Bagels Plus On Fletcher Ave. Reopens Five Months After Kitchen Fire 

Photos by Charmaine George

When you’ve known someone for more than a quarter of a century, you might think you “really” know them, but sometimes, you might be wrong to make that assumption. 

Case in point: I first met my friend “Steve” (left) when he first opened his Bagels Plus in a former (but already closed before he bought the building) Bruegger’s Bagels location on E. Fletcher Ave., less than a half-mile west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., way back in 1998. 

I also thought I remembered Steve telling me that he bought an H&H Bagels location in New York not long after it was revealed that Kramer, the kooky character on the hit NBC-TV show “Seinfeld,” had been on strike for years from the original H&H Bagels in Manhattan. 

Well, it took a kitchen fire and the shop being closed for five months — Bagels Plus finally reopened at the end of March — for me to find out just how wrong I was on both counts. 

First, although everybody still calls him Steve, my friend the bagel maker’s real name is Monsieur (yes, like “Mister” in French) Aziz. 

Second, Steve never owned an H&H location, “They were my competitors when I had my first Bagels Plus in Roslyn, Long Island.” 

One thing I did not get wrong, however, was that Steve did bring the ability to make true New York-style bagels with him when he moved to Florida — “to get away from the snow” — even though most New Yawkas say that there are no “real” bagels in Florida because we can’t duplicate the water in the Empire State. 

Steve showed me the five special water filters he has in Bagels Plus to reduce the “hardness” of the water here, even though New York is one of the few cities in the U.S. that doesn’t filter its water because of its natural “softness” and purity. 

But, he attributes the authenticity of his bagels to the way he makes them. “We use wheat flour and some vegetable flour, yeast and water to make our bagels,” he says. “That’s it. We don’t add oil, salt, malt, sugar or any of the other things you don’t need that other people use to make bagels.” 

Photographer Charmaine George and I watched Steve make a batch of bagels and we agreed that he did not use any of the ingredients he mentioned that other people do use. 

He says that one of the most important things is that “real New York” bagels have to be kettle-boiled before they are baked. 

“And, you need the right kind of kettle,” he says. “The kettle isn’t a very expensive piece of equipment, but you really need it to make the bagels correctly.” 

Whatever Steve and his happy crew have been doing to them, there’s no doubt in most local bagel lovers’ minds that Bagels Plus had the closest-to-New-York bagels anywhere near New Tampa or Wesley Chapel prior to the fire that caused Steve to not only shut his doors but basically rebuild the interior of his shop from scratch. 

“The fire ended up being a blessing,” he says. “Because when the fire inspectors came to take a look afterwards, they said that one of the support beams in the front of the store (now replaced) was ready to fall down. Without the fire, we would never have known about it.” 

Steve, who also previously owned a men’s clothing store in Manhattan, also had opened a similar men’s store in the Target-anchored University Plaza behind what is now his bagel shop. 

“I was thinking about moving the clothing store to this building, but when I heard that it had already been a bagel shop, I made the owners an offer on the spot.” And the rest is history. 

Oh, Those Bacon, Egg & Cheeses! 

Although both of my sons now live in Lakewood Ranch, when I told them Bagels Plus reopened right before my most recent visit to them, they both insisted that I bring them Steve’s famous bacon, egg & cheese (BEC) bagel sandwiches. 

“I’ve tried to make a bacon, egg and cheese like Bagels Plus at home,” my older son Jared — who wants to open a Bagels Plus franchise near him — told me. “I just can’t get the eggs the way they make them.” 

Truth be told, many New York bagel shops make their bacon (or sausage or ham), egg and cheese sandwiches with fried eggs — and Bagels Plus will make yours with a fried egg, if you prefer — but anyone who works the grill at Steve’s shop knows how to pour just the right amount of the already-cracked real eggs onto the hot flattop griddle and fold those eggs into the perfect size to just stick out on all sides of the bagel. 

And, if you like your bacon crispy like I do — I know there are people who prefer their bacon “wet,” which I try to not hold against them — there is always a ready supply of perfectly crisp bacon waiting to be placed in generous amounts atop your eggs. And then, a single thick slice of yellow American cheese is gently placed atop that combo, which melts the cheese just enough. 

