A close-up photograph of a smiling man with a beard and dark hair, wearing a white chef's coat with light tan suspenders and a light tan baseball cap worn backward. He is indoors, framed by abstract art on the wall and a large houseplant to his right.
Chef Mario Brugnoli. Credit: Courtesy of Volta Wine

A St. Pete dinner series that feels straight out of “The Menu”—minus the murder, of course—has already sold out its first night. “Noctivore,” the new underground dining series from chef Mario Brugnoli and the founders of Volta Wine + Market, sold out its debut event before even opening its doors.

The limited dinner series debuts next week inside Brugnoli’s Eat Art Love restaurant. Though the name translates to “night-eater,” it happens at a reasonable 6:30 p.m.

Each evening seats only 10 guests around a communal table in a reimagined dining room designed to feel more like a secret supper club than a standard restaurant.

The multi-course tasting menu—typically six to seven courses—showcases ingredients sourced from St. Pete-based Brick Street Farms, St. Pete Microgreens and Blumenberry Farms in Sarasota, paired with rare wines curated by Volta Wine + Market co-founder and sommelier Zach Pace. 

Brugnoli, a Clearwater native who competed on Food Network’s “Chopped” last year and previously trained with the Michael Mina Group and at Michelin-starred Rocca, leads the kitchen. Volta, set to open at 400 Central in downtown St. Petersburg in 2026, is known for its small-production wines and events with settings curated down to the lighting, music, and design.

“We envisioned noctivore to feel like something you weren’t supposed to find—secretive and intimate, as much about fleeting indulgence as fine dining,” Pace said in a release.

While next Friday’s opening is sold out, tickets for Noctivore on Nov. 6 and Nov. 13 are still available at $182 per person, plus an 18% service charge and tax, and include all courses, wine pairings, and caviar. 

Guests can see menus and join the mailing list for future releases at noctivo.re.

Noctivore

Time Thu., Nov. 6, 6:30 p.m. and Thu., Nov. 13, 6:30 p.m.

Location Eat Art Love, 2209 6th Av.e S, St. Petersburg

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This article appears in Oct 2-8 2025.