Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to Food for Thought with Billy and Jenny,
brought to you by the Box Center.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
For more than fifteen.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Years, this dining duo has been eating their way through
New England, mixing it up with top chefs, jumping behind
the line of the hottest restaurants and giving you the
inside scoop on where to wine, dine and spend your time.
So get ready, it's Food for Thought giving you something
to chew on.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hey, everybody, welcome into Food for Thought. Billy Costa here
on a Sunday night, and I got to tell you something.
You got to roll up your sleeves for this week's episode.
You've got to fasten your seat belts. We have three
legends in the studio at the same time, and Joe
piat de Doosie kind enough to drop by and co
host the show with me, so we'll start right there. Joe,
(00:44):
welcome back. Thank you, Billy. Always great to be with you.
Joe piant Doosi of course of piant T Doosie Baking,
legendary bread company operating all over the country. Are you
and other countries now too? We do the mahama as
we do Okay, I was kidding. We ship.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Well over our tenure, we did sell bread to like Europe,
actually do some stuff, and we did military We had
to send bread to a basis in Germany that was
years ago.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Your bread was in the World War, well not the
World War, but it was. We said, it's amazing. You know,
every time you're one of my best friends in the world, right,
and every time I spend a couple of minutes with you,
I'm more fascinated by who you are. Yeah, you always
ask what a cool story? All right? So Joe Piandadosi
is co hosting. Sitting immediately to his left is an
(01:33):
absolute legend, Bobby Wong from the Wong family and of
course the Kowloon Restaurant in Saugust. Bobby, good to see you.
Good to see you too. How come you haven't knocked
the building down?
Speaker 4 (01:44):
You?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
That's a Joe. Okay, you know I'm gonna leave it
right there, but just know that Bobby is here. So
that's a legend number two. And Bobby and the Wang
family and the Kowloon are celebrating a seventy fifth anniversary.
The anniversary Yeah, wow, is that longer than Piandidosi. No,
we're one or nine. But he's okay to rub it
in his face. So it's just asking Joe, all right, okay,
(02:06):
cd I he gave you boy. He's like, okay, we're whatever.
All right. We started with a horse and buggy and
you did well. You weren't there five horse and buggy face.
But uh and down the end of the line, we've
got my buddy Casey from the Box Center Wang Theater.
Good to see you, Casey. How are you great to
be here?
Speaker 5 (02:23):
Is always doing great?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I got to tell you this is like a superstar
show a superstar. So Casey, what would be your title? Now?
Over at the Box Center Wang Theater.
Speaker 5 (02:32):
I am the President and CEO of the Box Center
Wang Theater super Theater. And we were talking about an anniversaries.
The Wang is turning one hundred years old this year.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Oh Joe, you still have them beat Sol. Jared runs
the company now, so Jared, you want to put that
in the in the newsletter. Okay, that you actually out Yeah,
you outshine in terms of years the Box Center Wang Theater.
Speaker 5 (02:56):
But the Schubert turns one hundred and fifteen this year,
Sugar Subert.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
They want to Oh my god, this good. I told
you it was gonna happen. His grandmother would have been
two hundred and thirty.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
So there you go, your great grandmother, great grandmother would
have been thirty.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
So today, No, no, I was kidding. I just wanted to.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
I wanted to because you got to keep going.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Okay, before we move back to Joe and to Bob Casey, Uh,
the one show that stands out right now when you
look ahead to the lineup and the schedule coming up
at the Box Center World Theater, what's the one show
you're most excited about?
Speaker 5 (03:37):
Boy? I mean personally, you know, just yesterday we announced
Robert Plant at the Schuper Theater Witheppelin, yes who with
his new band Saving Grace, and he plays a lot
of mostly led Zeppelin songs. But you know, he that
guy is, you know, he's just an icon. Right.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
How's he looking these days?
Speaker 5 (04:00):
He's looking good? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, he's looking good.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
He still sinks.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
He doesn't hit the notes quite like he did in
the seventies, but he does. He still got it.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Right, I mean yeah, well, you know, everybody's got that
stairway to heaven, but you know, I mean it's there
for all of us, but honestly, it led Zeppelin it is.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
Yeah, it's hard to pick one show because we've got
so much going on. You know, we're also promoting our
holiday season now in July, because that's what you do
in July now and Circasiles Twas the Night Before is
coming in for twenty seven shows. You know, great holiday
season planned the at.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
The Box, you know, great personal story with the Box Center,
Wang Theater. I was there for the Mariah Carrey Christmas Show. Yes,
she showed up three and a half hours late, and
nobody cared. Everybody, Yeah, because she was so good, you know,
because she had a DJ that was so good. Everybody
was happy. They were being entertained. You know, they got
a couple of extra cocktails under their belt. And then
(04:59):
Mariah comes out, Bang, here we go.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Madonna did that and she's famous for it too.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Guys were happy about that.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
And I was also there for John Legends Christmas Special.
Speaker 5 (05:09):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Oh, you guys knock it out of the park during
the holiday season.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
We like to think where the place to be at
the holidays, so we work hard to keep that going
every year. And you know the venue is beautifully decorated
every year. Oh, it's special, very special.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
J if you've been to the Bark Center Waing Theater
for a show. Oh okay, yeah, all right, John Legend
Christmas show. So for the big Christmas season, what do
we have so far? We've got Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
So in addition to uh, you know, Circasla, We've got
cc Winans is going to be doing her holiday show,
gospel gospel show. H Jins and Dala are going to
be coming back for their holiday show.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (05:50):
We have a drag holiday show that's going to be
coming in there. So it's really you know, that's fast, absolutely, absolutely, And.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
You've got Gary Goulman coming. Now. Gary hasn't performed in
his hometown in years. I mean he's from Pabiddy.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
It's been quite a while.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Always a b secret.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
We presented him at the Cabot when I was there
for two nights, and that might have been the last
time he was in the market.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
But I stayed in touch with Gary on social and
he's just such a nice guy. And he's gotten even funnier,
if that's at all possible, it's true. Yeah, and he's
tory all over the country, like really crazy busy.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
Yeah. We love those hometown shows are the best.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Yeah, and I've got to get to the Goldman Show.
And we have to get Goldman on the showutely on
the billion Morning show Case with you right. Many times,
like when Gary was first out of Peabody High, he
was coming on the Morning show Case. She wins the
day of the Gary Golan Show. I'll get back to
you on that, Okay. So we are hitting him with
(06:50):
these what's wrong with you show something Right, We're going
to take our first break. It is Food for Thought
and yeah, Joe Piandidosis my co host. I've got Bobby
Wong here. We're going to get all the crazy stories
from the kow Loon over the last seventy five years
and some of Bobby's stands out standouts. We'll talk about
(07:12):
the big Gala, the fundraising galla for the Joey Fund,
which is coming up August twenty and you want to
be there. And we'll talk more with Casey about the lineup,
the schedule for the Box Center Wang Theater. This is
a superstar episode of Food for Thought. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
You're listening to Food for Thought, brought to you by
the Box Center and Salem Waterfront Hotel in sweets.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Hey, everybody, welcome back to food for Thought again. Billy
Costa here and I'm joined by Joe Piandidosi my co host. Joe,
you've got a radio show breaking right on a Nightheart
station as well. Uh huh at w here the iHeart
Community Radio Network YEP Saturdays at two pm and then
on WTAG Sunday mornings at night. And I know it's
a radio show and our listeners can't see, but you
(07:56):
already have a new merchandise line. Fredant Doosi, I got
to tell you something. Ever since you brought your son
Jared on as the CEO of Panaday Baking, there is
so many incredible and positive changes. I'm telling you.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Well, he's young, fresh ideas he and his cousins. He
has three cousins that he is working.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
And since you took Jared on, every time you come in,
I get a pile of bread to bring home. And
is there something new in the lineup? Usually you're celebrating.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Something new onion, so it is new, brand new, just
breaking breaking news here and then you just don't have
it before a date exactly. Well, and he's both in
the dough and on top two. So but enough, everybody
here in the studio and we have the Quambery Regional.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Your favorite. You brought some of those art. Look at
Jared show a TV game show. Tell them what you brought, Joe. Actually,
you do a game show with the Rich Tomorrow at
Copple Sunday one Sunday a month. Now, Rich Tomorrow was
he worked on the morning show with us. He started
(09:00):
as my intern, and then he became the producer of
the board op producer, which is what Justin now is. Well,
Justin's the co host of the Billy and Lisa Show.
But well he basically runs the show.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
He's Rich's his mentor. And Rich says you he's mentor.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Oh see that? And are we allowed to talk about
this that Rich is in a reality show.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
No, we're not supposed to talk about that. Well, it's
how much can we say?
Speaker 2 (09:24):
I don't know how much because he tells me not
to say anything. Hey, Rich, how's it going, buddy? But anyway,
know this thing. But I remember I talked to Rich
about all the time.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
I remember one day he was in studio when he
was just an intern and he was singing, and you
called me that day and he said, oh my god,
you know my intern, Rich.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
You gotta hear him sing and he was a young
kid singing Sinatra. Then he was like and remember I
would host these wine dinners, come to djfe esquadrill or something,
and I would have Rich before he broke out as
a DJ whatever command, and he would sing a couple
of songs and then DJ the event exactly. And now
that's what he does for a living. I mean, he's
(10:01):
the most booked function DJ that I know. He loves.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
He owns Coppo Sunday nights. Oh yes, Sunday Sat, Sunday
thirty Sunday nights. Okay, Rich, I made up for my
mistake about bringing up the reality show by promoting you. Right,
what's your radio show about. It's called Breaking Bread. You've
been on many times. It's just a talk show. It's uh,
it hawks back to the old talk shows. It's I'll
(10:25):
have authors, chefs, entertain his politicians, athletes.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
It's just a fun, light, lively talk show. But you
have a tremendous fascination with old Hollywood. Jared, Jared, your
son is here with your boss, and but where did
that come? Well, because you used to be best friends
with the Regis was yeah, and you hung out with
him many times.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Yea, yeah, No, Jared says, I should have been born
in what nineteen forty eight?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
You said, right, that's the year. No, But you know
we had Rudi Lee on. Rudi Lee was famous actress,
you know, back in the ninety I've had who we
had a hold on. You're here to promote your show. No,
and you're talking about ninety year old rut of Lee
who doesn't want to hear from her? She was in movies.
