Mark your calendars now because on Wednesday morning, June 21, Jeff Cofini & Nick Cignarella are excited to welcome you to Zioâs New York Bagel & Deli Co. in the Pebble Creek Collection at 19651 BBD Blvd. Pick up a dozen bagels or try the authentic fried egg, bacon & cheese bagel sandwiches! Great Gavina gourmet coffee, plus freshly sliced Boarâs Head meats & cheeses & more, too!
Since it first opened in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center shopping plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (only a mile or so south of the Pasco County line) in 2016, Minerva Indian Restaurant has been among our readersâ favorites every year. In fact, even though our 2022 Reader Dining Survey was the first year we gave âIndian Restaurantsâ their own category, not only did Minerva dominate the voting this year, it also has received the most votes for âFavorite Restaurant in New Tampaâ of any Indian restaurant in New Tampa between 2017 and 2022.
And, for good reason. Not only do Minerva owners Venkat Reddy and his wife Amrutha offer a huge menu (with more than 200 different food items), including North India, South India and Indo-Chinese favorites, they also feature one of the largest Indian lunch buffets in the Tampa Bay area, with about three dozen total items.
Long-time readers of the Neighborhood News know that Indian food has never been at the top of my list of favorite cuisine types, although I have expanded my horizons enough to have multiple favorites at Minerva. And, the good news is that photographer Charmaine George enjoys Indian food more than I do, so we were able to sample quite a few options during our recent visits.
Of course, the Minerva lunch buffet is a an affordable place to start for those who arenât sure what Indian appetizers and entrĂ©es theyâll like best and it includes everything from naan breads to vegetable samosas (deep-fried veggie âpiesâ stuffed with potatoes and veggies) and veggie spring rolls (very much like Chinese or even Thai-style), plus entrĂ©es like butter chicken, Tandoori chicken (one of Minervaâs variety of meats cooked in a clay Tandoor oven), chicken tikka masala, goat curry and multiple biryani (rice) dishes, as well as desserts. I couldnât possibly name and didnât sample all 35+ items (40+ on weekends) on the buffet, but all I can say is that itâs super-popular and available seven days a week between 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Also available on the buffet are some of Minervaâs Indo-Chinese dishes, including the Hakka veg chowmein (with lo mein-style soft noodles) and veggie fried rice, although I also really liked the full order of chicken Indo-Chinese fried rice I got on another visit.
One of mine and Charmaineâs absolute favorites was the garlic naan bread, one of about ten different naans â from butter to onion to spicy chilli â and 20 or so total bread options at Minerva.
Charmaine and I also sampled three different long-grain biryani rice dishes â goat, chicken and veggie. We agreed that the biryanis themselves arenât as spicy as weâve had at some other Indian restaurants, but when goat or chicken is added, the biryani does take on a spicier flavor.
Among the other dishes we tried were the tandoori lamb chops, always one of my favorite dishes at any Indian restaurant. Also available are Tandoori goat chops, lamb shish kababs, chicken shish kabobs, and chicken on the bone or boneless, as well as a mixed grill of lamb and chicken kababs. These dishes are all served fajita-style on a sizzling plate, with peppers and onions.
Charmaine and I also wanted to try a South Indian specialty, so Amrutha suggested we try the Upma, which is a traditional breakfast dish made with semolina, vegetables, peanuts, onion, chillis and ginger. It has a delicate flavor and a consistency that most reminds me of corned beef hash, but without meat.
And, although there are probably still 200+ items on Minervaâs menu we havenât yet sampled, Charmaine and I both look forward to trying the soups (e.g., the Minerva Special chicken soup and hot-&-sour soup), the North Indian paneer paratha (wheat bread stuffed with cheese), and perhaps one of Minervaâs shrimp or fish dishes, including ginger fish or shrimp, vindaloo (curried with potatoes) or tikka masala (in a creamy sauce).
And yes, we both also enjoyed the gulab jamoon dessert, which is basically Indian-style donuts served in a sugar syrup.
