Only a few restaurants have yet to open at Phase 1 of the KRATE Container Park at The Grove at Wesley Chapel â and the word is definitely getting out that KRATE is a great destination for a wide variety of cuisine types from all over the world.
Bakery X croissantsPico Express Tallarin SaltadoCafe 365 desserts
Bakery X (pronounced âEeksâ en Français) Authentic French Bakery did finally open on Aug. 3, and if you love authentic French croissants, breads and pastries as much as I do, you have to check it out! In additional to traditional butter croissants and a few varieties of French bread (the brioche is unlike anything youâve had at local restaurants), Bakery X also bakes its own pain Suisse (Swiss-style croissants with custard), pain du chocolat or almond (chocolate or almond croissants) and more. Merveilleux!Â
Also now open at the KRATEs is Pisco Express Peruvian Chinese Fusion, which capitalizes on the fact that Peru is directly across the Pacific Ocean from China and the cuisine combines the best of Latin American with Chinese fare, like the Tallarin Saltado (Chifa), which is lo mein-style egg noodles with fresh veggies and your choice of protein (Jannah and I devoured the chicken Tallarin in the picture above). The Peruvian-Chinese fried rice also looked amazing and the fish ceviche was spot-on.
Congratulations to my friend and one of Wesley Chapelâs favorite restaurateurs Steve Falabella!
By breaking through a wall between his Falabella Family Bistro (6027 Wesley Grove Blvd.) and adjacent 900Âș NY Pizza at The Grove, Steve has been able to add full liquor to his beer and wine license at Falabella Bistro (only).
Jannah and I already loved Steveâs delicious Italian cuisine, but since we prefer full-liquor drinks when we dine out, we probably havenât been to the Bistro as often as we might have otherwise.
The doctors of AllergyTampa.com include (l.-r.) Dr. Amber Pepper, Dr. Richard Lockey, Dr. Mark Glaum and Dr. Seong Cho. All four doctors see patients at their offices on BBD Blvd. and South Tampa and also teach at the University of South Florida. (Photos by Charmaine George)
Dr. Richard Lockey, Dr. Mark Glaum, Dr. Seong Cho and Dr. Amber Pepper diagnose and treat various allergic and immunologic diseases in both children and adults.
These include allergic nose and eye problems; other respiratory issues such as asthma; food, drug and insect allergies; various forms of allergic skin disorders, including atopic eczema, urticaria (hives) and contact dermatitis; acute and chronic sinusitis; and systemic allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.
The doctors also are also experts in treating immunodeficiency diseases â patients who are abnormally susceptible to infections.
The four of them are set apart by their commitment to research and education in the field, treating patients in private practice while also conducting research at the University of South Florida (USF) Division of Allergy & Immunology Clinical Research Unit (CRU). The private practice office and CRU make up the top floor of a medical building near the corner of Fletcher Ave. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., and the practice is found online at AllergyTampa.com.
Richard Lockey, M.D., founded the practice in this location in 1984 as Academic Associates in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Nearly four decades later, he continues to practice alongside a team of professionals who are all Board-certified in both internal medicine and allergy and immunology and who pride themselves on excellent patient care.
All four also educate residents and medical students at USF and supervise a nationally recognized program to train allergists and immunologists. In that capacity, they do clinical research and have been involved in many of the innovations in the specialty of allergy and immunology over the past several decades.
âBecause of our research background,â says Dr. Cho, âwe take a scientific approach to diseases. We are all currently involved in doing research on both the university and clinical side, so we have more scientific understanding.â
Their goals are to improve the quality of life of their patients with allergies and immunologic diseases and make them self-sufficient in caring for their own health and the health of their children and families. They also continue to improve the diagnosis and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases.
While Dr. Lockey says that thereâs nothing wrong with a doctor who chooses only to focus on seeing patients, physicians join his team because they also want to do academic research and train new physicians in the specialty.