But I've had Donnie osmon On, I've had Davis Casey.
(11:12):
Have you got Ruder Lee coming into the right there?
Google her? She?
Speaker 5 (11:16):
I know who she is?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Casey knows. Wow, okay, actress? All right? And don't you
have John Davidson. I was just on a couple of
weeks ago. Great guys in his eighties, and he used
to be a big game show Home.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
He hosted Pyramid, He hosted Hollywood Squares from after Peter
Mishall did, he had his own talk show.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
He took over after Mike Douglas. Oh, I know what
I want to ask. Wasn't John Davidson one of the
regulars on the Love Boat? He was ah because he
was a frequent guess. Okay, I don't want any of
you to judge me by this. But one afternoon, it
was a rainy day, I was on vacation, sitting on
the boat in Martha's Vineyard, and I started surfing around.
(11:57):
You know that general is it me TV? So I
land on this channel, Casey, you'll appreciate this. And it's
nothing but Love Boat episode episodes. And I caught myself
and I watched five episodes in a row of the
Love Boat. Ah, don't look at me like that. I
know you have never heard of the Love Boat. Okay,
I'm just having a conversation John David Karen Coppenter. By
(12:18):
the way, John Davidson one David Karen Coppenter. Now you
have old Hollywood trivia I did. Okay, this is amazing. Okay,
Bobby Wong, such a thrill to have you in here.
You one of my best friends too, by the way,
I know, I know, and well, you guys have done
business together for years and years right the Cold the
(12:40):
m R together too. We sold them bread for years.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
We traveled together.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
We travel together. Well, you have that weird boys, Casey,
have you been added on to that?
Speaker 5 (12:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Okay, you mentioned the m RA, the Mass Restaurant Association right,
what is it and what does it do for us?
It's uh, well, Bob was the former chairman for years back.
Okay to Bob, tell us what the well you go
to Puerto Rico and have a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
Well, it advocates for the restaurant industry in Massachusetts, you know,
whether it's you know, certification, a lot of classes and
things that you need. Requirements are out for your employees,
as well as lobbying at the state House for things
that we need and hopefully you get things done.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Now, let's say someone hypothetically needs like a liquor license
or something. Is that something you folks at the mr
can help out with.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
I'm just asking, well, we can direct them in the
right direction, you know, we tell them, point them and
say this is what you got to do, this who
you got to see, and that type of thing. So
we guide them, but we don't actually file their applications for.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Them, right. Okay, So you're both on the board by
the way, Jenny Johnson is on the board the mass
Restaurant Association. Uh so you deal with restaurants, right, And
one of the big stories in the news in case
I'm going to get your opinion on this too. One
of the big stories in the news lately is the
fact that as of January first, no tax on tips. Now, Bobby,
(14:04):
you've got a lot of weight people.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
I'm gonna become a waiter next year. I know you're leading.
I'm gonna be a waiter.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Okay, uh play, I'll play devil's advocate. But as a
restaurant owner, what do you think about this no tax
on tips rule?
Speaker 4 (14:20):
Well, I'm on I'm on the fence right now because
you know what's being proposed and what's being signed into
legislation doesn't necessarily mean what's going to be. We don't
know the final product that comes out, so it's easy
to guess and say, oh my god, this guy's gonna
you know what, if he takes home he does not
pay taxes on it. But we don't know what the
(14:43):
parameters are going to be. So they haven't written it
in the details. I guess it's the devil's in the details.
So once the details come out, and that's when we
could make a better judgment. Right now, it's just guessing,
I think.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
So now, Joe, you have to entertain clients a lot,
and I know you go to a lot of restaurants
and everything for me, your side of things as a customer.
I keep hearing when I open a conversation with friends
who might be in the business or not. I was
shocked that one of their first reactions was, well, I'll
tell you this, I'm going down to fifteen percent. What
(15:15):
are your thoughts on it? You know, I think people
have tip fatigue. It was a common term that we
used a lot, tipgate, tipping gate. They got it, yeah,
and it.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
Just you know, years ago, you tip because of good service,
and you tip, you know, more money if you've got
really good service. Now, I think, unfortunately, some servers feel
like they're entitled to a tip and they you know,
it used to be twenty percent was like the number.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
And now if you notice, if you get one of
those computerizing they give you, they spin around the iPad, yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
And it's sometimes twenty twenty five, thirty percent. And you know,
I like to tip, well, but for good service. I
don't like when a server just expects it. That kind
of bothers me.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
See, when I tip, I like to think I'm a
good tipper. I mean, they say, if you've ever been
in the industry in any capacity, you're a very generous
tippers in college, or you know, if you had a
job as a weight person or whatever. I never think
about the percentage I talked to so much so that
my wife won't let me sign the tab anymore. Yeah,
and she'll just give that when I have talked about it.
(16:14):
Like for the boat.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
If you you went down to a convenience store to
buy products for your boat, yeah, they expected it, and
they basically just ring it in and basically off you.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
You know a tip option. Well, now you can be
at a convenience store and just get yourself a bag
of freedoors or something, and you go to the counter
and they give you an option for tip. That's wit
a minute. I grabbed the bag of chips brought it
to you, right, or even someone to pour a cup
of coffee for you.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
I expect a twenty percent tip and you're already paying
about fight dollars for a cup of coffee.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Okay, And now we go to Casey from Box Center
Waning Theater. Be careful, you're being judged here. So I
know you and your beautiful wife are out to eat
a lot. So what are your thoughts as a customer
at a restaurant?
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
I mean, you know, and we've you know, we've moved
to Boston, you know, since September, we've been out, you know,
frequenting you know, the establishments, and I mean, listen, this
is an expensive city to live in. These are hard jobs.
Staffing is still still a challenge. So I you know,
I think anything that helps restaurant owners and workers to
(17:16):
attract the workforce and to help that workforce make ends meet,
you know, I think is generally a good thing. But
I agree that you know, if I buy a bag
of Fredo's, you know, I'm probably not going to be
tipping on that.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
That's where the whole tipping gate came from. That It
was like because like I always, I used to get
yelled at and made fun of my friends because I'd
go to M Duncan, I'd get a couple of coffee
at four am, and I'd leave a nice tip. That's
I'm sorry, it's just the way I feel. We got
to take a break. When we come back, Bobby, I
want to hit on your documentary that came out, and
I'm still wondering why I never got the sneakers, the
count Loon sneakers. We're going to take a break. We'll
(17:50):
be right back.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
You're listening to Food for Thought brought to you buy
the Box Center and Sale and Waterfront Hotel in sweets.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Hey, everybody, welcome back to Food for Thought. Billy Coffee
Here Joe had to see my co host. You look beautiful, Block,
you're working. Beautiful Blue works for you.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
And Bobby Wong also in Electric Blue Blue from the
carlun and Bobby seventy five years. I know you've got
the big party. We'll talk about that. It's a big fundraiser.
But you had a documentary The Weirdest Thing with you, okay,
and I love you like a brother, Bobby. The day
you told me that you were closing Carloon knocking down
(18:29):
the building. Since that day and that announcement, you've never
been busier, right, You've never done more? Are you trying
to tell me? I don't know. It's just like, wow,
you should be knock.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Say you're gonna knock at the what we're doing. So
it's a marketing ployee and that's very pretty well.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Farewell to Yeah, and it was a documentary. Now, how
did that come about?
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Well, I guess when we were telling people that we
were closing. It got everybody's attention, and it got this
one person's attention, and she emailed me Mona Zee and
she had done documentaries for Netflix and other, you know,
other stations as well. So she reached out and said
she'd loved to do a documentary of the Calm restaurant
because it seems interesting. We're probably the one of the
(19:14):
lodgest if not the largest restaurant in the United States
and being around for seventy five years and knocking it
down in the very near future. It may it would
make a good story about you know, the family. So
we filmed over a few weeks and a lot more
filming than you think.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
And yeah, it's a lot of worker documentary.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
And it came out a year and a half ago,
and it went went into a lot of film festivals
as well, like really Boston, in California, New Mexico, all
these others.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
And it's an easy watch. It's like, what twenty two minutes.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Yeah, yeah, I don't only fall asleep twice.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Well, you get my age, you know, can make it through.
The documentaries must be scary though, I'd be worried, like
if somebody was doing a documentary on me I'd be
worried about the stuff they plan on using that they
never told me about it. You know, it's like, yeah,
you didn't make the documentary, Joe. You've known Bobby longer
than anyone I know. My childhood friend Dukey is in
(20:14):
the documentary. He eats at the Coloon at least three
times a week. At least three times a week. He's
a he's a regular, if you want to call that regular.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
So when they were doing the documentary, they wanted to do,
you know, some of the customers, and when they saw Dookie,
they thought he was part of the furniture.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
But no, I'm kidding. We got to take a break.
When we come back. You do have the seventy fifth
anniversary gallup coming up, which, by the way, is a
great fundraiser for the Joey Fund, which is a great organization.