Minerva also offers a great variety of traditional Indian drinks (mango lassi, coconut water and more), as well as the best selection of Indian beers youâll find anywhere. These Indian beers, like Taj Majal, King Fisher and Hunter, as well as red and white house wines (although there is a nice variety of other wines, too) are all just $1 from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Speaking of specials, there are a lot of them, including BOGO buffet and entrĂ©e deals, and Minervaâs Biryani Special. On Thursdays and Sundays (only), all biryani dishes (usually $12.95-$16.95) are only $10 each all day. There also are a number of Value Meals, enough to serve 2-3 people, for $19.95-$27.95, on the last page of Minervaâs menu. Minerva Indian Restaurant (19050 BBD) is open every day for lunch & dinner. For more info, call (813) 978-8586 or visit MinervaTampa.com.
Genesis Wellness Clinic, formerly known as Genesis Medical Clinic (located on N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace), offers a unique variety of outpatient healthcare services in one convenient location. The practice combines a focus on prevention and wellness into a traditional medical clinic to provide an integrative approach to healthcare.
After operating for more than a decade as Genesis Medical Clinic, this long-standing clinic is âin the process of transitioning to this new name to reflect a shift in treating patients more holistically,â explained owner Ike Okeke. Holistic medicine refers to considering a personâs mind, whole body and environment when developing a treatment plan and can incorporate alternative medical treatments, too. When holistic medicine is combined with traditional Western medicine, it can be referred to as integrative medicine.
Ike Okeke is a pharmacist by trade. He received his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree (B. Pharm) from the University of Nigeria in 1991. His pharmacy background helps him as the clinic owner to understand the work performed by the different Genesis providers and to bring new treatment options to the clinic.
Ikeâs wife Yvonne also is a pharmacist, having graduated from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine College of Pharmacy with a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree in 2011. She runs Temple Terrace Pharmacy, an independent community pharmacy, located next door to the clinic, making it easy for patients who want to fill their prescriptions right after their clinic appointments.
There are three physicians at Genesis Wellness Clinic, each with different specialties and medical training.
Dr. George Bino Rucker, M.D., is an integrative medicine doctor. Dr. Rucker completed medical school at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in 1995 and received urologic surgery training at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York City.
In 2011, after a decade as a urologic cancer surgeon, Dr Rucker shifted to practicing in integrative medicine. Since then, he has developed expertise in hormone replacement therapy, IV infusions (including Ketamine, ozone, stem cells, etc.), comprehensive weight loss programs and more.
Dr. Gerald (Jerry) Mastaw, M.D., is an interventional pain management and regenerative medicine physician with more than 20 years of experience. He graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor in 2000 and completed residency training in anesthesia. After residency, he served as an anesthesiologist for the U.S. Navy for five years, including in Iraq and Spain. Afterwards, he went back to the University of Michigan to complete a one-year fellowship in interventional pain management.
Dr. Syed Hasan, M.D, completed medical school in 1990 at Dow Medical College in Pakistan and an internal medicine residency at New York University (NYU) Lutheran Medical Center (now known as NYU Langhorne Hospital) in Brooklyn, NY, thereafter. Dr. Hasan has been practicing in internal medicine since then, and has experience in bariatric medicine (causes, prevention and treatment of obesity) as well.
In addition to the physicians, Genesis Wellness Clinic patients also may see Mary Rosario, a psychiatric nurse practitioner (NP) and Janelle Griffith, a physician assistant (PA).
Before anyone can receive treatment at Genesis Wellness Clinic, a doctor will first meet with you for consultation only to ask questions and gather medical information. Then, if you are deemed an appropriate candidate for treatment, the doctor will design a treatment protocol specific to you.
Hormone replacement therapy has become an increasingly popular treatment at the clinic. It can be uncomfortable to discuss, but patients are increasingly seeking hormone therapy with estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. âMen and women come to the clinic asking for hormone therapy because they are struggling with hot flashes, lack of sleep, mental fatigue and low sex drive,â Ike says.
The clinic also offers many interventional pain techniques to help manage chronic body and nerve pain. Available treatments include anesthetic and steroid injections in various areas of the spine, injecting lubricating hyaluronic acid near the knees, and applying radiofrequency ablation (heat from radio waves) to tissues.
