Grown Up in Kitchens, Rooted in Mentor
Pastina Rustic Italian is a family restaurant in the truest sense — founded by two families who grew up cooking and believe, without reservation, that food is the bond that binds us all.
Pastina Rustic Italian | Our Story
Two families, one table
The Longo and Greci families grew up cooking together in Lake County, Ohio, sharing one conviction: that feeding people well is one of the most meaningful things you can do. They built Pastina to feel like home.
Everything made from scratch, daily
Every morning, the kitchen shapes fresh pasta by hand — cavatelli, gnocchi, ravioli, all made that day. Mozzarella is pulled in-house, bread fires in a stone oven at 775°, and flour comes from a small-batch California organic farmer.
The chefs behind the kitchen
Head Chef Josephine Todd draws on her Sicilian heritage and Ohio kitchen experience to bring a caretaker's instinct to every plate. Chef Raimondo Greci grew up on a 50-acre family farm in Italy, then spent years studying pizza and dough from the country's best.
Ohio farms on every plate
Beef and pork come from New Creation Farms, chicken from Gerber Farms, and seasonal produce from local growers — plus what they grow themselves. For these families, local sourcing isn't a trend; it's simply how their grandparents fed people.
A room that surprises you
Tucked into a shopping plaza on Mentor Avenue, Pastina opens into a strikingly warm dining room that stops first-time visitors mid-step. A table of strangers has a way of turning into a conversation that lasts the whole meal. See you soon, friends.