And Joe, you know Joe O'Donnell very well, great, God
rest his soul. We'll take a break. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
You're listening to Food for Thought, brought to you by
the Box Center and Sale and Waterfront Hotel in sweets Hey.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Everybody, welcome back to Food for Dot Billy Coffe to
hear Joe Piant Todoci Mike co host, Good to see
you again. You're too happy to be here, and if
you just joined us while the Cologne is celebrating us
seventy five year anniversary, and Bobby Wong is here with us,
and we also have Casey from the Box Center Wang Theater,
and as I look across the studio, I can see
he's sitting on his lineup his schedule for the upcoming seasons,
(21:21):
and he's got a lot of really really good acts
coming in. But Bobby, let's talk about the seventy fifth.
The event is August twentieth.
Speaker 4 (21:28):
August twentieth, and if it's a wash out and then
you know the weather, we have a twenty first as that.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Oh there's a rain day on a rainy date, right,
and didn't you tell me one section of the tickets
have already sold out.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Yeah, so it's gonna be outdoors, so we can get
of logic capacity, so we call it the Gallup Block Party.
It's not indoors, it's going to be outdoors. Oh, and
we're going to be We hold about six hundred in
the venue we have now, but because it could be
possibly more, we get permission to kind of like straight
a little bit beyond the location.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Well, it's amazing what you've done with the outside parking
space there. It's amazing with the contact and it's been great. Yeah,
and every time I drive by it seems as though
it's expanded. You're adding more lights, more fixtures, more special effects.
But okay, so August twentieth, can people still get tickets? Yes,
they still can get tickets.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
The top ticket at one hundred and fifty dollars, which
included a buffet, that's sold out. But we have a
couple of other tickets where seventy five and one hundred
dollars per ticket, and they get they'll get you in
and some of general mission.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Bobby Entertainment that night, three great bands tell us about that.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
The opening act is Scott Brown and the Diplomats.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Former US Senator Scott Brown. Brown's dad running again for
uh Yeah.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
What happened was so he heard he heard that we
were having an anniversary party. So he called me up
this even before he announced, and I had no idea.
He's just a good friend, family friend. So he said, Bobby,
I'd love to play it at the event. I said, okay, sure,
because he's played it for us before outside venue, so
we booked him.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Then we booked the Diplomat the band. Good funny story
about Scott Brown. Right after Aila got off American idol
Uh Scott he was a senator. He would call me
and ask if I could have Aila sing the national
anthem at event an event that was hosting, or sing
a couple of songs, and she would and Scott Brown,
(23:33):
God love him, would be in the back of the
ballroom or the event facility with the table selling her CDs.
I thought that was such a superdad moment, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
So, yeah, he's he's down the earth, He's such a
down Now you have a raffle on.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Don't take away the music man.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
Before and you know, because it's it's a nostalgic type
of event.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
We prepped back to Varus they phrase it only takes
a minute to fall in love.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
And the final ones. The headliner is Starship. That Jefferson Starship.
The starship built this city on rock and roll is
called Starship with Mickey this is all at one party.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Yes, you have these people coming up to the Center
Wang Theater.
Speaker 5 (24:21):
You don't get Tavars but Bedford, I've worked with all
those bands and all fantastic and Mickey can still sing
the phone Book.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Yeah, yes, yeah, that's what I heard. Yeah, now Mickey
is starship, yes yeah, okay, So but we we've got
quite a few things coming up at the Wang.
Speaker 5 (24:40):
And actually you mentioned August, and we've got Joe Perry
Project coming up August nineteenth, which Joe Perry from Arrows,
Joe Perry from Aerosmith, it's him and Brad from Arrowsmith.
We've got Chris Robinson from the Black Crows is on
vocals and the Stone Tupple pilots based and drummer or
it's a super group that he's put together. So he's
(25:01):
doing it all in one band. It's all in one
band on August nineteenth at the Wang.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
I got a funny Aerosmith story if you'd like to
hear it. You know, I used to when I was
in college or prep school. I used to work at
Leechmere Sales in the stereo component section, the high end
stereo components, you know, the receivers and the turn tables.
Aerosmith came in one day, I'm not kidding. Steve, the band, Stephen,
(25:30):
they all came in. They were living in a big
house in New Hampshire at the time, and they wanted
a stereo system for the house. I sold them a
stereo system for the house and then went to the
house to install it. Wow, Aerosmith, you know somebody else
has done that, Joe, nobody, He'll free just a name,
any name at all, Joe, I don't just say it.
(25:51):
This is a tough crowd.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
I want to hear more about the colun event because
he's he's auctioned off. Well, you're raffling off, raffling off
a dimar diamond.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Seventy year diamond had this great idea. Tell it wasn't
my idea, but you never take credit for it. You're
going to change. Well, the Chinese restaurant was this.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
I would not be stuck in a Chinese restaurant if
that was my idea right there.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
But yeah, the bottom line, like Joe says, is you've
got an incredible raffle. And I'll tell you what. We
got to take a break in a couple of seconds.
But if you're listening right now, and you or anybody
you know plans on getting engaged, uh, Casey, you're all set, Joe,
You're all set. Probably you're all set. Well, possibly maybe
Jenard's got something going on or aj I don't know.
(26:44):
But if you're planning on getting engaged or somebody in
your family or circle, is you want to hear about
this raffle because you could end up getting a ten
thousand dollars diamond ring for twenty bucks? Am I making
that up? Joe? Oh, that's the truth. It's a twenty
dollar raffle ticket. Okay, So we're going to take a break.
It is Food for Thought. Different kind of a show
(27:05):
this week because we're having a lot of fun. No,
we always had fun Food for Thought. I got Joe Pianadosi,
I've got Bobby Wog, I've got Casey from the Box
Center Wank Theater, and we'll talk more about the incredible
holiday season lineup they've got going on there. It's all
coming out. We'll take a break. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
You're listening to Food for Thought, brought to you by
the Box Center and Salem Waterfront Hotel in swedes Hey.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Everybody, welcome back to Food for Thought. Right before the break,
Joe Piantadosi, my co host, and I were talking about
the incredible seventy five year anniversary Gala August twentieth out
of Kyloloon. And we've got Bobby Wong from the Kola
Lun family here. Well, it's the Wong family, it's not
the Kowloon. Where'd the name come from, Bobby?
Speaker 4 (27:45):
My father and mother came up with it. They bought
the restaurant. Actually, the restaurant was called the Menderin House
in nineteen fifty oh, it was owned by my grandparents.
Nineteen fifty eight, my parents took it over. They renamed
it the Kowloun Klumn actually means nine Dragons. But I
think Kolhun was picked because during my father's childhood he
(28:10):
was he went to boarding school in China. He was
born in Boston believe or not so, but his father
want him to learn Chinese and all the culture and
all that. So he went to boarding school like at
the age of thirteen or somewhere around there and in China.
And that's around that time or close around that time,
Japanese were planning to invade China. That's that's a history thing,
(28:33):
and it was going to be it was pretty devastating,
but they got wind of how dangerous it could possibly
get because of the Japanese. Sure kind of like mounting
offensive against China. So they told my father get out
of there. So he finally got out of there after
a little bit because he was having such a great time,
you know, away from his parents. But he finally left
(28:55):
and he landed in Koloun, which is across the bay
from Hong Kong, Okay, So he kind of like escaped
and when the war happened between Japan and China, he
was lucky that he was he was out of there,
and that probably had a lot of influence on naming
the restaurant Koloun.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Well, Kowloon is such an institution in New England. I
got to tell you even on the Billion Least the
Morning Show on Dining, Playwork and whatever you mentioned Kyloon
and everybody has a place in their heart for Kyloon Restaurant.
You must have pride in that. It's it's really quite.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
It's a nice feeling because you know, I tell people
and people say, oh my god when they hear Calhoun,
it's kind of iconic and I and I don't get
it because I was raised in the restaurant since I
was like a kid fourteen years old.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
You know, do you see the crowds coming in.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Yeah, but you don't think of it that way.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
I think how many people one of the first dates
at the Kowloon, and then the birthday parties and and
you've got great function rooms, and you have the catering,
you have the food truck.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
There's so much, you know, that's a part of the Caloon.
It's not just the I can remember special moments in
the parking lot of the show, but that's all along,
that's all along. We won you want special, Okay, So Bobby,
everybody who goes to the Colune tends to have a
favorite dish from the cologne. What's yours?
Speaker 4 (30:20):
Well, I really don't because it depends on the mood.
But you know, for a long time, it was just
the beef and mushroom, the basic. It's kind of like
meatlow for for somebody that cooks American style food. So
was beef and mushroom and chicken fried rice that was
This might go to dish spirits, but expirits are great now,
so I'm picking on spirits all the.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Test are the best. My tie in the world is
at the Colon. You guys do it unbelievable, Mike, and
we're going to know how you know, anyone that's sitting
at your table that's having my tie is instantly having
like two ships of my tie at the Colonne. I'm
just being honest. Okay, you make a great drink. Yeah,
we took the alcohol out. The best things you did
(31:03):
was you renovated the lounge. I don't know how many
years ago it was, but you did such a fabulous job.
And you have a DJ in there and yep, yep,
wow colun Special the diamond.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Let's get to the So we've been around for seventy
five years. So we decide to have a big bash
and it's going to be a block party like I mentioned,
and we have with great entertainment and one of the
other things that because it is a diamond anniversary, we
decide to raffle off a diamond ring and so Joe Dude,
Joe's connection with the Prisco family, we got me contact
(31:40):
with Donna, and the Prisco family was kind enough to
really subsidize this and donate the diamond.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
They do a good thing. It's over.
Speaker 4 (31:48):
It's over a ten thousand dollars value, so it's our
diamond the anniversary. So we decide to do twenty dollars
raffles and make it really affordable. And so like you said,
for twenty dollars, you can.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Tell us how we get your raft. Yeah, because you
could start getting the tickets.