âWe all have our areas of specialty and interest,â he explains. âThatâs what makes us so powerful.â
A Little Background
Dr. Lockey earned his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the Temple University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, then subsequently joined the faculty of the USF (now Morsani) College of Medicine as a Professor of Medicine. Dr. Lockey also has served as president of the World Allergy Organization and is a past president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), of which all of the practiceâs specialists are members.
Dr. Glaum earned his M.D. degree at the Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He completed a fellowship in allergy and clinical immunology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, also in Philadelphia. His areas of interest include how the body responds to substances that cause allergic reactions and advancing diagnostic techniques, such as rhinoscopies (examining nasal passages with specialized instruments).
Dr. Cho received his M.D. degree as an otolaryngologist â an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor â from Kyung Hee University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea. His allergy and immunology training was completed at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL.
âBeing an ENT is unique,â Dr. Cho says, âI have more expertise in sinus problems. Often ENTs and allergists work together, but my training and background gives me a better perspective of both sides.â
And, like the other doctors in the practice, Dr. Cho explains that the ongoing research and university experience means they take a scientific approach to treating patients, as well.
Dr. Pepper earned her M.D. degree from USF in 2013, then completed her residency in internal medicine in 2016 at USF and a fellowship at the practice through USFâs Division of Allergy & Immunology.
While all of the doctors are able to treat nearly all allergy and immunology issues, there are times when they rely on each other to handle very complicated cases. They say that some local allergists refer to them when a patient has a particularly intricate issue.
For example, Dr. Choâs background as an ENT means heâll sometimes handle nasal allergy testing for patients of his colleagues, if skin and blood tests are negative for allergy responses and the patient requires that nasal allergy testing.
The doctors provide the community with pollen counts, including pollen counts from mold spores, year-round. In the spring, they provide pollen counts from trees. In the summer, they provide counts for grasses and, in the fall, for weeds. They are experts in both outdoor and indoor allergies cause by mites, molds, animals and other allergens.
Drs. Lockey, Glaum, Cho and Pepper recommend that patients always look for physicians with expertise and ongoing training to meet your specific needs. They intentionally stay up-to-date on medicine and treatment at the forefront of medical science.
Patients can see Drs. Lockey, Glaum, Cho or Pepper at their North Tampa office, which is located at 13801 BBD Blvd., Ste. 502, or in the South Tampa office, located at 1906 W. Platt St. To learn more about the services they provide, visit AllergyTampa.com or call (813) 971-9743.
The sunsets at Blue Heron Senior Living in Wesley Chapel are an added bonus to go with a long list of amenities for residents in Assisted Living and Memory Care. (Photos courtesy of Blue Heron)
Candy Spitzer searched extensively for the perfect retirement home. Her criteria included a place near her children, where she didnât have to cook or clean and where she could still have neighbors. She found the community she was looking for at Blue Heron Senior Living & Memory Care.
âI wanted to be with people who would be similar to my age so that we could still talk to and really communicate with each other,â says Spitzer, a 78-year-old Blue Heron resident. âBlue Heron was so far above any of the other places that I went because I never saw that ability for us to be able to get together as much as we can here.â
Blue Heron Senior Living, located on Eagleston Blvd. off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Seven Oaks near the new (opening in 2023) BayCare Hospital, had a staggered opening in June 2021. The 159,000-sq.-ft. retirement home offers four distinct lifestyle communities for residents â including assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation.
âWe are a very unique community,â says Community Relations Director Lilly Gonzalez. âWe are the only community in the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa area that combines assisted living, memory care, skilled rehab and long-term care, all on one campus.â
Even beyond Wesley Chapel/New Tampa, the combination of all four services is rare.
Gonzalez says the goal of Blue Heron is to provide care and services to its residents, so they can have the independence to do the things they enjoy. Family members, she says, can visit and spend quality time with their loved ones knowing they are being cared for properly.
