2023 Neighborhood News Dining Survey & Contest (New Tampa)

Whether or not you’ve ever entered one of our previous Reader Dining Survey & Contests, I hope you’ll consider entering at least once this year.

Yes, while we still have at least three (there could be more) free dining prizes, from $35 to $100 — to the restaurant of your choice in the Tampa Bay area — we’re making it easier than ever before for you to enter.

Instead of a full page or more of different dining categories, all we’re asking you for is to answer one or two questions in any issue between now and Thursday, November 16, and you’ll receive an entry into those random prize drawings for each Survey question you answer.

This issue, we’ll start you off with two questions, each of which asks you for FIVE (5) different answers.

The first question, on this page, asks you to “Name your Five Favorite Restaurants (of any kind) located in New Tampa” (including all of zip code 33647 — Bruce B. Downs Blvd. from south of the Pasco County line to where E. Bearss Ave. meets Livingston Ave. — and all of Cross Creek Blvd.). 

For your entry to be valid to win prizes for these questions, you must name five different restaurants for each of them. If you only name one or two restaurants or fill in the name of the same restaurant in all five spaces for either question, you’ll only have one (or two) votes counted and your entry will not be eligible to win any of our prizes. Please also do not name restaurants located in Wesley Chapel as among your favorites in New Tampa or vice-versa.

Then, in each of the next five issues, we’ll ask you to name only one or two of your  favorites — for example, your Favorite Chinese Restaurant, Coffee Shop or Pizza Place — and we’ll give you one additional entry into our random prize drawings for each valid entry you submit. We feel as though this should stimulate more people to enter the contests, because the task won’t be as daunting as having to completely (or nearly completely) fill out an entire page of favorites — and doesn’t everyone who lives in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel have at least five favorite restaurants located in or near our distribution areas?

As always, there’s no purchase necessary to enter or win a prize. All we ask is that you follow the following rules:

1. Enter by clicking HERE and filling out the online survey form.

2. You can mail us your filled-out entry form (send it to “2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest,” 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544) or email it to us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. *Note-Entries filled out on our website do not need to be mailed or emailed to us.

3. Please check the addresses and zip codes of the restaurants you choose, as we will only consider votes for restaurants in zip code 33647, the portion of zip code 33559 (Lutz) on Bearss Ave., from BBD to Livingston Ave., and in the Oak Ramble Plaza (33613) as valid New Tampa votes, and only votes for restaurants located in zip codes 33543, 33544 and 33545 (Wesley Chapel) and zip code 33559 (Lutz, on S.R. 54 no further west than Oak Grove Blvd.) will be counted as valid “Wesley Chapel” votes.

4. In order to be eligible to win any of our free dining prizes to the restaurant of your choice, your entry form with a response to at least one of our questions over the next five months must include your full name, the community you live in (Hunter’s Green, Grand Hampton, etc.), a daytime phone number where you can be reached and your valid email address.

We look forward to seeing how this year’s contest shakes out. Good luck!

You can also click HERE to fill out the online form to tell us your favorite Wesley Chapel restaurants!

Totally Blu Pools For Pool Repairs, Supplies, Service & Even Lawn Care

Rashmi Maharaj and Sunil Mohammed are the husband-and-wife team that owns Totally Blu Pools, located in the Summertree Plaza off Eiland Blvd. and S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel. (All photos by Charmaine George).

Over the past 16+ years in the pool service business, Totally Blu Pools co-owner Sunil Mohammed says he’s seen it all.

His business has survived the last major U.S. recession (2008-09), the pool-building boom and supply chain shortages of the Covid era (2020-22) and pretty much everything in between.

So, what made Sunil and his wife Rashmi Maharaj decide to finally open their first-ever brick-and-mortar store in the Publix- and Home Depot-anchored Summertree Plaza at the corner of S.R. 54 and Eiland Blvd.?

“There are just so many new homes being built here in Wesley Chapel,” Sunil says. “And, most of them have swimming pools. I felt there was definitely room for a new mom-and-pop pool supply store here. Plus, we live 5-10 minutes away from the store.”

