Tony Boloney’s, the Atlantic City eatery that took the trophy in Guy Fieri's recent Cheesesteak Battle, serves up Atlantic City-inspired pizza, subs and much more.
Owner Mike Hauke (with trophy) and Guy Fieri at the Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival Cheesesteak Battle event Friday, July 30.
For most, starting a business, shepherding it to success and selling profitably to make way for another venture is a lifelong dream.
For Michael Hauke, owner and operator of Atlantic City’s Tony Boloney’s pizzeria and restaurant, it’s yesterday’s news.
Hauke, originally from North Jersey, but with definitive Brooklyn roots, has accomplished that career feat twice.
Prior to his 30th birthday.
While attending the University of Massachusetts, the go-getting entrepreneur envisioned and marketed a campus-based endeavor, Dirty Business Laundry Delivery Service. Capitalism at its finest, Hauke recognized a student need, filled the niche and eventually sold his operation.
Taking an extended break from UMass after junior year he traveled to Italy. The Tuscan metropolis Florence, to be exact, in the hopes of “Immersing myself in normal life, work like everyone else does.”
This meant learning to professionally cook via the old-fashioned route; taking grunt-level restaurant employment for the privilege of learning from skilled bakers and chefs.
Returning stateside to complete his studies, Hauke received a 2004 bachelor’s degree in resource economics/entrepreneurship while simultaneously entering into another new field.
Working cooperatively with local colleges and restaurant owners, he created the Off-Campus Meal Plan. This allowed students the opportunity to utilize their cafeteria dining privileges at a variety of local eateries. This concept then spun off another successful entity, called Box-O-Box, The College Care Package Company. Packaging upscale versions of collegiate favorites — coffee, popcorn, cookies, organic pretzels and pita chips — Hauke continues with OCMP to this day.
Feeling a desire to further scratch the gastronomic itch developed abroad, Hauke contemplated opening a food business. His father, Gregory, a real estate investor, pointed him south, toward Atlantic City.
Flash forward five years to October 2009. After a couple months of running the current location as a cafeteria-style operation, Hauke closed, rebranded and created the Tony Boloney’s concept.
His mustachioed namesake “Tony” actually derives from an Italian colloquialism for “bad little boys” according to Hauke.
He continues, explaining “I wanted to open up a place that sold bad-ass grub.”
Hauke developed new recipes, ferreted out suppliers he could trust and painstakingly sourced each and every ingredient that appears on his bill of fare.
Like obtaining prized import OO (‘double O’ in baker lingo) flour from Italy for his pies.
The result is not only one of the most delightfully eccentric selections of pizza in the region, but one that amply demonstrates familiarity with local lore.
Various pies reference subjects ranging from original A.C. powerbroker Enoch “Nucky” Johnson (white pizza with steak, BBQ sauce, mozzarella and American cheese) to Diving Horse founder Doc Carver (fried chicken, pesto, red peppers and mozz) and Monopoly (red pie with six cheeses).
These culinary shout-outs continue on a lengthy menu of signature subs.
But what really piqued our interest is the whimsical “Elvis Lives,” a sweet combination of peanut butter and jelly, marshmallow fluff and heavenly Nutella.
While the first Slaughterfest (May 15, 2010) exceeded the organizers' hopes in terms of size, scope and funds raised for the charity, they believe the second annual event — slated for 11am-8pm Saturday, May 14 — can top 20,000 attendees. Especially with The Roots' ?uestlove opening the day.
Plus the 200 Club Brunch at Borgata Sunday, a new DrewToonz cartoon combining Don Rickles and the rodeo, and ?uestlove and May's Pizza Slaughter Fest.
Let’s take this in simple steps. First step, pizza and beer go together. Got it. Second step, the Atlantic City Convention Center is the site of the sixth annual Atlantic City Beer Festival, better known as “The Celebration of the Suds.” More than 75 different breweries will showcase their products. But also among the exhibitors will be several food vendors including Tony Boloney’s, one of the city’s premiere pizza restaurants. So beer vendors and pizza vendors also go together. Well, at festivals anyway. Got it. So what then is the next step? Well obviously, it’s Tony Boloney’s pizza infused with beer. And we’re not talking about the infusion that happens in your mouth when you bite a slice and swig your beer. We’re talking totally infused. “Basically, we’re cooking the beer...
As the unmistakable smell of thinly cut steak and fried onions wafted through the air in the posh setting of Caesars Palladium Ballroom Friday night for Guy Fieri’s Cheesesteak Battle, fans were stuffing their faces and stuffing the ballot boxes.
Atlantic City will be the center of the culinary world when the Food Network Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival, hosted by Harrah’s Entertainment, begins with the official kick-off party at the Chelsea Hotel Thursday, July 29. Not only is this an amazing event for people who love to eat great food and mingle with culinary superstars, it also raises money for the charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure Central & South Jersey.
Last year’s Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival was good enough to earn a reputation as one of the top such events on the east coast.
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