We recently connected with Alex Zordich and have shared our conversation below.
Alex, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
One thing we like to do is make a great effort to get back to Italy whenever possible. Once you’re back there you are immersed back into the culture and learn something new each time. It is fun to bring those concepts, dishes, or techniques back home.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Alex’s love for food and wine began at an early age. From spending Sundays at the dinner table to making homemade wine with his grandfather in Pittsburgh, he was quickly consumed by the Italian way of life.
After graduating from college, he began chasing the grape harvest working for wineries in New Zealand, Italy, and Napa Valley. While in Italy he obtained a masters degree in wine-making and worked for various restaurants, farms, and bakeries around the country.
In all, Alex spent nearly six years on the road, with the goal to bring all he learned to his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio — connecting all the dots with a true, Italian osteria. A place for the locals, for the people. Serving wine and a simple meal that brings people together and back to the old days — back to the simple ways of Italian life. No better place in Youngstown to bring this concept than Smoky Hollow. Where it all began.
With no plans to stop traveling and learning, he still maintains great relationships with the people he has worked for and learned from. He constantly makes it back to Napa to check on his own wine label to sell at YOSTERIA, continues to grow relationships with local wineries in the area, and regularly travels to Italy to visit friends and family and continue his education with various restaurants and wineries.
Alex’s most recent project takes him back to Pittsburgh, in the same neighborhood where his grandfather taught him how to make wine — Sharpsburg. There, he will open YOSTERIA’s second location. The concept will be the same as will the name!
It is also a pleasure to introduce our newest member, Frank Tuscano to YOSTERIA. Frank will be joining Alex as part owner/operator of both YOSTERIA locations.
Frank’s passion for cooking took hold early in life as well. Similarly, he was raised in Youngstown in families with strong ethnic ties. Cooking and food were a huge part of family life and his interest in Italian cooking methods took hold quickly.
His first trip to Italy was in 2005 and from his first moments on the peninsula it felt like home. He spent the next years visiting often and meeting local cooks in the various regions of Italy, soaking up much knowledge of the Italian kitchen and tasting what each region had to offer.
In 2014 he embarked on his restaurant career, founding Pressed Coffee Bar and Eatery , an American café and coffee bar with a menu full of Mediterranean inspired dishes with a traditional American twist. He led the company for 7 years opening an additional location until deciding to sell and move on to new ventures.
In 2021, he purchased his first Italian property in small town in southern Sicily. He has spent the last few years in exploration of this southern Italian region rich in cultural and food history. Having a home base, he has been able to immerse himself in the local food , wine and culture on his visits. He brings to the YOSTERIA brand years of industry experience, cooking and cultural knowledge, along with a passion for bringing the many wonders of Italian food and wine to all of us here!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I’d have to say an eagerness to learn, willingess to perform any tasks given, and fearlessness to ask questions. It’s ok not to know everything. It is surprising how many people are willing to share their knowledge with you if you simply ask.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
In the last 12 months YOSTERIA has made great strides in our layout, menu, and format. We welcomed Frank Tuscano, a new partner with great restaurant experience. We also added a full kitchen, patio, and upgraded the interior of our building. At the start we were only doing private events and dinners, but now we are a full scale restaurant open Th-Sa with hopes to extend our days to Wednesday and Sunday.
Contact Info:
- Website: yosteria.com
- Instagram: YOSTERIA (@yosteria_)
