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Whether it’s pizza or pasta, come hungry for a sample of the delicious and authentic Italian cuisine you’ll find right here in Northeast Ohio’s Trumbull County.
Have you ever wanted to eat your way through an area’s heritage and traditions? In Trumbull County, you can.
The influence of Italian immigrants can still be seen throughout the Mahoning Valley, but it’s perhaps best on display in the area’s restaurants. The Italian Food Trail features dozens of locally-owned restaurants with Italian roots, foods, and traditions that are celebrated throughout Trumbull County and beyond.
Any good trail starts at the beginning, so here is a bit of history for you:
Many of Trumbull County’s great Italian restaurants can trace their roots back to one little Italian village called Collelongo. Following World War II, a few Collelonghese families moved to Trumbull County and opened restaurants. They dominated the business, with local favorites like the Golden Gate, the Astoria, El Rio, and Vernon’s Villa.
Those first families invited friends and neighbors from Collelongo to move to the area and join them in the business. The younger generations worked in relative’s restaurants until they could open eateries of their own. Most didn’t have any culinary training – they just cooked what they knew.
Though the original restaurants are gone, they left a lasting legacy of delicious and distinct Italian food and traditions in the area. A legacy so pervasive, in fact, that we need a whole food trail to celebrate it!
Here’s a taste of what you’ll find Trumbull County today – from peppers and oil to “old world” pizza, and of course, plenty of pasta.
WARREN: Buena Vista Café
1305 Buena Vista Avenue NE, Warren
Buena Vista has been, and always will be, a neighborhood bar. But it’s also a Warren classic – a favorite among locals and visitors alike. While founder “Uncle Nick” Frankos may be best known for his Greek-fried chicken, Buena Vista embraces Trumbull County’s Italian heritage, too.
You’ll find plenty of pasta on Buena Vista’s menu, including beer-battered lasagna, penne ala vodka, alfredo, and of course, spaghetti and meatballs. You can also grab a pizza, a pizza burger, or a meatball salad!
TRADITION: Hot Peppers in Oil
In Trumbull County, there’s no better way to start an Italian meal than with hot peppers in oil.
Usually served on Italian bread, you can sample this tasty tradition at most area Italian restaurants. There are also plenty of locally canned options to take with you when you go. Perhaps the best known is Abruzzi’s, which has been canning peppers since the 1960s! You can find them in most area grocery stores and specialty Italian stores. Many area restaurants also sell their own takes on this hot topping.
The great thing about peppers in oil is they can go on just about anything, from pizza to hot dogs, deli sandwiches, and omelettes. The only limit is your imagination! Plus, if you don’t find the spice so nice, you can easily get your hands on sweet peppers in oil.
WARREN: Enzo’s Restaurant, Lounge & Banquet Hall
2918 Elm Road NE, Warren
Run by brothers Enzo and Mauro Cantalamessa and their mother, Lina, this family restaurant with a classic – and casually classy – atmosphere has been cooking up traditional Italian food for three generations. You’ll find all your Italian favorites here, from appetizers like bruschetta and fried calamari to antipasto salad. With more than a dozen pasta entrees to choose from, plus chicken, steak and seafood, Enzo’s has something for everyone.
If you’re looking for something unique to Enzo’s, though, you’ll have to try the Enzo Sandwich with Sauce. This panzerotti is filled with pepperoni, salami and cheese and drenched in Enzo’s red sauce. It’s served, of course, with fries – unless you want to sub in some spaghetti.
TRADITION: Wedding Soup
Wedding soup, thankfully, isn’t just for weddings. You’ll find this on the menu at plenty of Trumbull County restaurants, including the ones that aren’t strictly Italian.
This Italian classic and local favorite traditionally is made with small, savory meatballs in a flavorful broth with greens and pasta – usually, acini di pepe. Some wedding soups also have chicken and carrots. And of course, no Italian dish is finished without a sprinkling of cheese. Parmesan tends to be the cheese of choice, but isn’t always the rule.
Every restaurant has its own take on wedding soup, and every local has their favorite. You’re just going to have to try a few out to figure out which you like the best!
HOWLAND: Salvatore’s Italian Grill
8720 East Market Street, Howland
This locally-owned classic Italian restaurant has everything you’d expect from an Italian dining experience. Salvatore’s is known for the delicious pizza bread served at the start of every meal and for having a wide-ranging menu.
You’ll find your bruschetta napolitana, mozzarella caprese, and Italian beans and greens, along with calzones, strombolis, and peperoni rolls. Wood fired pizza? Salvatore’s has it. Flamed-grilled steaks and seafood? Obviously. And as for pasta, you’ll find all the staples done up right with the freshest, finest ingredients – from spaghetti carbona to Capellini Millie Fiori. This is another local favorite that will satisfy every appetite.
