Author: Gary Nager

WingZone Offers Variety Of Flavors, And On July 29, All U Can Eat Wings

Not every restaurant we write about in these pages is a fancy, sit-down kind of place. In fact, we also are proud to promote places that cater to a different kind of crowd…in this case, a place that caters to the chicken wings, burgers and beer kind of crowd — especially for those looking for a new place after the recent closing of a nearby Beef O’Brady’s (the one on Cross Creek Blvd. at Morris Bridge Rd.; see page 47).

The good news is that the WingZone, located in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza (behind the Mobil station) is doing just fine here in New Tampa and owners Kyle and Toya Tucker do a great job of delivering this type of fare at very fair prices and my staff and I can highly recommend quite a few of the offerings.

New Appetizers?…

When we last reviewed WingZone in these pages in February 2015, we hadn’t really sampled any of the appetizers, but the mozzarella sticks, fried pickles and the new mac-n-cheese wedges all made more than one person on my staff happy.

wingzone_thaiwingzWEB But of course, the most popular items at WingZone are still the wings, which are available boneless or “traditional” and with 15 different sauces available for smothering them with (or for dipping). I usually prefer my wings naked (unbreaded) with no sauce and extra crispy, but I’ll admit I really liked the boneless wings with the only slightly (a two-pepper rating in WingZone’s sauce spice rating system) spicy Thai Chili sauce.

Assistant editor John Cotey says the two-pepper-rated Buffalo Bliss sauce had the same heat as the average “medium” sauce at other eateries and Kyle says both are among the top-five favorite sauces at his WingZone. The other favorites are the Honey (Bar-B)-Cue, the Garlic Parmesan and the new Blackened Voodoo dry rub, which added a lot of flavor to WingZone’s grilled chicken sandwich. The spiciest sauces available are still the four-pepper Nuclear Habañero and three-pepper Hot Shot, Tokyo Dragon and Mango Fire sauces (we had a lot of votes for the latter as a favorite). “Our Flavor Zone has a taste to please every palette,” Kyle says.

Still A Burger Man

WingZone also offers “Flavor Fuzed” burgers and grilled or fried chicken sandwiches, where you add shots of any of the 15 sauces, but give me that delicious grilled burger with bacon and American cheese and a side of potato wedges with nothing else but lettuce and tomato — and maybe, some crispy bacon. Yes, the burgers at WingZone will likely make my Top-10 list in New Tampa this year, as they are sizable (graphic artist Blake Beatty liked the 1/2-lb double stack shown above) and very flavorful without being overly salty. These are definitely not your basic fast food burgers.

wingzone_baconchzburgerWEB And, WingZone, which now has about 70 U.S. locations and nearly 20 locations everywhere from Russia to Saudi Arabia, has added some new burger options, including a mac-n-cheese burger, a make-your-own burger and favorites like the Lumberjack (with cinnamon, maple, bacon and cheese on Texas toast) and the Widowmaker (four patties, four slices of cheese and four pieces of bacon).

Other favorites on the WingZone menu include the hand-breaded fried chicken tenders (billing manager and WCNT-tv Wesley Chapel Chamber Featured Business Segment host Jill Reilly loved the tenders on her big Garden Salad). There’s also fried shrimp, which I still can’t sample, but I’ve heard people at WingZone say that you can’t beat 5 shrimp for just $3.99 or in a basket for just $5.99. Speaking of those baskets, I’ve already mentioned the crisp, yummy wedge fries, but I’m also partial to WingZone’s creamy (but not too creamy), sweet cole slaw.

And, whether you prefer to wash down your wings and/or burgers with a seasonal Yuengling or Miller Lite (or any of four or five other choices, WingZone has you covered. There also are wine coolers (but no glasses or bottles of wine) available, as well as sweet tea and fountain drinks.

Your National Wing Day & Football HQ

Don’t forget that Friday, July 29, is “National Wing Day,” when you can enjoy all-you-can-eat wings (boneless or original, served 20 at a time) at WingZone from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. (only) for just $17.99.

And, whether you prefer college or NFL football, both seasons are fast approaching and the WingZone should be your headquarters for tailgating at the game or for watching on your big screen TV at home. Try the 20-wing (boneless or traditional) Buddy Pack with two flavors, jumbo fries or cole slaw, two dressings (blue cheese or ranch) and celery for just $19.99, up to the 50-wing Party Pack for just $44.99. Or, try 60-cent wings (minimum order is 10) every Tuesday.

For other great coupon specials, see the ad on page 40 of our latest New Tampa issue and please tell Kyle, Toya and their crew that the Neighborhood News sent you!

WingZone is located at 19062 BBD Blvd. and is open seven days a week, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (until 11 p.m. on Friday & Saturday). For more info, call 558-WING (9464) or visit WingZone.com.

wingzone

Recapping Another Great (Fiscal) Year For The Rotary Club Of Wesley Chapel!

