Fentrice Driskell, the new Democratic party leader of the Florida House, will headline a pair of townhalls in New Tampa over the next two weeks.
The first town hall will be at the New Tampa Regional Library on Thursday, June 30, at 6 p.m., followed by a town hall at Tampa Palms’ Compton Park on Wednesday, July 6, also at 6 p.m.
Rep. Driskell will be joined by District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera and State Sen. Janet Cruz, who is seeking reelection in Senate District 14, a district that recently has been redrawn and now includes New Tampa.
Sen. Cruz, a Democrat, is running against Republican Jay Collins, who dropped his bid for Congress last week to challenge Cruz and picked up a quick endorsement from Gov. Ron DeSantis.
That effectively forced Hunter’s Green resident and fellow Republican Shawn Harrison, who had filed to run against Cruz in April, from the race,
Like Cruz, Driskell is running in a redrawn district, although it still includes New Tampa and USF. Instead of House District 63, the seat she won in 2018 and 2020, Driskell is now looking to secure House District 67.
She will be opposed by Democrat Dawn Douglas, who filed to run in May, and Republican Lisette Bonano, who filed last year.
For everyone (including yours truly) who has been waiting for more mom-&-pop-owned restaurants in our area, a few newcomers have debuted over the past 30 days and all are worth checking out.
Hungry Crab Juicy Seafood
Although I’m (sadly) allergic to more than half of the items on its menu, the second location of Hungry Crab Juicy Seafood Restaurant & Bar has opened in the former location of Kobe Japanese Steakhouse (and several other eateries) at 19601 BBD Blvd. at the front of the Pebble Creek Collection.
Bar areaSeafood boilSteamed oysters
Thankfully, I was able to try at least one of Hungry Crab’s make-your-own seafood boils — with 1/2-lb. of snow crab legs and 1/2-lb. of small clams (two types of shellfish that I don’t get allergic reactions to) in garlic butter. The seafood boils come with red potatoes and corn on the cob with your choice of flavor (I chose garlic butter only) and they all arrive at your table still tied up in a boil-in bag.
There also are fried starters like calamari and crab cakes and fried baskets, none of which I could try because all of the fried options are made in the same fryers. There’s also Hungry Crab festival options which are huge platters of everything from blue and dungeness crabs to lobster tail, green and black mussels and more.
For more info, call (813) 388-2862 or visit “Hungry-Crab-Juicy-Seafood-Bar-Tampa-FL” on Facebook.
Tessa’s Sweet Kafe
Although we told you it was supposed to be open as our May 31 issue hit mailboxes, it was another week or more before we could sample the delicious, homemade Korean food, desserts and boba teas at Tessa’s Sweet Kafe, now open in the former location of Gu Wei Noodle House (and Sukhothai before that) at 18101 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., Suite 100, across the street from the AMC 20 Movie Theater.
Tessa’s is owned and operated by Jennifer and Rory Kempink and features Jennifer’s takes on authentic Korean fare like kimbaps (Korean-style cooked sushi with beef bulgogi, pork katsu and other fillings), fried rice with your choice of beef, chicken, shrimp, egg or veggie, dumplings, coconut milk (which was awesome, by the way) and black tiger milk boba teas, strawberry and several other flavors of Korean bingsoo desserts and what may now be my favorite bone-in fried chicken in our area (middle photo, also by Charmaine George).
Although you also can get boneless or bone-in fried chicken with your choice of sauces already on the chicken, try the bone-in “Gary’s Way,” with the sauce on the side. The chicken is so crispy and crunchy outside, but moist and tender inside, that I will need a “fix” of it pretty much every week. I do love the sweet & spicy sauce (and the Korean radish salad that comes with it), but can easily eat this huge portion of chicken with no sauce at all.
For more information, call (813) 898-0277 or order online through UberEats or Postmates.
Oishi Express Sushi & Hibachi Grill
Another newcomer is the very tasty Oishi Express Sushi & Hibachi Grill, which opened last month in the space previous occupied by Luv Fresh (and Petra Mediterranean Express before that) at 17503 Preserve Walk Ln., Suite B, in the New Tampa Commons plaza.
Although they don’t put on the show by making your hibachi steak, chicken (photo), shrimp, salmon or veggies tableside, everything is freshly made to order and delicious, using quality ingredients.