âWhen their family comes, they can enjoy the visit without having the burden of having to care for [and ask], âDid you take your pills, did you take a shower, did you drink your water?,ââ Gonzalez says. âThey can rest assured that we took care of those responsibilities.â
An Array of Choices
Spitzer is just one of about 83 residents who currently live in the assisted living community. There are 18 studio apartments, 43 one-bedroom apartments and 12 two-bedroom apartments to choose from. Residents of the 73 apartments â some are occupied by couples âcan partake in social, educational, spiritual and health-oriented activities.
Residents also are welcome to leave their homes to shop or go out to eat, Gonzalez says, which is something Blue Heron residents like to do often. Residents also receive a pendant, often worn like a necklace, that they can press in case they need a care team member for assistance.
Blue Heron offers a host of amenities. In each assisted living apartment, there are full-sized refrigerators, a washer and dryer, television and telephone service, as well as WiFi, which along with the other utilities, are all included in the monthly price. The lobby has comfortable seating and a gas-fired fireplace, ideal for small gatherings or just relaxing.
The main dining area, which serves up to three meals a day to residents, is behind the lobby, and also has an open kitchen area, called The Bistro, for grab-and-go snacks and drinks, including coffee and a wine tap for residents to enjoy while watching television or mingling with new friends
When the weather is right, an outdoor patio beckons. It features a gas grill, a putting green and plenty of umbrella-covered seating for those who choose to look out over a sizable pond. It also is a perfect area for live music, which residents are treated to on occasion.
Blue Heron also has an art studio/gallery, a spa/salon and a life enrichment center.
Gonzalez says the fourth floor might be the residentsâ favorite â âIt has a lounge area and itâs really a pretty place to watch the sunsets,â she says.
Some apartments have balconies that overlook a courtyard and the pond as well, offering beautiful views.
To provide peace of mind, Covid-19 regulations are in place at all Blue Heron communities. Employees are regularly tested for Covid-19 and residents are required to wear masks in the common areas.
This has not, however, done away with the community aspect of Blue Heron, Gonzalez says.
She recalls a time when residents did not want anyone to be excluded, so they pushed two tables together in the dining room. Gonzalez says the residents take pride in the community and make it comfortable and inclusive for everyone, which is something management also encourages.
âItâs really a precious thing,â she says. âTheyâre able to feel comfortable enough to display this and engage other new residents and make them feel comfortable â thatâs unique.â
For Blue Heron residents with dementia, the community offers a secured, but intimate memory care community, which allows residents to thrive and not be overwhelmed. Offering a smaller home-like environment also ensures the personalized attention and programming these residents deserve.
Gonzalez says that with Memory Care, âitâs all about engagement with planned events, scheduled outings, meaningful and purposeful programs that keep our residents stimulated, within their own familiar environment.â
She adds that the Memory Care community provides a supervised neighborhood for residents, while also allowing them to maintain their independence.
âFor those who may have a tendency to try to walk away and go look for a loved one or go look for their home and wander off, well then, the independent area in assisted living is no longer safe for them,â she says. âMemory Care is a secured neighborhood and provides that safety and peace of mind.â
While the 22 Memory Care studio apartments may all be similar, the front of the âcottagesâ vary, with some designed with brick, stone or wood.
Skilled Nursing & Rehab
âSkilled nursing and rehabilitation services are for patients who need more acute services for varying surgeries, injuries or illnesses,â says Leneeâ Cedeno, the Director of Admissions for the skilled nursing side.
It is the only assisted living community in Wesley Chapel or New Tampa that offers both short-term rehabilitation services and long-term nursing care on-site. There are 106 private suites in the health and rehabilitation center, as well as a âReturn to Homeâ program that includes advanced therapy equipment, physical, occupational and speech therapies, virtual reality workouts and neighborhood amenities.
âOur whole vision is for rehab to home,â Cedeno says. âTo get patients stronger so that they can return home or to assisted living.â
Assisted Living or Memory Care residents who have a medical need that requires a skilled nurse or intense rehab can just transition over and get the help they need before returning to their regular apartments.