WC Rotary Banquet John Jay — John Jay the DJ was named the WC Rotary’s Rotarian of the Year by outgoing president Erin Meyer. Photos by OurTownFla.com & J. David Wright

As a member of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (Noon), which meets Wednesdays at noon at Quail Hollow Country Club off Old Pasco Rd., I am proud to be able to provide more photos of this nearly-100-member Rotary Club, which capped off its Rotary fiscal year of 2015-16 with a bang — as in by giving and receiving plenty of awards.

The club’s outgoing president Erin Meyer handed out a number of awards at the club’s June 7 annual banquet (held at Pebble Creek Golf Club in New Tampa), which featured a 1970s theme (think lots of disco music and costumes), bestowing the club’s Rotarian of the Year honors to John Jay (the DJ) Anglada, who not only co-chaired the club’s successful first-ever Duck Derby (as we reported last issue), but also volunteered his DJ services at numerous other club events and also handled all of the audio and visual needs at virtually every meeting of the club.

Meyer also recognized Rebecca Smith — the WC club’s lone representative at the Rotary International conference in Seoul, South Korea — where more than 50,000 Rotarians were on hand — as well as for being the hard-working Rotary Foundation chair and one of the three hosts for Alice Vetturi, the club’s Rotary Youth Exchange student from Italy, with an Avenues of Service Citation.

Before turning the Noon Rotary club’s gavel over to 2016-17 president Dr. Pablo Rivera, Meyer also gave her Rookie of the Year award to Jodie Sullivan for her efforts with the Duck Derby (as well as her enthusiasm and sense of humor, I’m guessing) and “Service Above Self” awards to club members Ron Oldano, David West, Patrick Murtha, Carla Armstrong, Terri Williamson and Terri Dusek (who is with the WC Rotary’s Land O’Lakes Satellite Club).

Johnson Named The District 6950 Rotarian Of The Year

13443183_10209057421060316_7595010010836670103_o — Outgoing Rotary District 6950 Governor Will Miller named former Wesley Chapel Rotary president Eric Johnson as the Rotarian of the Year for all of District 6950 at the District Awards Banquet on June 16. Photos by OurTownFla.com & J. David Wright

A little more than a week after the clubs awards gala, at least a dozen members of the WC Rotary also attended the Rotary District 6950 awards banquet, where outgoing District Governor Will Miller named Eric Johnson, a former president of the Wesley Chapel club, as the District’s Rotarian of the Year.

Johnson, who also got a Governor’s Recognition Award as the Dist. 6950 membership chair, is perhaps best known for his efforts with the WC club’s annual humanitarian trip to Troyes, Honduras, where club members have installed much-needed water filters and latrines the last five years.

Miller, who also gave awards to WC Rotary member Robyn Liska and former club president (and Asst. District Governor) Kelly Mothershead, then turned his District 6950 gavel over to the 2016-17 District Gov. Mike Chapman.

All in all, another great year for one of the most exciting Rotary Clubs you’ll find anywhere! For more info, visit WCRotary.org.

More Than 100 Preview WCNT-tv During Our VIP Premiere Party!

Check out the Premiere Episode of WCNT-tv Now at WCNeighborhoodNews.com!

If you somehow haven’t already seen the first-ever episode of WCNT-tv, I suggest visiting our website — WCNeighborhoodNews.com — right now, even before you read this article. The photos on this page and on page 3 are from the incredible Premiere Party we hosted at our Neighborhood News offices on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel on June 23 for the first-ever webcast dedicated to the residents and businesses in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area and there’s no doubt the premiere episode of our bi-weekly webcast has already captured the attention — and the imagination — of a pretty impressive list of major business owners and representatives who were on hand at the Premiere Party.

Among the people already talking about WCNT-tv — which has its own Youtube channel, but also can be accessed from the front page of our website, our Facebook page and/or by clicking on the “WCNT-tv” tab on the front page of WesleyChapelChamber.com — included our Premiere Party attendees Gordie Zimmerman of ZMitch, LLC, the developers of Florida Hospital Center Ice, our first video news feature; Tampa Premium Outlets GM Stacey Nance; marketing director Tracy Clouser of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, which is

Left to right: FHWC’s Tracy Clouser, Susanna Martinez, Gary Nager, Vicki Hutto (VIP Pest Control), Craig Miller & Dirson & Ana De Mesquita of OTB Café.

the studio sponsor of WCNT-tv’s news segment; WCCC CEO Hope Allen and membership coordinator Jennifer Reightler; Pasco County commissioner Mike Moore; New Tampa’s State Rep. Shawn Harrison; Peter Gambacorta of the Private Chef of Tampa, which provided some of the food for the event (as did Little’s Italy’s Family Restaurant); and Troy Stevenson of Wesley Chapel Nissan and his Acme On the Go Movies (which provided the amazing 17’x9’ screen) technician Harry Wilkins, as well as many WCCC business owners & New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Rotary Club members.

Also special thanks to our first chamber-featured business sponsor, VIP Pest Control, and restaurant sponsor, OTB Café.

