Chef Fabio Viviani is headed to the ‘burg — again. When news broke in 2019 that the celebrity chef and Top Chef contestant was planning a restaurant in downtown St. Petersburg, it created a big buzz. At the time, Viviani was involved in several notable Tampa spots, including the celebrated Osteria Bar + Kitchen and the Latin-inspired Mole y Abuela.

A new Italian restaurant on the opposite side of the bay was welcome news to many St. Pete residents. That restaurant, La Pergola, never came to fruition. Viviani cut his ties to Tampa Bay in summer 2020, following a widely publicized scandal involving Nocturnal Hospitality Group, the local management company running three of his restaurants. All of those restaurants were shuttered, and future plans for La Pergola were quashed.