By Arianna Smith
TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay is filled with transplants from all over New Jersey and New York, so why is it so hard to find good Italian food in Tampa? The simple answer is that it’s hard to find authentic Italian. It’s easy to buy a jar of sauce at the store and add some pasta, but it’s not the same as an old Italian grandma cooking fresh tomatoes into sauce for hours all day.
Rocca, located at 323 W. Palm Avenue in Tampa Heights, offers a unique and original dining experience. Executive chef and owner Bryce Bonsack has worked at multiple Michelin-star restaurants before opening his own. He studied abroad in Monforte d’Alba, Italy, where he learned traditional recipes and culture. Each item on Rocca’s menu correlates with Italian culture and what Italy represents. Each dish carries whispers of Northern Italy on beautifully hand-painted plates.
Rocca’s website states, “Our menu is deeply rooted in the classic Italian dining experience, underlining the undeniable connection between food and the people around the table.” Rocca’s food isn’t just a meal — it’s a comforting and cultural experience for the people of Tampa.
As staff greet customers with smiles and a hostess walks you to a table, you are overcome by paintings and greenery that mix with the aroma of fresh basil and rosemary. Every server I’ve had at Rocca seems like they genuinely love what they do. They are attentive and offer great recommendations without being overbearing. The general manager, Payton Harvey, walks around frequently with a smile on her face, ensuring Rocca’s best service at all times.
One of the highlights of the menu is the Mozzarella Cart, an experience that makes the restaurant authentic. An employee wheels the cart right to the table and makes fresh mozzarella from scratch right before your eyes. With boiling water and soft cheese curds sourced out of New Jersey, they transform simple ingredients into warm, pillowy mozzarella. The homemade mozzarella is accompanied by local Kumato tomatoes grown in Plant City, fresh basil, and 10-year aged balsamic vinegar, garnished with cracked pepper and sea salt. As you wait for your entrée, a piece of Grana Padano cheese is brought to each person at the table.
“A gift from the chef,” the server said. Gestures like this emerge from traditional Italian hospitality before even receiving your main course.
Each entrée is crafted with artistic value and edible creativity, and the Agnolotti is a must. Derived from Northern Italian descent, this dish offers a savory mix of meat and cheese-filled pasta, topped with crystallized breadcrumbs and fresh cherry tomatoes.
And as good as the entrées are, the desserts that follow are even better. Whether you order the burnt cheesecake or the pistachio gelato, you are delighted with every bite. The burnt cheesecake is a light and fluffy cheesecake with a dark brown top that adds the perfect texture. But if you’re looking for a small sweet treat after dinner, the pistachio gelato glazed in honey and topped with crunchy pistachio nuts is the perfect portion after a large meal. Both desserts seem simple, but are deeply complex with great taste.
Chef Bonsack has designed Rocca’s menu items to complement the beauty and authenticity of his restaurant. His small touches of culture go a long way in the Tampa Bay area, where truly authentic Italian is hard to come by. From the hospitality of the staff, the beauty of the restaurant, and the quality of the food, Rocca is well deserving of its Michelin star. I highly recommend visiting Rocca because it is truly an unforgettable dining experience.
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Photo courtesy of Arianna Smith.