Lima Brings The ‘World’s Best Cuisine’ To New Tampa!

Even though I lived or worked in New York City — where you can get pretty much any type of food you like at almost any hour of the day or night — for more than a decade, I had never been told that of all the different types of Latin and South American cuisines out there, Peruvian food was among the best in the world — and actually was named #1 by Bloomberg.com in 2017.

It wasn’t until long after I first moved to Florida and met (and had dinner with) people from Peru or tried a Peruvian restaurant that I started to get the message. And, once I did sample the uniquely delicious cuisine of the Land of the Incas at an excellent Peruvian place in the Carrollwood area a few years ago, however, I realized that I had been missing out on something delicious all these years. 

What I didn’t know, however, was that New Tampa would soon have its own Peruvian restaurant — named Lima, for the capital of the seventh most populous metropolitan area in the Americas.

Lima Rotisserie Chicken & Peruvian Cuisine owner Oscar Escudero and his family have brought a truly unique gem to the Publix-anchored New Tampa center plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., in the location previously occupied by El Pescador Mexican Seafood, although they, of course, finally got the place open just a couple of weeks before Covid-19 shut down the local economy in March.

Peruvian rotisserie chicken.

Start With The Chicken?

Even so, Oscar and his family and staff have been able to recently reopen Lima with a loyal following of customers who can’t get enough of Lima’s signature dishes like the Peruvian rotisserie chicken, which can’t be compared with anything you’ll find at Publix or Costco for tenderness, taste or the crispy, amazing skin. Jannah and I had to avoid the skin one time during the pandemic because we were still in the weight-loss phase of our diet — and honestly, we regretted it. It’s a must-try and it definitely is at its crispy,  lip-smacking best when you dine-in.

Speaking of that, the inside of Lima is small, casual and appealing, and there are some other dishes that just can’t be as good for takeout or delivery as they are when you eat at the restaurant.

Conchitas Parmesana, or baked scallops on the half shell.

The one that springs instantly to mind are the uniquely beautiful and savory Conchitas Parmesana, or baked scallops on the half shell. It’s an order of four large sea scallops in butter, lemon juice and a thick topping of parmesan cheese.

I told Oscar that the only thing missing from this dish is a great, crispy bread or toast points because there’s enough cheese and butter left over after eating each scallop to make another whole appetizer.

Ceviche de Pescado

Another dish that traditionally is served as a starter (in Lima’s case, it’s a large, shareable dish) that I already can’t live without is the Ceviche de Pescado, or diced fresh fish of the day ceviche (snapper in the top photo on the next page), which is raw chunks of fish in a traditional marinade of seasoned lime, aji rocoto peppers, julienne red onions and lots of cilantro. It’s served with a side of traditional Incan corn (with those large, thick kernels that soak up the sauce and taste so yummy) and a couple of slices of sweet potatoes. 

The fish ceviche also is available as a trio, with the same amount of marinated fish divided into three smaller portions, each with its own delicious sauce — one with an aji Amarillo (pepper) cream, one with a rocoto cream and one with cilantro cream — all different and each so good in its own way. 

For those of you who don’t share my shellfish allergy, the ceviche also is available “de Mariscos,” or with mixed seafood (fish, shrimp, mussels and calamari).

Another favorite is the Lomo Saltado Lima, which is a hearty dish of beef tenderloin tips wok-sautéed with spices, sliced onions, fresh tomato wedges, cilantro and a touch of soy sauce and vinegar served over a bed of crispy French fries and with a side of white rice.

Peruvian Chinese?

What do the Peruvians know about wok-searing? Apparently, a lot! Peru is as far west as you can go in South America, so according to Oscar, when the country built its railroad to go from the desert coast of Lima on the Pacific Ocean to and through the Andes mountains that divide the north from the south of the country, many Chinese engineers and builders came across the Pacific and settled in Peru. 

They brought wok-fired cooking with them and Lima (the city) became a hotspot for dishes that look and taste a lot like your favorite Chinese lo mein and fried rice

Arroz Chaufa

The lo mein is called Tallarin Saltado de pollo (although you can have it with steak or seafood) and features pulled “a la brasa” (rotisserie) chicken, with sliced onions, tomatoes and cilantro blended with delicious lo mein noodles, soy sauce and vinegar. The Arroz Chaufa (fried rice) has scallions, egg and a distinctively nutty taste and is topped with crispy noodles.

