Tallo Caribbean/American Restaurant Adds A Deliciously Unique Weekend Brunch!

If you still haven’t tried the new Tallo American/Caribbean Restaurant at 4424 Friendly Way in Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, my question to you is, “Why not?” 

Not only is Tallo an elegant, one-of-a-kind mom-&-pop restaurant — the kind that our readers and so many online posters say they crave — it offers Executive Chef José Soto’s Caribbean twist for dinner and now, for weekend brunch. 

We were invited to sample Tallo’s new brunch on Nov. 23 — the first weekend it was offered — and Jannah and I were super-pleased with everything we sampled. 

Our “Warmup” started with a beef-&-cheese empanada (left), which was extra-crispy and served with a creamy garlic aioli dipping sauce. Chef Soto says he will vary the “surprise” filling of the empanadas every week. Jannah also appreciated the way Tallo does its “Mamita’s Mimosas” — providing a 375-ml (or half) bottle of her favorite La Marca prosecco with your choice of two delicious juices — orange, peach, cranberry, pineapple or mango. Jannah only chose the peach (below right) and savored every sip. 

For our brunch mains, my wife picked Tallo’s omelette, which was overstuffed with arugula, green and red peppers, onions and smoked gouda cheese and served with well-seasoned breakfast potatoes. We added the side of crispy bacon shown in the bottom left photo. 

Meanwhile, I absolutely loved the super-crispy, deliciously different fried chicken & sugar waffles I ordered. The two big waffles were topped with powdered sugar and butter (although I didn’t really need either one) and served with a side of bourbon maple syrup — the syrup was a game-changer for yours truly. The fried chicken on the bone isn’t typical of other places. Instead, it has a Caribbean-spiced twist that I totally ate up! (Pun intended? Maybe!) 

The brunch menu also features avocado bruschetta; creamy smoked fish dip served with artisan toasts, fried shishito peppers and pickled red onions; and a different-each-day Puerto Rican bread I totally will be trying on our next visit. 

There also are four flatbreads on the brunch menu, including a meat & egg variety with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, chicken, capicola ham and yellow cheddar cheese we saw someone else order — and devour. If you feel like a salad instead, there’s a Caribbean mixed green salad with fried sweet plantains, red onions, tomatoes, fried cheese, Duroc bacon and a lime dressing; as well as a burrata caprese, which adds peaches to the usual tomatoes, basil and balsamic glaze. 

Other brunch entrées and handhelds include a Tallo Cuban sandwich, a chimi burger, two Benedicts — one featuring baked salmon and the other with pork belly, both on a bagel with arugula, tomato and herbed Hollandaise, and served with those yummy breakfast potatoes. 

There’s also French toast with citrus cream, maple syrup, mint and fresh berries; a “Great America” option with two eggs, bacon, sausage, fried sweet plantains and an English muffin; skirt steak a Caballo (with a sunny-side-up egg on top, chimichurri sauce and mamposteao rice); a four-stack of pancakes (bananas Foster, pecan or plain); and the Mallorca — scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, white cheddar and powdered sugar. 

And, there are actually two desserts on the “Warmup” menu — a dulce de leche cinnamon roll with roasted pecans, and the P.R. donuts shown above, covered in sugar & cinnamon, chocolate sauce & caramel. Oh so decadent! 

I’ve written before about Tallo’s amazing dinner options, but if you’re looking for a truly unique and beautiful brunch place with a full premium liquor bar, call (813) 355-3603 or visit TalloRestaurant.com for reservations and go check it out this weekend! Also, see the ad (below) on this page! — GN 

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Celebrates Urgent Care Grand Opening!

Susan Byrd, RN (at right in left photo below) and Dr. Joseph Perno (at right in right photo below) led the tours of the new Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital After Hours Pediatric Urgent Care on Oct. 17. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

The Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital under construction in Wesley Chapel isn’t expected to open until late 2027, but that doesn’t mean the pediatric clinical and academic health system isn’t making news in our area. 

