Bocelli Modern Italian will open second location in Largo
/Bocelli Modern Italian, which opened in South Tampa in 2022, will open a second location in Largo | Google Maps
Bocelli Modern Italian, the South Tampa restaurant known for its housemade pastas, live music, and Utica-style chicken riggies, is opening a second location in downtown Largo.
The restaurant is planned for 40 West Bay Drive at Horizon West Bay, Largo’s new mixed-use development anchored by City Hall.
Managing Partner Michael Mythack said Bocelli hopes to open between March and April 2027.
The 6,400-square-foot restaurant will include a full-liquor bar, private dining room, outdoor seating, and a larger kitchen than the South Tampa location.
Mythack said the Largo location, which is currently in the design and permitting phase, will carry forward the feel of Bocelli’s South Tampa restaurant, which he describes as an approachable, family-oriented neighborhood restaurant rather than a white-tablecloth fine-dining destination.
“We’re not upscale. We’re mid-scale,” Mythack said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We’re a neighborhood restaurant in South Tampa. It’s nice inside. The aesthetic is beautiful. We have live music three days a week.”
Bocelli plans to offer live music inside the Largo restaurant several times a week, primarily with solo performers. The lineup could include anything from jazz and soul to country and songs from the 1970s through the 2000s, with the team looking to connect with artists in Largo and elsewhere in Pinellas County.
Bocelli’s chicken riggies, a regional pasta dish with chicken, Pecorino Romano, red onions, sweet and hot peppers, marinara, and rigatoni pasta | Bocelli
The menu will largely mirror Bocelli’s South Tampa location, with Italian classics across antipasti, salads, pasta, pizza, entrées, sandwiches, and desserts.
Guests can expect meatballs and arancini, chicken and veal parmesan, wood-fired pizzas, and heartier dishes like filet mignon and short rib, followed by cannoli or tiramisu.
Its best-selling dishes include cavatelli alla vodka and bolognese, while its housemade selections include spaghetti, ravioli, and gnocchi.
The restaurant also serves several dishes connected to Utica, New York, where its chef is from, including chicken riggies, a regional pasta dish with chicken, Pecorino Romano, red onions, sweet and hot peppers, marinara, and rigatoni pasta.
The larger Largo kitchen should allow the restaurant to expand its catering business, particularly for corporate lunches, City Hall staff, and private events.
Mythack said that opportunity is less available near the South Tampa restaurant, where there are fewer offices.
Bocelli opened in South Tampa in 2022 by Mythack and partners Michael Cardoni, Lucas Krillies, and Scott Smith. The group also operates a smaller outpost at Tampa General Hospital’s food court.
Bocelli offers a selection of wood-fired pizzas | Bocelli
For Mythack, the Largo opening is about more than adding another restaurant. He hopes Bocelli can become part of a full evening out for nearby families, much like its South Tampa location, where a Strachan’s Ice Cream shop sits next door.
“It’ll be like a destination,” Mythack said. “We made it like a destination in South Tampa. Like, ‘Oh, we’re gonna go get some food, listen to music, and then we’re gonna have some ice cream with our family.’ And I’m hoping that that’s going to be the same thing.”
The City of Largo approved a 10-year lease with Bocelli on August 18th and will reimburse up to $1.6 million of the restaurant’s buildout costs. Mythack said the complete buildout is expected to cost more than $2 million.
Bocelli will join Live at Dead Bob’s and Louis Pappas Fresh Greek as forthcoming restaurants at Horizon West Bay. Parlor Doughnuts, Strachan’s Ice Cream, and wellness studio The Tox have already opened at the mixed-use development.
