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Founded in Brooklyn, Italian restaurant Nostro Ristorante is planning to open a new location here in Tampa, featuring relaxed, spacious indoor and outdoor dining and chef Agostino Ripa‘s authentic Italian cuisine.
“We’re building from the ground up,” Ripa, who also owns the restaurant, told What Now on Monday. “It’s going to be a nice Italian restaurant with a full bar and an outdoor patio. Everything is homemade: fresh pasta, fresh seafood, craft cocktails.”
Ripa was born in Naples, Italy, where he went to culinary school before relocating to the U.S. a little more than twenty years ago. Since then, he has worked in restaurants in Sarasota and New York City and says he’s looking forward to returning to the Greater Tampa Area.
The Brooklyn Nostro Ristorante location boasts fresh pasta dishes like Pappardelle Agnello (braised lamb with carrots, celery, and onions over pappardelle), and Gnocchi with kale pesto and toasted pine nuts. Entrees have included Salmone alla Griglia and Anatra (roasted duck breast with a raspberry reduction and goat cheese). Ripa says the menu will be updated but recognizable.
“We’re not aiming for a fancy restaurant,” Ripa said. “It’s going to be modern and casual, a place for everybody.”
Nostro Ristorante is working toward an opening this November in a brand-new building to be constructed at 5232 S Macdill Ave. The space will be designed by architect John Mistretta from Mi Collective.