Jannah and I also have enjoyed Oishi’s California roll, but be sure to try the thick-sliced red snapper sashimi — it’s excellent. Looking forward to trying more sushi, appetizers (I’ve only sampled the tasty gyoza dumplings so far) and even the chicken katsu. For info, call (813) 866-1300 or order online through UberEats or Postmates.— GN
As the much-anticipated KRATE container park at The Grove in Wesley Chapel is finally opening, people are flocking there to try all kinds of food and check out little shops. As they wander through the rows of converted containers, they also can pop into Budget Blinds for inspiration on how they might transform their home with blinds, shades, shutters and drapes.
Wesley Chapel residents Adriane and Mike Wonderlin own one of the top Budget Blinds franchises in the country, serving a territory that stretches all the way north to San Antonio and south to Palmetto and includes showrooms on W. Fletcher Ave. (near I-275, two exits south of Wesley Chapel’s S.R. 56 exit) and in Riverview, covering nearly 90 zip codes.
The Wonderlins employ a team of nearly 40 people, including design associates who come to your home with what Adriane describes as “a ton of samples” to help determine the best look and functionality for window coverings in your home.
But, for anyone who isn’t quite ready to have a design consultant come to their homes, a quick visit to Budget Blinds at KRATE will allow you to see the many possibilities.
Adriane describes it as almost like a kiosk, where visitors can see videos of the products in motion on the TVs, ask questions about how something functions or how it would look, and learn about the different types of window treatments.
There is a variety of styles from which to choose. Blinds come in vinyl, wood, fabric, faux wood and aluminum. Shutters are made from real wood or composite material that will not fade or warp.
In June, Budget Blinds is offering a special that gives anyone purchasing plantation shutters a free upgrade to an “invisible tilt” option, which eliminates the rod that typically runs down the middle of the shutters. The invisible tilt allows for an unobstructed view and is typically an expensive upgrade, but is being offered completely free for the month of June.
If you prefer shades, you can choose from roller, pleated, Roman, cellular, woven wood, bamboo, sheer, solar or graphic, plus a variety of panels, valances and drapes.
All of these options can be explored at the Wesley Chapel KRATE location, where Adriane says she and Mike are excited to support the growing Wesley Chapel community.
“It’s almost like its own downtown area for Wesley Chapel,” she says. “You can bring your kids and your dog and come to a friendly area where people are gathered together. A couple of years ago there was nothing like that here.”
Adriane says Budget Blinds signed its lease for a spot in the KRATE container park in December 2019, hoping to open by the summer of 2020. After a number of delays – including, of course, the Covid pandemic – the park is finally coming to life and with more than 70 percent of the converted shipping containers ready to go, the Grove has scheduled an official Grand Opening for June 4 (see pg. 12).
“A lot of these local small businesses have been around for a long time, but you only see them in passing as a food truck, for example,” Adriane says. “They haven’t had the opportunity to be open year ‘round, until now.”
She hopes that as others gather and enjoy the area – even if they’re not shopping for window treatments – they may stop in and be inspired.
“There’s always a new trend,” she says. “You can always come in and see it because we’ll be switching up the displays.”
The trends right now, Adriane says, are motorization and draperies.
“The functionality of the shutter is great and the look is classic,” she says, “but now we’re adding a soft piece of fabric, too. In the 80s and 90s, draperies were everywhere, but in the 2000s, no one did drapes because it looked like your mother’s house. But now, it’s back.”
She says that motorization continues to improve, with motors that are nearly completely silent and a trend that continues to make these “smart home” features more affordable.
For high places you can’t reach, motorization is ideal. It’s also great for businesses to set times to automatically open as the business opens, or to automate window shades to help kids or teenagers wake up in the morning.
With these options, you can use the traditional wand in the window, or you can use a smartphone, remote, wall switch or even voice command to open or close your window coverings.
While Adriane says you can get ideas from the showrooms or the container at KRATE, the best way to determine the ideal products for your unique home is for the design consultant to spend time there with you.
Kristine Dugas, who lives in Land O’Lakes, says she has used Budget Blinds twice and they have now covered almost every window in her house. She says she highly recommends the company.
“Budget Blinds was by far the best value and had the best selection,” says Kristine. “They have tons of selections to choose from, and the design process was fun and easy.”
She says the designer who came to her home was on time, professional and helpful, and so were the installers, who left everything clean and tidy when they finished the job.
