Nocturnal Hospitality Group — made up of partners Lanfranco Pescante, David Anderson, Lou Dommer — is once again teaming up with celebrity chef Fabio Viviani to bring a new high-end Italian cuisine concept to Tampa Bay with the opening of La Pergola in downtown St. Petersburg.
Vivani and Nocturnal have already brought Tampa Bay Osteria and Mole y Abuela, and the partnership is also responsible for forthcoming Asian fusion restaurant Shibui.
La Pergola is set to open in spring 2020. It will live in the 200 Central Avenue building alongside The Mill and Kraft Cafe.
Being that the 6,000-square-foot space last belonged to Raymond James, the next few months include some major renovations including the build out of a lounge area and full bar where La Pergola plans on offering top-shelf cocktails. Locals can also expect café sidewalk seating, which is already prevalent in the ‘Burg’s dining culture.
The team is excited to tap into the St. Pete food scene, not only for its culture but for the nostalgia, too.
"I moved to St. Pete as a 17-year-old boy from Italy to follow the American Dream,” Pescante said in a recent statement. “I started as a dishwasher at Lone Star Steakhouse and worked my way up in the restaurant and bar scene. I am beyond excited to go back to where it all started and bring an authentic Italian concept to downtown. The development of St. Pete over these past few years is beyond impressive, and we couldn't be more thrilled to become a part of it by bringing La Pergola to this spectacular location."
Chef Viviani shares Lanfranco’s sentiment and is looking forward to adding to the thriving culture.
"As a chef and hospitality developer, I am very excited to put my foot down in the St. Pete area. Aside from the gorgeous waterfront scene and the good people living there, St. Pete has become a community that has embraced good food, good hospitality and great drinks," the star chef and restauranteur said. "We will bring all of that with La Pergola."
Until then, you can get a taste of Viviani’s culinary flair with Italian cuisine at Osteria in downtown Tampa where menu items include squid ink garganelli, rigatoni in a jar as well as an array of pizzas.
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