Special thanks also goes out to John Fisher of The Polar Pod, which provided 50º comfort on a hot and humid night for all of our attendees, to my WCNT-tv co-anchor Susanna Martinez; Mike McDonald, who provided the entertainment; WCCC Featured Business host Jill Reilly (who also is my Neighborhood News billing manager), my WCNT-tv sales & production assistant Lauren McDonald, as well as asst. editor John Cotey (who took these great pictures at the event) and my entire staff at Neighborhood News, which have allowed me the freedom to pursue a dream; cameraman Brad Hall and especially, my partner and WCNT-tv executive producer Craig Miller of Full Throttle Intermedia.

Look for new episodes of WCNT-tv every two weeks and more to come!

Wiregrass Flag Day Celebration A New Tradition

FlagDay3 Most Americans know that our nation’s Independence Day will again be celebrated on Monday, July 4. The bet here is that far fewer people in our area —and throughout the nation — know that Flag Day is celebrated on June 14.

Well, Shops at Wiregrass mall GM Greg Lenners is hoping that he has started a new tradition by unveiling a new, 80-foot-tall flagpole (and 8’ x 12’ American flag) on Piazza Ave. in the center of the Shops. Although the event didn’t have great public attendance (only about 50-60 total attendees), several local political dignitaries were on hand for the celebration and raising of the flag — to only half-staff, in honor and memory of the 49 people who were murdered in Orlando just two days before (on June 12). Lenners opened the event with several moments of silence for those who fell and prayers for the survivors and all of the families affected.

Lenners, who pulled the plug on the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club’s fifth annual Freedom Festival (see stories on pages 1 and 4) at the Shops due to safety concerns, said, “We had to kill Freedom Fest, but to show our patriotic support, we finally installed the flag right there at the valet circle. And, it only took 7-1/2 years to find the perfect spot for the flagpole.”

Among the dignitaries in attendance were Pasco County commissioners Mike Moore and Ted Schrader, State Reps. Danny Burgess and Shawn Harrison and Rotary District 6950 Rotarian of the Year (see page 10) Eric Johnson of the Williams Auto Group and the Wesley Chapel Noon Rotary Club, who sang the national anthem.

Also part of the event were local law enforcement officials on horseback, a beautiful color guard flag-raising ceremony and several active and retired U.S. military veterans.

“The Flag Day event isn’t a replacement for the Freedom Festival,” Lenners said. “But it is a nice little memorial and a patriotic nod and we hope it will become a popular annual event here.”

Flag Day

Justin Zabinski — A Working Model Known For His Model Behavior

When we first told you about model and longtime Wesley Chapel resident Justin Zabinski, it was more than a decade ago. And, while a lot has changed for the 25-year-old Wesley Chapel resident, a lot has stayed the same, too, as Justin continues to be a blessing not only for his father — well-known local resident Leo Star — but for homeless men, women and families and disabled children, among others.

“Whenever Justin flies in from a modeling shoot,” Leo says, “no matter what time he gets in, he’s up at 6 the next morning to help serve in local soup kitchens. He has thousands of fans (nearly 8,000 at our press time), but he always volunteers his time to help others.”

Leo says that Justin even helps put on events where the host charity can charge admission, and all the proceeds are donated to that charity. “He never takes anything for himself,” Leo says.

I was happy to catch up with Justin and his dad a couple of weeks ago, before he flew off to New York City and then Los Angeles for modeling shoots.

Justin, who certainly looks and acts the part of the “laid back surfer dude,” says he is still in search of “the perfect wave, although I have gotten to surf on some amazing beaches in Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and California.”

Among his many modeling credits are AllAmericanGuys.com, Rugby and Polo by Ralph Lauren, APC (France), Tony Meliilo fashion show in NYC, Bruce Weber, GQ Magazine (Germany) JC Penney, Hang Ten, American Living and Levis. He also has been featured in At Large magazine, which calls itself, “The definitive magazine for contemporary culture, art entertainment and men’s style.” Justin also been featured in People magazine and he is currently working as a cover model.

“I love all of the messages I get from fans,” Justin says. “Even though there are always some haters, too. I just don’t let any of it affect me.”

As for his love life, Justin says he’s simply too busy right now to worry about finding the right girl to settle down with, although he admits he would like to find that certain someone “someday.”

In the meantime, Justin hopes to see a lot more of the world, especially more of the world’s best surfing beaches, from Fiji to Australia and anywhere else he can chase the big water. “I do like hanging here at home, too,” he says.

But, being home also means serving, cleaning up and helping out any way he can in many local soup kitchens, especially in Pinellas County, where he actually graduated from high school while splitting time between Pinellas Park and Wesley Chapel.

“I know I can’t do this type of work forever,” he says. “So, I’m just enjoying the opportunity I have now and will always take the time to give back to help others who aren’t as fortunate as I’ve been.”

For additional information about Justin Zabinski, or to book him, visit his “Official Fansite” on Facebook.com.