Although I also love a lot of places for their sushi, my favorite Asian restaurants have to have other favorite dishes, like the hibachi filet at Kobé, the NY-style BBQ spare ribs at Liang’s, the pork chop rice dish at Ha Long Bay, the crispy duck at Arroy Thai and the gyoza (photo) and other appetizers at Zukku-San.
1. Zukku-San
2. Kobé Japanese Steakhouse
3. Liang’s Bistro
4. Ha Long Bay
5. Arroy Thai
6. Yamato
7. Sushi Café
8. Gorkhali Kitchen
9. Thai Lanna
10. Crazy Sushi
Research by Joel Provenzano
In our July 25 issue, we told you about two new rental apartment complexes (called Lantana and Sage) on Cypress Cay Blvd., a new road which connects to 42nd St. off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. a little south of Tampa Palms.
At that time, we also mentioned a third community, to be called The Cottages at Cypress Cay, which is located at the northwest end of Cypress Cay Blvd., but we didn’t know too much about it.
Well, the first residents have begun moving into The Cottages and I was excited to tour this unique, new community.
Unlike most apartment complexes, The community offers not just multiple 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartment unit floor plans, but also a large variety of different building types and elevations those units call home.
For example, there are two rustic-looking (but very modern) 3-bedroom single-family cottages and eight 3-bedroom cottage twins that look nothing like your average apartment building, plus two-story townhomes, as well as four 12-unit multiplexes that look more like traditional apartment buildings than the rest of the community among its 198 total units on 21.93 acres.
According to leasing agent Nicholas Fernandez, who took me on the tour, the concept of The Cottages is “rental living that feels more like single-family-home living with much more access to outdoor activities.”
He added that every unit offers a Google-based Ring doorbell system and that the clubhouse at the entrance to the community includes two PC and two Apple computers, a printer, a coffee area, a bumper pool table that doubles as a poker table and a 24/7 fitness room. Outside the clubhouse is a large pond that has a golf chipping green and floating golf balls, a large pool with an electric BBQ grill on its deck and more.
“The Cottages at Cypress Cay combines the feel of having a single-family home with a resort-style rental apartment lifestyle,” Fernandez said.
He also said that there is not only ample parking throughout the well-spread-out complex, but also 50 covered garage spaces.
In other words, the Cottages at Cypress Cay lives up to its claim of being a different rental complex, especially if you like a tranquil community, units with tall ceilings and large fenced-in patios with turf, instead of grass.
For leasing and more information about The Cottages at Cypress Cay (15081 Cypress Cay Blvd.), call (813) 771-8006 or visit TheCottagesatCypressCay.com.
This is one of the categories I neglected to include for our Reader Survey this year. Even though not all of the places on my list qualify as restaurants (e.g., Bakery X and Urban Sweets), these are all great KRATEs for food.
1. Pisco Express (photo)
2. Blush Wine Room
3. Urban Sweets
4. Bakery X
5. The Bacon Boss HQ
6. Café Zorba
7. Chamo Bites
8. Ato
9. Mojo Grill
10. Tacos El Patron
As a native New Yawka, although I have nothing against other kinds of pizza — and there are lots of good options for those other types in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel — pizza to me has a thin crust, a certain kind of mozzarella (only) cheese and a certain tomato sauce taste. Some places have it but most simply don’t.
However, all of the places on the list below come pretty close to the pizza I loved most in my home state, with NY NY coming closest of all.
2. Amici Pizza
3. 900º Woodfired & NY Pizza
4. Fratelli’s
5 (tie). PizzaMania
5. (tie) Taste of NY Pizza
“Last year, the city held a joint Christmas/Hanukkah celebration here” District 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera told a small crowd of about 50 people at the New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms, “but this year, I thought it made sense to do separate Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations in New Tampa.”
Viera said that this year, in light of the Israel-Hamas war that began in October, he asked the city to give New Tampa’s Jewish residents their own celebration of the “Festival of Lights” on Dec. 11.
“But, what was really heartwarming was how many people who attended the event weren’t Jewish, but were there to support their Jewish friends and learn more about Hanukkah.”
The candle-lighting ceremony was led by Tampa Palms residents Tracy and Steve Falkowitz, who told the story of Hanukkah and the significance of the nine-candle menorah. Lighting the candles were girls from Tampa Gymnastics & Dance Junior Showstars. Also speaking were Viera and Cindy Spahn from Tampa Jewish Family Services. In addition, on hand were Tampa Parks & Recreation interim director Tony Mulkey, a Rabbi from the Tampa Torah Academy and a representative of the Bryan Glazer Family Jewish Community Center.
“I wanted to show support for our Jewish friends, who are still reeling from the Hamas invasion of Israel,” Viera said. “The city stands against the recent increase in anti-Semitism throughout the U.S., even as it supports people of all religions, cultures and races.”
Attendees also got to tour the Rec Center (17302 Commerce Park Blvd.), which was buzzing with activity.
