Address on the Senate floor every February 22nd. This custom was started during the Civil War when senators realized they needed a way to keep spirits up during what was a difficult time for our country. Washington’s words of unity in the face of division and his faith in the tenets of democracy have long been a source of comfort and inspiration for many.
This Presidents’ Day we’re wishing you crazy-good discounts on all the home goods you’ve been eying, and when you’re all done with your online shopping, stop into Trapper’s for a pizza to round out the three-day weekend.
