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 donât 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 â who was killed about four weeks ago by former Minneapolis Police Office Derek Chauvin as three other now-former officers watched â 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 Wendyâs. 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 Floydâs, 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 donât 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 â at least in part because the bar owner knew us from previous visits and said it was obvious we didnât know the bill was no good â 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 âI canât breathe.â Today, itâs 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? Itâs 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 â as seen around the country once again in the aftermath of Floydâs murder, although, thankfully, most of the protests of Floydâs 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 Wendyâs 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 Tampaâs 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 donât know. I just know I want to try. Black, white or otherwise, email me at ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com if you do, too.
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 heâs 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, âWe were actually positioned pretty well to stay open and retain our staff during that time.â
Ryan, who started working at the McDonaldâs 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 McDonaldâs 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 Freshâs system already had minimal client contact, âso we also retained a lot of our customers during the shutdown.â
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 â basmati rice blend, cauliflower rice, coconut rice, âForbiddenâ rice (we canât give away why itâs called that), spinach salad, the popular sweet potato noodles and my favorite, the kale crunch salad. âPeople love the sweet potato noodles,â Mortti says, âbut you can even combine bases. I never have the exact same bowl twice.â
If youâve 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 Jannahâs 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 theyâre worth it), roasted tofu and three kinds of chicken â BBQ, semi-spicy Key West and Jannahâs favorite teriyaki.
Our editor recommends trying all of the sauces and âadd-onsâ at Mahana Fresh.
Itâs hard for us to not get multiple sauces (we always order them on the side), because theyâre all great. My favorite is probably the semi-spicy citrus ginger, while Jannahâs 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 â 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.
âMcDonaldâs was great for and to me,â he says, âand, 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.â
He adds that, âI 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.â
Mortti also notes that the fact he also is a general contractor (who owns his own Elite Construction Services) who was allowed by Mahana Freshâs corporate entity to build out his own space was another reason he took the shot with the new concept.
âIâve seen what does and doesnât work at other restaurants and knew how I wanted to build out the kitchen and the interior space. Iâve really been happy with the way everything turned out, too.â
Pour Your Own Beer?
Yes, pour your own beer.
âI really love the way we sell beer here,â 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 âYouâre My Boy Blueâ and Coppertail Free Dive) when you pay for your meal, you are given a card that you then use at Mahana Freshâs âPour Your Ownâ station, put your card and glass in the proper spot and youâve 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 Iâve 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 âmahana20â to receive 20% off your online order.
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.
So while, like most white Americans, I personally donât care if the person who was killed by a police officer kneeling on his neck was 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 a public execution by Minneapolis Police Office Derek Chauvin of George Floyd, whose only crime was, apparently, passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a store.
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. But no, I donât 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 â at least in part because the bar owner knew us from previous visits and said it was obvious we didnât know the bill was no good â 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 âI canât breathe.â Today, we canât help but wonder if we were black and strangers to the bar owner, if weâd still be alive.
Itâs horrifying to me that black, brown, Asian and LGBTQ people are targeted for this type of behavior so often. Something has to change. And yes, I understand why peaceful protests can and should be part of that solution.
Photo: WFLA.
Unfortunately, looting and setting fire to stores (photo) owned by people who literally had nothing to do with that situation should never be the target of those protests. But, they unfortunately too often are â as seen around the country once again in the aftermath of Floydâs murder.
Yes, I am a firm believer that this country needs to change. I just think some people make change harder to accomplish by taking advantage of these situations in the name of âjustice.â
These are very scary times, indeed.
Changes Abound
I realize that this is now the second Wesley Chapel issue in a row that doesnât look or feel exactly like your usual Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, but I know the content â especially managing editor John Coteyâs continuing coverage of local Covid-19 news â is still the same quality youâve grown accustomed to reading.
But, now that we were finally able to receive some funding through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and my long-time bank â SunTrust (now Truist) â we are able to continue to pay our staff, our office rent and our health insurance costs with the PPP funding while the local economy (hopefully) continues to recover.