“My experience with the office, customer service and communication with Budget Blinds was top notch,” Dugas says. “If I had any questions, they got back to me right away, the ease of scheduling my appointments to work around my busy schedule was wonderful.”
Budget Blinds was founded in 1992 in Orange County, CA, and has more than 1,000 franchises in the U.S. and Canada. The Wonderlins’ franchise, which they purchased in 2018, was awarded Budget Blinds’ national Franchise of the Year for 2020, the franchise’s third such honor since 2016.
To schedule a complimentary in-home consultation or learn more about the June promotion of a free upgrade to invisible tilt on plantation shutters, call (813) 968-5050. For now, the KRATE location is only open on the weekends. Call (813) 340-3360 to check when it’s open. For more information, follow @BudgetBlindsofGreaterTampa on Facebook or Instagram or visit BudgetBlinds.com/NorthTampa.
Dr. Mark Farina of Farina Orthodontic Specialists has 26 years of experience but is always adding new technologies at his three local offices, including one each in Tampa Palms and Wesley Chapel. (Photos: Charmaine George)
Over the course of the last 26 years, Mark Farina, D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine) has built a reputation as one of the finest and most respected orthodontists in Tampa Bay. And, while that has helped him make a great living, he now finds even more joy in the services he provides for free as part of his Smiles For The Soul foundation.
“We’re transitioning from our success to significance,” says Dr. Farina, the long-time New Tampa and Wesley Chapel orthodontist who estimates he has fixed more than 20,000 smiles.
But, what’s the point of a great smile if there’s nothing to smile about? To that end, Farina takes great pleasure in helping those with unfortunate circumstances, like wiping clean the bill of the mother whose son has just died, or bringing a former Navy Seal to tears with a free smile as a thank you for his service, or for many others who have been nominated to receive assistance from Smiles For The Soul.
“It’s just wonderful to give back,” Dr. Farina says. “These are the stories that make me the happiest. Seeing the reactions and seeing the different ways we help — that’s powerful stuff.”
Farina’s success has opened many doors, including those at his modern, cubist-style office on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. between the Shops at Wiregrass and AdventHealth Wesley Chapel.
Virtual appointments are popular at Farina Orthodontics.
The three-floor, 16,000-sq.-ft. building is a testament to his success and his vision for the future. Farina Orthodontic Specialists operates out of the building’s first floor, and half of the second floor has offices handling oral maxillofacial surgery, periodontics and implant dentistry (with Dr. Matthew Waite, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Joyce and Dr. James Wilson) as well as endodontics (root canals) with Dr. Christian Kamaris and Dr. Frank Delgado.
The other half of the second floor has recently been completed, housing the office’s communications and support center. It will serve as a training center for other doctors nationwide and locally and will host speakers and even conferences. There are two 85–foot screens for presentations, and easily movable furniture that allows the space to be reconfigured for various needs.
Dr. Farina says the office is right out of what you might see at a start-up in Silicon Valley, or even at Google.
The entire building is set up as a multi-interdisciplinary facility, where all of the specialties can come together to give a treatment plan and the best possible outcomes for patients.
Orthodontics, however, are still the engine that drives Farina Orthodontic Specialists.
Top-notch customer service, clear and concise consultations and a friendly waiting room offering a beverage bar and iPads are a precursor to the advanced services offered by Dr. Farina and his professional staff.
A 3D impressionless scanner at Farina Orthodontic Specialists can create a digital 3D model of your teeth in minutes. An i-CAT 3D Machine takes a 3D image of not just the patient’s teeth, but also the bones and airways in his or her head. Best of all, the process takes all of five seconds.
An iTero 3D impressionless scanner can create a digital 3D model of your teeth in three minutes — without the need for that traditional, dreadful goop.
The 3-D printers also can produce tooth aligners and retainers on site.
“We have always been at the forefront of new technology,” Farina says.
In addition to traditional braces, Farina Orthodontic Specialists uses the Invisalign® brand of clear aligners. Farina says that today, most of his patients (60-70 percent) are fitted with Invisalign®, and advances in that area have led to a rapid growth in the number of adults, particularly men, who now visit his practice.
In fact, Dr. Farina says he is the top Invisalign® provider in the area, and one of just a few orthodontists nationwide who has reached Elite Status with Invisalign®.
