After 25 years, still delivering news and entertainment in new ways

So, now that we’re officially part of the Google News Initiative — one of only 23 U.S. companies to receive financial support for their news operations from the world’s largest tech company — a lot of people have been asking me what to expect in terms of our promised new formats and new online programming.

Some of what we’ll be doing with Google’s funding — in addition to making major changes to all of our online content (more on this below) — will be business as usual, there will just be more frequent releases.

We will still have News Desks with yours truly and former Bay News 9 reporter Susanna Martinez. I also will continue to provide Neighborhood Dining News and Entertainment segments. We’ll also have more North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) Featured Business segments with our Featured Business host Mollyana Ward (see top right photo), as well as occasional news updates from the Chamber itself. For example, Mollyana recently interviewed Chamber president & CEO Hope Allen (photo below) and those segments have been getting a lot of views, both on YouTube and on Facebook. 

But, we’re also working on a lot of new stuff, too, like the recently posted fun new segment featuring Jennifer Ames, the administrator of the Wesley Chapel Community Facebook page, which has more than 16,000 members. This is our first effort to tap into the power of local online resources outside of our own website (NTNeighborhoodNews.com), “Neighborhood News” Facebook page and our WCNT-tv YouTube channel.

Jennifer’s first segments have just been released and I think you’ll really enjoy them. Her personality is a big part of why the Wesley Chapel Community Facebook page is so popular and it definitely shines through in her first interview with me in front of the camera. Jen’s “Chappie Chatter” segments will be a light-hearted look at what’s been “blowing up” her Facebook page and I’ll be really surprised if Neighborhood News readers and Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television viewers alike don’t love the “Chatter.” 

Our senior video producer Gavin Olsen and I also have released the full video of each of our recent interviews on our WCNT-tv YouTube channel and then cut the videos into individual segments for release on Facebook, Instagram and our current website. 

One thing we really want you to do is subscribe to our YouTube channel and start watching the full-length videos there.  

As for our other programming ideas, we’re keeping them under wraps for now, but you can expect several more announcements about those new video/online segments in these pages very soon.

25 Years, Eh?

Yes, on February 25, 2019, yours truly will celebrate 25 years as the owner, publisher and editor of the Neighborhood News. Milestone or no milestone, I recognize that the state of the print business is changing and (even though “niche” publications like ours are the ones people will still read today), the fact is that if we don’t change some of the ways we do things, we could go the way of not only the dinosaur, but also of daily newspapers and general interest magazines around the country.

 As I touched on in my last page 3 editorial, a big part of the changes to come this year is that all of our videos, “Neighborhood News” Facebook posts and our news magazine’s website will soon fall under one new umbrella — NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net, the “Online Network Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel.”

The new website currently only has a basic landing page, but we hope to roll it out in full to coincide with my 25th anniversary at the helm of Neighborhood News next month.

La Prima Pizza Celebrates 16 Years In The Chap & Counting…Down!

FROM THE FIRST TIME I tried the true New York-style pizza at my friend Willie Lopez’s La Prima Pizza (it was called by another name at that time), I felt it was the closest thing to the pizza places I grew up with in Long Island and Manhattan, NY.

Since then, in addition to a few first-place finishes in our annual Reader Dining Survey & Contest, La Prima has been named my Favorite Pizza Place in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel all 16 years it has been in business. It also has been one of my favorite restaurants in Wesley Chapel and one of my favorite Italian restaurants in either of our distribution areas. 

It therefore isn’t easy for me to say — or even think — that Willie would even consider selling his place, but the former executive at Salomon Bros. and his wife Lucretia say they are tired and want to be able to retire, so Willie can concentrate on his thriving baseball memorabilia business. The lifelong New York Mets fan has adopted the Tampa Bay Rays as his American League team and he has had Rays season tickets for as long as I’ve known him.

Here’s The Skinny

Established in 2003, La Prima Pizza has been family owned and operated and a staple in the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa communities for the past 16 years.

Willie and Lucretia also say they are prepared to provide an “opportunity of a lifetime” to any individual/family dreaming of owning and operating their own business. This turn-key establishment offers a huge existing customer base and tremendous future growth opportunities for the appropriate fit.