Speaker 4 (32:01):
Yeah, well assume you. Yeah, very soon, we're gonna print
up the tickets. And actually was done into Prosco's idea
that we should put the numbers in fortune cookies.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
So we're gonna we get it.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
So wait now I have a call to my brother Stanley,
who you know, and we're going to try to get
like over a thousand fortune cookies with the numbers from
one to one thousand. So when you buy the ticket,
you get the fortune cookie, you open up the fortune
cookie and that's your number. So then we'll put down
the number on a raffle ticket and will you.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
And again, like I said earlier, if you're listening, if
you know anybody, or if you're planning on getting engaged
or proposing, God, imagine for I would get at least
ten fortune cookies because then it's one hundred dollars and
you could get a ten thousand dollars you buy the
only one that loves the fortune cookies. I have to
eat mine after the meal. I'm sorry. I don't know
(32:51):
what's in them, Bobby, what is in them? It's I
don't know what nobody knows. That's what cannabis thing. Casey.
If have you been to the Koloon?
Speaker 5 (33:03):
I have sat many many times.
Speaker 4 (33:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (33:05):
I enjoyed many great meals there.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
And god, you have comedy nights there and constantly something
going on. No matter what time the day or night
you pull up to the Kowloon, it's busy.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
And famous people come to Boston and go. I mean,
you got some Jerry Seine, Phyllis Diller, Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
There you go again with maybe you can interview her, Okay,
now that you're going there. You came out with a sneaker, Yes,
and the sneaker was beautiful. Did you see them, Casey?
Speaker 5 (33:35):
I didn't.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
He came out with the line that with a Nikes.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
Yeah, es ones and who designed them a gentleman named
Sway that's his name, Yes Way, and so he actually
him painted them all and they took a look a
little longer than me.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Now are you ready for this, Casey? John Cena has
a pair of these sneakers. Wow. And then who was
the other? There was somebody else famous that got this thing.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
But John Cena actually wrestled in those pair of sneakers.
All of that a big event.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
And he's a local guy. Yeah, Newberry I think. And uh,
Charlie Pooth is one of the biggest in music right now,
very very talented kid. And every time have you had
Charlie Pooth at the Box Center Way Theater cause we
have not? No, Oh, myel And he's a Berkeley grad.
Speaker 5 (34:17):
He is my alma mater.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
Yep. Yeah, I mean he's he is so good. But
every time he's in this studio he does some beat boxing,
but he never leaves without mentioning the kowloon that he
just loves the caloon. It's one of his favorite parts
of New England. One of the things he misses the most,
that's moving out of here. But every time he comes back,
he goes. And when did it all start? When the
wrestlers come in after the Garden Wrestling event?
Speaker 4 (34:42):
Andy Andy my brother. He's a big wrestling fan, I
mean huge and even now and I try to keep
telling him it's not real, but I was gonna say
he does.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
And he knows them all he has does he knows
that it's not real. You know what It's like, Santa Claus.
I don't know. I don't I don't want to break
he No, he doesn't, he doesn't know. I hope he doesn't.
I hope he doesn't listen to this. No. But it's
funny because you know, coming to kiss, I've been doing
(35:12):
it for years, and there used to be a Dunkin
Donuts as you come this way down Route sixteen, and
I would stop there for my coffee on the way
to work, and several times at four in the morning,
I would run into Andy, your brother, and he was
just leaving the Kyle Loon. He wasn't there working or
doing the numbers or the books. He was there catching
(35:34):
up on his wrestling matches, watching them. Really yeah, I said,
what are you doing? He really loves the sport, does
he go? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (35:43):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:43):
He actually even travels to to you know, they have
a big event, like in Dallas or Las Vegas.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
He was just in Las Vegas recently, a big event.
Have you ever been in a professional wrestling Joe? I know,
I mean, I'll mean into it, like not doing it, yeah,
watching yeah, yeah, like grandfather. It was a big Italian thing.
I love it. Martino Killer k was with the Iron
Hand or whatever. They called him. He was a nice man,
great guys. I think it's one of the only things
(36:10):
my dad took my brother and I too, was wrestling
because Killer Kowalski was at Killer Kowalski. He was local. Yeah,
Maldon right school too, Wow, Haystack Calhoun and then George
the Animal Steel came out, like you said, Bruno San
Martino and the Iron Chic and these are all friends
(36:31):
of your brother. Andy and I have a little closer
now than it's the more recent wrestling. I have a
bone to pick with you, Bobby. Now over by in
the front hall, by the register, you have all these
celebrity photos and framed up and on the wall. For years,
(36:51):
I was on the wall. I couldn't help but notice
the last couple of times I was.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
There, I'm not you don't. I don't make that decision.
That has nothing to do with me. I swear to God,
sure took off. I don't have anything to do it.
It must be Andy, because he has Andy took me
off so many wrestling pictures.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
He might anybody a bathroom or something that would be
a little creepy, you know, like at the ural and
there I am. I'll talk I'll talk to Andy. But
if you go in there, you see all the wrestlers there.
He Steven took my mother and father off the water
so bad. I'm gonna take one final break. We do
have a few minutes left in the show, and everybody
(37:32):
gots to tell us where we can find anything. You're doing, Joey,
You've got a lot of new breads to talk about.
We'll get the final lineup from Casey at the Box
Center Wank Theater. This is a lot of fun. We'll
take a break. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
You're listening to Food for Thought, brought to you by
the Box Center and Salem Waterfront Hotel in sweets here.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Everybody, welcome back. It is Food for Thought. Billy Costa here,
Joe Pianadosi, my co host, Casey is here from the
Box Center Wank Theater, and of course Bobby Wong from
the Kowloun the seventy fifth anniversary. Casey, quickly give me
the lineup for five major events coming into the Box
Centerway Theater.
Speaker 5 (38:02):
Yes, Yes, starting in September. We got five shows with
John Mulaney is September twenty fifth through twenty eighth. We've
got David Byrne coming in for three shows October second
and fourth. Cat Stevens is back for the first time.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
And you've got Cat Stevens.
Speaker 5 (38:16):
Got Cat Stevens com into the wing. I mentioned Robert
Plant before November sixth, Penn and Teller's coming in for
three shows November twenty first through twenty third, and then
of course our signature holiday event twas the night before
Circus Lay's productions in for twenty seven shows.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
Beginning twenty seven nights, yes, and starting the night.
Speaker 5 (38:39):
Before Thanksgiving and running all the way through twenty seven performance.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Any big celebrity Christmas show books yet besides Sir Toslay,
I mean like a l ryo or.
Speaker 5 (38:49):
Yeah, we've got I can tease you that Brett Eldridge
will be coming back for two nights as well, So
those those dates will be announced later in September, but
we can thank you give you a on there and
the one hundred years this year, thee hundredth anniversaries this year,
we're going to have a big party at the Wang
Theater on Saturday, October eighteenth. They'll be they'll be food,
(39:09):
they'll be music, there'll be stuff for kids there. We're
going to bring back the ping pong tables that they
used to have outside when you had to wait to
see a movie at the Metropolitan Vieah, so they'll be
ping pong outside and if it rains, we'll put it
on the stage. So it's going to be a fun day. Saturday,
October eighteenth.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Joe Piandadosi. What do we need to know about Piandidosi
Bacon Company?
Speaker 3 (39:29):
You always have something just to grab raisee me pushing
a new onion roll try it the new Angual And
we're in supermarkets up and down the East Coast and
also tuning the Breaking Bread and both Casey and Bobby
and you have been on my show?
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Oh yeah time. So I haven't been invited recently, but
I know Jared's producing. Now, boy is Jared doing everything?
Oh wait a minute, he's your driver. Now we drive
busted you the other day he was driving me. He
likes to drive, which is great. So that is awesome.
And your radio show, where do we find it in
the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
PM Saturday afternoons, nine o'clock Sunday mornings w TAG.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
Now you're always flying all over the country. You mentioned
earlier in the show. Your Bretta is in the Bahamas.
I never knew that. Yeah, we sell Yeah, we sell food.
How did you manage distributors just to we export out
of Florida? We do big business in Florida. So now
do you yourself ever get to the Bahamash because if
you need a partner to come along, you know, I
can be a pitch man take the boat. Yeah, we'll
give Jarward a break. Sure, I could be the pitch man.
(40:26):
I'm just saying. So, when's the radio show again? Saday's
two pm on Sundays nine am. Okay, one more time, Bobby.
There are still tickets available for the seventy fifth anniversary galap.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
It's a seventy fifth anniversary and fundraiser for the Joey Fund.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
All proceeds, by the way, oh seeds going to everything
goes to the Joey Fund. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (40:46):
And what we're doing is having it on August twentieth,
and we have three great bands Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
Night, Tavares, Starship and Scott Brown and the Scott Brown
plus great food and My Days and many more rings.
I got to tell you, ease back on the my ties.
If you're going to have it, just get your first
my tie and just go easy.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
If you like the classic, that's great, but the white
my tie even oh not better, but it's as good.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Okay. And where do they go to get the raffle
tickets for the diamond ring?
Speaker 4 (41:16):
Now, the raffle ticket is going to be actually they're
being produced right now, so you can buy them at
the column. I'm not sure we can put them online
because you have to open the fortune Fortunes. Yeah, but
well we'll have a table in the lobby and you know,
people can buy them right at the at the restaurant.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
But you're to go to Coloun before August. That's terrific.
And we do have to thank the Prisco Jewelers. That's
a very generous thing they're doing for the Joey fun
with a ten thousand dollars diamond that you, if you're listening,
can get for just twenty bucks. Casey, the best website
for everybody if they want to buy tickets in.
