Nights With Geno

I was CRUSHED when I walked up to Italia Mia in St. Pete last month and the doors were locked. The pandemic has been a nightmare for Tampa area restaurants. Labor shortages and costs going up… it’s led to some great places closing their doors. The one that crushed me last month was when I visited Italia Mia in St. Pete. It has been my go to spot for great Chicken Parmesan ever since I moved to Florida 10 years ago. Truth be told, the last few visits were not so great, but I kept going thinking they were facing those pandemic problems I mentioned. Last month, I wanted to have Mason Dixon’s producer Andrew give the place a try. When I walked up, my heart sank. The doors were locked. It was dark inside. They were usually closed Mondays – but this wasn’t a Monday. And peeking through the windows, it was clear Italia Mia hadn’t been open for a few weeks if not months. A guy who runs a marital arts gym next to Italia Mia told me the new owners couldn’t make it work. New owners? This was news to me. I’d noticed st