Youngstown restaurant continues to honor heritage, bring Italian culture to community
A Youngstown restaurant and wine bar nestled in Smoky Hollow continues to honor its heritage and bring Italian culture to the community.
YOSTERIA, owned by Alex Zordich and Frank Tuscano, is a traditional osteria that serves regional Italian food and wine with shared plates, authentic Italian cocktails, beers, desserts and Amari.
“We aim to provide a sense of community and tradition,” said Zordich.
The food
Zordich originally opened the business in 2018 following his passion with wine after finishing his work in Napa Valley and Italy.
“One thing led to the other and suddenly the desire to make wine was also met with the desire to introduce Youngstown to the beauty of regional Italian food,” Zordich said.
The diverse entree options offer regional selections from Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Liguria, Lombardia, Puglia, Sicilia, and Toscana.
Menu items include authentic Italian dishes such as bresaola, Northern-Italian dry-aged beef from Valtellina-Lombardia which is served over fresh arugula and topped with shaved parmigiano, olive oil and lemon juice.
Polpette which consists of meatballs mixed with classic southern-Italian ingredients, baked and topped with YOSTERIA’s rich tomato sauce, romano cheese, stracciatella, fresh basil and olive oil is also a featured item.
Guests in the mood for real Italian pizza can order the quattro formaggi, piesano, pizelle fritte napoletane, or the pizza rossa.
“Italy consists of many regions that all have their own taste - our goal is to share that with the community,” Zordich said.
Smoky Hollow
YOSTERIA re-opened in Smoky Hollow in 2020, originally as a private dining location. The restaurant expanded its menu and space in the spring 2023.
Zordich said the Hollow is a special place to many families throughout Youngstown. He said the name Smoky Hollow comes from the fact that the area was saturated in smoke from the nearby steel mills.
The Hollow was dominated by Italian-Americans who brought their traditions, culture, and simple ways to the neighborhood leaving a lasting effect, according to Zordich.
“Smoky Hollow is extremely special to me because it is the neighborhood my family originally settled,” he said. “They came straight from Italy and created their own community in the Hollow.”
Zordich said he grew up with stories about the Hollow and with traditions that all stem from the neighborhood and the old country. He said it’s something he wants to continue in the community through YOSTERIA.
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Keeping with tradition
Zordich said both he and Tuscano grew up in Italian families. Early on his heritage sparked a passion to honor Italian traditions and share them with the community.
YOSTERIA holds several annual events aimed at honoring the traditions and history.
“Recently we hosted the Smoky Hollow Club’s Feast of the Assumption, a day honoring Mother Mary, filled with music and food,” Zordich said. “We also just had a small event for the Feast of San Gennaro, patron saint of Naples - the day is traditionally spent honoring the Saint with street food and music.”
Zordich said the restaurant will continue to have fun events or a simple menu item to pay homage to the Italian culture and history that he loves.
More than an eatery
YOSTERIA is more than just a restaurant and wine bar - it’s a place for community, laughter, and learning.
The restaurant recently started a monthly Italian Hour which Zordich said has been a fun addition.
“It all started with conversations about helping people learn the language and having a place to simply speak it,” he said. “It’s a very hard language to learn, especially if you don’t have people to speak with.”
Both Zordich and Tuscano were exposed to the language through work and travels. Zordich said it is great to share the Italian language with his guests.
“Frank has taken full reigns on the program and it is very shocking just how many people do speak Italian in the Valley,” he said.
Italian Hour is held at YOSTERIA the third Wednesday of every month at 5:30 p.m.
The addition of Tuscano to the team and introducing the public to YOSTERIA in Smoky Hollow has been a great move, according to Zordich.
“We have a strong desire to introduce the public to other parts of Italy they may not know through YOSTERIA,” he said. “There is great food, wine, and culture in so many regions of the country.”
In January, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Italian restaurants in Youngstown based on diners’ reviews on Yelp with YOSTERIA coming in at No. 2.
YOSTERIA is at 252 Valley St. and can be reached at 234-228-9590.