2019 WESLEY CHAPEL Dining Survey
Full Circle Chicago Pizza’s New Owners Give The Menu An Upgrade!
Anyone who has been reading my dining reviews for any number of years surely knows that I have always been and always will be a New York-style pizza guy. Therefore, it’s been hard for places like Full Circle Chicago Pizza in the Pebble Creek Collection to ever really rank among my favorite pizza places in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. Whether deep-dish or thin-crust, I am happy to eat Chicago-style pizza, but it just will never be the same for me as NY-style ‘za.
Even so, new Full Circle owners Julia and Freddy Nova took over a few months ago, and they called me to say I needed to try the place again, and not just for the pizza, but also for the new Italian specialties Freddy has been adding to Full Circle’s already tasty menu.
And, after several amazing meals at the new Full Circle, I do believe Freddy and Julia are on to something delicious.
Julia is half-Italian, but while Freddy’s family is originally from Guatemala, he has not only cooked at three well-known country clubs for 20 years in New Jersey (including the renowned, historic Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, which has hosted the U.S. Senior Open and the Senior PGA Championship), he and Julia also owned and operated a successful “Jersey-style” pizza place known as Little Italy in Paramus for five years before they relocated to Tampa and found Full Circle for sale.
Freddy’s extensive experience shows in everything he creates at Full Circle. Jannah and I agree that his chicken parmigiana is the best we’ve had in New Tampa — and, although he hasn’t yet added veal to the menu, folks I’ve met inside since the Novas took over have raved about the eggplant parm. And, my side of penne in marinara sauce came out al denté without me having to order it that way. Atza nice!
My new pal Freddy also turned a simple chicken and broccoli pasta dish into a perfectly garlicky (is that a word?) masterpiece, and he’ll even add sautéed spinach or broccoli to it upon request (as I did). I’m not usually as big on chicken Francaise, but Julia told me it’s her favorite, so I tried it on my most recent visit and you can take the egg-dipped coating and lemon without either being overpowering.
Sandwiches…
Folks from the Windy City love their Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches (top right photo on next page), and Freddy kept the tasty au just the bread is basically soaking in from the original Full Circle. People also rave about his Philly cheese steaks; I enjoyed his spicy version.
However, I still prefer an oven-baked parmigiana sub, with gooey mozzarella, meatballs, chicken or Italian sausage, and Freddy’s baked subs have the right “crackle” (the roof of your mouth should be both cut and burnt when the bread and sauce are perfect…and these are) and are all lip-smacking-tasty.
I also have enjoyed the fried ravioli appetizer and the garlic knots and plan to try the jumbo wings and even the pierogies, although I try not to fill up too much on appetizers when the main event is always so great.
OK, What About That Pizza?
Remember what I said earlier about me and Chicago-style pizza? Freddy says he hasn’t changed Full Circle’s already immensely popular thin-crust or deep-dish Chicago-style pizza much — although it does seem to me that he has increased the ratio of sauce to cheese on the deep dish, which makes it possible to eat with your hands, instead of a knife and fork (as I’ve always had to do with most other Chicago-style deep-dish). And yes, Full Circle offers slices of thin-crust pizza for lunch and has deep-dish pies available every day for lunch and dinner.
However, I’m proud to say that Freddy has even found a loophole in my anti-Chicago-thin-crust bias. He has introduced a margherita pizza — with a zesty sauce, fresh mozzarella and even fresher basil — that is unlike any other I’ve tasted before. And, here’s the thing, when I last lived in New York, the whole coal- or wood-fired brick oven pizza craze hadn’t really yet taken off, so I had no preconceived notions of what a cracker-thin “Neapolitan”-style pizza should taste like when I moved to Florida. And, although I have always liked the Neapolitan-style pizza in our area, it’s never been as high on my list of favorites as most NY-style pizza.
Until now. Freddie’s margherita pizza has a delicious garlic-infused sauce that is similar to what many places use for their “Grandma’s pizza.” The mozzarella is fresh and the basil adds just that hint of sweetness.
But, Freddy’s margherita pizza (right) also has a much crisper crust than most Neapolitan-style pizza, which usually comes out with a charred bottom, but not crispy. Bottom line? If you hate it, I’ll buy your leftovers.
