What A Life! Che Vita Italian Restaurant Opens At The Downtown Tampa Hilton!

“I began this journey, to create a new brand for Hilton, a year-and-a-half ago,” says James King, the Executive Chef at Che Vita, the new Italian restaurant in the Hilton Tampa Downtown. “Che (pronounced “Kay”) Vita means ‘What a Life!’ in Italian and we want everyone who eats here to say ‘Che Vita!’ when they finish their meal!” 

King, who spent the last four years at the Hilton by Logan Airport in Boston, running Connolly’s Publik House, an Irish pub, also earned certifications in French cuisine, at Le Cordon Bleu, and multiple Master certifications in Italian cooking — including pizzas and pastas — during his training in Naples, Florence and Rome. 

“But I’m a New York kid,” he says. “I grew up in Brooklyn on New York-style pizza and Italian cooking, but I went to a wedding in Puerto Rico and got bit by the palm tree ‘bug,’ because I was tired of snow. So, when this opportunity came up in Tampa, I said, ‘I never heard of Tampa, I’ve only heard of Miami.’ But, I came down here and this restaurant was an American fusion place with a big buffet. But, after the pandemic, buffets weren’t as popular anymore. So, I came up with a small, seasonal menu that we will change maybe six times per year.” 

That menu, designed by Chef King (at left in top photo) and his equally amazing sous chef Fabio Zaniboni (at right in same picture) has a mix of Italian favorites and local seafood, with Antipasti (appetizers) like arancini (risotto balls with a cacio e pepe sauce fried inside and served with a lemon pesto aioli; photo right), zucchini & artichoke fritti, calamari and polpette (beef, pork & veal meatballs), as well as my favorite starter of the evening, the ahi tuna crudo (below photo), which is thick slices of raw sushi-grade tuna with a chili aioli, saba (or sweet grape must) and soy glaze, caperberries, bottarga (a Mediterranean roe) and microgarden herbs. It was slightly spicy and amazing. 

“I love combining all of my influences and the crudo will give you an experience like a great Japanese restaurant,” Chef King says. 

The polpettes (left) and arancini were no slouches, either, especially the meatballs, which were tender, delicately spiced and had just the right amount of tomato sugo (similar to marinara) on creamy burrata. 

“I needed a sous chef like Fabio, who is from Italy, but came here from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands after one of the hurricanes last year closed the yacht club where he was working,” Chef King says. “He told me, ‘I’m your Italian chef, but I don’t want to cook Italian. I love sushi, I love fish. I love Latin.’ I said, ‘You’re hired,’ without even tasting his food, because we shared the same vision for Che Vita. He’s like my brother from another mother when it comes to Italian cuisine.” 

Jannah and I didn’t sample any of the “Zuppe & Insalata,” but they include a baby kale Caesar, a tomato & mozzarella salad and a cannellini bean and Tuscan kale soup with garlic fennel sausage, ditalini pasta, sofrito and herb brodo (broth), as well as a chilled tomato freddo soup. 

It was super-hard to decide on our “Primi” or pasta dish, but we wanted something different, so we tried the agnolotti blue crab (right), which is a delicious stuffed pasta (different from ravioli) from the Piedmont region of Italy. It was fully stuffed with blue crab, lemon-basil artisan ricotta and served with crispy parmesan in a Tampa citrus gremolata (a green sauce made with chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic). The pasta was al dente and the crab and ricotta combined with the lemon and garlic perfectly. 

Other pastas on the menu include rigatoni salsiccia (with spicy sausage and broccoli rabe), which I will definitely try on my next visit, shrimp scampi, a tagliatelle tre pomodori, which is served with three different kinds of tomato sauce, a primavera and, of course, spaghetti & meatballs. 

Chef King insisted that we try one of his Neapolitan-style pizzas, because he says he uses the same Italian wheat that you can’t get at most places serving Neapolitan (wood-fired) pizzas here. “If you love a Margherita pizza (left), we use that beautiful dough, San Marzano tomatoes, authentic mozzarella di Buffala and basil…Italians don’t eat pizza by folding it. They eat it with a knife and fork. The crust blisters and is crisp on the outside, but is fluffy soft on the inside.” 

The Margherita pizza was excellent and there are plenty of other pizza options to try, including the Rossa Moderna, with San Marzano tomatoes, Calabrian chili oil, oregano and beekeeper’s honey that Chef King says he produces in his own bee hives. There’s also Romana style (with ricotta, mozzarella, cracked peppercorns, lemon and arugula); Capricciosa (with pomodoro, artichoke hearts, olives, exotic mushrooms and Parma ham); and Diavola (house-made spicy Italian sausage, Calabrese salami, crushed tomato sauce, Fior di Latte cheese, chili oil and oregano) pizzas on the menu. 