Speaking of side dishes, the black beans and rice, salad and fried yuca all get high marks, especially the unique (there’s that word again) spicing of the black beans. 

And, while the rotisserie chicken (available in 1/4-, 1/2- and whole chicken portions, each with sides) is probably still the biggest draw at Lima, there also are other delicious starters, sandwiches and two kids platters for only $7 each. 

When you dine in, you also owe it to yourself to try the ice cold Cusqueña golden lager beer of Peru and/or the Inca Cola, even though Coca-Cola came in and bought out the original Peruvian company. I also can’t even tell you how good the Alfajores are, but they’re cookie sandwiches topped with chocolate and powdered sugar and filled with dulce de leche creme. Decadent.

Lima (19062 BBD) is offering 15% off any take-out or dine-in order with the coupon on page 35 of our latest New Tampa edition & offers delivery through Grubhub, UberEats & Doordash. For info, call (813) 304-0205.   

Nibbles & Bites: Oronzo and Grain & Berry!

Open To Rave Reviews!

Owner Dan Bavaro of Bavaro’s Pizza & Pastaria in South Tampa, as well as the new Oronzo Honest Italian in New Tampa, which recently opened.

There hadn’t been very many new businesses opening in either of our distribution areas until the last couple of weeks of May, when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gave the OK  for the state to move into Phase 2 of his reopening plan. 

Since then, New Tampa has seen a nice little flurry of activity, with the Taaza Indian Mart, F45 Training at Highwoods Preserve and other finally getting to open their doors.

We also told you about Michi Ramen opening next to F45 in Highwoods last issue, and now, we’re also thrilled to announce that the fast-casual concept known as Oronzo Honest Italian has opened next to Michi Ramen in the former Men’s Wearhouse location facing Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., at 18027 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy.

Oronzo is almost like a Chipotle or pokĂ©-bowl-style setup, but instead offers truly delicious, affordable Italian food, including some beautiful Neapolitan-style “piatto” pizzas, piadina bread sandwiches and even a delicious tomato basil soup. But, the thing that has me sold from Day One on Oronzo is the freshly-made pasta, which is served in dishes like the spaghetti with pesto and lots of grilled chicken shown far left. 

Owners Dan Bavaro of Bavaro’s Pizza & Pastaria in South Tampa and his partner Bob Johnston of Front Burner Brands (which owns The Melting Pot) also serve some delicious sausage and meatballs (managing editor John Cotey calls them “Amazeballs”) and a variety of sauces for the fresh pasta, as well as a signature orange juice drink. There’s even gluten-free, zucchini noodle and vegan options.

For more information, call (813) 405-4008 or visit Oronzo.com.

Meanwhile, perhaps the most anticipated variety of new eateries is coming to The Village at Hunter’s Lake plaza anchored by the new Sprouts Farmers Market. 

But, even though Sprouts won’t open until August, Grain & Berry has opened the tenth location of a growing Tampa Bay area-based chain in the same plaza.

If you love açai, spirulina or pitaya bowls served with incredibly fresh fruit and other toppings, Grain & Berry (8638 Hunters Village Dr.) is the place for you. I’ve only had a chance, so far, to sample the “Relax, Eat, Repeat” açai bowl with fresh bananas, strawberries, crunchy organic granola, peanut butter, Nutella, honey and crushed nuts, but it was so delicious and even though a little pricy ($10), it’s big enough for more like four servings.

For more info, call (813) 210-7569 or visit GrainandBerry.com. — GN  

Let Clean-it Keep Your Home Or Office ‘Covid-Clean!’

Clean-it owner Celly De Freitas posed without a mask for this picture, but all Clean-it staffers have been wearing masks and gloves to clean our editor’s apartment, even before the Covid-19 pandemic. Clean-it is accepting new clients now, so let them make your home or office sparkle, too!