Not only does Johns Hopkins All Children’s already have a specialty clinic open off Wesley Chapel Blvd., it also celebrated the opening of its first-ever pediatric urgent care facility in Tampa (which is located at 12220 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite B, near USF) on Oct. 17, with a North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) ribbon-cutting event that included tours of the after-hours (it’s open 5 p.m.-midnight on weekdays and 11:30 a.m.-midnight on weekends) and pediatric (under age 21)-only urgent care facility. 

The tours were led by Susan Byrd, RN, the executive director of ambulatory services, Dr. Joseph Perno, the VP of medical affairs, and Chrissie Ladd, PA (in floral dress in top photo), for Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. The NTBC ribbon was cut by the urgent care facility’s first patient Shanella Fisher (with scissors in photo below). 

And, the Johns Hopkins All Children’s OB/ GYN Specialists Office located at 19707 Aprile Dr., Land O’Lakes, was set to host another NTBC ribbon-cutting event on Nov. 18, 

For more information about the new Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Pediatric After Hours Urgent Care, call (727) 767- 8170 or visit HopkinsMedicine.org. — GN 

Former Gator All-American Celebrates Grand Reopening Of Sonny’s BBQ

Photos by Charmaine George

As a former Gator, I remember when former University of Florida guard Shannon Snell — who recently became the franchise owner of the Sonny’s BBQ (Note-Snell took over for previous franchisees and New Tampa residents Jim and Cristina Hoff, who ran the local Sonny’s since it opened in 1998) on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel — was a first-team All-American back in 2003. 

What I didn’t know was that Snell lived in Tampa Palms, but attended Hillsborough High instead of Wharton (where he was zoned to attend), and he was a three-year starter for the Terriers and a USA Today High School All-American. 

But, Snell told me that he injured his shoulder during his junior season at Florida and somehow went undrafted by the NFL because he never had the shoulder repaired and couldn’t pass a physical. “It just kept getting worse,” he said. “But, I just wanted to rehab it and not have surgery.” 

Between 2004-06, he had brief stints with the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys, but told me, “I loved football, but I knew I didn’t have the passion to play that some guys did. My dad said that when you find your passion in work, it’s more fun, more like a hobby.” 

So, when he was still living in Gainesville, Snell says he, “started at the bottom with Sonny’s. But, it had everything I wanted — a chance to move up, with a corporate structure.” 

He adds that today, all Sonny’s franchisees have to also become barbecue pitmasters. 

“Every location has a real person who really knows how to do barbecue,” he says. “And, since every pitmaster does barbecue a little different, you’re allowed to have your individuality, but within our corporate standards. We go to Florida BBQ Association competitions and even have corporate competitions, so we’re always learning how to do barbecue better.” 

Today, Sonny’s has almost 100 locations throughout the Southeastern U.S., owned by CEO Jamie Yarmuth, and Snell says that even though Yarmuth is young himself, he has been “a mentor to me. After I was the GM of a Gainesville location for ten years, he came to me and said, ‘Wesley Chapel is coming available and we’d like you to become the new franchisee.’” 

So, after a couple of months with Sonny’s “back home,” Snell held a North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting (top photo) on Oct. 29, that Yarmuth and other Sonny’s execs also attended. 

Snell likes to show off the seasonal menu, with items that aren’t always available — like the maple BBQ turkey club sandwich (left) and the maple BBQ pork burnt ends (above right), which were my favorites of the seasonal items. There’s also a pulled pork stack on “corncakes” (cornbread “waffles”), sweet potato fries, pulled pork mac & cheese and seasonal wings tossed in maple or golden BBQ sauce. 

My favorite thing at Sonny’s, since BBQ sauce doesn’t always agree with me, are the grilled steakburgers (like the candied bacon burger below right) and the new loaded tots (topped with crispy onion straws, queso & drizzled with BBQ sauce, top left). We added some pulled pork because the tots just didn’t seem messy enough (just kidding — they were definitely messy!). 

Every attendee at the ribbon cutting also received a free “Pork Big Deal” with any other entrée purchase. It included a big pulled pork sandwich, a side and a drink. 

