Last June, celebrity chef Fabio Viviani was preparing to open La Pergola, a highly anticipated Italian restaurant slated for downtown St. Pete, when one of his business partners became embroiled in scandal. After cutting all ties with Nocturnal Hospitality Group, Viviani is ready to announce an all-new restaurant concept for downtown St. Pete -- and this time, he’s in full control.

“I’ve learned that I need to be in charge, not a management company,” says Viviani. “Now that the project is in my hands, I can control everything from the operations to the culture.”

Taverna Costale will be a coastal Italian restaurant and bar with an emphasis on local seafood. It’ll also feature made-from-scratch pasta, pizza, and high-end cuts of prime and dry-aged steaks. The new restaurant will debut this winter on the ground floor of downtown St. Pete’s tallest office tower located at 200 Central Avenue.

After over 105 years in Ybor City, La Segunda Bakery and Café will open an outpost across the bay in St. Petersburg. The bakery, famous for their Cuban bread, will debut this fall at 2436 4th Street North.

At 1,820 square feet, the St. Pete location will be smaller than the Ybor City and South Tampa locations, but still have room for 40 seats inside and 40 seats outside. While the Ybor City location will continue to focus on wholesale baking and counter service, the St. Pete location will specialize in grab-and-go, delivery, and catering.