Is your home or office in need of a major cleaning? If you’ve been concerned about bringing someone into your home to clean during the Covid-19 pandemic, with Florida now in Phase 2 reopening under Gov. Ron Desantis’ plan, and the steps our friend Celly De Freitas of Clean-it and her crew take to make sure your home is left “Covid-clean,” I couldn’t recommend anyplace else to start looking for that help.

Celly came to mine and Jannah’s medium-sized, two-bedroom apartment to find out what we expect to be cleaned every time she and/or members of her team arrive, how often we want them to clean and what things are either optional or don’t have to be cleaned on every visit.

She walked through our pre-cleaned (does anyone not do that?) apartment with us to discuss, in some detail, what we want done in the bathroom, kitchen, each bedroom and the living room. Did we need her to clean our small terrace (nope), do dishes, start laundry or take out the garbage (we have valet trash, but she’ll tie it up and run it down to the dumpster if we need her to), or wipe down our baseboards? They even do windows if/when you need them to, etc.

Let’s Get Into It!

For that first cleaning, Celly cleaned our place herself, with one assistant, so that she could show that member of her team what her (and our) expectations are for each item on that checklist. She also will prep any other member of her crew who ends up cleaning a client’s home or office in the future about what they need to do to properly clean it, so there is never a drop-off in the quality of the cleaning when Celly doesn’t do the job herself, an issue we’ve had with other services.

And, after that walk-through, the price Celly will quote you will often be lower than what you might expect (or perhaps, what you’ve paid before) for such high-quality cleaning.

She always tries to have the same people cleaning our apartment whenever possible, but things can happen and she will do everything she can to make sure she never misses a cleaning appointment, even if she has to be at our place on a different day than usual, and it genuinely matters to her that every client is just as happy with Clean-it as we have been.

That quality control is probably more important to Celly than it has been to anyone else who has ever provided home or office cleaning services for me. It’s just the way she’s wired, the way she approached cleaning when she worked for someone else after she and her husband Roger and their two (then-)young sons, Henrique and Patrick, moved from their native Brazil 23 years ago and she worked in Tampa for another cleaning service.

It’s the same way Celly has run Clean-it since she branched out on her own in 2013, and it shows.

Although she does so with a beautiful accent, Celly speaks and understands English perfectly. Although some of her staff of eight speak only/mainly Portugese, Spanish or both, she will always respond to calls or texts of concern from her clients and will make sure to fix anything they’re not happy with — if not right away, then definitely before the next time she sends anyone from her team to your place.

“It’s always nice when people say nice things about us, tip the girls or especially, when they recommend us to someone else,” she says. “I like to keep all of my clients happy.”

Covid-Careful, Too!

Jannah and I were definitely concerned about bringing someone into our home to clean during the Covid-19 crisis, but here’s what we knew from the moment Clean-it started cleaning our place several months before the pandemic hit: 

She and her girls already wore masks and gloves, they always used their own environmentally-safe cleaning supplies and vacuum cleaner, our kitchen and bath surfaces had never been disinfected better nor had our place ever smelled better than it did after they were done. And, even though we usually leave the house while they’re cleaning, we’re always appreciative of the quality of the job each time we return.

Plus, she says that unlike many cleaning services, she didn’t furlough her employees and did everything she could to retain as many of her clients as possible when everyone was self-isolating. “Business has picked back up,” Celly says, “but it hasn’t been an easy time..for anyone.”

Also, if you have kids and pets, she says, “We know they sometimes come into contact with cleaning products, whether from licking or just having their hands on the floor. So, we use products that won’t be harmful to their health.”

Even so, she adds that Clean-it also is happy to use the cleaning products you use in your home if that’s what you prefer.

To schedule a no-obligation consultation with Celly De Freitas of Clean-it, call (813) 505-0431 or email cleanitmc@gmail.com. For more information, see the ad on pg. 37 of this issue or search “Clean-it” on Facebook. Neighborhood News readers receive 10% off their first cleaning by mentioning this article.

What, If Anything, Can We Do About Systemic Racism?

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor talks with members of the community who showed up in the wake of George Floyd’s death to march for peace and racial justice.

I would be lying if I said I understood how people of color in this country feel every day about being black or brown in America.

