South Westshore gets a fresh taste of Italy with Babbaluci

Authentic. Fresh. Intimate. Babbaluci. This Italian kitchen and lounge just opened up its doors in early May and has come blazing out of the gates. People from all over the greater Tampa area are flocking to south Westshore to get a taste of all the best Italy has to offer.

One thing is for sure–when you dine with the Babbaluci family, you won’t leave hungry.

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Pasta made by hand daily

Fresh really is the name of the game at this Italian eatery. Every morning, the kitchen embarks on the journey of making handmade pasta. Anyone who has ever made pasta from scratch knows that it is pure labor. But at Babbaluci, it is a labor of love. From soft and doughy gnocchi to long and lean linguine, the taste and texture of the pasta goes unmatched.

The real fun begins after the pasta is made. It can be topped with a rich and meaty bolognese or even stuffed with pears and gorgonzola cheese. But the real star of all the pasta dishes goes by the name of La Malafemmina. 

This dish features cerignola olives, capers, anchovies, and preserved Italian tuna. All these items are sautéed together with fresh garlic and cherry tomato sauce, then topped over house-made fettuccine.

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Food from farm-to-fork 

Besides the handmade pasta and delicacies from the sea, Babbaluci no doubt has amazing meats from the farm as well. Whether that be veal pounded, breaded and pan-fried, or lamb shank that has been slow braised, you can’t go wrong with anything in the secondi section of the menu.

In fact, the standout of the secondi section is the Braciole di Maile con Peperoni. This is a thick cut pork chop with roasted sweet peppers and wild mushrooms that the chef considers to be his signature dish.

After you’ve had your fill, there is no need to rush home to Netflix and chill and/or digest. Feel free to pop upstairs to the lounge and full bar to catch live music every weekend. At Babbaluci, you can indulge in true Italian fare, grab a drink and undoubtedly have a good time.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to cross the Atlantic the next time you want Italian.

Babbaluci is located at 3671 South Westshore Blvd in Tampa.