Speaker 5 (41:48):
Advance for anything, that is www dot boxcenter dot org.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
Okay, Casey, Bobby, Joey, Jared, thanks for coming in. We
gotta go out next sixty minutes. Everybody
You're listening to Food for Thought with Billy and Jenny,
brought to you by the Box Center.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
For more than fifteen.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Years, this dining duo has been eating their way through
New England, mixing it up with top chefs, jumping behind
the line of the hottest restaurants and giving you the
inside scoop on where to wine, dine and spend your time.
So get ready, it's Food for Thought giving you something
to chew on.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hey, everybody, welcome into Food for Thought. Billy Costa here
on a Sunday night, and I got to tell you something.
You got to roll up your sleeves for this week's episode.
You've got to fasten your seat belts. We have three
legends in the studio at the same time, and Joe
piat de Doosie kind enough to drop by and co
host the show with me, so we'll start right there. Joe,
(00:44):
welcome back. Thank you, Billy. Always great to be with you.
Joe piant Doosi of course of piant T Doosie Baking,
legendary bread company operating all over the country. Are you
and other countries now too? We do the mahama as
we do Okay, I was kidding. We ship.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Well over our tenure, we did sell bread to like Europe,
actually do some stuff, and we did military We had
to send bread to a basis in Germany that was
years ago.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Your bread was in the World War, well not the
World War, but it was. We said, it's amazing. You know,
every time you're one of my best friends in the world, right,
and every time I spend a couple of minutes with you,
I'm more fascinated by who you are. Yeah, you always
ask what a cool story? All right? So Joe Piandadosi
is co hosting. Sitting immediately to his left is an
(01:33):
absolute legend, Bobby Wong from the Wong family and of
course the Kowloon Restaurant in Saugust. Bobby, good to see you.
Good to see you too. How come you haven't knocked
the building down?
Speaker 4 (01:44):
You?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
That's a Joe. Okay, you know I'm gonna leave it
right there, but just know that Bobby is here. So
that's a legend number two. And Bobby and the Wang
family and the Kowloon are celebrating a seventy fifth anniversary.
The anniversary Yeah, wow, is that longer than Piandidosi. No,
we're one or nine. But he's okay to rub it
in his face. So it's just asking Joe, all right, okay,
(02:06):
cd I he gave you boy. He's like, okay, we're whatever.
All right. We started with a horse and buggy and
you did well. You weren't there five horse and buggy face.
But uh and down the end of the line, we've
got my buddy Casey from the Box Center Wang Theater.
Good to see you, Casey. How are you great to
be here?
Speaker 5 (02:23):
Is always doing great?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I got to tell you this is like a superstar
show a superstar. So Casey, what would be your title? Now?
Over at the Box Center Wang Theater.
Speaker 5 (02:32):
I am the President and CEO of the Box Center
Wang Theater super Theater. And we were talking about an anniversaries.
The Wang is turning one hundred years old this year.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Oh Joe, you still have them beat Sol. Jared runs
the company now, so Jared, you want to put that
in the in the newsletter. Okay, that you actually out Yeah,
you outshine in terms of years the Box Center Wang Theater.
Speaker 5 (02:56):
But the Schubert turns one hundred and fifteen this year,
Sugar Subert.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
They want to Oh my god, this good. I told
you it was gonna happen. His grandmother would have been
two hundred and thirty.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
So there you go, your great grandmother, great grandmother would
have been thirty.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
So today, No, no, I was kidding. I just wanted to.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
I wanted to because you got to keep going.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Okay, before we move back to Joe and to Bob Casey, Uh,
the one show that stands out right now when you
look ahead to the lineup and the schedule coming up
at the Box Center World Theater, what's the one show
you're most excited about?
Speaker 5 (03:37):
Boy? I mean personally, you know, just yesterday we announced
Robert Plant at the Schuper Theater Witheppelin, yes who with
his new band Saving Grace, and he plays a lot
of mostly led Zeppelin songs. But you know, he that
guy is, you know, he's just an icon. Right.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
How's he looking these days?
Speaker 5 (04:00):
He's looking good? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, he's looking good.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
He still sinks.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
He doesn't hit the notes quite like he did in
the seventies, but he does. He still got it.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Right, I mean yeah, well, you know, everybody's got that
stairway to heaven, but you know, I mean it's there
for all of us, but honestly, it led Zeppelin it is.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
Yeah, it's hard to pick one show because we've got
so much going on. You know, we're also promoting our
holiday season now in July, because that's what you do
in July now and Circasiles Twas the Night Before is
coming in for twenty seven shows. You know, great holiday
season planned the at.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
The Box, you know, great personal story with the Box Center,
Wang Theater. I was there for the Mariah Carrey Christmas Show. Yes,
she showed up three and a half hours late, and
nobody cared. Everybody, Yeah, because she was so good, you know,
because she had a DJ that was so good. Everybody
was happy. They were being entertained. You know, they got
a couple of extra cocktails under their belt. And then
(04:59):
Mariah comes out, Bang, here we go.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Madonna did that and she's famous for it too.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Guys were happy about that.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
And I was also there for John Legends Christmas Special.
Speaker 5 (05:09):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Oh, you guys knock it out of the park during
the holiday season.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
We like to think where the place to be at
the holidays, so we work hard to keep that going
every year. And you know the venue is beautifully decorated
every year. Oh, it's special, very special.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
J if you've been to the Bark Center Waing Theater
for a show. Oh okay, yeah, all right, John Legend
Christmas show. So for the big Christmas season, what do
we have so far? We've got Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
So in addition to uh, you know, Circasla, We've got
cc Winans is going to be doing her holiday show,
gospel gospel show. H Jins and Dala are going to
be coming back for their holiday show.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (05:50):
We have a drag holiday show that's going to be
coming in there. So it's really you know, that's fast, absolutely, absolutely, And.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
You've got Gary Goulman coming. Now. Gary hasn't performed in
his hometown in years. I mean he's from Pabiddy.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
It's been quite a while.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Always a b secret.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
We presented him at the Cabot when I was there
for two nights, and that might have been the last
time he was in the market.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
But I stayed in touch with Gary on social and
he's just such a nice guy. And he's gotten even funnier,
if that's at all possible, it's true. Yeah, and he's
tory all over the country, like really crazy busy.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
Yeah. We love those hometown shows are the best.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Yeah, and I've got to get to the Goldman Show.
And we have to get Goldman on the showutely on
the billion Morning show Case with you right. Many times,
like when Gary was first out of Peabody High, he
was coming on the Morning show Case. She wins the
day of the Gary Golan Show. I'll get back to
you on that, Okay. So we are hitting him with
(06:50):
these what's wrong with you show something Right, We're going
to take our first break. It is Food for Thought
and yeah, Joe Piandidosis my co host. I've got Bobby
Wong here. We're going to get all the crazy stories
from the kow Loon over the last seventy five years
and some of Bobby's stands out standouts. We'll talk about
(07:12):
the big Gala, the fundraising galla for the Joey Fund,
which is coming up August twenty and you want to
be there. And we'll talk more with Casey about the lineup,
the schedule for the Box Center Wang Theater. This is
a superstar episode of Food for Thought. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
You're listening to Food for Thought, brought to you by
the Box Center and Salem Waterfront Hotel in sweets.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Hey, everybody, welcome back to food for Thought again. Billy
Costa here and I'm joined by Joe Piandidosi my co host. Joe,
you've got a radio show breaking right on a Nightheart
station as well. Uh huh at w here the iHeart
Community Radio Network YEP Saturdays at two pm and then
on WTAG Sunday mornings at night. And I know it's
a radio show and our listeners can't see, but you
(07:56):
already have a new merchandise line. Fredant Doosi, I got
to tell you something. Ever since you brought your son
Jared on as the CEO of Panaday Baking, there is
so many incredible and positive changes. I'm telling you.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Well, he's young, fresh ideas he and his cousins. He
has three cousins that he is working.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
And since you took Jared on, every time you come in,
I get a pile of bread to bring home. And
is there something new in the lineup? Usually you're celebrating.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Something new onion, so it is new, brand new, just
breaking breaking news here and then you just don't have
it before a date exactly. Well, and he's both in
the dough and on top two. So but enough, everybody
here in the studio and we have the Quambery Regional.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Your favorite. You brought some of those art. Look at
Jared show a TV game show. Tell them what you brought, Joe. Actually,
you do a game show with the Rich Tomorrow at
Copple Sunday one Sunday a month. Now, Rich Tomorrow was
he worked on the morning show with us. He started
(09:00):
as my intern, and then he became the producer of
the board op producer, which is what Justin now is. Well,
Justin's the co host of the Billy and Lisa Show.
But well he basically runs the show.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
He's Rich's his mentor. And Rich says you he's mentor.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Oh see that? And are we allowed to talk about
this that Rich is in a reality show.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
No, we're not supposed to talk about that. Well, it's
how much can we say?
Speaker 2 (09:24):
I don't know how much because he tells me not
to say anything. Hey, Rich, how's it going, buddy? But anyway,
know this thing. But I remember I talked to Rich
about all the time.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
I remember one day he was in studio when he
was just an intern and he was singing, and you
called me that day and he said, oh my god,
you know my intern, Rich.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
You gotta hear him sing and he was a young
kid singing Sinatra. Then he was like and remember I
would host these wine dinners, come to djfe esquadrill or something,
and I would have Rich before he broke out as
a DJ whatever command, and he would sing a couple
of songs and then DJ the event exactly. And now
that's what he does for a living. I mean, he's
(10:01):
the most booked function DJ that I know. He loves.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
He owns Coppo Sunday nights. Oh yes, Sunday Sat, Sunday
thirty Sunday nights. Okay, Rich, I made up for my
mistake about bringing up the reality show by promoting you. Right,
what's your radio show about. It's called Breaking Bread. You've
been on many times. It's just a talk show. It's uh,
it hawks back to the old talk shows. It's I'll
(10:25):
have authors, chefs, entertain his politicians, athletes.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
It's just a fun, light, lively talk show. But you
have a tremendous fascination with old Hollywood. Jared, Jared, your
son is here with your boss, and but where did
that come? Well, because you used to be best friends
with the Regis was yeah, and you hung out with
him many times.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Yea, yeah, No, Jared says, I should have been born
in what nineteen forty eight?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
You said, right, that's the year. No, But you know
we had Rudi Lee on. Rudi Lee was famous actress,
you know, back in the ninety I've had who we
had a hold on. You're here to promote your show. No,
and you're talking about ninety year old rut of Lee
who doesn't want to hear from her? She was in movies.