In fact, I went so crazy for this pizza that I just had to share it with my new friends Beth, Wayne and Don (photo above) and all three also raved about it.
Best of all, with the coupons in our recent issues, you can save money on Full Circle’s ristorante-quality cuisine in clean, comfortable, casual surroundings with plenty of booth and table seating available. There’s also Yuengling on draught, Peroni and other beers in bottles and red and white wines by the glass or bottle. Full Circle also has a great family atmosphere and everything on the “Kids Corner” menu is either $4.99 or $5.99. You’ll also find an extensive catering menu with truly fair prices.
As for those coupons, on Tuesday and Wednesday (only!), you can get a large thin-crust pizza with one topping for only $9.99. And, although the coupons can’t be combined, you also can save $5 off any purchase of $30 or more, or $2 off any purchase of $15 or more.
Help Wanted!
Full Circle Pizza is hiring experienced servers and pizza makers now, especially since they will be slammed once this story breaks. Please stop in to fill out an application.
Full Circle Chicago Pizza (19651 BBD Blvd.) is open every day for lunch and dinner.
For more information, call (813) 994-3700, or visit FullCircleChicagoPizza.com.
Nibbles and Bytes!
Two New Soft Serve Ice Cream Shops Now Open
New Tampa has recently added two new soft-serve ice cream shops — Mr. Penguin, which is located at 18089 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., between Michaels and Pure Barre in The Walk at Highwoods Preserve Plaza; and Sprinkles Ice Cream (photo, right) located in the same Mobil gas station building as the recently relocated Saffron Indian Cuisine and Deano’s Pizza & Pasta (formerly Hawkeye’s NYS Pizza) at 10865 Cross Creek Blvd.
Mr. Penguin, which also has a South Tampa location, has your basic vanilla and chocolate (or swirl both) ice cream flavors, but I’m interested to see how they combine soft-serve with any of about two dozen Italian ice flavors (including some unique ones, like sugar-free cotton candy, green tea and sour apple) in what they call “gelati” (not to be confused with “gelato”). For more information, visit MrPenguinIce.com or call (813) 252-7625.
Meanwhile, Sprinkles is a tiny little, not-sit-down place featuring vanilla, chocolate and swirl soft serve ice cream, plus delicious shakes (Reese’s and Nutella are among the flavors), smoothies (try the strawberry mango), slushies (watermelon, fruit punch and more), plus healthy additions like chia or flax seed, protein powder, carrot and spinach.
Original Saffron Owners Reopen In New Location!
For those who were confused as to why the original Saffron in the Cross Creek Center plaza became Saffron Palace (which is now closed), original Saffron Indian Cuisine owners Sunita and Nimesh Chheda say the important thing is that New Tampa’s original Indian restaurant is back in business.
Try the soups and other quick, hot foods to go, from vegetable samosas to chicken tikka masala. Although there are a couple of tables inside, this is not the old sit-down-dining Saffron, but Nimesh promises me that my favorite lamb chops in New Tampa are back.
For more info, call (813) 600-3315 or visit SaffronIndianCuisineTampa.com.
Check Out The Juice Factory!
Are you trying to eat and drink a little cleaner? You definitely should check out the Juice Factory, located next to Five Guys Burgers & Fries at 6431 E. County Line Rd.
This unique mom-and-pop (photo on previous page) is actually owned by four brothers, and has a huge selection of healthy juices (you also can create your own — they have virtually every fruit and vegetable available), plus two dozen different boosters (even echinacea) and shots (from ginger to turmeric), plus smoothies, bowls, salads, wraps and even six kinds of healthy toast, with breakfast coming soon! For more info, visit JuiceFactory.net or call (813) 345-8884.
Island Fin Poké Co. Coming Soon!
If you’ve been waiting to hope on the Hawaiian-and Caribbean-style poké bowl craze, or you’ve already gotten excited about the poke restaurant coming to the Villages at Hunter’s Lake plaza (next to the under-construction Sprouts Farmers Market), you won’t have to wait a year or more — because Island Fin Poké Company, which has existing locations in Worcester, MA, and in Winter Springs, FL, with more central Florida and other new locations coming soon, is expected to be open at 6417 County Line Rd. (between Winn-Dixie and Ginza, across from Juice Factory) by the end of October.