If you have a painful diabetic neuropathy (nerve pain) causing numbing and tingling in your hands and feet, Genesis Wellness Clinic offers a drug-free approach that combines deep tissue lasers, microvascular artery pneumatic pumps and nutrition to increase blood flow to affected areas and hopefully reduce that pain.
For those suffering from urinary incontinence, the clinic has a TeslaMaxâą machine that provides electric muscle stimulation to weakened pelvic floor muscles. Combining the TeslaMaxâą treatments with resistance exercises taught by the clinicâs practitioners can strengthen pelvic floor muscles and nerves and improve and even potentially eliminate urinary incontinence for patients.
âThe TeslaMaxâą machine helps patients in a similar manner to performing Kegel exercises but via electrical stimulation,â says Ike. Also available are injections with ozone, platelet rich plasma (PSP), Botox, vitamins and more.
Ketamine is a medication with many uses. It is gaining use in pain control, depression, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), especially if traditional treatments have been unsuccessful. âWe also can treat anxiety, depression, ADHD and many other mental health conditions,â Ike says. For those needing help with weight loss or physical therapy, comprehensive programs with counseling, in office therapy, home exercise regimens, medicine and close follow-up also are available.
Walk-ins are always welcome. If patients have primary care providers or referring doctors, the providers at Genesis Wellness Clinic will be in communication with them as well.
Genesis Wellness Clinic is located at 9780 N. 56th St., Suite C. It is open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. â 5 p.m. For more info or to book an appointment, call (813) 549-7465, visit mygenesiswellnessclinic.com.
Attorney Samah (âSamâ) T. Abukhodeir is a woman of many talents and interests. Sheâs the founder and managing partner of The Florida Probate & Family Law Firm, which has its newest of six offices in the Somerset Professional Park in Tampa Palms. Sheâs an adjunct professor at her law school alma mater, Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, where she currently co-teaches a course on epistemology (a branch of philosophy related to the theory of knowledge).
She also is a passionate advocate for the Arab-American community, as she and her team speak in Arabic, Spanish and English at Arab-American festivals, conventions and online groups about the importance of seeking legal help to a group that may not know or feel comfortable to do so. Sheâs also a fashionable social media presence and networking pro who attends conferences and classes to stay up to date on legal and business practices.
Wherever Sam goes, she builds connections as strong as family. When she first founded her law firm in South Florida in 2018, it consisted of only two people â Sam and a part-time law clerk, Anwar E. Hadeed. Over time, by word of mouth and reputation, she has been able to bring 24 more people on board, including her husband, JosĂ© Ignacio Leon, as another partner, and that same law clerk (Anwar) now as an associate attorney. In just five short years, sheâs also expanded her firm from one to six Florida offices.
The Florida Probate & Family Law Firm can represent you in legal matters related to family law, guardianship, probate and estate planning. Family law includes adoption, child custody, child support, divorce, domestic violence, elder law, paternity, pre- and post-marital agreements, spousal support or, as Sam simply summarized, âanything relating to family.â Guardianship refers to when an individual is granted legal authority to make decisions or manage interests for another person.
âProbate is the process in court that an individual must go through when a family member or loved one passes away intestate (without a legal will or irrevocable trust) to receive an inheritance,â explained Sam. âFor example, if parents pass away, leaving behind a house, their children or loved ones will need to go through probate to get that house in their name if the homeâs title is still in the name of the deceased.â Estate planning involves drafting wills, trusts, or other legal documents while an individual is still alive and of sound mind to have control over how their estate (assets and liabilities) will be divided upon death or becoming incapacitated.
How did Sam decide to focus on these legal areas? While she was studying at the FIU College of Law, her fellow law student and law school sweetheart José was completing a clerkship with the Honorable Maria M. Korvick, an administrative probate judge. With this experience, José developed an interest in probate and told Sam that she should get this experience for herself. After José completed his clerkship, Sam then clerked for Judge Korvick. After they both graduated with their Juris Doctor (J.D.) degrees from FIU in 2013, Sam returned to work for Judge Korvick as a case manager and staff attorney.
In 2016, JosĂ© started his own firm â The Florida Estate Planning Law Firm â and in 2018, Sam founded The Florida Probate & Family Law Firm. While Jose still has his firm, he is increasingly working with his now wife since 2022, by becoming a partner at Samâs firm.