Despite already being full, Chef King said we also had to try at least one of the “Secondi” (or main course) dishes on the menu. We had steak the night before, so we stayed away from both the Steak Tagliata (grilled & shaved Ocala Ranch tenderloin with crispy rosemary potato spears, arugula, parmigiana, lemon and aged balsamic) and the NYC-Style Strip Steak. If we weren’t so stuffed, we probably would have ordered the chicken parmesan, but instead, we opted for the one fish entrĂ©e — the Acqua Pazza, although Chef King modified it for use because it is supposed to be a spicy “fumetto di pesce” served with gulf shrimp, mussels and clams, as well as the local catch of the day, with Calabrian chili oil, crisp fingerling potatoes, blistered tomatoes, Tuscan kale and house-made biga focaccia bread. But, because (as you readers know) I’m allergic to the to the shrimp and mussels, Chef King had Fabio prepare the dish with just the fresh catch — a huge filet of grouper — sitting atop just those yummy side dishes in that delectable broth (above right). The Acqua Pazza was a perfectly grilled piece of fish and a spectacular dish. The biga focaccia was crispy, with an authentically airy interior, and was perfect for mopping up the broth. Now, we thought for sure we were done. 

“But of course, you must also have dessert,” Fabio said as he poured Jannah an Aperol spritz, and it’s really hard to say no to him or Chef King, so we each ordered a dessert — just to sample, of course. Yeah, right. 

Jannah got a scoop of raspberry sorbet (one of her favorites) and I got the house-made tiramisu semifreddo (below). It fills a huge cup with espresso martini-soaked ladyfingers with rich marscarpone cream and is topped with powdered chocolate and chocolate-covered coffee beans. I love a good tiramisu and this was a great one. 

Of course, it was hard to not also sample the triple (dark, white & milk) chocolate mousse layered over Genoise sponge cake with chocolate fudge and biscotti crostini, or the cannolo with Nutella & ricotta mousse, luxardo cherries, pistachio crumbs and Chantilly cream. There’s also an olive oil cake, lemon thyme sorbetto (house-crafted lemon-thyme sorbet served in a frosted lemon cup with a shot of Limoncello liqueur), multiple other sorbets and four different gelato flavors (chocolate, vanilla bean, pistachio and salted caramel). Decadence. 

Che Vita also features a full premium liquor cocktail list, with two Negroni cocktails, a Limoncello martini and three kinds of spritzes, including the Naples spritz Jannah started her meal with (which is Riondo prosecco, with Limoncello and St. Germain liqueurs, plus club soda). 

There also is a nice selection of red, white, rosĂ© and sparkling wines by the glass and bottle, including the Maggiolo Lamole di Lamole Chianti Classico Sangiovese I started my meal with a glass of, as well as Italian and other imported, domestic and craft beers, hard seltzers and more. 

And, although Che Vita is open for breakfast (there’s even a breakfast buffet), Chef King says the breakfast crew is separate from his dinner line cooks, because, “Che Vita isn’t a hotel restaurant,” he says, “it’s its own thing. It’s Che Vita!” 

The lunch menu has many of the same Antipasti, Zuppe & Insalata and Pizzas as the dinner menu, but also offers a nice variety of panini sandwiches, including a grilled chicken pesto, a parma panino (with prosciutto, sopressata, mozzarella, provolone, arugula, sundried tomato pesto and a pepperoncini remoulade), “The Local” (fried or blackened grouper), a caprese panini and two different burgers — all served with parmesan herb fries (or enhance with truffle fries for $6 additional or a side salad for $2 more). 

“For me, it’s about the three Fs — family, food & futbol (soccer),” Chef King says. 

All I can say is: What a meal! What a chef! What a place! What a life! 

Che Vita is located inside the downtown Tampa Hilton (211 N. Tampa St.) and is open every day for breakfast, lunch & dinner. For reservations and more info, call (813) 222-4975 or visit CheVitaTampa.com — and please tell them I sent you!

North Tampa Bay Chamber Helps The Performance Lab Host A Truly Grand Opening!

It’s not every day that we cover the Grand Opening of a business located on N. Dale Mabry Hwy. in Tampa. But, when North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) president & CEO Hope Kennedy tells me “This is one you shouldn’t miss,” I generally take her at her word. 

And, oh boy! The Grand Opening and NTBC ribbon-cutting event for The Performance Lab (TPL) not only included Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper, (as the Lightning have a partnership with TPL), it also unveiled a state-of-the-art, 25,000-sq.-ft. facility “uniting world-class medical care, advanced diagnostics, and progressive rehabilitation under one roof.” 