And of course, Sonny’s — “Pitmasters since ‘68” — also still has “Signature BBQ” like St. Louis-style and baby back pork ribs, beef brisket and more. We believe Snell is going to do great at his Wesley Chapel location! 

Sonny’s BBQ (5324 BBD Blvd.) is open every day for lunch & dinner (11 a.m.-9 p.m.). For info, call (813) 994-8989 or visit SonnysBBQ.com. — GN

Whataburger Begins Building At Former Aussie Grill

Although there previously were two locations in Zephyrhills and others around the Tampa Bay area that closed, Whataburger, the Texas-based fast hamburger chain with nearly 1,200 U.S. locations, has begun the interior renovations at the former Aussie Grill, located at 25340 Sierra Center Blvd., between Walk-On’s and Bonefish Grill. 

The first new Whataburger in the Tampa Bay area in years will actually open soon in Largo, but the 2,800-sq.-ft. Lutz/Wesley Chapel location is expected to open by the summer of 2026. 

The $1.3-million renovation will be led by general contractor WH Bass, Inc. which recently fenced in the former Aussie Grill. The new Whataburger is expected to hire 80-100 people. — GN

Fresh Monkee Healthy Shakes Is Now Open In Former Island Fin Poké Spot

Congratulations go out to Phani Mukkavilli (center person holding a cup in the photo, above) and Keerthi Gollamudi (not in the picture), the franchise owners of the new Fresh Monkee Wesley Chapel “healthy shakes shop,” located at 6417 E. County Line Rd., Suite 101 (which, we know, is actually in New Tampa, not Wesley Chapel) — in the same plaza as LA Fitness, in the spot previously occupied by Island Fin Poké Co. 

Fresh Monkee is a growing brand that differentiates itself from the usual “smoothie” shops because it doesn’t rely on sugary fruit blends and strange powders. Founder Judy Flynn started in 2014 with “10 recipes and $5,000” in a 650-sq.-ft. space in Wethersfield, CT. Although nine of its current 28 locations (in 14 states) are in Connecticut, the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel location is the first in the Tampa Bay area. There are 27 more locations listed as “Coming Soon” on TheFreshMonkee.com, including Palm Harbor. 

Flynn said on the website that her vision for Fresh Monkee was simple: “Start every shake with high-quality protein, good carbs, healthy fats and, most importantly, real ingredients like the ones in your own kitchen. And make each shake to order — fast, convenient, and healthy.” 

Perfect for the LA Fitness crowd next door, there are 25 “Protein Shakes” on the menu, from the “Chunkee Monkee” — vanilla (or milk chocolate) protein, banana and natural peanut butter (shown left) — to “Antioxidant Berry” (water, splashes of pomegranate, or “pom,” juice, orange juice and milk, with vanilla protein, spinach and mixed berries) and so many more. 

There also are green shakes, like the “Ultimate Green” shown below left, with water, splash of pom juice, spinach, cucumber, green apple, banana, chia, flax, pineapple, ginger and your choice of lemon, orange or lime. Charmaine was a little surprised by how much she liked it. 

There also are “Mass Shakes” to help increase mass, like “Mass PB Cookie” and “Mass Strawberry Oats.” There’s even a “Protein Iced Coffee.” 

Also available for your shakes are coconut and almond milk and more than 30 different “Add-Ons,” from agave and almonds to macro greens and turmeric. 

But, Charmaine and I were both super-impressed with the 130-calorie, 13 grams of protein “Monkee Ballz” (center cup in photo, above)) that are made in-house and taste like a healthy version of the peanut butter Buckeyes you find at Cracker Barrel and other stores. They are made with natural peanut butter, oat flour, chocolate whey protein, maple syrup and vanilla extract, rolled in semi-sweet chocolate chips and coconut oil and come in 6- and 12-packs. The store also has a small selection of pre-packaged healthy snacks. 

Phani says that the shop is planning to host a North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting event sometime soon and that he really hopes the communities of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel will come to check out Fresh Monkee and discover why it’s truly a different…animal. 

Fresh Monkee is open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. It is closed on Saturday & Sunday. For more info, visit TheFreshMonkee.com or call (813) 838-8306. — GN, photos by Charmaine George