La Prima Pizza only uses the best ingredients on the market. The pizza dough is made fresh daily and offerings include chicken and veal entrées (like the tender veal parmigiana in the photo above right; I order it with extra sauce) made eight different quality ways, as well as many seafood dishes. There’s also homemade lasagna and dozens of other menu items — and all sauces are made from scratch, including Alfredo, vodka, pink and red or white clam sauce. Appetizers include great calamari, fresh mozzarella and tomato and Buffalo wings, amongst many other choices.

And, just because there are really so many very good pizza places in our area, I felt I owed it to myself and my staff to order the amazing meat lovers pizza (left) before writing this story. Senior video producer Gavin Olsen also raved about his pepperoni calzone and sales/office assistant Janet Levins loved her cheesesteak.

In other words, if you’re not going to buy La Prima Pizza (1211 BBD Blvd., next to Super Target), you should stop in, call (813) 907-2878 or visit ThatsGoodPizza.com and place an order today. But, Willie says if you are interested, you should call him at the restaurant — whether or not you have any prior restaurant experience. Willie says he will help in the transition of the business and transfer all of his knowledge to any qualified party. But, do it soon so Willie and Lucretia can retire and I can continue to enjoy the pizza I love!

Nibbles & Bytes

Spicy chicken pasta with fresh veggies at Omari’s Bar & Grill.

Have You Tried Omari’s Grill At Lexington Oaks Golf Club?

Although I didn’t include the all-new Omari’s Bar & Grill at the recently revamped Lexington Oaks Golf Club inside the Lexington Oaks community on my list of favorite new local dining experiences for 2018, that’s probably only because all I’ve sampled at owner/chef Anass El Omari’s new eatery was the delicious spicy chicken pasta with fresh veggies shown above and a couple of buffet-style items when I’ve visited the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon, which meets every Wednesday at noon at Lexington Oaks. But, so far, so good. And yes, the fully redecorated dining area at Omari’s Grille is available for catering and private parties.

Look for a full-length dining review of Omari’s Bar & Grill (26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd.) in a future issue.

For more info visit LexingtonOaksGolf.com or call (813) 907-2440. And please, tell Anass and his wife Susana I sent you!

Fratelli’s Opens In Woody’s Village Market Space!

So, while we’re on the subject of delicious pasta, please check out the new Fratelli’s Pizza & Café, which very quietly took over the space previously occupied by Woody’s Pizza & Wings in the plaza on S.R. 54 at BBD Blvd. last month.

Fratelli’s Pizza & Café’s broccoli rabe.

The Fratelli family owned a famous Fratelli’s pizza place and Italian restaurant in the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx, NY, for more than 30 years, but sold it a few years ago. It was renowned not only for being open 24/7/365 to accommodate the huge crowds of workers responsible for bringing fresh seafood and produce into all of New York City, but also for its broccoli rabe sandwiches, broccoli rabe on pizza and yes, the best broccoli rabe with grilled chicken and/or sweet sausage in garlic & oil over al denté penne pasta (photo above right) in our area. 

The NYC Fratelli’s was featured on the Food Network, the Travel Channel and other TV stations in New York many times and was named one of NYC’s best several times.

I haven’t been able to order a whole pizza from Fratelli’s yet, but based on how delicious the pasta was, I look forward to bringing my staff there soon. 

For more info about Fratelli’s (5327 Village Market), visit FratellisPizzaPasco.com or call (813) 991-1118. 

But Wait, There’s More!

F.J Express Sushi & Hibachi Grill’s hibachi chicken is a must-try.

• I like the new F.J Express Sushi & Hibachi Grill (1832 BBD), which is located in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza on S.R. 56 at BBD, between Bealls and Publix. 

Similar in concept to (but smaller than) Hibachi Express in the Village Market, I haven’t yet sampled the sushi, but the hibachi chicken is a must-try. For more info or take-out orders, call (813) 991-1500.

• I was saddened when the Wok Chi restaurant in the Shops at Wiregrass closed on Dec. 10. I will miss the freshly made Chinese fare, especially the fresh, crisp veggies, Sichuan sauce and especially, general manager Robin Scovotti and her friendly, outstanding crew. I hope that whatever opens in the space will keep those great folks around. 

