When Bella Brava re-opened early in 2008, we headed out to give a re-review to the popular downtown St. Pete Italian joint. We had problems with the place, but nothing compared to the vehement debate that started in the comments section of the article. Sixteen people posted (not counting the two we had to remove that were submitted by people pretending to be the owners) — from supporters of former chef Mario Maggi to disgruntled customers to diners who appreciated some of the changes. Several posts came from people claiming to be former employees, which caused actual owners Dyce Craig and Michael Venturo to put up a lengthy rejoinder, directly addressing criticisms, trashing Maggi and calling out several commenters by name. Not surprisingly, that only fanned the flames. tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/bella_brava_s_chef_change_up/Content?oid=414606
This article appears in Sep 10-16, 2008.