But I've had Donnie osmon On, I've had Davis Casey.
(11:12):
Have you got Ruder Lee coming into the right there?
Google her? She?
Speaker 5 (11:16):
I know who she is?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Casey knows. Wow, okay, actress? All right? And don't you
have John Davidson. I was just on a couple of
weeks ago. Great guys in his eighties, and he used
to be a big game show Home.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
He hosted Pyramid, He hosted Hollywood Squares from after Peter
Mishall did, he had his own talk show.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
He took over after Mike Douglas. Oh, I know what
I want to ask. Wasn't John Davidson one of the
regulars on the Love Boat? He was ah because he
was a frequent guess. Okay, I don't want any of
you to judge me by this. But one afternoon, it
was a rainy day, I was on vacation, sitting on
the boat in Martha's Vineyard, and I started surfing around.
(11:57):
You know that general is it me TV? So I
land on this channel, Casey, you'll appreciate this. And it's
nothing but Love Boat episode episodes. And I caught myself
and I watched five episodes in a row of the
Love Boat. Ah, don't look at me like that. I
know you have never heard of the Love Boat. Okay,
I'm just having a conversation John David Karen Coppenter. By
(12:18):
the way, John Davidson one David Karen Coppenter. Now you
have old Hollywood trivia I did. Okay, this is amazing. Okay,
Bobby Wong, such a thrill to have you in here.
You one of my best friends too, by the way,
I know, I know, and well, you guys have done
business together for years and years right the Cold the
(12:40):
m R together too. We sold them bread for years.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
We traveled together.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
We travel together. Well, you have that weird boys, Casey,
have you been added on to that?
Speaker 5 (12:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Okay, you mentioned the m RA, the Mass Restaurant Association right,
what is it and what does it do for us?
It's uh, well, Bob was the former chairman for years back.
Okay to Bob, tell us what the well you go
to Puerto Rico and have a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
Well, it advocates for the restaurant industry in Massachusetts, you know,
whether it's you know, certification, a lot of classes and
things that you need. Requirements are out for your employees,
as well as lobbying at the state House for things
that we need and hopefully you get things done.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Now, let's say someone hypothetically needs like a liquor license
or something. Is that something you folks at the mr
can help out with.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
I'm just asking, well, we can direct them in the
right direction, you know, we tell them, point them and
say this is what you got to do, this who
you got to see, and that type of thing. So
we guide them, but we don't actually file their applications for.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Them, right. Okay, So you're both on the board by
the way, Jenny Johnson is on the board the mass
Restaurant Association. Uh so you deal with restaurants, right, And
one of the big stories in the news in case
I'm going to get your opinion on this too. One
of the big stories in the news lately is the
fact that as of January first, no tax on tips. Now, Bobby,
(14:04):
you've got a lot of weight people.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
I'm gonna become a waiter next year. I know you're leading.
I'm gonna be a waiter.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Okay, uh play, I'll play devil's advocate. But as a
restaurant owner, what do you think about this no tax
on tips rule?
Speaker 4 (14:20):
Well, I'm on I'm on the fence right now because
you know what's being proposed and what's being signed into
legislation doesn't necessarily mean what's going to be. We don't
know the final product that comes out, so it's easy
to guess and say, oh my god, this guy's gonna
you know what, if he takes home he does not
pay taxes on it. But we don't know what the
(14:43):
parameters are going to be. So they haven't written it
in the details. I guess it's the devil's in the details.
So once the details come out, and that's when we
could make a better judgment. Right now, it's just guessing,
I think.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
So now, Joe, you have to entertain clients a lot,
and I know you go to a lot of restaurants
and everything for me, your side of things as a customer.
I keep hearing when I open a conversation with friends
who might be in the business or not. I was
shocked that one of their first reactions was, well, I'll
tell you this, I'm going down to fifteen percent. What
(15:15):
are your thoughts on it? You know, I think people
have tip fatigue. It was a common term that we
used a lot, tipgate, tipping gate. They got it, yeah,
and it.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
Just you know, years ago, you tip because of good service,
and you tip, you know, more money if you've got
really good service. Now, I think, unfortunately, some servers feel
like they're entitled to a tip and they you know,
it used to be twenty percent was like the number.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
And now if you notice, if you get one of
those computerizing they give you, they spin around the iPad, yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
And it's sometimes twenty twenty five, thirty percent. And you know,
I like to tip, well, but for good service. I
don't like when a server just expects it. That kind
of bothers me.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
See, when I tip, I like to think I'm a
good tipper. I mean, they say, if you've ever been
in the industry in any capacity, you're a very generous
tippers in college, or you know, if you had a
job as a weight person or whatever. I never think
about the percentage I talked to so much so that
my wife won't let me sign the tab anymore. Yeah,
and she'll just give that when I have talked about it.
(16:14):
Like for the boat.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
If you you went down to a convenience store to
buy products for your boat, yeah, they expected it, and
they basically just ring it in and basically off you.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
You know a tip option. Well, now you can be
at a convenience store and just get yourself a bag
of freedoors or something, and you go to the counter
and they give you an option for tip. That's wit
a minute. I grabbed the bag of chips brought it
to you, right, or even someone to pour a cup
of coffee for you.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
I expect a twenty percent tip and you're already paying
about fight dollars for a cup of coffee.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Okay, And now we go to Casey from Box Center
Waning Theater. Be careful, you're being judged here. So I
know you and your beautiful wife are out to eat
a lot. So what are your thoughts as a customer
at a restaurant?
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
I mean, you know, and we've you know, we've moved
to Boston, you know, since September, we've been out, you know,
frequenting you know, the establishments, and I mean, listen, this
is an expensive city to live in. These are hard jobs.
Staffing is still still a challenge. So I you know,
I think anything that helps restaurant owners and workers to
(17:16):
attract the workforce and to help that workforce make ends meet,
you know, I think is generally a good thing. But
I agree that you know, if I buy a bag
of Fredo's, you know, I'm probably not going to be
tipping on that.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
That's where the whole tipping gate came from. That It
was like because like I always, I used to get
yelled at and made fun of my friends because I'd
go to M Duncan, I'd get a couple of coffee
at four am, and I'd leave a nice tip. That's
I'm sorry, it's just the way I feel. We got
to take a break. When we come back, Bobby, I
want to hit on your documentary that came out, and
I'm still wondering why I never got the sneakers, the
count Loon sneakers. We're going to take a break. We'll
(17:50):
be right back.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
You're listening to Food for Thought brought to you buy
the Box Center and Sale and Waterfront Hotel in sweets.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Hey, everybody, welcome back to Food for Thought. Billy Coffee
Here Joe had to see my co host. You look beautiful, Block,
you're working. Beautiful Blue works for you.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
And Bobby Wong also in Electric Blue Blue from the
carlun and Bobby seventy five years. I know you've got
the big party. We'll talk about that. It's a big fundraiser.
But you had a documentary The Weirdest Thing with you, okay,
and I love you like a brother, Bobby. The day
you told me that you were closing Carloon knocking down
(18:29):
the building. Since that day and that announcement, you've never
been busier, right, You've never done more? Are you trying
to tell me? I don't know. It's just like, wow,
you should be knock.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Say you're gonna knock at the what we're doing. So
it's a marketing ployee and that's very pretty well.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Farewell to Yeah, and it was a documentary. Now, how
did that come about?
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Well, I guess when we were telling people that we
were closing. It got everybody's attention, and it got this
one person's attention, and she emailed me Mona Zee and
she had done documentaries for Netflix and other, you know,
other stations as well. So she reached out and said
she'd loved to do a documentary of the Calm restaurant
because it seems interesting. We're probably the one of the
(19:14):
lodgest if not the largest restaurant in the United States
and being around for seventy five years and knocking it
down in the very near future. It may it would
make a good story about you know, the family. So
we filmed over a few weeks and a lot more
filming than you think.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
And yeah, it's a lot of worker documentary.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
And it came out a year and a half ago,
and it went went into a lot of film festivals
as well, like really Boston, in California, New Mexico, all
these others.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
And it's an easy watch. It's like, what twenty two minutes.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Yeah, yeah, I don't only fall asleep twice.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Well, you get my age, you know, can make it through.
The documentaries must be scary though, I'd be worried, like
if somebody was doing a documentary on me I'd be
worried about the stuff they plan on using that they
never told me about it. You know, it's like, yeah,
you didn't make the documentary, Joe. You've known Bobby longer
than anyone I know. My childhood friend Dukey is in
(20:14):
the documentary. He eats at the Coloon at least three
times a week. At least three times a week. He's
a he's a regular, if you want to call that regular.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
So when they were doing the documentary, they wanted to do,
you know, some of the customers, and when they saw Dookie,
they thought he was part of the furniture.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
But no, I'm kidding. We got to take a break.
When we come back. You do have the seventy fifth
anniversary gallup coming up, which, by the way, is a
great fundraiser for the Joey Fund, which is a great organization.
