‘A Bottle Of Red…A Bottle Of White’ & Veal Parmigiana Come To Little Italy’s!

Those of you who have been reading this publication since the opening of Little Italy’s Family Restaurant & Catering on S.R. 54 in Lutz a couple of years ago know that not only do I love Little Italy’s food, but also owners Jessica and Carl Meyers.

So, I was thrilled when Jessica — aka “The Boss” — and Chef Carl said they were finally getting a beer and wine license. Not that I can’t enjoy a great meal without alcohol, but Italian “comfort foods” like everything I love at Little Italy’s just beg for Billy Joel’s “Bottle of Red…Bottle of White” or an ice cold Peroni beer.

Pasco County had awarded Jessica and Carl their beer and wine license shortly before we went to press with this issue and they should be serving red and white wine (by the glass, carafe and/or bottle) and bottled beers by the time this issue reaches your mailbox.

But for me, that’s not the big news at Little Italy’s, which also got a makeover a few months ago. The delicious news is that Jessica and Carl — thanks to multiple customer requests (not just from me) — have now added tender, delicious veal parmigiana to the menu, as well as veal saltimbocca and piccata, plus a couple of new shrimp dishes I can’t try because of my (ugh!) shellfish allergy.

Even so, I always include a couple of seafood pics from Little Italy’s on these pages because so many of you love shrimp, clams and mussels (I’ve never gotten my reaction from clams, for some reason, and Little Italy’s linguine with white clam butter sauce is among my favorites in our area).

But, let’s focus on the veal for a second. Jessica and Carl don’t pound their veal (“It breaks down some of the natural flavor and texture of the meat,” says Chef Carl), but it still cooks up nice and tender and the flavor? Well, let’s just say that for my money, there is no chicken parm that tastes as delicious as good veal parm — and Jessica’s red sauce and outstanding mozzarella definitely put Little Italy’s new veal dishes at the top of my list among all Italian restaurants and pizza places in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.

And, even though I can’t eat shrimp, Little Italy’s new grilled shrimp appetizer features extra large-to-jumbo-sized shrimp that got some rave reviews during mine and Jannah’s most recent visit last week.

Another new menu item at Little Italy’s which I haven’t sampled yet, but can’t wait to try, is Jessica’s homemade potato gnocchi, which you can order with Alfredo sauce and shrimp, meat or marinara sauce.

“Gnocchi was another big request we’ve been getting,” says Jessica “And everyone who’s tried it so far has raved about it to us.”

Other starters we love at Little Italy’s are the bruschetta, the garlic bread, the homemade meatballs that made Jessica and Carl’s former food truck famous, and the crisp, but tender calamari.

My favorite salad is the Caprese salad, with beautiful, sliced tomatoes layered with slices of fresh mozzarella, all topped with a balsamic glaze reduction that isn’t as sweet as some balsamic reductions I’ve tasted.

As I’ve mentioned many times in these pages, I’ve never been the biggest calzone fan, but Little Italy’s calzones are so huge that most people who order them end up not only taking pictures of them, but also taking a large portion of their calzone home with them.

And, although Little Italy’s isn’t a “pizza place” per se, the homemade Sicilian-style pizzas are great for sharing for three or four people because no human being could possibly eat an entire rectangular pie by themselves.

As for the main courses we love, in addition to the veal and chicken parm and the linguine with clams, the spaghetti with those aforementioned (but worth mentioning again) meatballs, the chicken piccata, the baked penne, the so very yummy lasagne, as well as Jessica’s awesome eggplant rollatini or parmigiana. If you’re looking for something vegetarian, substantial and delicious, you can’t beat her eggplant. I also highly recommend the meatball parm “grinda” sandwiches, served on some of the best Italian bread in the area.

Seafood lovers also will go crazy for Little Italy’s fresh cioppino (with mussels, shrimp and clams), as well as the authentic New England “Lobsta” ravioli.

Little Italy’s For The Holidays?

Little Italy’s also is famous for its catering, including for virtually every Neighborhood News/WCNT-tv party since I first walked into this nondescript looking place a couple of weeks after Jessica and Carl first opened.

Jessica says you can rent the entire restaurant out for up to 35 people for your holiday office parties and large family events. “We’re also going to be open Christmas Eve day (Sunday, December 24), noon-5 p.m., so you can pick up your order that can be baked for your Christmas Day festivities,” she says. “Italian people also have to have lasagne or ziti and definitely meatballs with their Thanksgiving meals — doesn’t everyone? — so please order early.”

Little Italy’s, which also has a nice “Little Goombas” menu, also will be featured on an upcoming episode of “90 Day Fiancé” on The Learning Channel (TLC). “I can’t give more information about the show until it airs,” she says. “But it was pretty cool.” Jessica and Carl also were featured on a recent episode of WCNT-tv with yours truly.

Little Italy’s (24436 S.R. 54, Lutz) is open every day (except Mon.) for lunch (at noon) & for dinner. It stays open until 8 p.m., on Sun. and Tue.-Thur., and until 10 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. For more info, visit LittleItalyFamily Restaurant.com or their Facebook page or call (813) 909-2122.

