New restaurant brings Eastern European cuisine to Cincinnati’s dining scene

CINCINNATI – Sarah Dworak never planned to work in the restaurant industry.

She told me that her evolution happened “organically” in Cincinnati’s bustling food scene.

Now Dworak is preparing to launch her newest venture: Sudova.

“It wasn’t something I planned to do in my life, but I mean, it was great. It was fun,” Dworak said.

Dworak, a Northeast Ohio native, first burst onto the scene in 2012 when she opened Babushka Pierogi in the Findlay Market. The pierogi stand was born out of the fact that she simply couldn’t get the food at the market she frequented, and within two years, pierogi became her full-time job, Dworak said. After moving to an indoor space at the market, Dworak said she came up with the idea of ​​bringing Eastern European drinks to the Queen City with the Vodka Bar, located on Main Street in Over-the-Rhine.

After both Babushka Pierogi and Wodka Bar survived the prolonged struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dworak came up with the idea of ​​combining Babushka’s food elements with Wodka’s drinks – something she tried with Wodka’s food offerings.

Dworak said she had some reservations about taking on the difficult task before a fellow restaurant owner assured her that she already had what it takes to build a successful restaurant.

“It gave me the confidence to say, ‘You know what, I can do this and I can cook the food I want and I can kind of develop a more modern interpretation of Eastern European cuisine,'” she said.

Sudova, which will open its doors on Court Street in late August, continues its tradition of celebrating its Eastern European heritage – and brings something new to Cincinnati.

“There is no full-service restaurant in Cincinnati that offers this type of food,” Dworak said.

Molly Schramm/WCPO

Sudova’s menu features many classic Eastern European dishes, such as hand-formed verenyky, Ukrainian dumplings filled with homemade tvorog, a dairy product, and pork belly, and green borscht, a Ukrainian soup with chicken, sorrel and soft-boiled egg.

In addition to food, the restaurant will offer a full cocktail menu with nine drinks, a beer menu and an extensive wine list, which Dworak said was put together with the help of local wine shop Hart and Cru.

Molly Schramm/WCPO

“If (guests) know the cuisine, I want them to have an experience that reminds them of their childhood,” Dworak said. “And for people who don’t know, I want to make it a fun experience and offer them new things. Trying new things is fun and unique.”

The restaurant itself features lush green velvet banquettes, dark wood tables, and other green accents, such as the bar lighting and stained glass at the back of the bar. To enter the restaurant, guests walk through the restaurant’s courtyard, which features newly planted ivy that Dworak hopes will spread across the courtyard’s brick walls.

Molly Schramm/WCPO

The restaurant is a place suitable for a date or dinner with friends. Seating is arranged around a large dining table that once belonged to Dworak’s grandmother. Her grandmother’s closet also stands at the front of the restaurant.

Dworak is Ukrainian on her father’s side and Croatian and Polish on her mother’s side. She is proud of her upbringing and culture and says she feels a responsibility to carry on her family’s legacy through food.

Molly Schramm/WCPO

“A lot of it is prepared at home rather than celebrated in restaurants. I guess this is a way to keep all those memories alive,” Dworak said.

Dworak cited Portland chef Bonnie Frumkin Morales, a first-generation American of Belarusian immigrants, as an example for her own businesses.

As one of the few prominent female restaurant owners in Cincinnati, Dworak also said she feels it is her responsibility to run her business well and properly.

Dworak said that in making Sudova a reality, she was able to work with local businesses, including BS LLC, Queen City Restaurant Supply, Orange Chair and others, including many women-owned businesses like Sloan Boutique owner Ivy Costa and Grainwell in Covington.

“Basically, this was all done locally, and it’s so cool that there’s all this talent right here downtown or across the river,” Dworak said.

Sudova has not yet given an exact opening date, but said it will be up and running sometime in late August. It will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and it will eventually be open five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday. Guests can make reservations through OpenTable.