There are approximately one million Italian restaurants scattered across Tampa Bay, and most of them would very much like you to know they’re “authentic” while serving you something that would make a Milanese grandmother weep quietly into her risotto. So when a place actually has the credentials to back that claim up, it deserves your full attention.
Enter Luigi’s Kitchen.
If you’ve been paying close attention to South Tampa’s dining scene, this one isn’t entirely new. Luigi’s Kitchen was previously known as Trattoria Pasquale, which opened in 2012 and quietly built a devoted following along South Westshore Boulevard. (The name Trattoria Pasquale, for what it’s worth, was a tribute to Chef Luigi’s father, Pasquale Cavallaro, which is honestly one of the nicest things a person can do.) The same team also runs Tutto Tavola (6264 Winthrop Town Centre Ave) over in Riverview, which means these folks aren’t exactly stumbling through the Italian restaurant industry.
Photos via Luigi’s Kitchen…