Nibbles and Bytes

More Italian, Honest!

Oronzo Honest Italian is expected to open in late-April in the old Men’s Wearhouse store in the Walk at Highwoods Preserve on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

Dan Bavaro, who founded Bavaro’s Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria in downtown Tampa in 2009, is teaming up with the Front Burner Brands restaurant group on the fast-casual Italian concept. 

“Oronzo is named after my grandfather, Oronzo Bavaro, who migrated from Giovinazzo, Italy, to Gravesend, Brooklyn, New York, in the early 1900s,” said Bavaro in a press release. “My grandfather established Oronzo & Sons General Trucking Company, which made deliveries to area grocery stores and restaurants.”

Front Burner Brands owns The Melting Pot and Burger 21 franchises. Its CEO, Bob Johnston, said in the release that when he first met Bavaro, “We knew there was something special about him.”

The menu at Oronzo’s will focus on from-scratch recipes, many featuring Piadana, a thin Italian flatbread whose dough is made by mixing imported Italian flour, water and lard or olive oil and then grilled and sandwiched around a number of different fillings. The menu will also have chicken, steak, hand-rolled meatballs, Forza bowls and homemade pasta, as well as vegan options like zucchini noodles. — JCC

Lima Opens In El Pescador’s Place!

Quick, which cuisine is widely regarded as the finest of Latin America? No, it’s not Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican or Colombian.

If you want to find out the answer, head to the new Lima Restaurant, which is located in the former El Pescador location in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza, near the Mobil gas station. Lima, owned by Oscar Escudero and his family, is named, of course, for the capital of Peru and yes, Peruvian food is world-famous for unique flavors like the best rotisserie chicken and the most incredible fish and seafood ceviche. 

At Lima both dishes live up to their lofty reputations. The chicken has a crispy coating and even though the chicken itself is extremely well done, it’s still juicy inside, and is served with two different, moderately spicy dipping sauces. Since I can’t eat the seafood ceviche, I got the mahi-mahi ceviche marinated in a trio of different sauces, with those incredible giant Aztec corn kernels (think corn nuts, only better). If you order either of these dishes and hate them, tell Oscar to call me and I’ll come get ‘em!

For more info, stop in or call Lima (19062 BBD) at (813) 304-0205. — GN   

Aldi, Aussie Grill, Bonefish & Carrabba’s (& More), Oh My!

Despite Earth Fare’s closing, there’s still plenty of action happening these days on both the north and south side of S.R. 56 just west of I-75, but nothing is more anticipated than the Aldi grocery store taking shape in front of Costco.

Although no grand opening date has been announced, the signs are up on the outside of the building that looks to be just a few weeks away from opening.

Right across S.R. 56, a number of eateries are going vertical in the Cypress Creek Town Center, including three Bloomin’ Brands restaurants — Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Aussie Grill by Outback (photo, left). The local Aussie Grill will be the first-ever freestanding location for the fast-casual eatery that currently only has kiosks at the International Plaza and the Brandon Town Center. After our Neighborhood News Online video came out about the progress on these restaurants three weeks ago, a comment on our Facebook page said that the Bonefish on BBD south of S.R. 56 would close when the new Bonefish opens, but we could not confirm that at our press time. — GN

 • In other news from this area of 56, according to permitting filed with Pasco County, Zukku Sushi is also opening in the Cypress Creek Town Center.

Zukku means “canvas” or “cloth” in Japanese and, according to the restaurant’s website, the rice is your canvas. With its first location inside the trendy Armature Works in South Tampa, Zukku specializes in sushi bowls and sushi. — JCC

HGE Opens Comfort Corner Sensory Room

The Comfort Corner at HGE is the Hillsborough County School District’s largest sensory room, thanks to the Sydney Has A Sister foundation.

For students who deal with sensory processing disorders such as autism, having a safe, comfortable space to calm down can make a difference in how successful that child is at school.

At Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE), to meet this need, a brand new sensory room was unveiled on January 30. While a few other schools throughout Hillsborough County also have sensory rooms, the one at He is housed in a large classroom, making it the largest in the District.

Dubbed the “Comfort Corner” — with fabric softening the room’s lights and translucent curtains dividing it into many separate spaces — it doesn’t feel like a classroom. Filled with quiet areas with dark spaces, hanging hideaway chairs, and weighted blankets, as well as active areas with fidget toys and fine motor skills activities, the room meets the many varied needs of diverse students.

“Some kids with autism have a sensory overload,” explains Joni Cagle, HGE’s Exceptional Student Education (ESE) teacher, “while others don’t get enough sensory input. We wanted a place for kids who have differences to feel safe and learn coping strategies to meet them where they are so we can help them to be successful at school.”

But, Joni is quick to add, “It’s not just for kids with labels.”

She says typical kids who get anxiety before a big test, for example, can come to the room and bounce on a ball for a few minutes to help reduce that anxiety.

David and Veronica Mardo have two kids at HGE, a daughter in third grade and a son with special needs in pre-Kindergarten.

“This will help my son for sure,” David says. “I think it’s great the school has something like this for him.”

To bring the Comfort Corner to the school, more than $8,000 worth of equipment – from bouncing balls to rope lights to a weighted blanket in the shape of a hamburger – was donated by a local foundation called Sydney Has A Sister, founded in 2014 by Ernie and Becky Black of Land O’Lakes.

Sydney Has A Sister was established to provide scholarships that recognize the sacrifices that typical children make when they have siblings with special needs, such as long hours in doctors’ waiting rooms.

It expanded its mission to help provide sensory rooms at schools after seeing one in Jacksonville.

“This is our fourth sensory room,” says Ernie. “Some other sensory rooms are a small room or even a longer hallway. The challenge is they don’t have enough space. This is what we envisioned. And, even though it’s large, we’ve created these nooks so it’s not as sterile and the space is intimate.”

He says every item chosen for the Hunter’s Green sensory room was intentional, based on the recommendations of specialists and what they have learned creating rooms at other schools.

“For example, the way the room has dividers,” explains Ernie. “There can be five kids in here that don’t feel like they’re in the same room. And, the curtains are transparent so the teachers can still supervise all of them.”

He and Veronica believe the Hunter’s Green Comfort Corner will be a model for future rooms.

“This is a place that gets kids geared up to learn and focus and gets them back into the classroom,” Ernie says. “That’s the whole point.”

He says that Sydney Has A Sister was able to fund the room through the generosity of its sponsors and fundraising events. 

In addition, a family at the school, who asked to not be named in this story, provided a donation to purchase additional needed furniture and supplies and ensure the ongoing success of the Comfort Corner. 

Joni says the total cost of the room is more than $10,000. The good news is that it’s already making a difference. 

“We’ve seen attention spans increase,” Joni says. “We’ve seen social skills increase. Fine motor skills. Gross motor skills. It really affects the whole child in a positive way.”

For more information, visit SydneyHasASister.com.