• Congratulations to our local Culver’s franchise owners, Marty and Ann Roeske, on the opening of their second location (the first is near the Tampa Premium Outlets) on S.R. 56 in the Wiregrass Ranch area (near Audi Wesley Chapel). — GN

Bosco’s Owners Celebrate Two Years In Wesley Chapel With New Menu Items!

WHETHER YOU LIVE in Meadow Pointe II or Epperson, the husband-and-wife owners of Bosco’s Italian-to-Go, located in the Freedom Plaza on S.R. 54 (near Curley Rd.), are proud to deliver their pizza and Italian specialties to your door.

“We’re one of the only pizza places that delivers both to Epperson and to all four areas of Meadow Pointe,” says co-owner Charles Frankulin. “If you have a Wesley Chapel address, we’ll deliver to your door.”

Charles and his wife Nancy, whose first date was their senior prom at Wesley Chapel High, took over a reasonably successful little pizza place two years ago next month and continue to put their own imprint on Bosco’s already pretty good menu.

Go Gator!

The most recent additions include some that are, well…pretty unique.

“We wanted to have something that no one else in Wesley Chapel was offering and we decided to give gator a try,” Nancy says. “We now serve gator fettuccine Alfredo, gator on pizza and even something we’re calling ‘Swamp & Turf’ pizza, with both gator and steak.

Gator Alfredo

Charles is quick to point out that, “People who say they don’t love gator because it’s usually too tough are usually talking about gator tail, which is tougher because their tails are so muscular. We’re bringing in tender gator belly, farm-raised in Louisiana.”

I certainly have always been one of those folks who has never been too impressed with the chewiness of gator tail, but I’ve also always been at least somewhat adventurous when it comes to food, so I gave both the Cajun-style gator fettuccine and Swamp & Turf pizza a try, and offered samples to senior video producer Gavin Olsen and sales assistant Janet Levins.

We all agreed that the gator is indeed tender and sweet, almost like a cross between lobster and calamari, but I definitely enjoyed it more with Bosco’s mild (not overly thick or cheesy) Alfredo sauce.

I definitely recommend giving it (or the chicken fettuccine Alfredo) a try.

I also really enjoyed Bosco’s new Tuscan-style tater tots, which are basted with a small amount of oil and baked in Bosco’s conveyor belt oven and come out crispy, with a hint of garlic (third photo from the top on the next page).

Garlic knots.

And, speaking of crispy, although they’re not a new menu item, I wanted to give a shout out to Bosco’s garlic knots. I’ve always preferred regular, crispy Italian bread to knots with my lasagne, meatballs (photo, left) or chicken parmigiana, but Bosco’s come out super-crispy, without overdoing the garlic. Nice!

Another tasty new menu item is the smoked mozzarella raviolis (photo, right), which are stuffed with the flavorful, smoky cheese and covered with Bosco’s zesty red sauce and fresh (not smoked) mozzarella.

Meatball sub.

The only new menu items we haven’t sampled yet are Bosco’s crispy boneless or bone-in wings with Frank’s Redhot Sweet Asian chili hot sauce. I’ve always loved sweet Thai chili sauce, so I’m sure Bosco’s oven-baked wings will be great with them.

And, even though Bosco’s hasn’t yet toyed with keto pizza, they do offer 14-inch gluten-free pizzas, for those who are reactive to gluten.

“We sell quite a few gluten-free pizzas every week,” Nancy says. “There’s a pretty steady number of regulars asking for them.”

Speaking of demand, although I didn’t get a great picture of them either, you have to try Bosco’s crispy cinnamon sticks with cannoli icing for dessert. Decadent! There’s also cannolis, cheesecake and tiramisu on the dessert menu.

To celebrate their second anniversary, the Frankulins are offering one-topping, 14-inch pizzas for only $7.99, with the coupon from Bosco’s ad on pg. 35 of this issue. Congrats, Nancy and Charles!!

Bosco’s Italian-to-Go (30122 S.R. 54) is open every day but Sun. for lunch and dinner, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and until 11 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. For takeout or delivery orders or for more info, call (813) 907-2440 and tell Nancy and Charles I sent you. Or, visit BoscosItalianFL.com!