By Elise Ramos and John Ostapowicz / The Jambar
With Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, restaurants near the campus of Youngstown State University offer a wide variety of cuisines and beverages for the special occasion.
Whether it’s date night or a solo affair, three restaurants fit the bill for a classy, extravagant and fitting touch for a special evening.
Elise Ramos, an investigative reporter at The Jambar, attended West 34 located on 34 West Federal St. West 34 is a modern American restaurant and bar offering a wide variety of menu options for the holidays.
For Valentine’s Day, West 34 curated a cocktail menu that takes inspiration from the holiday. The restaurant offers a signature cocktail, “Too Hot to Handle,” priced at $10.
The food itself is relatively affordable with popular appetizers such as creole shrimp for $13 and crab florentine for $17, which is made with Maryland blue crab and artichokes.
For the main courses, the cajun-chicken pasta is a great choice for $21 with farfalle noodles and blackened chicken. The white cheddar cheeseburger for $15 is another heavy hitter.
John Ostapowicz, Editor-in-Chief of The Jambar, tried one of Youngstown’s oldest restaurants — Cassese’s MVR. The locally owned italian restaurant is located on 410 North Walnut St. close to the University Courtyard Apartments.
As a student who lives on campus, the MVR is within walking distance and has quick service. It also features custom dishes for some of YSUs most iconic figures.
Former YSU President and football Head Coach Jim Tressel is on the menu twice with the “Coach’s Cajun Chicken” and “Tressel Tortellini.” The tortellini is a personal favorite because of the fluffy taste of the cheesy noodles, mixed with the restaurant’s house basil sauce.
Pete The Penguin also has a feature dish with the “Penguin Burger Basket,” which is a half-pound burger patty served with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion on an Italian roll — a Youngstown inspired spin on a classic cheeseburger.
From handheld food to a cutlery affair, MVR caters to all on Valentine’s Day.
Both Ostapowicz and Ramos attended Casa di Canzonetta, formerly Bistro 1907. The classy upscale restaurant requires formal attire and is connected to the DoubleTree by Hilton Youngstown.
The cost for Canzonetta is rather pricey with a grand total for a couple averaging above $120 without gratuity. Despite the high price tag, the restaurant has arguably the best food out of the three places based on several key factors.
For starters, the “Sweet Ricotta Board” for $18, a charcuterie of ricotta with prosciutto, roasted pistachios, pomegranate and rosemary, was flavorsome with a hint of sweetness.
The dish made for an intimate experience, especially paired with a “Tavola salad” — homemade focaccia breadcrumbs topped with a house chianti vinaigrette — and Italiana onion soup.
For the main courses, Ramos ordered cheese tortellini for $28 and Ostapowicz ordered chicken marsala for $32. Both dishes were perfectly seasoned, well-prepared and the proportion sizes were plentiful.
Whether it’s a one-night stay or a weekend-long endeavor, downtown Youngstown offers several different places to take oneself or a significant other to on Valentine’s Day.