South Tampa diners anticipating the debut of "That Mexican Place" have more than a couple of highlights to look forward to. Before it celebrates with a soft opening in mid-June, here's the latest on what to expect from the second location for St. Petersburg's Nueva Cantina.
Managing partner Louie Spetrini and co-owners Erin and Rocco Rinaldi have not one, not two, but three full bars planned for Nueva Cantina South Tampa — which has taken over the building that most recently housed Love's Artifacts Bar & Grille — at 4918 S. MacDill Ave. The bars accompany a little fewer than 200 indoor and outdoor seats, a count that includes the patio area outside.
The Vitale Bros. spearheaded the vibrant murals guests will see throughout the contemporary, affordable Mexican restaurant's new outpost, but that's not the only collaboration the Nueva Cantina partners have secured. They also joined forces with St. Pete-based Reva Foods — which produces gourmet barbecue sauces, salsas, ketchups, seasonings and hot sauces — to create a new line of Nueva Cantina-branded house hot sauces.
Spetrini and the Rinaldis want to bridge the economic gap as much as the community gap.
"Our homemade Mexican cuisine gives us an opportunity to share a common experience through food," Spetrini said in a statement. "It will be both humbling and encouraging to see people in our community come and enjoy the experience together."
Featuring a relaxed vibe, Nueva Cantina South Tampa's hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
This article appears in May 31 – Jun 7, 2018.