The fact that this issue is already four pages larger than the previous two Wesley Chapel issues is one indication that things are turning back around â weâre certainly happy to have almost all of our dentists back in the fold â and the number of new businesses calling and emailing us for advertising information is another.
And, I know that our next issue, thanks again to the Times, will at least be printed on a brighter white newsprint while I continue our search for a web printer who can either print on glossy stock or at least a much heavier white paper, so our look can once again be the higher standard that we have, up until now, been able to maintain since 2005. I am hopeful that it wonât take too long to get back to normal…not just for this publication, but for everyone.
Since the first New Tampa and Wesley Chapel issues in 15 years printed on newsprint came out in May, we have received overwhelming support from our readers and advertisers alike â with a few notable exceptions. Weâve even had a few folks tell us they actually prefer the newsprint, âbecause it feels more like a newspaper this way.â
Unfortunately for us, we have marketed ourselves as a glossy news magazine, not a newspaper, but I do appreciate that not everyone is hating this new look, which may have to stick around for a while. I have promised our advertisers (including the few that pulled out since our first newsprint issues hit in each market) that as soon as we are able to return to glossy (or at least, a much heavier white paper) stock, I will let each of them know.
With the novel coronavirus pandemic cutting a swath of destruction through virtually every country on Earth, what was once the fear of the complete unknown has been replaced by the fear of not knowing how long weâre all going to have to deal with it.
Publisher Gary Nager
And of course, the virus itself is scary, because itâs been affecting and killing more than just the elderly and the immune-compromised. Its level of contagiousness seems to be far beyond any flu during my lifetime, including the swine flu that was labeled a pandemic back in 2009 or so, even though that virus never shut down life as we know it here the way Covid-19 has already.
One of the things that has this editor additionally concerned about its effects here in the Sunshine State was that the Pinellas County beaches were allowed to remain open by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (who I voted for) â despite warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump and his Coronavirus Task Force (headed by VP Mike Pence), the World Health Organization and other experts across the globe saying that there should be no gatherings larger than ten people, at least until the virus leveled out.
It was hard to blame Pinellas County officials for not wanting to close the beaches at the height of the all-important Spring Break season, but how many more new cases of the virus could we have prevented going forward by closing them as soon as the social distancing recommendations for gatherings got below even 1,000 people a week or so before those Pinellas officials finally decided to take action? What effect will those potential additional cases have on our economyâs long-term attempts to crawl out from under this rock?
No one loves St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Madeira and the other area beaches more than Jannah and I do. We try to stay there as many nights as we can because theyâre 1) an hour or less away (and have much easier access than Clearwater Beach), 2) theyâre beautiful, 3) have great restaurants and nightlife and 4) we canât afford the time off work or the expense of going away for more than a few days at a time. Why go anywhere else?
The only time we didnât consider heading that way was once this virus started to affect people here, especially once we saw â every day â how devastating the effects have been on China, Italy and other countries that didnât act quickly enough to curtail the kind of casual contact with others we all usually take for granted.
This is particularly upsetting for the foodie in me â seeing our local restaurants closing at least to dine-in customers or altogether â and not knowing which ones wonât be able to return, even after the spectre of Covid-19 isnât as terrifying. I know it was unfortunate timing that we finally released my âGaryâs Favesâ the week after this thing really hit us here, but most of the eateries listed were at least still doing the takeout and/or delivery-only thing at our press time. Please call the restaurants to see what theyâre doing and please support them if they are still open.
And Finally…Help Us Help You!
Obviously, restaurants arenât the only ones hurting right now and, as a local business that makes most of its money from hyperlocal businesses, thereâs no doubt weâre already feeling the pinch of this pandemic, too â and have no idea yet how much worse itâs going to get.
But, after 26 years of serving only the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel communities, I have had to respond to many problems beyond my control in years past, but never anything that has me as concerned as this does right now.