Gary Nager
Editorial

So while, like most white Americans, I personally don’t care what color the people were who died recently at the hands (and knees) of law enforcement officers were black, brown, green or any color, religion or orientation, I completely understand the outrage being felt again by so many of us who witnessed what amounted to the recent public executions of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks.

As everyone surely knows by now, Floyd — who was killed about four weeks ago by former Minneapolis Police Office Derek Chauvin as three other now-former officers watched — was being arrested (but not resisting arrest) for passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a store.

Three weeks later, Brooks was shot dead by now-former Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe after trying to run away from being arrested at a Wendy’s. Although Brooks certainly did resist arrest and tried to run away from the scene, the fact he stole the Taser from one of the officers and fired it at them from a distance makes his situation different from Floyd’s, but still begs the same nagging question:

If either of these men were white, would they still be alive today?

Yes, I believe all four cops (the others let him be killed) shown in a video thankfully released the day after Floyd was killed should go to jail for murder. And no, I don’t understand why Floyd was targeted by these cops to receive this particular abuse of their power, especially in light of something that happened to Jannah and me only a year ago.

When we got married in March of 2019, some of our attendees gave us gifts of cash, including a few people who each gave us a $100 bill as a gift. 

However, when we tried to pay a tab at a local bar with one of those $100 bills, we were informed that the bill was counterfeit. But, rather than have us arrested — at least in part because the bar owner knew us from previous visits and said it was obvious we didn’t know the bill was no good — all he did was ask us to use an alternate method of payment. I then took the bill to my bank, which told me that all they could do was take the bill out of circulation, which meant that we lost that $100 gift. Oh well.

One thing neither of us lost, however, was our life. No one handcuffed us or held us down to our pleas of “I can’t breathe.” Today, it’s hard not to imagine that same situation ending with either of us dead after being suffocated for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

Likewise, if a white man in Atlanta perhaps had too much to drink and fell asleep in a fast-food drive-through lane, would the white police officers trying to arrest that white man have used deadly force to stop him? It’s horrifying to me that black, brown, Asian and LGBTQ people are targeted for this type of behavior so often in this country. Something has to change. And yes, I understand why peaceful protests can and should be part of that solution.

Unfortunately, looting and setting fire to stores owned by people who literally had nothing to do with those situations should never be the target of those protests. But, they unfortunately too often are — as seen around the country once again in the aftermath of Floyd’s murder, although, thankfully, most of the protests of Floyd’s death after those first few nights have been peaceful. Considering that the shooting of Brooks took place only a couple of days before this issue went to press and the Wendy’s where he was killed was looted and then burnt to the ground the following night, it remains to be seen if violent protests will continue to be an issue.

I have been encouraged, however, by local elected officials like Tampa Mayor Jane Castor (in blue in photo) and New Tampa’s City Council member Luis Viera who have been getting out in the community with the protesters, trying to make a difference.

Taking Action

Before the Rayshard Brooks situation, I wrote about the aftermath of the Floyd killing in our June 9 Wesley Chapel issue and I was very pleased at three emails/letters I received since then from black readers who appreciated my take on the current situation and offered words of advice and encouragement and something much more valuable to me than just the kind words: Two of the readers even offered to help start and/or get involved with a local grassroots movement that might help stem the tide of systemic racism and build better communication here.  

I therefore am looking for people in New Tampa who also want to help. What can we do? I really don’t know. I just know I want to try. Black, white or otherwise, email me at ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com if you do, too. 

Mahana Fresh Offers Fresh And Delicious Meals In A Bowl!

Yes, the pokĂ© bowl phenomenon is in full swing in the Tampa Bay area and New Tampa’s newest entry into the market is a small Tampa Bay area-based chain that has taken our area by storm.

Mahana Fresh, located in the plaza next to Glory Days Grill on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. just north of the I-75 exit (one exit south of S.R. 56), had been busy and its popularity was growing from the day that it opened until that day in March when restaurants across the state were shut down to dine-in service across Florida.

Even so, local franchisee Ryan Mortti, who has been part of the restaurant scene in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel for a dozen years, even though he’s only 26 (do the math), says that while business at Mahana Fresh definitely tailed off when all restaurants were only allowed to do takeout and delivery for eight weeks, “We were actually positioned pretty well to stay open and retain our staff during that time.”

