A long-overdue dinner at Tampa's award-winning Rocca
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From left, the tortello all'uovo, tagliolini al ragu and agnolotti. Photo: Kathryn Varn/Axios
We were already feeling sheepish about not having tried Rocca when it was awarded a Michelin star in 2023.
- Then, in March, the James Beard Awards named owner Bryce Bonsack a finalist in the Best Chef: South category. We made a reservation that day.
State of yum: It finally came on Sunday, and from the fantastic service alone, we knew we were in for an elevated experience.
Best bites: The starters rocked our world. The bread with lemon butter ($8) was heavenly. The broccolini ($25), recommended by our server, was also fire.
- And the mozzarella cart ($49), in which a staffer pulls a giant hunk of mozz tableside, is That Girl.
- In the pasta department, Kathryn loved the tortello all'uovo ($26) and agnolotti ($28).
Plus: Don't sleep on the cocktails! We loved the puttanesca martini ($20), flowers in her hair ($18) and love language ($18).
Yes, but: We weren't as impressed with the tagliolini al ragu ($28) and the linguine al tonno ($34).
- Don't get us wrong — we still cleared our plates — but they weren't on the same level as the other dishes.
8-word review: Would go back for the mozz cart alone.
If you go: Reservations are highly recommended.