As described by founder Bahir Manios during the Grand Opening event attended by more than 200 people, TPL features top-of-the-line imaging (MRI, X-ray, ultrasound & C-arms) technology, including wide-bore MRIs, more than 25 exam/treatment rooms (including handicapped-friendly rooms and exam tables), multiple procedure rooms for interventional pain management, a dedicated brain health suite equipped with multiple modalities to assess and treat patients, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy (bottom photo), a rehabilitation suite equipped to allow patients of all abilities to progress to complete recovery in a comfortable environment and a unique performance center. 

“In other words,” said Manios, “TPL is much more than a medical center. It’s a destination for recovery, performance and total wellness. Whether you’re a first responder, an athlete, a veteran, or just an ordinary person simply seeking strength, clarity and recovery from an ailment, TPL was built for you, and it’s all under one roof. We’ve put together physical medicine and rehabilitation, interventional pain management, brain health and neuro recovery, advanced imaging and diagnostics, sports performance and recovery, and life care planning for long term support.” 

The event was as spectacular as the place itself, with a catered lunch outside, the ribbon cutting with (l.-r., top photo) Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, Coach Cooper, Manios and TPL chief revenue & legal officer Shant Melkonian. Once inside, Manios played a short video showing the remarkable technology patients can expect to be treated with, and there was an informative panel discussion featuring (right, l.-r.) executive director of brain & strategic partnerships Marissa McCarthy, MD, executive medical director Michael Lorenz, MD, and chief medical officer Hadi Shah, MD, plus tours of the former (but completely gutted and recreated) Harley-Davidson dealership. 

In other words, if you missed it, you really did miss something special. 

For more info about TPL (6920 N. Dale Mabry Hwy.), visit TPLTampa.com or call (844) TPL-TAMPA. — GN, photos by Charmaine George 

Want To Win Up To $200 In FREE Dining? Enter Our Dining Survey & Contest!

Whether your favorite local restaurant is Lima Peruvian Cuisine in New Tampa or Tallo Caribbean/American cuisine in Wesley Chapel (or anyplace else), you could win up to $200 in FREE dining (or another free dining prize) — to any restaurant in the Tampa Bay area — simply by entering our annual Reader Dining Survey & Contest! But hurry, there are only three weeks left to enter! Click HERE to enter!

The New Tampa Players (NTP) Present ‘Oklahoma!’ At The New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) Oct. 18-19 & Oct. 24-26!

NTP’s production of ‘Oklahoma!” was supposed to debut tonight (Friday, October 17), but due to male lead Gabriel White Marin leaving the area this week for a his new role in a touring company production of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the opening night of “Oklahoma!” had to be moved from tonight to tomorrow night, so that the show’s choreographer Christan McLaurine could properly learn the choreography of the show’s classic fight scene in his new additional role as “Curly.” “It’s never easy to lose a show lead,” Paine says, “but I can’t think of a better reason to lose one! We’re all excited for Gabriel and know he will do great! We also know that Christan will do an amazing job as Curly!” 

Note — If you have tickets for tonight’s cancelled performance, NTP producing artistic director and “Oklahoma!” director Nora Paine says you can either have the cost of your tickets refunded or you can exchange them for any of the remaining available performances. Call the New Tampa Players Box Office at (813) 543-6252 if you haven’t already to make your arrangements.

As for the show itself, the heart of the American frontier comes alive on stage as NTP — New Tampa’s community theatre troupe — opens its highly anticipated production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center.

Directed by Paine (who also directed NTP’s “Singin’ in the Rain” in 2024), G. Frank Meekins (“Grease,” 2023) and Karissa Barber (“Into the Woods,” 2025), the production captures the spirit and charm of this beloved 1943 musical known for its rich score, iconic characters and sweeping depiction of life in the early 20th-century Oklahoma Territory. 

“Oklahoma!’ is more than just a musical: it’s a celebration of resilience, hope, and love,” Paine says. “We wanted to stay true to the classic while also making it feel fresh and relevant to our community.”

From the opening strains of “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” to the stirring finale, the show features standout performances from a terrific cast of local talent.

The multi-talented Mr. McLaurine, who wowed audiences as James “Thunder” Early in NTP’s production of “Dreamgirls” (he also was the incredible baritone voice of the man-eating plant Audrey II in NTP’s “Little Shop of Horrors”), steps into the role of Curly for Gabriel. Meanwhile, Isabella Ruano, a newcomer to the NTPAC stage, brings strength and warmth to the role of Laurey. The supporting cast — including NTP newcomer Madison DeBrino as Ado Annie, newcomer Tristan Horta as Will Parker, and long-time NTP veteran Michael Neary as the troubled farmhand Jud Fry — bring their roles to life with humor, heart and depth.