Dr. Farina also offers his own trademarked system, called ClearTech, which is designed for “touch ups” and more minor tooth movements and relapses.
Those are just a few of the hi-tech options available, with more to come. Farina says his practice will soon start using DentalMonitoring, where a patient is given a ScanBox Pro to use at home and their teeth can be monitored remotely.
“It will map the movements of your teeth,” Dr. Farina says. “It’s pretty awesome stuff.”
It’s a big part of the growth of virtual care, which Farina Orthodontic Specialists emphasizes. Not only does it offer a virtual smile assessment and consultation from the practice’s website (FarinaSmiles.com), it also uses Zoom calls to save some patients a trip to the office.
The new technologies have allowed Dr. Farina to double the number of patients he now sees, he says.
Farina Orthodontic Specialists also treats sleep apnea and snoring, both of which can be the result of an obstructed airway. The imaging also can detect airway development problems in children.
Dr. Farina earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from Boston College in Boston, MA. He earned his D.M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia and did his post-graduate orthodontic training at New York University in New York City, NY.
He also has received advanced training in the integrated diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, and has served on research teams at both New York University and Penn to help find new and better ways to solve orthodontic problems.
His training has led to his successful career, and while he has always been charitable, that success has allowed him to focus more on making a difference with Smiles For The Soul.
And, that new charitable endeavor is what brings a smile to his face.
“It’s all very gratifying,” Dr. Farina says. “As this point for me, it’s not really work anymore, it’s just fun.”
For appointments and more information about the Tampa Palms (15303 Amberly Dr.), Wesley Chapel (2370 BBD Blvd., Suite A) or any of the three locations of Farina Orthodontic Specialists, call (813) 972-2929 or visit FarinaSmiles.com.
As a little girl in Costa Rica, Heidi Esquivel would make salads for her parents because it was all that was in the house.
She would pour her heart and soul into each bowl of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, often cutting up red peppers to make them look fancy and shaping other simple vegetables to look like beautiful flowers.
“I wanted to make my mom and dad proud,” Heidi says. “It was my way of saying ‘I love you,’ with food.”
It took years for Heidi’s artistic skills to manifest themselves as a caterer specializing in elaborate and gorgeous charcuterie and cheese boards, but today, as the owner of Yummy Tablas at the KRATE at the Grove Container Park in Wesley Chapel, she has found her calling.
Although she started her business online during the pandemic, and grew a large following thanks to Instagram — “my best friend” she calls the social media app — she now has fulfilled a dream by owning a store of her own.
“To see the people come through the door, to see the faces, the reaction, it’s just wonderful,” Heidi says, pointing to a couple sitting outside, enjoying a glass of what she calls “the best wine at the KRATEs” on the outdoor patio. “It’s her birthday, so he brought her here for a little glass of wine. She is so happy. Those moments make me so happy.”
Developer Mark Gold says he didn’t start the KRATE just to fulfill his own personal dreams — he did it in part to help make the dreams of others more accessible.
When he announced his project in October 2019, offering converted shipping containers as business opportunities with monthly rents starting at around $1,500, he instantly received a flurry of emails and phone calls from small business owners. Or, in the case of Heidi, prospective first-time folks who couldn’t otherwise afford to rent a space for a business of their own.
In fact, roughly 30 percent of the nearly 50 businesses that make up KRATE at the Grove are run by first-timers.
“I saw the price and the whole thing looked so cute, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, I can afford that!,’” Heidi says. “I came here right away and fell in love with the whole project. And now, I’m here.”
Before that, Heidi had struggled for years waiting for her opportunity, cleaning homes and working in construction. When she went out with husband Ronnie, a physician she married five years ago, and people asked what she did, she was mortified.
“It was so sad, it was embarrassing,” Heidi says. “I just didn’t want to continue saying that. I wanted to be somebody…I was almost 40 and I needed to find my passion.”
While entertaining friends and family, Heidi always presented her food with flair. Her guests always raved about her displays, and Ronnie also encouraged her to start her business online.
Her concept of “grazing boards,” where friends and family could gather around while nibbling on meats, crackers, cheeses, fresh fruit and honey and jam, struck a chord with people during the pandemic, when people were stuck at home.
“My friends were right,” she says. “It just took off.”