And Joe, you know Joe O'Donnell very well, great, God
rest his soul. We'll take a break. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
You're listening to Food for Thought, brought to you by
the Box Center and Sale and Waterfront Hotel in sweets Hey.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Everybody, welcome back to Food for Dot Billy Coffe to
hear Joe Piant Todoci Mike co host, Good to see
you again. You're too happy to be here, and if
you just joined us while the Cologne is celebrating us
seventy five year anniversary, and Bobby Wong is here with us,
and we also have Casey from the Box Center Wang Theater,
and as I look across the studio, I can see
he's sitting on his lineup his schedule for the upcoming seasons,
(21:21):
and he's got a lot of really really good acts
coming in. But Bobby, let's talk about the seventy fifth.
The event is August twentieth.
Speaker 4 (21:28):
August twentieth, and if it's a wash out and then
you know the weather, we have a twenty first as that.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Oh there's a rain day on a rainy date, right,
and didn't you tell me one section of the tickets
have already sold out.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Yeah, so it's gonna be outdoors, so we can get
of logic capacity, so we call it the Gallup Block Party.
It's not indoors, it's going to be outdoors. Oh, and
we're going to be We hold about six hundred in
the venue we have now, but because it could be
possibly more, we get permission to kind of like straight
a little bit beyond the location.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Well, it's amazing what you've done with the outside parking
space there. It's amazing with the contact and it's been great. Yeah,
and every time I drive by it seems as though
it's expanded. You're adding more lights, more fixtures, more special effects.
But okay, so August twentieth, can people still get tickets? Yes,
they still can get tickets.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
The top ticket at one hundred and fifty dollars, which
included a buffet, that's sold out. But we have a
couple of other tickets where seventy five and one hundred
dollars per ticket, and they get they'll get you in
and some of general mission.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Bobby Entertainment that night, three great bands tell us about that.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
The opening act is Scott Brown and the Diplomats.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Former US Senator Scott Brown. Brown's dad running again for
uh Yeah.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
What happened was so he heard he heard that we
were having an anniversary party. So he called me up
this even before he announced, and I had no idea.
He's just a good friend, family friend. So he said, Bobby,
I'd love to play it at the event. I said, okay, sure,
because he's played it for us before outside venue, so
we booked him.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Then we booked the Diplomat the band. Good funny story
about Scott Brown. Right after Aila got off American idol
Uh Scott he was a senator. He would call me
and ask if I could have Aila sing the national
anthem at event an event that was hosting, or sing
a couple of songs, and she would and Scott Brown,
(23:33):
God love him, would be in the back of the
ballroom or the event facility with the table selling her CDs.
I thought that was such a superdad moment, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
So, yeah, he's he's down the earth, He's such a
down Now you have a raffle on.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Don't take away the music man.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
Before and you know, because it's it's a nostalgic type
of event.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
We prepped back to Varus they phrase it only takes
a minute to fall in love.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
And the final ones. The headliner is Starship. That Jefferson Starship.
The starship built this city on rock and roll is
called Starship with Mickey this is all at one party.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Yes, you have these people coming up to the Center
Wang Theater.
Speaker 5 (24:21):
You don't get Tavars but Bedford, I've worked with all
those bands and all fantastic and Mickey can still sing
the phone Book.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Yeah, yes, yeah, that's what I heard. Yeah, now Mickey
is starship, yes yeah, okay, So but we we've got
quite a few things coming up at the Wang.
Speaker 5 (24:40):
And actually you mentioned August, and we've got Joe Perry
Project coming up August nineteenth, which Joe Perry from Arrows,
Joe Perry from Aerosmith, it's him and Brad from Arrowsmith.
We've got Chris Robinson from the Black Crows is on
vocals and the Stone Tupple pilots based and drummer or
it's a super group that he's put together. So he's
(25:01):
doing it all in one band. It's all in one
band on August nineteenth at the Wang.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
I got a funny Aerosmith story if you'd like to
hear it. You know, I used to when I was
in college or prep school. I used to work at
Leechmere Sales in the stereo component section, the high end
stereo components, you know, the receivers and the turn tables.
Aerosmith came in one day, I'm not kidding. Steve, the band, Stephen,
(25:30):
they all came in. They were living in a big
house in New Hampshire at the time, and they wanted
a stereo system for the house. I sold them a
stereo system for the house and then went to the
house to install it. Wow, Aerosmith, you know somebody else
has done that, Joe, nobody, He'll free just a name,
any name at all, Joe, I don't just say it.
(25:51):
This is a tough crowd.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
I want to hear more about the colun event because
he's he's auctioned off. Well, you're raffling off, raffling off
a dimar diamond.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Seventy year diamond had this great idea. Tell it wasn't
my idea, but you never take credit for it. You're
going to change. Well, the Chinese restaurant was this.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
I would not be stuck in a Chinese restaurant if
that was my idea right there.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
But yeah, the bottom line, like Joe says, is you've
got an incredible raffle. And I'll tell you what. We
got to take a break in a couple of seconds.
But if you're listening right now, and you or anybody
you know plans on getting engaged, uh, Casey, you're all set, Joe,
You're all set. Probably you're all set. Well, possibly maybe
Jenard's got something going on or aj I don't know.
(26:44):
But if you're planning on getting engaged or somebody in
your family or circle, is you want to hear about
this raffle because you could end up getting a ten
thousand dollars diamond ring for twenty bucks? Am I making
that up? Joe? Oh, that's the truth. It's a twenty
dollar raffle ticket. Okay, So we're going to take a break.
It is Food for Thought. Different kind of a show
(27:05):
this week because we're having a lot of fun. No,
we always had fun Food for Thought. I got Joe Pianadosi,
I've got Bobby Wog, I've got Casey from the Box
Center Wank Theater, and we'll talk more about the incredible
holiday season lineup they've got going on there. It's all
coming out. We'll take a break. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
You're listening to Food for Thought, brought to you by
the Box Center and Salem Waterfront Hotel in swedes Hey.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Everybody, welcome back to Food for Thought. Right before the break,
Joe Piantadosi, my co host, and I were talking about
the incredible seventy five year anniversary Gala August twentieth out
of Kyloloon. And we've got Bobby Wong from the Kola
Lun family here. Well, it's the Wong family, it's not
the Kowloon. Where'd the name come from, Bobby?
Speaker 4 (27:45):
My father and mother came up with it. They bought
the restaurant. Actually, the restaurant was called the Menderin House
in nineteen fifty oh, it was owned by my grandparents.
Nineteen fifty eight, my parents took it over. They renamed
it the Kowloun Klumn actually means nine Dragons. But I
think Kolhun was picked because during my father's childhood he
(28:10):
was he went to boarding school in China. He was
born in Boston believe or not so, but his father
want him to learn Chinese and all the culture and
all that. So he went to boarding school like at
the age of thirteen or somewhere around there and in China.
And that's around that time or close around that time,
Japanese were planning to invade China. That's that's a history thing,
(28:33):
and it was going to be it was pretty devastating,
but they got wind of how dangerous it could possibly
get because of the Japanese. Sure kind of like mounting
offensive against China. So they told my father get out
of there. So he finally got out of there after
a little bit because he was having such a great time,
you know, away from his parents. But he finally left
(28:55):
and he landed in Koloun, which is across the bay
from Hong Kong, Okay, So he kind of like escaped
and when the war happened between Japan and China, he
was lucky that he was he was out of there,
and that probably had a lot of influence on naming
the restaurant Koloun.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Well, Kowloon is such an institution in New England. I
got to tell you even on the Billion Least the
Morning Show on Dining, Playwork and whatever you mentioned Kyloon
and everybody has a place in their heart for Kyloon Restaurant.
You must have pride in that. It's it's really quite.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
It's a nice feeling because you know, I tell people
and people say, oh my god when they hear Calhoun,
it's kind of iconic and I and I don't get
it because I was raised in the restaurant since I
was like a kid fourteen years old.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
You know, do you see the crowds coming in.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Yeah, but you don't think of it that way.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
I think how many people one of the first dates
at the Kowloon, and then the birthday parties and and
you've got great function rooms, and you have the catering,
you have the food truck.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
There's so much, you know, that's a part of the Caloon.
It's not just the I can remember special moments in
the parking lot of the show, but that's all along,
that's all along. We won you want special, Okay, So Bobby,
everybody who goes to the Colune tends to have a
favorite dish from the cologne. What's yours?
Speaker 4 (30:20):
Well, I really don't because it depends on the mood.
But you know, for a long time, it was just
the beef and mushroom, the basic. It's kind of like
meatlow for for somebody that cooks American style food. So
was beef and mushroom and chicken fried rice that was
This might go to dish spirits, but expirits are great now,
so I'm picking on spirits all the.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Test are the best. My tie in the world is
at the Colon. You guys do it unbelievable, Mike, and
we're going to know how you know, anyone that's sitting
at your table that's having my tie is instantly having
like two ships of my tie at the Colonne. I'm
just being honest. Okay, you make a great drink. Yeah,
we took the alcohol out. The best things you did
(31:03):
was you renovated the lounge. I don't know how many
years ago it was, but you did such a fabulous job.
And you have a DJ in there and yep, yep,
wow colun Special the diamond.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Let's get to the So we've been around for seventy
five years. So we decide to have a big bash
and it's going to be a block party like I mentioned,
and we have with great entertainment and one of the
other things that because it is a diamond anniversary, we
decide to raffle off a diamond ring and so Joe Dude,
Joe's connection with the Prisco family, we got me contact
(31:40):
with Donna, and the Prisco family was kind enough to
really subsidize this and donate the diamond.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
They do a good thing. It's over.
Speaker 4 (31:48):
It's over a ten thousand dollars value, so it's our
diamond the anniversary. So we decide to do twenty dollars
raffles and make it really affordable. And so like you said,
for twenty dollars, you can.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Tell us how we get your raft. Yeah, because you
could start getting the tickets.