Unlike pool supply chain stores, Sunil is able to reassure his customers that he only carries quality pool supplies and will help them keep the water in their home pools clean, with the right pH levels and that he will stake his 16-year reputation on his ability to keep them happy.

“We give good service,” Sunil says, “and I know we have the best prices.”

And, Sunil adds that even though Home Depot is located in the same plaza, “the Home Depot guy is not our customer. He already knows what he’s looking for and wants to take care of his pool himself. We attract the customers who are new pool owners or who have no idea how to take care of their pools and who want to ask questions of someone who has that expertise.”

Sunil and Rashmi’s son Savir tests the quality of a customer’s pool water.

Part of that expertise is testing the pool water for what Sunil calls “the four basic food groups” of your pool — chlorine (or salt) level, the pH, as well as calcium and stabilizer levels. “We have everything you need to make sure that all four levels are properly balanced,” he says. “If all of those levels aren’t correct, you could have a problem.”

And, although Sunil says that he handles both residential and commercial clients, “We are really focused now on residential pools. Back in 2008-09, we had mostly commercial clients, but when that recession hit, we could have lost the business. So now, I’m very selective about taking on commercial clients. I have to know who they are.”

He adds that because of Totally Blu’s great reputation, some developers do get in touch with him to service or even help design their community pools, including Siena Cove and Bridgehaven here in Wesley Chapel.

Totally Blu Pools stocks a wide selection of pool cleaners. 

“I have licensed contractors working with me,” Sunil says, “so now, not only can I service your pool, I also can help complete, refinish or repair your pool. With all of the fallout from local pool companies that didn’t treat their customers fairly during Covid, we may even get into designing and installing pools in the future, too.”

Totally Blu Pools also has a current special on an ICHLOR salt chlorine generator from Pentair. Sunil says you can buy it for $1,000, “or, if you become a new service customer with me, I will install one for free. In that case, I would still own it and I’d take it back out if you fire me, but I know it’s a great deal. I love Pentair because the replacement parts for their systems are so much less expensive than others.”

Totally Green Lawns, Too

For the last four years, Sunil also has had his Totally Green Lawn Service. Even though he had never had a lawn service before, when one of his pool customers asked if he knew anyone who could cut their grass, he said he could do it. Four years later, he now has 700 residential lawn accounts, mostly in the Wesley Chapel area. 

“We cut, do the fertilizing and even pesticide application (in partnership with another company that is licensed to do that),” Sunil says. “We can take care of your pool and your lawn.”

Sunil adds that giving back to the community also is important to him, and he has raised funds to help buy ice time for the Wiregrass Ranch High hockey team that his son Savir plays for (although Savir actually attends Wesley Chapel High).

“We have helped people who couldn’t afford their lawn or pool service,” he says. “And we currently have a promotion where if you spend $50 with us, we’ll give you a $5 discount and match that with a $5 donation to a local elementary school in need.” 

Totally Blu Pools is located at 32781 Eiland Blvd. For more information, call (813) 788-7665, or visit totallybluh20.com.

Entering Our 2023 Reader Dining Survey & Contest Is Easier Than Ever!

Whether or not you’ve ever entered one of our previous Reader Dining Survey & Contests, I hope you’ll consider entering at least once this year.

Yes, while we still have at least three (there could be more) free dining prizes, from $35 to $100 — to the restaurant of your choice, no less — we’re making it easier than ever before for you to enter.

Instead of a full page or more of different dining categories, all we’re asking you for is to answer one or two questions in every issue between now and Thursday, November 16, and you’ll receive one entry into those random prize drawings for each Survey question you answer.

This issue, we’ll start with one question that asks you for FIVE (5) answers — “Name your Five Favorite Restaurants (of any kind) located in Wesley Chapel or near the Tampa Premium Outlets (aka Lutz).” 

For your entry to be valid, you must name five different restaurants. If you only name one or two restaurants or fill in the name of the same restaurant in all five spaces, you’ll only have one or two votes counted and your entry will not be eligible for any of our prizes.