My promise to the 70+ businesses that still saw fit to place an ad in our latest New Tampa issue â and the similar number of businesses that advertise in our Wesley Chapel editions â is that we are going to try to do as much as we can to continue to support you not only in print, but on our Facebook page, our website and our YouTube channel â at no additional charge, of course.
If you already are or see fit to become a Neighborhood News advertiser at this grim hour, anytime your hours change, or you have a special offer to help keep your business as solvent as possible, and anytime you make a Facebook post or send out an email explaining what you are doing (even if it changes more than once), we will share it on our website and social media. We want…no, make that we need…to try to help you make it through this crisis and yes, we still need the business, too.
Email me at ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com or call our office at (813) 910-2575 for more information.
Stay safe and stay healthy, both physically and fiscally. Godspeed! Â
Stonewood Grill and Tavern once again tops publisher Gary Nager’s Top 25 list of restaurants in New Tampa.
Every year, after we report the results of our annual Reader Dining Survey & Contest, I always feel compelled to give you my dining favorites, including all of the restaurants that opened in (or very near) New Tampa and Wesley Chapel the previous year. Some of you love my opinions; others…not so much.
Even so, most people I meet out in our neck of the woods tell me they agree with my choices more than they do those of the readers year after year.
But, having waited until after the coronavirus outbreak hit home here in Florida to give you my list of favorites for 2019 surely didnât help matters any, as several of the eateries listed on pages 32-37 of this issue were closing, at least temporarily, rather than be open for takeout and delivery only, per Florida Gov. Ron De Santisâ order on Mar. 20.
Sadly, thereâs no doubt that some on this list may not be able to weather this storm and may close permanently. Until that happens, however, please support as many of the still-open eateries on my list as you can. I know Jannah and I will.
Iâm glad I got to sit down to a perfectly seared ahi tuna appetizer, a tender medium-rare filet, and a flavorful grouper piccata at my (and our readersâ) favorite restaurant in New Tampa â Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Tampa Palms â shortly before DeSantis gave his order.
As for the rest of my New Tampa top-25, please read on! â GN
1 — STONEWOOD 17050 Palm Pointe Dr., Tampa Palms | (813) 978-0388 Even though it hasnât always been my #1 favorite restaurant in New Tampa, thereâs no doubt that Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Tampa Palms has been near the top of my list since the day it opened nearly two decades ago.
New GM Matt Passardi â who previously ran the Grillsmith in the Shops at Wiregrass â and his staff usually also keep their guests happy at New Tampaâs most-happening bar scene, but of course, covid-19 has shut down the bar and Stonewoodâs elegant dine-in experience, at least for now. My suggestion? Get it to go while you can!
2 — THE FAT RABBIT 16029 Tampa Palms Blvd. | (813) 252-3004 The day The Fat Rabbit opened a few very short years ago, I was impressed with the look and feel of the place as a bar hangout, but I was thrilled when I sampled the food the first several times. Even though Iâm not so much a wing aficionado as I am a foodie, many in our area agree that The Fat Rabbit has the best wings anywhere Ââ blackened with a side of the Fat Rabbit cilantro sauce are my faves â as well as great burgers, âtatersâ (try the garlic sweet potato) and grown up grilled cheese. But, adding a Catch of the Week (blackened mahi-mahi above) moved the Rabbit way up on my list.
