Initially slated for a September opening, Rocca recently hosted a friends and family preview dinner and posted a sneak peek of its dining room on social media.
The new Heights concept offers table, booth and bar seating with dim date night lighting, hanging greenery and framed portraits lining the walls. Grab a seat by the window to drink in views of the Tampa skyline.
Rocca will focus on dinner service, with Chef Bryce Bonsack at the helm, creating a rotating seasonal menu of Italian fare with regional Florida ingredients. The scratch kitchen will offer starters like calamari, carpaccio, and cedar clams. Fresh signature salads grace a menu filled with locally-sourced ingredients.
The handmade pasta-focused menu has an intense selection of dishes, like the Ravioli al Uovo with an egg yolk center, spinach and ricotta filling topped with calendula, alongside entrees ranging from fish, chicken, pork and steak.
It's an upscale dining destination for Tampa Heights.
Rocca is also pouring an extensive wine list, as well, and a wide variety of cocktails — everything from classics like Paper Planes and Negronis as well as craft creations like the "Lady in Pink," which is made up of gin, rose, simple syrup, and grapefruit soda.
There are three mocktails up for grabs, including "Nuts About You" with nitro cold brew coffee, almond milk, and walnut bitters.
Desserts include sorbeto, Nutella pie and panna cotta made with caramelized banana and espresso.
Want to lock down a table? Reservations can be made through resy.com.
Follow @cl_tampabay on Twitter to get the most up-to-date news + views. Subscribe to our newsletter, too.
This article appears in Oct 3-10, 2019.