But, when she read the first story about the KRATEs in the Neighborhood News, she knew a “little shop” is what she really wanted.
“Mark Gold was excited about it, and I’m so excited about it, too,” Heidi says. “To have people come and have some cheese and a glass of wine, share memories, laugh, tell stories, spend time with family….that’s what I’m really excited about.”
Tracy DiMillo
Urban Sweets
Heidi’s path is similar to Tracy DiMillo’s, who had built a large local following — in two different states — with her decadent desserts. She, too, was entertaining a friend when it was suggested in October 2019 that she open her own place.
“She asked me if I had read about this guy who just bought The Grove and was going to do containers,” Tracy says. “She sent me the link to the story, I read it on a Sunday, emailed them on Monday and was in their offices talking to them on Friday.”
On Dec. 6, 2019, Tracy and her husband John signed a lease for Urban Sweets, a KRATE container specializing in cupcakes and layered desserts.
It was a long journey for Tracy, a stay-at-home mom of three (now grown) children looking for an outlet.
It started in 1999 with a cake decorating class at Jo-Ann’s Fabrics in Brandon, but soon, Tracy was teaching the classes. A Tampa Palms resident at the time, she sold her desserts locally and online as Creative Cakes. When John, a salesman for a major alcohol distributor, was transferred to Fairfield, CT, she jumped on the just-taking-off cake pops craze with The Pop Shop, making and selling the treats out of a commercial kitchen.
The Dimillos moved back to Florida in 2015, with Tracy unsure what to do next. She baked for neighbors and parties and thought often of opening her own shop. She even had business cards made for Urban Sweets in 2018, “just to put it out into the universe and keep my dream moving forward.”
The Dimillos were fans of Sparkman Wharf, a smaller container park on Channelside Dr. in downtown Tampa that opened in late 2018. While strolling around the container park that year, she fell in love: “I told John I see myself in a container at Sparkman.”
A year later, however, Gold rolled into town. Like Heidi, Tracy also read the article in the Neighborhood News and was gobsmacked.
“If you have a dream, let’s make it happen,” Gold said at the time. “This is your mom-and-pop opportunity, your dream….I want to help people come to us. Let me help you.”
Those words hit Tracy like one of her cookie butter cake parfaits hitting your taste buds.
“I read it and I could swear he was talking to me,” Tracy said. “He said things like he was appealing to new business owners, appealing to smaller business owners….after wanting to open a store for 15 years, I just thought, this is it. I felt like it was a lightning bolt.”
In fact, that’s the exact phrase — “lightning bolt” — she used in her email to Gold to describe her interest. She didn’t even have her sugary concoctions thought out yet. But, she had a name, that box of business cards and she was ready.
“I just knew, after 23 years, I felt like I knew what people liked.”
Urban Sweets opened in late May to positive reviews. With a few thousand people to please for the KRATES’ opening day on June 4 (see page 20), Tracy was eager for her official debut as a business owner.
“It’s a dream come true,” Tracy says. “I know that sounds super cheesy, but that’s how I feel.”
Monica Russo
Maeberry Co.
Monica Russo has shared a similar dream for just as long, imagining herself as a clothing buyer since she was a little girl.
For years, she envisioned being a children’s clothing buyer for a big department store like Nordstrom or Dillard’s (and she worked at both for a time).
Pregnant and bed-ridden during Covid-19, Russo decided to become a buyer…for herself. In 2021, she started a website, MaeBerry Co., that sold children’s clothing and accessories.
Later that year, a friend told her about the KRATE at The Grove, and thought she should go all the way and open her own shop. So, she contacted the KRATE’s management, was put on a waiting list, and after twice declining because she wasn’t sure she was ready, she took the keys to her KRATE in January.
“I knew when they asked a third time, I had to do it,” Monica says. “I just went with what my heart was telling me.”
The decision has been the right one. With help from dad George Leach, who assisted getting the business going and chips in with babysitting, husband George Rocek and daughter Alyssa, who is 17 and works in the shop, business has been bustling.
Monica says business at MaeBerry Co. has been so good, in fact, she wishes she had chosen a larger container. Her eco-friendly infant and children’s clothing, many made with soft, breathable and chemical-free bamboo, and by high-end companies like Posh Peanut and Itzy Ritzy, have been popular among shoppers.
“This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” Monica says. “So far it’s been everything I have dreamed of.”
