Yorktown Business Owner Caters for the Stars at MTV's Video Music Awards

Yorktown native and business owner Rob Del Balzo has prepared meals for a number of celebrities since he has been in the food business, but last month he got the opportunity to work at one of the biggest events in the music industry.

Del Balzo, owner of Nuttin' to It in Yorktown Heights, was hired to cater at the Video Music Awards (VMAs), which took place in Brooklyn last month.

He catered for a crew of about 170 people at the remote location where Katy Perry performed her new song "Roar." Some of the people he prepared meals for included Perry's dancers, family, friends, security and backup singers.

"It was an amazing experience," Del Balzo said. "So much going on for such a short performance."

Del Balzo, who has done a considerable amount of work on MTV, was hired by the production coordinator for the VMAs who already knew his work. At first, he didn't pay much attention to the gig and the fact it was the Video Music Awards.

He said he had been preparing to go on his first and longest vacation with his family in a few days and noticed that he had plenty of time to prepare for the job when he gets back.

"When I mentioned to a few people that it was the VMAs people reacted to it like it was a big deal," Del Balzo said. "I really didn't think anything of it, since this is really just another event for us. We put the same amount of preparation whether it's for a house party or the VMAs."

Del Balzo said his friend Ed Lachterman, a Yorktown resident who works in the food industry, was there to help him the day of the event. Del Balzo said he served chicken 'Carol' named after his late mother, as well as BBQ chicken, Mac and cheese, a variety of vegetables and salads, and eggplant rollatini.

"I knew a lot of the crew from previous productions so it's always nice to be greeted by familiar faces," Del Balzo said. "They always show appreciation for the pride we take in preparing and serving their food. An overwhelming amount of people who I didn't know stopped me after they ate to tell me how good the food was."

One person – a self-proclaimed "foodie" – told Del Balzo he hoped the food tasted as good as it looked after he made himself a plate, Del Balzo said.

"After his meal he came up to me and hugged me," he said.

After serving up the food, Del Balzo said he and his staff stuck around and enjoyed Katy Perry's performance from the front row.

The VMAs gig has helped bring awareness to Del Balzo's business and catering location, he said.

"It is really nice to bring a little bit of Yorktown to Brooklyn," he said. "I do most of my business in the boroughs and could have setup a location in [New York City] or Brooklyn, but I am proud to be from Yorktown and I am just as excited to feed a local family dinner as I am to feed a celebrity."

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Nuttin' to It is located at 2013 Crompond Rd. in Yorktown Heights.

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Del Balzo will lead Hilltop Hanover Farm's Couples Cooking class on Sept. 20. For more information, click here.
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Chef Malcolm Mitchell, finalist on the season 8 of Next Food Network Star Season, will be holding his second 'Pop-Up Restaurant' at Nuttin to It on Oct. 18 and Oct. 19.