Assisted Living and Memory Care are independently licensed with the state of Florida, and the skilled nursing has a distinct license for their service specialty, Gonzalez says. Both areas of the community offer skilled, certified and licensed staff members through Resident Aides, Medication Technicians, Certified Nursing Assistants, Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses. A variety of doctors visit residents and patients, including cardiology, podiatry, psychology and many other specialties. Residents in Assisted Living can maintain their current primary care physicians if they choose to do so.
Another unique touch offered by Blue Heron is its respite stay program. If a family caregiver needs to go out of town for a few weeks and canât leave a parent or older relative alone to care for themselves, they can stay at Blue Heron like they would a hotel, provided they meet the same requirements as a regular resident. These respite stays wonât be available forever because, eventually, Gonzalez says, Blue Heron will be at 100-percent occupancy. But until then, âit is a service to the community.â
Those same caregivers also can benefit from a free support group offered by Blue Heron on the third Wednesday of every month, from 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Eileen Poiley from the Byrd Alzheimerâs Center & Research Institute at USF hosts the free monthly forums. The forum are designed to help Tampa-area caregivers cope with any stress and guilt, deal with loved ones who may no longer recognize them, are caring for a relative who is exit-seeking or are in physical and cognitive decline. Gonzalez says roughly a dozen or so caregivers attend, and everyone is welcome.
The long list of amenities and the growth of the community are two of the main reasons why Spitzer is overjoyed with her choice. For people wondering about living at Blue Heron, she says it is the best senior living community sheâs looked at in the area.
âI just wish more people would understand that itâs not a punishment for their children to take them like my sons brought me,â Spitzer says. âItâs become a joy and I would hope that older people will begin to look at this as being their new home and that you can live a very nice life.â
Blue Heron Senior Living is located at 5071 Eagleston Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, and its hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on the weekends. For more information, call (813) 454-0513 or visit SeniorLivingAtBlueHeron.com.
It has been almost a decade since the plans for the Publix supermarket in the Hollybrook Plaza to move a little to the east into a newly built location were first floated.
But now, those plans finally are picking up steam.
According to permitting records filed with Pasco County, Publix is beginning the process of moving from its current location at the corner of S.R. 54 and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. to a 9.5-acre parcel right across Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. from the Walmart.
Plans indicate that Publix, which owns the land, will build a 60,548-sq.-ft. center, which will be anchored by a 48,848-sq.-ft. grocery store, with a 2,100-sq.-ft. liquor store and 9,600 square feet of retail space.
The new Publix center will be located directly behind the Bank of America, Advance Auto Parts and Starbucks-anchored Pleasant Plaza on S.R. 54 (see map).
Permitting also was submitted last month for a retail and restaurant project to be located behind the Clearwater Crossing plaza (anchored by Glory Days) and wrapping behind the new Publix.
Wiregrass Ranch development company Locust Branch, LLC, submitted a preliminary development and construction plan for a 7,216-sq.-ft. strip center.
There are no current plans for the future of the Hollybrook Publix building. However, Scott Sheridan, the chief operating officer of Locust Branch, LLC, doesnât think it will remain empty for long.
âI think that will be an easy fill,â he says, largely in part to the fact that it is a heavily-trafficked area.
There are also new apartments planned just south of Hollybrook Plaza, behind the Sonnyâs BBQ on BBD.
TWO MINUTE WARNING: The Sombutmai Center, located at 22835 S.R. 54 a little west of Morris Bridge Rd. in Wesley Chapel, is adding a restaurant to its plans, according to permitting records.
2 Minutes, a popular mom-and-pop restaurant known for its large portions and located on Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills, is planning its second location at the new Wesley Chapel-located center.
The new 2 Minutes will be 3,017-sq.-ft. and will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
NEW CHILDCARE OPTIONS: There are a few new childcare/education options coming for Wesley Chapel residents.
Amazing Explorers Academy (AEA), a 12,110-sq.-ft. facility which will be located just south of Overpass Rd. near Watergrass, is in permitting. AEA will offer a STEAM curriculum for 200 students between the ages of six weeks-12 years old.
