One of the reasons traveling to Europe is on so many bucket lists is the lure of local gastronomy. I’ve never met anyone lucky enough to taste the bounty of the continent who isn’t wowed. Recently, I reported that Bulla Gastrobar was like a culinary visit to Spain.

And now, just weeks later, I can confirm that chef-partners Michael Mina and Don Pintabona have finally cracked the code at their FarmTable Kitchen, now FarmTable Cucina in downtown St. Pete. I had a chance to sit down with chef Mina when Ferran Adrià was in town, and he spoke of Locale Market and FarmTable’s niche in Tampa Bay evolving. The secret was to go full family-style Italian cucina — with breathtaking results.