If nothing else, St. Pete is proof of at least one truth: there’s no such thing as too much pasta and pizza. La Dolce Vita Trattoria, now open at 2363 Central Avenue, is the latest entrant into St. Pete’s supremely delicious Italian dining scene.
You would be forgiven if you missed the news when it happened in March, even as you walked by. The location was home to another Italian concept, Matteo, for several years, so the immediate transition was certainly on the subtle side. In the last few weeks, however, the restaurant has rolled out the literal red carpet for guests, as a velvet-rope-lined red carpet stretches from the entryway to the sidewalk off Central Avenue.
Much like the entrance, everything else is also new, save the lengthy bar and open-air dining. New name, new owners, new chef, new offerings. It’s a new experience, and the team at the trattoria has made efforts to get that message across. It may be an Italian concept in the same space, but they are not the same thing as before.
The name, on the other hand, may be familiar to many. La Dolce Vita Trattoria now has three locations, with the St. Pete Beach and Clearwater restaurants pre-dating the new spot in St. Pete’s Grand Central District. In this respect, things are very much the same. If you’ve enjoyed those spots before, add the new one to your list…