Franchise owners and long-time New Tampa residents Brenda and Jeff Sproat (I coached against him in Little League between 10- 15 years ago) promise that once you’ve created your own poké bowl at Island Fin, you may never want to visit another poké place.
I’m definitely looking forward to trying both the ahi and spicy ahi tuna and the chicken bowls…and to catching up with the Sproats.
For more information, visit IslandFinPoke.com. — GN
2019 NEW TAMPA Dining Survey
USF’s New Tampa Business Climate Study Begins With Packed Meeting
In order to begin a study by students in Master’s degree programs at the University of South Florida as to why so many businesses have exited New Tampa the last few years, USF helped organize a unique meeting on July 16, featuring a panel of elected officials and local business owners.
The meeting was Phase 1 of the USF group’s efforts to study New Tampa’s faltering business climate as the students endeavor to figure out what, if anything, can be done to stem the business red tide.
A panel that consisted of the director of the USF School of Public Affairs (where the Master’s degree candidates are studying) Ron Sanders, Rotary Cub of New Tampa past president Karen Frashier, Oliver’s Cycle Sports owner Randy Myhre and three local elected officials (see below) was greeted by a packed house of spectators (who were mainly New Tampa residents; see photo on next page) at the meeting, which was held at Compton Park in Tampa Palms.
Hillsborough County District 2 commissioner Ken Hagan, District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera and newly elected District 63 State Rep. Fentrice Driskell agreed to be on the panel because all of them share concerns about why major companies and mom-and-pop businesses alike are having so much trouble surviving, much less thriving, in zip code 33647.
Sanders said that the study is being conducted by USF students seeking their Master of Public Administration (MPA) degrees in either Urban & Regional Planning or Public Affairs, after then-mayoral candidate (now Tampa Mayor) Jane Castor campaigned in New Tampa.
Castor said many local residents asked her why the business climate in zip code 33647 seemed so poor, especially when compared with the booming economy in Wesley Chapel, just to New Tampa’s north, on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and S.R. 56.
One of those Castor was talking to just happened to be Sam Becker, a graduate assistant in the School of Public Affairs, and she asked Becker to look into what, if anything, USF could do to help her figure out what could be done to help New Tampa’s businesses. By the time Castor was elected in March, the wheels were already in motion.
“This meeting is the kickoff to Phase 1 of the study — to meet with the community,” Sanders said at the meeting. “Phase 2 will be individual interviews with community staples — elected officials, business owners and residents — such as those in this room. In Phase 3, the students will look at the literature (facts and figures) and the (business) practices going on in the area. For example, is (New Tampa’s situation) just part of a national phenomenon or are there local factors” causing our area’s economic gloom (or both)?
Although Hagan, Viera and Driskell all agreed that the meeting was important, there didn’t seem to be too much help for the USF students coming out of this first get-together.
Among the factors pointed to as to why so many businesses have closed in New Tampa were the high rents, the lack of tax incentives to open major businesses, and even some things brought up by Frashier and Myhre.
Frashier, who also is the co-chair of the Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, mentioned that New Tampa doesn’t have a large enough gathering place for major events, such as the Wiregrass Wobble 5K road race her club hosts (at the Shops at Wiregrass) every year on Thanksgiving morning, or the Taste (held at AdventHealth CenterIce), “So, we have no choice but to put on these events in Wesley Chapel.”
Hagan and Viera both touted the new Village at Hunter’s Lake development that will be home to a 20,000-sq.-ft. New Tampa Cultural Center, as well as several unique restaurants and retailers (as we reported last issue), but that those are all coming online in 2020 or even 2021.
Myhre said he thinks that bicycle paths connecting the subdivisions in New Tampa would make getting to and from local businesses easier, without having to drive a car, but Hagan said, “Connecting communities is great, but have you seen how hard it is to get even one road connected between communities?” — an obvious jab at the whole Kinnan St.-Mansfield Blvd. flap between Hillsborough and Pasco counties.
Residents at the meeting also brought up how long the widening of BBD in New Tampa took, which affected local businesses, while one noted that S.R. 56, where so much of Wesley Chapel’s growth is taking place, currently has very few residences directly off of it. No one came up with any reason why this helped or how it has affected the economy in the Wesley Chapel.
For New Tampa’s businesses, the hope is that more answers will come out of Phases 2 & 3 of the study.