CICCIO CALI Shoppes at The Pointe 17004 Palm Pointe Dr. | (813) 975-1222 The Ciccio Restaurant Group has created one of the most successful slates of local eateries in the entire Tampa Bay area, with concepts like Green Lemon, Daily Eats, Ciccio Water and Better Byrd (look them all up), but Ciccio Cali has been the only one in our area since Lodge closed in the former Ciccio & Tonyâs location in City Plaza. But, I have always credited Ciccio Cali as the first to bring âbowl cultureâ to New Tampa. The menu has been simplified, with multiple âbowl styleâ options (the âLean & Cleanâ with tuna is my fave), plus crisp-crust pizza and famous wrap sandwiches (the Cali Club is my fave). Â
6 — BAYSCAPE BISTRO at Heritage Isles Golf Club 10630 Plantation Bay Dr. | (813) 994-3445 Former Wharton High culinary teachers Eddie and Lourdes Bujarski have created an impressive restaurant inside the Heritage Isles GC clubhouse. With a more extensive menu, Bayscape would finish even higher on my list, because itâs hard to beat for breakfast, lunch and dinner,. There are great wings, burgers, salads and sandwiches, but my faves are the dinner âsignaturesâ like country fried chicken and slow-roasted, top round roast beef with brown gravy pictured above. Itâs been a while since Jannah and I stopped in for dinner and Friday night karaoke, but the last time we were there during the week, the chef-made pasta bar was incredible.
7 — FUSHIA ASIAN BISTRO Shoppes at Amberly, Tampa Palms 15317 Amberly Dr. | (813) 903-6705 If you still havenât tried Fushia, youâve been missing one of New Tampaâs best-kept secrets. Fushia may not serve traditional New York-style Chinese food, but it features many dishes I love you wonât find anywhere else in our distribution areas. Iâm partial to the pan-fried pork dumplings, but Fushia has a large menu of dim sum (served 11 a.m.-3 p.m. only) appetizers, plus all-you-can-eat Chinese hot pot and Korean BBQ, but my faves are the yang chow fried rice, the spicy yan jian pork, dry pot chicken and the beef with Chinese broccoli shown above.
8 — THAI RUBY Shoppes at Amberly, Tampa Palms 15319 Amberly Dr. | (813) 558-0570 As Thai restaurants go, Thai Ruby is the most beautiful Thai place in New Tampa and also has the best food, especially since Sukhothai closed a couple of months ago. The spring rolls, ginger chicken, the spicy Thai combination fried rice (with chicken, beef and pork), the Siam chicken, filet of grouper and soft shell crab are all top-notch and Thai Ruby may have the largest selection of veggie dishes youâll find anywhere (I love the steamed broccoli with carrots, green beans and snow peas), but this is the place I go when I have a craving for crispy duck, whether its the tender roast duckling shown above or the âfancyâ duck with sweet & sour sauce. Â
9 — KOBE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE Pebble Creek Collection 19601 Bruce B Downs Blvd. | (813) 994-6600 For those who crave the teppanyaki (hibachi) table experience in our area, you wonât find a better choice than Kobe. And, even though Jannah and I usually sit at the bar rather than share a table with families with young children, you get the same great meal, just without the show. Kobe definitely has the best-quality filet mignon, sirloin steak and chicken of any Japanese restaurant in our area, and you can even get pepper-crusted tuna tataki hibachi, as well as beautiful-looking surf-&-turf combos with lobster, shrimp and scallops that IÂ (sadly) am not able to enjoy. The sushi is really good, too.
11 — FULL CIRCLE PIZZA Pebble Creek Collection 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. | (813) 994-3700 Donât get me wrong…even though I find the deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza shown above very tasty, Iâll never say I like it as much as the New York-style pizza I grew up with. And, even though I know that deep-dish and thin-crust Chicago pizza is a big reason why many locals love Full Circle, Iâm actually a much bigger fan of the other delicious menu items owner/chef Freddy Nova and his wife Julia have added since taking over the place in 2017. My favorites are the chicken and broccoli in garlic and oil and the meatball and chicken parmigiana subs.
14 — KOIZI ENDLESS HIBACHI & SUSHIÂ Shoppes at The Pointe 17012 Palm Pointe Dr. | (813) 971-1919 Anytime you get into a discussion with a local about which endless hibachi and sushi restaurant they prefer â Koizi or Ginza â things can get a little heated. Koizi is $1 less for adults for lunch ($11.95) and dinner ($18.95)and it actually does have teppanyaki tables (above), I just have long felt that the quality of most items, especially the appetizers, is better at Ginza. Even so, the hibachi filet mignon, New York strip steak and chicken are all pretty good and there is a great variety of sushi and sashimi available. The teriyaki and black pepper chicken are also pretty good options .