Also, a 13,586-sq.-ft. Primrose School (for children in Pre-K through kindergarten) on Chancey Rd. and Persimmon Park Dr. in Wiregrass Ranch also is in permitting. A third, as-yet-unnamed 10,000-sq.-ft. childcare facility is being planned just north of the El Dorado Furniture store (see below) on Wesley Chapel Blvd.
PLACE TO SIT: Speaking of El Dorado Furniture, the 70,000-sq.-ft. store located on S.R. 54, just west of Wesley Chapel Blvd. (across from the Cypress Creek Town Center), will hold its Grand Opening in September.
El Dorado promises a different kind of furniture store experience, with Boulevard showrooms set up like strips of old-fashioned city streets, with benches and street lamps lining the path.
For you oldtimers out there, it doesnât seem that long ago that the debate over who had the best food in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel came down to the ABC Pizza on S.R. 54 and the gas station in front of Pebble Creek (Spoiler alert: It was the ABC Pizza).
In fact, in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa alone, there are close to 200 restaurants, and pretty much everything is covered, except for maybe Vietnamese, although a quality full-on Vietnamese restaurant is going to be opening soon just south of County Line Rd. (scoop alert!).
Otherwise, if you have a hankering for something, there are multiple places to satisfy your cravings.
But, to determine what the best places are (or, at least, your favorite places), we need your help. Any Reader Survey is only as good as, well, its readers. So whattya say? Take a few seconds and fill this out.
There may be a few more categories this year than usual, but we think weâve actually made it simpler for you â just type in your favorite choices, although we do ask that your rank your favorite three restaurants in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel overall. Of course, if you see this in your copy of the Neighborhood News, and throw it in an envelope and mail it to us.
Heck, if you prefer writing it out, you can take a picture of your ballot once you fill it in and even email it to john@ntneighborhoodnews.com.
We even have prizes for a few of the lucky ones that do!
We â and the local eateries â do truly appreciate your participation.
So, whatâs different this year?
Well, weâve added a âBest Dishâ category, because sometimes, thatâs the reason youâre going to a certain restaurant. Maybe the place isnât your favorite overall, but the spaghetti and meatballs are simply to die for. Some restaurants just do one thing better than anyone else, so fill us in!
Weâve also added a âFavorite Appetizerâ category because it can make or break a dining experience. These days, mozzarella sticks and loaded potato skins simply arenât enough. Restaurants are really putting some serious effort into their pre-meal offerings. And really, who hasnât ordered nothing more than an appetizer (or two) as their meal?
Weâve also added a Covid-19-inspired category â âBest Coffee Shop,â because a lot of us work out of a coffee shop these days.
Weâve also added âBest KRATE at The Grove,â because, well, duh! While you can certainly vote for any of the container restaurants in any other category, we decided that the container park really needed its own category. Plus, weâre curious to see how this one will turn out.
We decided to split the dessert categories into âBest Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt (FroYo)/Gelatoâ and âBest Bakeryâ sweets, and added a âBest Fried Chicken/Wingsâ category, given âBest Indian Foodâ and âBest Latin (Other Than Mexican)â their own categories for the first time, added âBest Breakfast/Brunchâ and brought back the âBest Burgerâ category.
And, with the exception of the KRATEs, any of your favorites can be in New Tampa (zip code 33647, as well as in the Palms Connection plaza on E. Bearss Ave. in 33613) or Wesley Chapel (zip codes 33543, 33544 and 33545, as well as 33559, which is technically Lutz, but it allows you to include picks near the Tampa Premium Outlets, since so many locals love so many of those places to eat).
We think we have everything covered this time around. While it might be a little more work for you than when we gave you the names of pretty much every restaurant in our distribution areas, our goal was to present enough choices so that this yearâs Readerâs Survey would present the most complete and accurate snapshot of your views of the dining experience in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa.
Now, itâs your turn. Thanks in advance for entering, which, one more time, you can do by CLICKING HERE. â JCC & GN
