Beaver County's newest pizzeria sets September opening; and get ready for Yinzer hoagies

Route 30 Pizzeria has set a Sept. 3 opening date.

Located along Route 30 in Independence Township, the pizzeria will serve round, hand-tossed pizzas.

The menu will include specialty pizzas like buffalo chicken, chicken bacon ranch, veggie, meat lovers, five cheese, taco and a "sweet heat" pizza pie topped with pineapple, jalapenos and barbecue sauce.

Route 30 Pizzeria's menu also will include items like calzones, wedgies, hoagies, pizza bread, bread sticks, salads, wings and appetizers such as mac-and-cheese bites, breaded mushrooms, zucchini fries and cream cheese jalapeno poppers. The menu can be previewed online at route30pizzeria.com.

Co-owner Rich Powers worked for 15 years at Doughboy's pizzeria in McKees Rocks, with experience at other McKees Rocks area pizza shops, too.

When he moved to the Beaver Valley area, he found himself missing the pizzas from McKees Rocks and Pittsburgh.

"It definitely tastes different in the city," Powers said. "It's thicker with a nice crust."

That's the pizza style he and business partner Jim Rubolino intend to offer, using dough that's made fresh daily.

Ahead of the post-Labor Day opening, people can try out Route 30 Pizza when it's stationed July 30 at Findlay Township's Rec & Sports Pavilion at 810 Route 30, as part of the West Hills Symphonic Band concert from 6-8:30 p.m.

Located next to the Little Traverse Inn, Route 30 Pizza will offer takeout and delivery (within a 6-mile radius.) There also will be six booths inside.

Yinzer Fusion

Hoagies get a creative twist, and a bit of Pittsburgh flair, from Yinzer Fusion.

That's a new pop-up business working out of a licensed kitchen co-op in Hopewell Township, and available for community events, craft breweries and other places where food trucks go.

"Our concept is to bring international flavor to the 'burgh while using local suppliers," Yinzer Fusion owner Kevin McCaslin of Coraopolis said.

Yinzer Fusion's menu items include a Pittsburgh's Isaly's Ham BBQ that's cooked hot with a barbecue sauce recipe passed down from McCaslin's grandmother, and the Pittsburgh Cheesesteak, differentiated from the famous Philly version, by its provolone (from Lamagna Cheese Co. in Verona), Mancini's Bakery bun (baked in McKees Rocks) and Korean-style Bulgogi marinade.

Regionally popular Lamagna cheese and Mancini's bread are fixtures for Yinzer Fusion hoagies, which also include:

• Bulgogi Cheese Steak, a rib-eye steak with homemade Bulgogi marinade, fresh sauteed Vidalia onions, red bell peppers, and portobello mushrooms topped with sliced provolone cheese.

• Cubano (dill) or Media Noche (sweet) marinated pork butt, with sliced black forest ham, Swiss cheese and mustard topped with kosher dill or bread-and-butter pickles.

• Chicken Bacon Ranch elevated with red wine ranch vinaigrette, hickory smoked bacon and "firecracker hot" pepper jack cheese.

• Po Boy Creole with breaded shrimp fried to a golden brown, blended remoulade and slaw made with sesame carrots and daikon, a root vegetable grown throughout Asian countries.

• Tailgater's Super Supreme Pizza hoagie with pepperoni, ground sweet Italian sausage, ground beef, ground pork, Canadian bacon, peppers, mushrooms, onions, sliced black olives, topped provolone and mozzarella cheese and homemade pizza sauce.

• Spicy Italian, too, loaded with five types of meats.
• Chicken Parmesan.
• Portobello Mushroom Marinara, a vegetarian option.
• General Tso's Chicken.

A grandfather of four, who grew up in Moon Township, McCaslin graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 2013 and worked in Corporate America until his job unexpectedly got terminated.

"So, in 2022 I got a crazy idea to start a food service business," he said.

Friends and co-workers often told McCaslin he makes great food.

"So I tried to figure out the best way to make some food," he said.

McCaslin did two years of research and took a five-week class at PA Career Link at the Beaver Valley Mall where he learned from experts in financing, insurance and social media marketing.

"Basically, anything you'd need to start a business," he said.

That's where he found out about Pizer's Sweet Co-Op, a shared commercial kitchen space and business incubator at 1944 Maratta Road. Pizer's helps small startups including food trucks, caterers and bakers get off the ground,

Establishing his commissary kitchen at Pizer's, "We've passed the state board of health inspection and received our license to operate," McCaslin said.

This past Saturday, Yinzer Fusion sold hoagies as part of the Hopewell Yard Crawl communitywide event, parking its tent, grills, tables and pickup outside Pizer's Co-Op, across from Margaret Ross Elementary School.

People also can buy Yinzer Fusion hoagies at Big Sewickley Creek Brewing in Economy on six dates in the next three months, including Aug. 3 from noon to 3 p.m., and again there Aug. 31.

Event organizers or businesses wanting to host Yinzer Fusion on-site can contact McCaslin through the Yinzer Fusion Facebook page.

Zelie to get wine cellar

Papa Joe's Wine Cellar plans to open soon at 154 S. Main St. in Zelienople.

The wine cellar's namesake, “Papa Joe” Talarico, began his winemaking journey in 1982 in Erie County, studying the craft from Doug Moorehead at Presque Isle Wine Cellars in North East.

Originating out of a large, detached garage in Zelienople, Papa Joe’s Wine Cellar launched in 2014, focused on making Southern Italy-style wines relying on California grapes shipped to Pittsburgh's Strip District.

In late 2017, Piazza Talarico and Papa Joe’s Wine Cellar debuted in Pittsburgh's trendy Lawrenceville neighborhood, serving authentic Southern Italian meals and homestyle wines.

"The next five years were a wonderful journey," according to Papa Joe's Wine Cellar website, "but the desire to return to their roots saw the doors of the restaurant close in March of 2023. The wine is the real passion, and it is now back in focus."

Papa Joe’s Wine Cellar sold wines by the bottle and cup last weekend at Zelienople's popular Horse Trading Days festival. The business' website sells 11 varieties of wines such as the Barbera ($34), Riesling ($26), Sauvignon Blanc ($26) and Montepulciano ($32).

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Beaver County's newest pizzeria sets September opening; and get ready for Yinzer hoagies