Then, in each of the next five issues, we’ll ask you to name only one or two of your  favorites — for example, your Favorite Chinese Restaurant, Coffee Shop or Pizza Place — and we’ll give you one additional entry into our random prize drawings for each valid entry you submit. We feel as though this should stimulate more people to enter the contests, because the task won’t be as daunting as having to completely (or nearly completely) fill out an entire page of favorites.

As always, there’s no purchase necessary to enter or win a prize. All we ask is that you follow the following rules:

1. Enter by filling out the entry form in the issue or by filling the form out online by clicking HERE. 

2. You can drop your filled-out entry form in the mail (send it to “2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest,” 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544) or even email it to us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. *Note-Entries filled out on our website do not need to be mailed or emailed to us.

3. Please check the address and zip codes of the restaurants you choose, as only votes for restaurants in zip codes 33543, 33544 and 33545 (Wesley Chapel) and zip code 33559 (Lutz, within 1-2 miles of the S.R. 56 exit off I-75) will be counted as “Wesley Chapel” votes. When we ask you next issue for your “Five Favorite Restaurants (of any kind) in New Tampa,” only restaurants located in zip code 33647, or in the Oak Ramble Plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (in zip code 33613) and in or near the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave. (zip code 33559) will be counted as “New Tampa” votes.

4. In order to be eligible to win any of our free dining prizes to the restaurant of your choice, your entry form with a response to at least one of our questions over the next five months must include your name, full mailing address (including your zip code), the community you live in (Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, Seven Oaks, etc.), a daytime phone number where you can be reached and your valid email address.

We look forward to seeing how this year’s contest shakes out. Good luck!

Check Out ‘Grease” At The NTPAC!

If you love songs like “You’re the One That I Want,” “Hopelessly Devoted To You,” “Grease (Is The Word)” and “Beauty School Dropout” from the Broadway musical and subsequent movie (starring John Travolta and the late, great Olivia Newton-John) “Grease,” I can personally guarantee, in all sincerity, that you will not be disappointed if you check out the New Tampa Players (NTP) production of the 1972 Tony Award winner later this month. 

The performances will be presented at the all-new New Tampa Performing Arts Center (PAC) off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. the weekends of July 21-23 and July 28-30 and tickets are already selling very well.

“We had less than 100 tickets left (of the 350 available for each performance) for the two Sunday matinee shows (on July 23 & 30),” said NTP producing artistic director Nora Paine shortly before we went to press with this issue. “We definitely expect to sell out all six shows.”

The hard-working cast (photo above), under the direction of G. Frank Meekins with choreography by Sarah Walston, features the tremendous talents of Dylan Fidler as Danny, Olivia Carr as Sandy, Kyle Fisher as Kenicke and Alyson Gannon as Rizzo. But honestly, as someone excited to be playing a minor character (Vince Fontaine) in this show, the entire ensemble is amazing.

For tickets & more information, see the ad below or visit NewTampaPlayers.org. — GN

Zio’s NY Bagels Now Open In Pebble Creek Collection!

The last time New Tampa had its own bagel place, it was called The Ultimate Bagel, which closed its location in Tampa Palms about 20 years ago. 

In other words, the people in the community just south of Wesley Chapel have been waiting quite a while for a true New York-stye bagel place to open in zip code 33647.

Well, the wait it over, as Jeff Cofini (left in photo) and his nephew Nick Cignarella have opened Zio’s New York Bagel & Deli in the Pebble Creek Collection (at 19651 BBD Blvd.) and yes, the bagels are legit! 

My fried egg, bacon and cheese (photo left) on a sesame bagel was outstanding and Zio’s has not only your favorite bagel varieties, but also everything cheddar, cheddar bacon (with real strips of bacon baked in) and more.

Breakfast, including freshly-made omelets, is available all day, but don’t forget the Boar’s Head meat-and-cheese sandwiches, like The Melvin (below, left) with pastrami,, corned beef, melted Swiss & cole slaw.

For info, call (813) 388-9498 or visit “Zio’s New York Bagel & Deli” on Facebook. — GN, photos by Charmaine George & GN