IL Ritorno’s wagyu steak tartare—complete with gnoccho fritto, crispy celery root and calabrese apples. Credit: ilritornodowntown / Facebook

If you want one night of pretending like you’re part of the 1%, then head to downtown St. Petersburg next week for a night of fine dining.

On Wednesday, June 28 at 6:30 p.m., Italian eatery Il Ritorno (stylized “IL Ritorno”) will host a $195 pre-fixe tasting dinner featuring one of the most prized meats in the world—wagyu beef.

This particular Japanese cattle is known for its intricate fat marbling and unique tenderness.
From American wagyu out of Ohio to Australian and Japanese A5 wagyu, the Italian restaurant—located at 449 Central Ave. in downtown St. Pete—will dish out six unique courses at next week’s dinner.

Appetizer-like courses include small plates of wagyu tartare and carpaccio, while heartier dishes feature ribeye cap with ramp creme and white asparagus, oxtail malfade, meyer lemon and whipped goat cheese, in addition to an A5 Japanese wagyu duo with Australian wagyu.

And for dessert, you guessed it, more wagyu—complete with chocolate, a tallow ganache, hazelnuts and citrus.

To make reservations for this meat-centric tasting dinner, head to exploretock.com or give the restaurant a call at (727) 897-5900.

In addition to next week’s pre-fixe dinner, Il Ritorno also hosts its seasonal tasting menu throughout the summer, featuring six courses of in-season ingredients and ever-changing dishes.

Il Ritorno has been dishing out Italian fare and seasonal tasting menus on Central Avenue for the last 10 years in its cozy, brick-laden atmosphere.

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UPDATED: 06/21/234:13 p.m. Updated to make clear that beef tallow will be utilized in the dessert.