Ryan, who started working at the McDonald’s on BBD in front of the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center shopping plaza at age 14 (he later became the general manager at both that location and at the busiest of all local McDonald’s on S.R. 56, in front of the Tampa Premium Outlets), says that he had been open just long enough for people to understand that Mahana Fresh’s system already had minimal client contact, “so we also retained a lot of our customers during the shutdown.”

How It Works…

At Mahana Fresh, which displays all of its offerings in large bowls and tubs behind a glass counter (photo above), you start by choosing a bowl size (Big Mahana, Mahana or Lil Mahana) and your base —  basmati rice blend, cauliflower rice, coconut rice, “Forbidden” rice (we can’t give away why it’s called that), spinach salad, the popular sweet potato noodles and my favorite, the kale crunch salad. “People love the sweet potato noodles,” Mortti says, “but you can even combine bases. I never have the exact same bowl twice.”

If you’ve yet to try Mahana Fresh on BBD at I-75, you owe it to yourself to try an ahi tuna or other bowl!

I really love the veggies at Mahana Fresh, especially the garlicky cilantro green beans, sesame ginger broccoli and the honey sriracha Brussels sprouts, although Jannah’s favorites are the cubed, roasted sweet potatoes and Ryan says the #1 seller is probably the Buffalo-style cauliflower. 

And, the available proteins you can choose from (or combine) include my favorite grilled steak and spicy ahi tuna (which both set you back $1.50 extra for each per bowl, but they’re worth it), roasted tofu and three kinds of chicken — BBQ, semi-spicy Key West and Jannah’s favorite teriyaki.

Our editor recommends trying all of the sauces and “add-ons” at Mahana Fresh.

It’s hard for us to not get multiple sauces (we always order them on the side), because they’re all great. My favorite is probably the semi-spicy citrus ginger, while Jannah’s is probably the cilantro vinaigrette. I also love the creamy wasabi.

Then, there also are add-ons, which do come with a nominal extra charge — from roasted almonds and feta or parmesan cheese for 50 cents per bowl extra each or avocado and my favorite Mediterranean-style tomatoes for $1.50 per item each. The tomatoes are marinated in a Greek- or Italian-style dressing and add a burst of flavor to an already tasty bowl. 

And, even though some items cost extra, the starting prices for the three bowl sizes are only $6.99, $8.29 or $9.99 and quite honestly, with all you get, even the Lil Mahana is a legitimate meal, especially with any of the add-ons.

Changing Course

So, how did Mortti go from being a McDonald’s manager to the owner of a pokĂ© bowl place?

“McDonald’s was great for and to me,” he says, “and, as I was accumulating enough money to consider opening my own place, I talked to a friend of mine who had just purchased the right to open a Mahana Fresh franchise in Brandon and this location actually opened before his did.”

He adds that, “I also felt that more and more people are trying to eat healthier these days and once I tried the original Mahana Fresh (located in Bradenton), I knew this was the right concept at the right time.”

Mortti also notes that the fact he also is a general contractor (who owns his own Elite Construction Services) who was allowed by Mahana Fresh’s corporate entity to build out his own space was another reason he took the shot with the new concept.

“I’ve seen what does and doesn’t work at other restaurants and knew how I wanted to build out the kitchen and the interior space. I’ve really been happy with the way everything turned out, too.”

Pour Your Own Beer?

Yes, pour your own beer.

“I really love the way we sell beer here,” Mortii says.

The way it works is that if you want to enjoy any of the up to eight beers on tap (from Mich Ultra to Shocktop to microbrews like Brew Bus “You’re My Boy Blue” and Coppertail Free Dive) when you pay for your meal, you are given a card that you then use at Mahana Fresh’s “Pour Your Own” station, put your card and glass in the proper spot and you’ve got a great compliment to any delicious bowl.

Speaking of delicious, the gluten-free chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookies at Mahana Fresh are excellent; although I’ve yet to try the zucchini brownie.

Mahana Fresh New Tampa is located at 17512 Doña Michelle Dr.. It is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. every day. The phone number is (727) 238-9967. For more information, visit MahanaFresh.com and search for the New Tampa location. You also can use the code “mahana20” to receive 20% off your online order.