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Youngstown attorney to open a unique Italian restaurant
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: June 25, 2020
When Roberto’s Italian Ristorante in Youngstown closed last year, many patrons were disappointed, including downtown attorney Gregg Rossi.
“My wife, Deanna, and I had our first date at Roberto’s,” said Rossi, who primarily handles plaintiff personal injury and domestic relations matters at Rossi & Rossi Co. “As residents of downtown Youngstown, who love Italian cuisine, the two of us had grown quite fond of the restaurant.”
Now Rossi has joined forces with his nephew, chef and business owner Joshua Santangelo and two others in the community to create a new Roman-style Italian restaurant where Roberto’s once stood.
Located at 103 W. Federal St. in downtown Youngstown, Prima Cucina Italiana or Prima for short is scheduled to open on June 29 and will feature a wide variety of authentic entrees, pasta, desserts and wines.
“The concept is simple, elegant and modern, with price points in the moderate- to higher-end range,” said Rossi. “My wife and I absolutely love Italy and Roman cuisine. We are excited to continue the renaissance of downtown Youngstown by bringing this trendy establishment to the area.”
Rossi and Santangelo each own one-third of the restaurant, with the remaining third split between Tim Huber, who also lives downtown and Larry Petrozzi, co-owners of FC Real Estate.
A graduate of the French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center) in New York City, Santangelo has owned and operated Republic Pizzeria & Pub for almost three years.
Located on Lincoln Ave., across from Youngstown State University, the New York-style pizzeria and bar is closed due to the pandemic, but was previously a popular choice among YSU students.
“Prima will be unique among Youngstown Italian restaurants,” he said. “My plan is to serve items not typically seen on the menu in Italian restaurants in the area.
“Prima will be a regional Italian restaurant with an emphasis on the cooking of Rome, with fresh seafood, prime meats and handmade pasta.”
For example, patrons can look forward to dishes such as Bucatini all’Amatriciana. Made with a thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the center, it features Guanciale (a bacon made from the pork cheek), tomatoes, onions and Pecorino Romano.
Other options will include Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Guanciale, Oxtail Ragù with Potato Gnocchi and a whole fish baked in salt served tableside.
For those who are less adventurous, there will be some familiar favorites like Chicken Parmigiana, Linguine with clams and various types of pasta served with a typical red sauce.
All of the desserts will be made in-house, with the exception of the Gelato.
“We will have Olive Oil Orange Cake with Pistachio Gelato, Italian Cheesecake made with 100% Ricotta cheese and a shortbread pastry crust and St. Joseph’s Zeppole, which feature candied fruit on top and cannoli cream on the inside,” said Santangelo.
“We also plan to offer wines from most regions in Italy along with some California wines,” he said. “Our hope is that people will come in and order multiple courses, including antipasto, as they do in Italy.”
While the location will be the same, the restaurant itself will sport a different look and feel.
“We did buy the kitchen equipment, inventory, furniture and the liquor license from the owner of Roberto’s, Robert Faraglia, but we did not buy the business,” said Rossi. “We are leasing the property from the landlord.
“We absolutely love the space, but we have done a number of renovations that changed the décor dramatically.”
While social distancing rules currently limit its capacity, the main floor of the restaurant is able to accommodate approximately 44 people, with an additional 14-16 seats in the bar area.
When the restaurant welcomes patrons, the patio will be open and the lower level, which has been entirely remodeled in a “speakeasy décor,” will be available for overflow dining and small banquets.
Rossi expects Prima will benefit from its central location in downtown Youngstown.
“Although this year’s events have been adversely impacted by the pandemic, the hope is that once these events resume the restaurant will get a lot of business from attendees.
“My wife and I love Italy and have traveled there a number of times recently,” said Rossi. “Now we won’t have to travel there to experience the same cuisine and dining experience. This will be our slice of Italy right here in downtown Youngstown.”