15 — WOODFIRED PIZZA Palms Connection 2822 E. Bearss Ave. | (813) 341-2900 The first woodfired pizza place to open in (or near) either of our distribution areas is known for its high-quality pizza ingredients, as well as owner Peter Taylorâs unique pizza names â like my favorite Pizza Raquel, which features house-made fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, grana padano cheese and olive oil, to which I usually add either pepperoni, fire-roasted sausage or Italian-style meatballs (Peterâs âcarnivoreâ pizza has all three) and fresh spinach. The wood-fired meatball appetizer and wings also are delicious, and Iâve yet to sample the wood oven petite (4-oz.) filet mignon, but the classic Caesar, Greek and iceberg wedge salads are excellent, too.
16 — LITTLE GREEK New Tampa Center 19022 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. | (813) 972-0707 Although itâs a completely different kind of eatery than Acropolis, Little Greek also has really good Greek food, as evidenced by the crowds that usually are in line (but always moving; great service!) during lunchtime. In addition to the only true gyro sandwiches (photo) and platters in New Tampa, this still-growing small chain (with around 30 locations in Florida and 50 total in six states), also features excellent steak, chicken, salmon and even lamb skewers, spanakopita, falafel, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and hummus and the only true Greek salad dressing in zip code 33647.
17 — SAKE HOUSE Shoppes at Amberly, Tampa Palms 15311 Amberly Dr. | (813) 977-3838 This unassuming little sushi bar and Japanese restaurant has previously been called Fongâs Sushi and Sushi Raw, but one thing has remained consistent through all of its incarnations â really good sushi (photo) and specialties like gyoza (pan-fried dumplings) filled with your choice of pork, chicken or shrimp, tempura (shrimp, chicken, beef, scallops, salmon, veggie or even tofu), and beef and chicken teriyaki. The seared tuna tataki appetizer is outstanding, and among my favorite rolls are the tuna trio (spicy tuna inside, red and white tuna on top) and the OZ roll, with fried grouper and spicy crabmeat.
18 — OAKLEY’S GRILLE 17631 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. | (813) 523-5075 Even though the restaurant hasnât been owned by anyone with the last name Oakley in a few years, current owner Luca Ammirati is a native Italian who has added a number of specialties from his homeland, starting with authentic fried meatballs served with the tomato sauce on the side. The last time I was in Oakleyâs, Ammirati had not yet added penne carbonara, lasagna or penne al ragu (meat sauce), but all three are now listed on his website, so I definitely need to stop in to try them. And of course, Oakleyâs still has my favorite bacon cheeseburger and crisp fries in New Tampa.
19 — ISLAND FIN POKE CO. 6417 E. County Line Rd. | (813) 575-8002 This newcomer, which was opened by former New Tampa residents Brenda and Jeff Sproat in late 2019, has established itself as the first Hawaiian-style create-your-own poke bowl place in New Tampa. I love the regular and spicy ahi tuna options as my protein (I usually do two scoops of spicy and one scoop of regular), and there are unique options like spam, octopus, shrimp and tofu, plus veggie options (like regular and spicy pickled veggies, edamame and corn), but as the Sproats say, the thing that sets Island Fin apart are the sauces. I really only need the OG and Island Fire marinating sauces…and an occasional Dole whip dessert.
20 — THAI LANNA & SUSHI Cross Creek Center 10022 Cross Creek Blvd. | (813) 991-0108 For those of you who donât live off of Cross Creek Blvd., Thai Lanna is another excellent (and pretty) Thai place that also really good appetizers like the Thai spring rolls, pan-fried dumplings (bottom right in the photo) fried calamari and even fried eggplant. There are three kinds of crispy duck, with the volcano duck (with mixed veggies and sweet chili sauce) being my favorite. Try the and crab fried rice! Thai Lanna also has really fresh sushi (cooked shrimp sushi and California roll are shown above), too.