Even if youâve never thought of following a lawyer on social media, Sam and JosĂ© make it so inviting. On Facebook and Instagram, you can find either Sam, or both Sam and Jose together, sharing video clips and words of wisdom about family law and probate. In 30 seconds or less, they discuss topics like four things to know about Florida probate law, the right timing as to when to call a lawyer to write a prenuptial agreement, and more.
The coupleâs recent videos about estate planning for blended families were particularly informative. Sam points out that married partners in blended families should look into estate planning, especially if they have children from previous relationships. JosĂ© added that certain children can get disinherited, depending upon which partner passes away first, so itâs important that estate planning documents have all children included. In fact, in a recent consultation with Sam, thatâs exactly what happened. To illustrate how important this is, a couple who remarried and each had children from previous relationships, but no children in common, sadly both passed away in an accident. Because the husband died 10 minutes after the wife, the wifeâs children were disinherited completely.
Brenda Shapiro, a seasoned family law attorney, is the third partner with Sam and José at the firm. Brenda obtained her J.D. degree from University of Miami (FL) School of Law and, after running her own practice for 25 years, she joined The Florida Probate & Family Law Firm as the chair of the family law department. Brenda has earned many accolades over the years, including receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Law & Letters degree from Pine Manor College in Boston and being a founding member of the Collaborative Family Law Institute, a nonprofit association that teaches about a family-focused alternative to litigated divorce.
Valeska Casanova-Chacon, Krizia L. Toledo, Yudislaidys âYudyâ Mallol, and Anwar E. Hadeed are the associate attorneys at The Florida Probate & Family Law Firm. In addition to bringing a variety of legal experiences to the team â including working at an immigration clinic, doing pro bono work with a special prosecutions unit and serving as victim and witness counselors, the four associates also come from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, including Puerto Rican, Cuban, Caribbean and Syrian.
The firmâs diversity in work experience, ethnic and cultural backgrounds continues with the paralegals and client relations, marketing, and operations team members who come from Colombia, Honduras, Venezuela, Mexico and Palestine.
âOne factor that distinguishes us is that we are a diverse team of different faiths, cultures, and backgrounds,â says Sam. âI am always proud to say that we can connect with anyone.â
Clients of the firm agree. âSam and her team were extremely helpful with my estate planning case,â says client Maricarmen Calo. âThey were very responsive and made me feel comfortable. They were transparent throughout the whole process, making me feel calm and reassured. Thank you, Sam and team, for bringing me peace of mind!â
So, what made Sam and her successful team, with five offices in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale metropolitan areas, want to expand into Tampa? Not surprisingly, she says family was a motivating factor.
âI grew up in central Florida, in Lake Wales, and my parents and sister have lived in Tampa for years, so Iâm quite familiar with the area,â Sam says. âI can provide dedicated time to clients in this area, as I am already making trips to Tampa every weekend to be closer to family. In addition, weâre actively expanding and looking to add team members from this area.â
Sam adds that she also is acutely aware that you donât see a lot of Arab-American lawyers in courtrooms these days and thatâs something sheâd love to help change. She and several other lawyers across the country are working to reactivate the Arab-American Bar Association. Also, maybe the most exciting challenge to date for Sam and JosĂ© is parenthood, as they just became parents to a precious 3-month-old son named Jibril.
The Florida Probate & Family Law Firmâs newest office is located on 15257 Amberly Dr. in Tampa Palms. To contact the firm for a free consultation, call (813) 999-3134, or visit FloridaProbateandFamilyLaw.com. Be sure to follow âThe Florida Probate & Family Law Firmâ on Facebook or âlawyerladybossâ on Instagram for helpful videos and legal tips.
A lifelong âFlorida Crackerâ and New Tampa resident for the past three decades, Lillian Bischel has spent years studying the human condition.
With Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees in Psychology and Anthropology, and a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Speech Language Therapy â all from University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa â Lillian has been a speech language pathologist for the past 14 years. Prior to that, she was a legal assistant.
She says her varied educational pursuits and work experiences have led her to find her passion â as a certified hypnotist whose practice, known as Client-Centered Hypnosis & Coaching, helps people to meet their goals, whether they want to improve an area of their lives or overcome a particular fear.