The production is a true community effort, involving more than 50 volunteers. Leading the team are costume designer Deb Lastinger, technical director Paul McColgan and scenic artist James Cass. Audiences will be especially delighted by the vibrant choreography by McLaurine and ballroom choreographer Erica Holland — a beautiful highlight of the show. 

Music directors Rick Barclay and G. Frank Meekins have teamed up to guide this 23-person cast and 14-musician orchestra through a score that will have you humming all the way home, including the title song, plus “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top” and many more.

Don’t miss your chance to experience “Oklahoma!” like never before and get ready to be swept away by the beauty, music and magic of this unforgettable production.

Buy your tickets now, before NTP sells out the rest of this six-performance run! Performances of “Oklahoma!” will be Saturday, October 18, at 8 p.m., Sunday, October 19, at 3 p.m., Friday & Saturday, Oct. 24-25, at 8 p.m., and Saturday & Sunday, October 25-26, at 3 p.m. Tickets are available at NewTampaPlayers.org and cost $22-$40. Also, see the ad below for more info. 

Azteca D’Oro Unveils New Menu Items — So Of Course, We Had To Try Them All!

Photos by Charmaine George

When Azteca D’Oro co-owner Victor Ramos told me he wanted to highlight his new menu items in his next ad (about a month or so ago), I definitely wanted to check out the new items the authentic Mexican restaurant in The Shops at Wiregrass would be bringing to the table (pun intended). 

But, when I saw the photos of those new items he sent me to put in that new ad, I knew Jannah, photographer Charmaine George and I had to try them — all of them, that is! 

Already one of the Wesley Chapel area’s favorite restaurants (based on Azteca being named our readers’ second favorite restaurant in Wesley Chapel in our annual Reader Dining Survey & Contest each of the last two years — the first two years it’s been open here), I also knew that Azteca was due for its 2025 Dining Feature, so I figured the new menu items were a great way to tell you more about the restaurant this year. And yes, we were all impressed with the new options. 

We started with the Azteca Dip Sampler (left photo), which includes nice-sized cups of non-spicy esquites (Mexican street corn), queso, spiced bean dip and Azteca’s already-famous, house-made guacamole. We all liked the esquites the best, but the queso, bean dip and guacamole were all pretty tasty, too. 

We also took the plunge by ordering the huge, 55-oz. “Big Azz Margarita,” served “Grand Vida Style” — topped with two small bottles of Grand Marnier orange liqueur. It certainly was big enough for all three of us (and maybe a fourth person) to share. But no, I had the great idea to also order a regular-sized (16-oz.) Grand Vida Style margarita, so we could show just how much bigger the Big Azz Margarita is by comparison (right photo). Azteca’s full premium liquor bar has lots of top-shelf tequilas if you want to truly make your margarita your own or add a shot to it, as well as my Jameson and a nice variety of Mexican and other beers. 

We all also agreed that our favorite of the new menu items was the birria “pizza” (top photo), which layers melted cheese and a unique combination of lamb, pork and beef between two large flour tortillas (like a quesadilla), garnished with fresh cilantro, pickled onions and lime and served with a cup of birria consommĂ© that is plenty large enough for dipping every delicious piece of the “pizza.” 

We did also enjoy the huge 12-taco Taco Sampler Platter (left photo), where you can select up to three different proteins (four tacos of each) from: pollo adobato (chunks of chicken marinated in flavorful adobo sauce, made from dried chiles, vinegar, garlic & spices), pastor asada (pork with chiles and spices), carnitas (crispy pork chunks), chorizo sausage, shrimp, lengua (beef tongue) or tripa (beef tripe). 

Since I couldn’t eat the shrimp, we chose to have four chicken, four carnitas and four of the crispy fish tacos and all were yummy. My favorites were the crispy fish tacos, served with a semi-spicy chipotle ranch sauce. Jannah preferred the chicken tacos, which also had their own zesty sauce, and Charmaine liked the carnitas the best. Being able to sample at least one of each was fun, too! 

And of course, Azteca still has upscale favorites you can’t find at most other Mexican places, like pescado frito (whole fried snapper), grilled salmon and molcajete d’mar (snow crab, clams. mussels, scallops, shrimp & octopus), as well as Mexican standards like fajitas, quesadillas, enchiladas, vegetarian dishes and more. 

And, don’t skip dessert! Try the deep fried ice cream, churros, tres leches, flan or the cream cheese-filled mini empanadas (right) we had for the first time. All delectable ways to finish a meal! 

Azteca D’Oro (2000 Piazza Ave., Unit 170) is open every day for lunch and dinner, from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (and until 11 p.m. on Friday & Saturday). For more info, call (813) 527-6033 and visit AztecaDoro.com.Â