21 — MR. DUNDERBAKâS Oak Ramble Plaza 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. | (813) 977-4104 When the original Mr. Dunderbakâs was in the University Mall, I thought it was a cool place for German food, even though I really only had roast bee and pastrami sandwiches there. The location on BBD (which has been around the last 15-20 of its 45 years in business) has a much more diverse menu, and I really enjoy German dishes like the crispy jagerschnitzel (available in veal or pork, both are great) shown above, and the kassler rippchen (pork chops). Iâm not a big beer drinker, but Mr. Dâs biergarten has a huge selection and is always packed. Great European chocolate selection, too.
22 — PETRA MEDITERRANEAN 17503 Preserve Walk Ln. | (813) 898-8991 If youâve ever had a hankerinâ (as I sometimes do) for authentic beef shawarma hand-sliced off a rotating spit (photo), Petra is the place for you. The authentic Mediterranean/Middle Eastern menu includes a great sampler platter, which includes fried kibbe, falafel, hummus, babaganoush and grape leaves, served with a side of tahini sauce. I also really enjoy the nabulsi fried cheese appetizer, the tabouli, fattoush and Greek salads, as well as the chicken shawarma and chicken and shish (cubed lamb) kebab sandwiches and the Petra mixed grill with shish, kufta (ground lamb) and chicken kebabs.
24 — THE BRUNCHERY 17507 Preserve Walk Ln. | (813) 533-7271 For those of us who had been begging for a great breakfast place in New Tampa, owner Stanley Athanâs The Brunchery filled that void. And, even though I prefer fried eggs over easy with crispy bacon to the scrambled egg breakfast shown above, this was such a pretty picture we decided to use it instead. The Brunchery also serves a selection of âBenedictâ (poached egg) breakfasts, avocado toast, a lox (smoked salmon) platter, ultimate omelets and an incredible variety of French toast options. Iâm embarrassed to say Jannah and I havenât sampled it for lunch yet, but it offers burgers, sandwiches (including tuna and grilled chicken melts) and salads.
25 — TAMPA PALMS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd. | (813) 972-1991 There was a time, like when I first purchased the Neighborhood News 26 years ago, when this beautiful club, Boston Cooker and Hunterâs Green Country Club were the only ârealâ restaurants open for dinner in New Tampa. But of course, you usually had to be a member to dine at TPGCC, so I really only got to eat there when I attended New Tampa Rotary Club breakfast meetings on Friday mornings â and that club still meets there every week! However, I will say that the times when Iâve gotten to have dinner at TPGCC, the food has always been pretty good, like the filet shown above.
GARYâS NEXT 25 FAVES (in alphabetical order) All of these restaurants are very good, just not good enough (in my opinion) to make my Top-25 in New Tampa. Iâm even admitting to liking some âfast foodâ places.-GN
Al-Sham Palace Aroy Thai Bearss Tavern & Tap Burger 21 Cantina Mexican Grill Cappyâs Pizza Deanoâs Pizza & Pasta Don Julioâs Authentic Mexican Five Guys Burgers & Fries Ho King Hummingbird Jerk House Hunterâs Green Country Club Jersey Mikeâs Subs Juice Factory Minerva Indian Restaurant Mulligans Irish Pub (at PCGC) Olive Garden Palm Thai PJ Dolanâs Irish Pub Saffron Indian Cuisine Snowrolls Steak nâ Shake Sushi Avenue Taste of NY Pizza Westshore Pizza
*- Notes – Mahana Fresh & Lima both didnât open until 2020, or they would have made this list.
** – Sukhothai, Vallartaâs (Tampa Palms), and Regina Margherita (previously called Chefs of Napoli) were all on this list before they all closed (with Regina Margherita closing the week we went to press with this issue) and El Pescador, which previously occupied Limaâs location in the New Tampa Center plaza, made my top-50 before it closed.