She also has earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Transpersonal Psychology from Atlantic University (a distance learning university based in Virginia Beach, VA), is certified as a hypnotherapist (CHt), a master hypnotherapist (MHt), and is a member of the National Association of Transpersonal Hypnotherapists.
Here in Florida, however, the title of âtherapistâ is reserved for those who hold a medical degree, so although her certification is as a hypnotherapist, she is considered a âhypnotistâ in our state.
Lillian explains that transpersonal psychology takes the connection of mind and body that is central to traditional psychology one important step further. Transpersonal means that the therapy incorporates an unconscious element, as well.
âWhen you go to a âregularâ psychologist, they say they can fix you if you do what they say,â Lillian explains. âTranspersonal psychology is more that you have a challenge and I can help you find your own answers.â
The first session with Lillian is always an interview to allow her to get to know you and establish background information. She coaches people to come up with their own solutions and suggestions, then uses their own words to write a completely customized hypnosis script, which is done in a separate session.
The client-centered approach means she focuses on active listening and understanding the issues, needs, and wants of her clients, and to guide them to find answers within themselves from a mind, body and soul (meaning the unconscious) perspective.
However, she says, sometimes her clients find the coaching so helpful, they donât even need the hypnosis.
But, for those who do, the hypnosis starts with a relaxation process and deepening technique, which helps tap into the clientâs subconscious. Then, Lillian can do a suggestive hypnosis, where she shares ideas from the interview that will help the client reach their goals.
Her âMasterâ certification allows her to do age regression and past life regression, as well.
She says that many clients donât understand the spiritual connection to their personal problems. In fact, these problems can be hard to discuss because theyâre usually deeply personal topics, and often bring up ideas that might sound crazy if the clients didnât experience them. Lillian says that, based on her experience, she believes people are eternal beings.
âWhen our bodies die,â she says, âour spirit, our soul, our energy, continues.â
That philosophy allows her to help people who are interested in regression to a past life â which may help them overcome fears they are presently experiencing â or simply regression to a younger age.
All coaching and hypnosis sessions are completely virtual, via teleconference, so you can participate in these sessions from the comfort of your own home.
Lillian offers a free consultation to explain the process and âsee if weâre a good fit for each other.â
She says most people who find her service valuable have something going on in their lives thatâs not working for them. They might not know why itâs happening or how to change, but itâs interrupting their lives in some way. It might be stress that is affecting their health, relationships, or even their ability to work.
Lillian also can help people who have set a goal for themselves, such as to be more confident, to be able to speak in front of people, to develop healthier habits, or even quit smoking.
She says she has helped any number of people with debilitating phobias to be able to face their fears.
During the training and certification process, Lillian had to do many hours of hypnosis under the supervision of her college professors. She also is required to have continuing education credits to maintain her membership in the National Association of Transpersonal Hypnotherapists.
One thing Lillian stresses is that therapy with hypnosis is not entertainment.
âI donât do this for fun,â she says. And she further clarifies that she will never make people do anything while they are under hypnosis.
âYou canât make a person do something that goes against their morals,â she explains. âEven though weâve reached an unconscious level, at all times your everyday mind is still there, so youâre very much aware of everything that goes on and can stop at anytime, if you want.â
Brenda Murray says she has known Lillian a long time and that her experience with hypnosis therapy was even better than she had hoped.
âI was extremely impressed with her professional nature and calmness,â explains Brenda. âShe was very detailed, guiding me through with ease. I was surprised at how easy and comfortable Lillian made it.â
Brenda says she was curious about hypnosis â as she thinks many other people also may be â and she wanted to work with Lillian to gain some ambition in a certain area in her life. âIt did help,â Brenda says. âI was impressed with that.â
She also says she looks forward to working with Lillian again to focus on another part of her life.
âI highly recommend her,â says Brenda. âSheâs a natural. I saw a different side of Lillian than I knew and I was quite impressed by her.â
Lillian Bischelâs Client-Centered Hypnosis & Coaching offers hypnosis and coaching via virtual sessions. For more information or to set up a free consultation, call Lillian at (813) 390-2910 or email her at clientcenteredhypnosis@gmail.com.