LIBERTY: Station Square Ristorante
4250 Belmont Avenue, Youngstown
Station Square Ristorante has been a local staple since the 1980s. In 2001, Ottavio and Bridget Musumeci took over the restaurant with the goal of elevating it to be one of the premiere Italian restaurants of the area – and that’s exactly how Station Square is regarded today.
If you’re looking for a casual fine-dining experience that does classic dishes well and throws out the occasional twist, Station Square is your stop. With an extensive menu, you can start with bacon-wrapped shrimp, fried zucchini, or peppers in oil, before moving on to any of dozens of chicken, veal, steak, or seafood options. The pasta menu includes dishes like spaghetti con funghi, tri-colored cheese totellini, gnocchi, and Roma style lasagna, just to name a few. You can also venture into Cajun flavors or gourmet burgers if you’re feeling adventurous. And always check the specials for surprises!
TRADITION: Italian Greens
This is another dish you’ll find throughout the county. There are different variations of these savory, flavorful greens, but all are delicious.
Italian greens are usually made with escarole, endive, Swiss chard, and spinach – and are just about always sauteed in garlic and spices. They sometimes include cannellini beans or are served with hot peppers. You can’t go wrong with this flavorful and relatively healthy dish, either as a side with your pasta or a meal of its own!
WARREN: Sunrise Inn Café
510 East Market Street, Warren
Pizza. Chicken. Wings. This casual, quick bar and restaurant has been bringing the taste of Italy to downtown Warren since 1929! The Haidaris family has been at the helm almost as long, and has been cooking up pizza since World War II.
Here, you’ll find classic Italian apps like sauteed greens mixed with bar favorites like loaded potato skins. Sunrise has more than a dozen Italian dinners to choose from, including Italian sausage, gnocchi, and veal parmesan. Or you can grab a sandwich, steak, pork chop, or wings! Sunrise also boasts an extensive hamburger menu, with specials themed to go with the music acts each summer at River Rock at the Amp at the Warren Community Amphitheatre.
But of course, Sunrise is still best known for its pizza – particularly it’s Brier Hill pizza.
TRADITION: Brier Hill Pizza
What is Brier Hill pizza, you ask? Well, let’s start with the hill itself: Brier Hill is a neighborhood in Youngstown where the city’s first Italian residents settled. It became a popular destination for immigrants early in the city’s history after coal was discovered nearby.
The Italian families who settled there brought their own traditions, and the neighborhood birthed its namesake pizza.
Bier Hill pizza has its origins in the Basilicata region of Italy and is known for its thick red sauce, bell peppers and sprinkling of “stinky” Romano cheese. Though it started in the Brier Hill neighborhood, the pizza, also sometimes called “old world pizza” or “Youngstown pizza,” can be found all over the Mahoning Valley, and even in a few other places in Ohio.
As for Brier Hill, the neighborhood still exists today and celebrates its Italian heritage with a festival each summer. If you get the chance, pop by, drink some peaches in wine, and listen to the polka music!
NILES: Vernon’s Café
720 Youngstown Warren Road, Niles
With over 20 years of great cooking in the books, Vernon’s knows how to do Italian right. You’ll want to start with Vernon’s signature handmade meatballs, but there are so many tasty places to go from there. Dive into some baked goat cheese or calamari fritti, take a bite out of a meatball splash hamburger, or savor veal, chicken, or seafood cooked in any number of Italian traditions.
When it comes to pasta, Vernon’s runs the gamut from your classic spaghettini and cavatelli Bolognese to the more adventurous drunken chicken pasta, butternut squash ravioli, and the aptly named fettuccini a la Vernon. You can, of course, also grab a whole pizza!
CORTLAND: Vasilio’s Restaurant and Pizzeria
500 Trumbull Avenue, Cortland
This 40-year-strong, casual family restaurant is best known for its pizza, but has plenty more to offer. You’ll find sandwiches, subs, and salads on the menu along with jumbo wings and lots of American classic appetizers. But you’re here for Italian food, right? Well, Vasiilio’s is a great place to try Italian greens with hot peppers, or grab some jumbo ravioli with cheese.
You can also get cavatelli, mostaccioli, fettuccini, linguine, stuffed shells, or spaghetti. And, don’t forget all the seafood and chicken options!
TRADITION: Pizzelles
No trail would be complete without desert. While there are plenty of delicious Italian cookies like cannoli, lady fingers, and snowballs, nothing quite says “Trumbull County Italian” like a good pizzelle.
Baffled first-time pizzelle eaters have referred to them as “flat waffle cookies.” It’s an apt visual description. Made on a press, these thin cookies can be sweet or made in a traditional style with annis. Some folks also like to give them a twist, dipping them in chocolate or offering flavors like peanut butter and almond. Every way, they’re delicious! Find these in most local bakeries or Italian specialty shops.
So, there you have it – just a sampling of the great Italian culinary traditions you’ll find in Trumbull County. Come hungry, because there’s plenty this list didn’t cover, including a whole slew of pizza places that vie for the title of local favorite.