Speaker 4 (32:01):
Yeah, well assume you. Yeah, very soon, we're gonna print
up the tickets. And actually was done into Prosco's idea
that we should put the numbers in fortune cookies.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
So we're gonna we get it.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
So wait now I have a call to my brother Stanley,
who you know, and we're going to try to get
like over a thousand fortune cookies with the numbers from
one to one thousand. So when you buy the ticket,
you get the fortune cookie, you open up the fortune
cookie and that's your number. So then we'll put down
the number on a raffle ticket and will you.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
And again, like I said earlier, if you're listening, if
you know anybody, or if you're planning on getting engaged
or proposing, God, imagine for I would get at least
ten fortune cookies because then it's one hundred dollars and
you could get a ten thousand dollars you buy the
only one that loves the fortune cookies. I have to
eat mine after the meal. I'm sorry. I don't know
(32:51):
what's in them, Bobby, what is in them? It's I
don't know what nobody knows. That's what cannabis thing. Casey.
If have you been to the Koloon?
Speaker 5 (33:03):
I have sat many many times.
Speaker 4 (33:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (33:05):
I enjoyed many great meals there.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
And god, you have comedy nights there and constantly something
going on. No matter what time the day or night
you pull up to the Kowloon, it's busy.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
And famous people come to Boston and go. I mean,
you got some Jerry Seine, Phyllis Diller, Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
There you go again with maybe you can interview her, Okay,
now that you're going there. You came out with a sneaker, Yes,
and the sneaker was beautiful. Did you see them, Casey?
Speaker 5 (33:35):
I didn't.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
He came out with the line that with a Nikes.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
Yeah, es ones and who designed them a gentleman named
Sway that's his name, Yes Way, and so he actually
him painted them all and they took a look a
little longer than me.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Now are you ready for this, Casey? John Cena has
a pair of these sneakers. Wow. And then who was
the other? There was somebody else famous that got this thing.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
But John Cena actually wrestled in those pair of sneakers.
All of that a big event.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
And he's a local guy. Yeah, Newberry I think. And uh,
Charlie Pooth is one of the biggest in music right now,
very very talented kid. And every time have you had
Charlie Pooth at the Box Center Way Theater cause we
have not? No, Oh, myel And he's a Berkeley grad.
Speaker 5 (34:17):
He is my alma mater.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
Yep. Yeah, I mean he's he is so good. But
every time he's in this studio he does some beat boxing,
but he never leaves without mentioning the kowloon that he
just loves the caloon. It's one of his favorite parts
of New England. One of the things he misses the most,
that's moving out of here. But every time he comes back,
he goes. And when did it all start? When the
wrestlers come in after the Garden Wrestling event?
Speaker 4 (34:42):
Andy Andy my brother. He's a big wrestling fan, I
mean huge and even now and I try to keep
telling him it's not real, but I was gonna say
he does.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
And he knows them all he has does he knows
that it's not real. You know what It's like, Santa Claus.
I don't know. I don't I don't want to break
he No, he doesn't, he doesn't know. I hope he doesn't.
I hope he doesn't listen to this. No. But it's
funny because you know, coming to kiss, I've been doing
(35:12):
it for years, and there used to be a Dunkin
Donuts as you come this way down Route sixteen, and
I would stop there for my coffee on the way
to work, and several times at four in the morning,
I would run into Andy, your brother, and he was
just leaving the Kyle Loon. He wasn't there working or
doing the numbers or the books. He was there catching
(35:34):
up on his wrestling matches, watching them. Really yeah, I said,
what are you doing? He really loves the sport, does
he go? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (35:43):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:43):
He actually even travels to to you know, they have
a big event, like in Dallas or Las Vegas.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
He was just in Las Vegas recently, a big event.
Have you ever been in a professional wrestling Joe? I know,
I mean, I'll mean into it, like not doing it, yeah,
watching yeah, yeah, like grandfather. It was a big Italian thing.
I love it. Martino Killer k was with the Iron
Hand or whatever. They called him. He was a nice man,
great guys. I think it's one of the only things
(36:10):
my dad took my brother and I too, was wrestling
because Killer Kowalski was at Killer Kowalski. He was local. Yeah,
Maldon right school too, Wow, Haystack Calhoun and then George
the Animal Steel came out, like you said, Bruno San
Martino and the Iron Chic and these are all friends
(36:31):
of your brother. Andy and I have a little closer
now than it's the more recent wrestling. I have a
bone to pick with you, Bobby. Now over by in
the front hall, by the register, you have all these
celebrity photos and framed up and on the wall. For years,
(36:51):
I was on the wall. I couldn't help but notice
the last couple of times I was.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
There, I'm not you don't. I don't make that decision.
That has nothing to do with me. I swear to God,
sure took off. I don't have anything to do it.
It must be Andy, because he has Andy took me
off so many wrestling pictures.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
He might anybody a bathroom or something that would be
a little creepy, you know, like at the ural and
there I am. I'll talk I'll talk to Andy. But
if you go in there, you see all the wrestlers there.
He Steven took my mother and father off the water
so bad. I'm gonna take one final break. We do
have a few minutes left in the show, and everybody
(37:32):
gots to tell us where we can find anything. You're doing, Joey,
You've got a lot of new breads to talk about.
We'll get the final lineup from Casey at the Box
Center Wank Theater. This is a lot of fun. We'll
take a break. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
You're listening to Food for Thought, brought to you by
the Box Center and Salem Waterfront Hotel in sweets here.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Everybody, welcome back. It is Food for Thought. Billy Costa here,
Joe Pianadosi, my co host, Casey is here from the
Box Center Wank Theater, and of course Bobby Wong from
the Kowloun the seventy fifth anniversary. Casey, quickly give me
the lineup for five major events coming into the Box
Centerway Theater.
Speaker 5 (38:02):
Yes, Yes, starting in September. We got five shows with
John Mulaney is September twenty fifth through twenty eighth. We've
got David Byrne coming in for three shows October second
and fourth. Cat Stevens is back for the first time.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
And you've got Cat Stevens.
Speaker 5 (38:16):
Got Cat Stevens com into the wing. I mentioned Robert
Plant before November sixth, Penn and Teller's coming in for
three shows November twenty first through twenty third, and then
of course our signature holiday event twas the night before
Circus Lay's productions in for twenty seven shows.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
Beginning twenty seven nights, yes, and starting the night.
Speaker 5 (38:39):
Before Thanksgiving and running all the way through twenty seven performance.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Any big celebrity Christmas show books yet besides Sir Toslay,
I mean like a l ryo or.
Speaker 5 (38:49):
Yeah, we've got I can tease you that Brett Eldridge
will be coming back for two nights as well, So
those those dates will be announced later in September, but
we can thank you give you a on there and
the one hundred years this year, thee hundredth anniversaries this year,
we're going to have a big party at the Wang
Theater on Saturday, October eighteenth. They'll be they'll be food,
(39:09):
they'll be music, there'll be stuff for kids there. We're
going to bring back the ping pong tables that they
used to have outside when you had to wait to
see a movie at the Metropolitan Vieah, so they'll be
ping pong outside and if it rains, we'll put it
on the stage. So it's going to be a fun day. Saturday,
October eighteenth.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Joe Piandadosi. What do we need to know about Piandidosi
Bacon Company?
Speaker 3 (39:29):
You always have something just to grab raisee me pushing
a new onion roll try it the new Angual And
we're in supermarkets up and down the East Coast and
also tuning the Breaking Bread and both Casey and Bobby
and you have been on my show?
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Oh yeah time. So I haven't been invited recently, but
I know Jared's producing. Now, boy is Jared doing everything?
Oh wait a minute, he's your driver. Now we drive
busted you the other day he was driving me. He
likes to drive, which is great. So that is awesome.
And your radio show, where do we find it in
the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
PM Saturday afternoons, nine o'clock Sunday mornings w TAG.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
Now you're always flying all over the country. You mentioned
earlier in the show. Your Bretta is in the Bahamas.
I never knew that. Yeah, we sell Yeah, we sell food.
How did you manage distributors just to we export out
of Florida? We do big business in Florida. So now
do you yourself ever get to the Bahamash because if
you need a partner to come along, you know, I
can be a pitch man take the boat. Yeah, we'll
give Jarward a break. Sure, I could be the pitch man.
(40:26):
I'm just saying. So, when's the radio show again? Saday's
two pm on Sundays nine am. Okay, one more time, Bobby.
There are still tickets available for the seventy fifth anniversary galap.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
It's a seventy fifth anniversary and fundraiser for the Joey Fund.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
All proceeds, by the way, oh seeds going to everything
goes to the Joey Fund. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (40:46):
And what we're doing is having it on August twentieth,
and we have three great bands Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
Night, Tavares, Starship and Scott Brown and the Scott Brown
plus great food and My Days and many more rings.
I got to tell you, ease back on the my ties.
If you're going to have it, just get your first
my tie and just go easy.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
If you like the classic, that's great, but the white
my tie even oh not better, but it's as good.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Okay. And where do they go to get the raffle
tickets for the diamond ring?
Speaker 4 (41:16):
Now, the raffle ticket is going to be actually they're
being produced right now, so you can buy them at
the column. I'm not sure we can put them online
because you have to open the fortune Fortunes. Yeah, but
well we'll have a table in the lobby and you know,
people can buy them right at the at the restaurant.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
But you're to go to Coloun before August. That's terrific.
And we do have to thank the Prisco Jewelers. That's
a very generous thing they're doing for the Joey fun
with a ten thousand dollars diamond that you, if you're listening,
can get for just twenty bucks. Casey, the best website
for everybody if they want to buy tickets in.
Speaker 5 (41:48):
Advance for anything, that is www dot boxcenter dot org.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
Okay, Casey, Bobby, Joey, Jared, thanks for coming in. We
gotta go out next sixty minutes. Everybody
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