Why Those Against Connecting Kinnan St. To Mansfield Blvd. Are Wrong

In our last issue, assistant editor John Cotey told you that Hillsborough County had anted up $250,000 in an effort to end the long-time stalemate involving the City of Tampa, Hillsborough and Pasco counties regarding connecting Kinnan St. in New Tampa to Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe II at the Hillsborough/Pasco county line.

District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, a New Tampa resident, called the county’s move to set aside funds to build the 60-foot-long connection “a game changer.”

However, on the Pasco County side, Dist. 2 County Commissioner Mike Moore, a Seven Oaks resident, told Cotey that “70-80-percent” of his constituents who have contacted him about him about the connector have been opposed to it. 

I have become friends with Moore over the last few years, but after Cotey’s story came out in our last issue, I called Moore to explain to him my issue with what he said, as well as with anyone who opposes making this long-awaited, much-needed connection.

“You shouldn’t base whether or not to support the Kinnan-Mansfield connection on how many people contact you about it,” I told Moore on the phone. “You should base whether or not to support it on whether or not making the connection is a good idea for your county, for your constituents — and I know it is.”

Some people who live in Meadow Pointe II, on the Pasco side of the barrier to Kinnan St., say they don’t want the two roads connected.

Now, I’m not a transportation engineer, but in the nearly 24 years I have owned the Neighborhood News , I have attended literally hundreds of city, county and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meetings and I still edit every word of every one of John’s transportation stories and provide insights to him about the history of most of these situations.

Although Kinnan St. is primarily located in the county, it jogs into Tampa’s city limits near the Pasco line, which means that all three governmental entities would have to come to an agreement in order to make the connection.

Moore says he is waiting until after Pasco’s traffic study of that area is completed — which is expected to happen later this month — before deciding which side to support. He says virtually no one is opposed to connecting Meadow Pointe Blvd. (about a mile-and-a-half to the east of Kinnan-Mansfield) to K-Bar Ranch Blvd. in New Tampa, but I don’t believe that connection would be close enough to Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. to provide any relief when the only current north-south connection between New Tampa and Wesley Chapel gets backed up — as it does all the time these days, while BBD is being widened between Regents Park Dr. in Pebble Creek and the county line.

The biggest argument the folks in Meadow Pointe II have against making the connection is that Mansfield Blvd. is only a two-lane road that serves four schools — Wiregrass Elementary, John Long Middle School, Wiregrass Ranch High and Pasco Hernando State College. They say that connecting Mansfield to Kinnan would bring additional traffic and increase the danger to students going to and from school.

Sorry, but I call B.S.

Long, the closest of the schools to the possible connection, is located one full mile north of the county line. Vehicles coming from the Cross Creek/Live Oak area would be able to turn right (east) onto Beardsley Dr. to access Meadow Pointe Blvd. and, ultimately, S.R. 54 heading towards Zephyrhills — within 0.3 mile from Kinnan St. Those same drivers also could turn left (west) onto County Line Rd. and hook back up with BBD at Aronwood Blvd. or County Line Rd. a half mile north of Kinnan.

It doesn’t make traffic flow sense that anyone from New Tampa would choose to drive north past four schools during school hours (when there are always crossing guards slowing you down), unless it was their only choice because of a traffic situation on BBD or they were planning to go to the Shops at Wiregrass or some other business on S.R. 56 east of BBD.

In other words, most of the traffic coming from New Tampa heading north would do so in the evenings and on weekends, when there are no students heading to and from school.

It reminds me of New Tampa’s long-time battle for an East-West Connector Road (E-W Rd.). I remember that the people who were screaming the loudest against it were those living along the planned route, in West Meadows and Tampa Palms Area 3. Those folks didn’t appreciate my unconditional support of that connector, even though that road still isn’t built today and seemingly never will be.

Today, many of those same anti-connector New Tampa residents don’t know how they could survive if the so-called Gateway Bridge — the first leg of the E-W Rd. — had never been built connecting West Meadows to Tampa Palms.

Likewise, I’m certain that it’s actually the people in Meadow Pointe II who will get the most benefit from the Kinnan-Mansfield connection. I also can’t believe that they would prefer to see it continue to be piled high with garbage (photo) than allow that tiny connection to become a reality.

Two Weeks After Irma, The Wesley Chapel Rotary Gives Out Flags To Remember 9/11

Wesley Chapel Rotary Club President-Designate Chris Casella organized the club’s twice-postponed American flag giveaway at both local shopping malls on Oct. 23 -24. (Photo courtesy of David Alvarez)

It’s now been about a year since I switched my Rotary Club membership from the Wesley Chapel Noon club (which meets Wednesdays at noon at Lexington Oaks Golf Club) to the New Tampa Noon club (which meets the same day and time, at Pebble Creek Golf Club in New Tampa).

But, even though I left the Wesley Chapel club, my fiancé Jannah McDonald is still a member there, as are many of mine and Jannah’s close friends.

One guy I never met until he started showing up at the Wesley Chapel Rotary meetings a couple of years ago is former New York Police Department (NYPD) cop Chris Casella. And, although Chris isn’t currently the president of the club (*Note-He is the club’s President-Designate, who will become the WC Rotary’s president after current President Kent Ross and President-Elect David Gainer), he is definitely one of the people I miss most by belonging to another club, even though I still get to see him quite a bit.

Case in point: A couple of issues ago, we told you on page 1 of this publication that one of the WC Rotary’s upcoming service projects was to give away a total of 3,000 American flags at both local shopping malls the weekend of 9/11.

Chris, who has taken on numerous responsibilities and initiated service projects for the club, including the flag giveaway, says he, “lost a lot of friends on 9/11 and it was only because I was injured the year before that I wasn’t allowed to help my brothers that day. I felt a lot of guilt about that, so 9/11 has a special meaning for me.”

In addition to the flag giveaways, the Rotary Club also got multiple poster-sized Thank-You cards signed by hundreds of local residents for all three District 2 Pasco County fire stations and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office District 2 office in Dade City.

Of course, Hurricane Irma reared her ugly head on September 10, which forced the club to postpone the giveaway, first until the following weekend and finally, until the weekend of Sept. 23-24.

“With so many people losing power and all the debris in the roads, we decided to postpone it one more week,” Chris says.”But, we finally got it done.”

With 15-20 volunteers, not all of whom were Rotarians, on hand, Chris says that the flag giveaway ended up being a huge success, despite the postponements.

“We gave away at least 3,000 flags and most everyone was so appreciative that we were still honoring 9/11,” Chris says. “But, the stories some of the people told brought me to tears.”

For example, one woman said her son was a firefighter who ran into the World Trade Center after the first tower collapsed…and never came back out. “She said that some people may have forgotten how horrible it was, but she never can.”

Another woman’s 26-year-old son gave up a successful construction business to enlist in the Army because, Chris says, “He just felt the need to help.” During his second deployment in Afghanistan, a roadside bomb ended his life.

I know that many of us are concerned about the state of our country and the world these days, but when you hear stories like this, about military members and first responders of all races, colors and creeds, some of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, I understand why some people are offended by those who won’t rise for our national anthem. No matter what other  problems there are in this still-great nation of ours — and certainly there are — we are all Americans who should never forget that unless we all stand together, we could fall together.

Wesley Chapel Jazz Festival Returns To District Park October 21!

Jazz Tyme Productions is proud to announce that the Wesley Chapel Jazz Festival will return to the Wesley Chapel District Park on Boyette Rd. on Saturday, October 21, noon-8 p.m. (File photo from 2016)

Although it always features a little more than “just” great jazz, it’s hard not to have a soft spot for the Wesley Chapel Jazz Festival, which returns to the Wesley Chapel District Park on Boyette Rd. (two miles north of S.R. 54) on Saturday, October 21, noon-8 p.m.

Event organizer and promoter Tim Hancock of Jazz Tyme Productions has previously survived events where the heat index seemed to reach 120 degrees and one cancelled by torrential rain as the headliner hit the stage.

But, through it all, Hancock has brought great music, some excellent food and other vendors together for all-day shows that are appropriate for families but still allows adults to enjoy adult music and to a location only 15 minutes or so north of the Hillsborough/Pasco county line.

Bring your lawn chairs and/or blankets and grab the kids for some fun activities just for them.

This year’s Jazz Festival sponsors include the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, Rubenstein Law, DeSigns Signs & Printing, Serenity Village Insurance & Consulting, Kaptain Krab Seafood, Jazz Tyme Productions and the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News.

Food vendors already announced for this year include JB’s Sweet Addictions, Anthony & Son Catering, Momma’s Empanadas, The Tea Jug, T-Momma Catering & Kaptain Krab Seafood.

For more info about the latest Wesley Chapel Jazz Festival, visit JazzTymeProductions.com.

Simply Events Presents The WC Fall Festival At The Grove Oct. 28-29!

Presented by Simply Events, the Wesley Chapel Fall Festival Returns to The Grove shopping center off Oakley Blvd., Saturday-Sunday, October 28-29.

So, of course, the 13th annual Wesley Chapel Fall Festival has to be held between Friday the 13th and Halloween, the two spookiest nights of 2017.

To that end, on Saturday & Sunday, October 28-29, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. both days, this will be the second year that Simply Events — a Pinellas County-based local event management company — will put on the free (to attend) Fall Festival, after wowing thousands of not only Wesley Chapel but also surrounding-area locals last year, the first time the Fall Festival wasn’t put on by the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC), which is a sponsor again this year.

“It was a great event last year and we expect it will be even bigger and better this time around,” says Simply Events’ Sonya Bradley.

This time, attendees can participate in a Pet Parade & Costume Contest, the Mr. & Ms. Pumpkin Pageant, a new Trunk or Treat event (on Saturday at 4 p.m.) and the Fall Festival Carnival until 10 p.m. both nights.

There’ll be live music, great fair-style food & beverages for sale, arts & crafts, a Halloween celebration & so much more.

For more information, contact Simply Events at (727) 674-1464 or online at SimplyEventsFL.com.