Steve’s BEC makers, led by his manager Trista, also are happy to add salt & pepper or, for folks like me, to “scoop out” your bagel before assembling your sandwich. That not only gets rid of about 1/3 of the bagel’s calories, it also allows it to toast up extra crispy, especially when it is put through the conveyor belt toaster twice. The only time they won’t put it through the toaster is when your bagel has just come out of the oven. 

Bagels Plus also offers a large variety of cream cheese options — from regular and light plain to bacon scallion, light strawberry and a salmon cream cheese that is made with real smoked salmon. You also can get a generous portion of sliced smoked salmon with your choice of cream cheese on your favorite bagel (left photo). There’s also a variety of fresh salads (tuna, egg and chicken), roasted turkey and Black Forest ham available, plus freshly baked croissants, muffins, black-&-white cookies, delicious apple or strawberry turnovers (photo below), almond horns and cinnamon rolls. 

And yes, Steve still pretends to pocket new customers’ credit cards and throw an empty coffee cup at them to make them think it’s full. He’s a character, but it’s hard to dislike a guy who has been keeping it New York real for 27 years! 

Bagels Plus (2706 E. Fletcher Ave.) is open Mon.-Sat., 6 a.m.-4 p.m., and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sun. For more info or to pre-order bulk bagels (because they do often run out), call (813) 999-1216. 

Dr. Jasthi’s Family & Cosmetic Dentistry — Quality Dental Care For Ages 4+ 

The friendly, professional staff of Family & Cosmetic Dentistry (on BBD Blvd., in front of Live Oak Preserve in New Tampa), is led by Dr. Neeraja Jasthi (far left) & Dr. Linda Park (far right). (Photo provided by Dr. Jasthi ) 

At Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., in the small plaza next to MidFlorida Credit Union in front of the Live Oak Preserve community in New Tampa, Neeraja Jasthi, DMD, says her practice offers family-oriented, comprehensive care for patients ages four and older. 

“We are a place that takes care of all of your dental needs,” explains Dr. Jasthi. “We are friendly, safe and give quality treatment.” 

Dr. Jasthi moved her practice to its current location in 2005 after opening in a smaller office in the Highwoods Preserve area of New Tampa in 2002. She has been practicing in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area since 1998, after earning her DMD (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry) degree from the Tufts Dental School in Boston, MA, in 1996. 

Linda Park, DDS, joined the practice in 2018. Dr. Park earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2005 from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry in Loma Linda, CA. 

With two doctors and five hygienists in the practice, Dr. Jasthi says appointments are almost always available quickly. If someone is in pain, they usually can be seen right away. And, new patients can often be scheduled within a couple of weeks, and Dr. Jasthi’s attentive administrative staff can often get patients in sooner, especially if another patient cancels an appointment and opens a spot for those who want to be seen quickly to be accommodated. 

New patients also are happy to learn that, unlike some dental practices that require an exam first, before scheduling a cleaning, Family & Cosmetic Dentistry always provides an exam and cleaning at the first appointment. If treatment is required, however, the patient may need to come back for another appointment to complete that treatment. 

Dr. Jasthi says Family & Cosmetic Dentistry feels like a family, and she always wants her patients to be able to bring the whole family to them. While she and Dr. Park typically see all family members ages four and up, they do sometimes see younger children, as well. 

“For established patients of record who have children younger than four,” Dr. Jasthi says, “we will see them if they are cooperative.” 

Beyond cleanings and exams of the teeth, Family & Cosmetic Dentistry offers fillings, bridges, crowns and many other necessary dental treatments. 

As the practice’s name states, the team also offers cosmetic dentistry to help everyone achieve their best possible smile. This includes services such as teeth whitening, veneers and InvisalignÂź aligners to straighten the teeth. 

“We are doing more Invisalign these days,” says Dr. Jasthi, “helping people with the aesthetics and functionality of their teeth.” 

She adds that she also provides dental implants in-house, as well as restorative treatments, and that she is often able to use a veneer instead of porcelain for some cosmetic procedures, which allows her to not cut into the tooth structure. 

“For example,” she says, “if someone has a peg-shaped tooth and wants to make it more of an ideal form, we do chair-side composites with injection molding. It’s good for the health of the tooth and it’s very economical, compared to the cost of porcelain.” 

Dr. Jasthi says her practice continues to grow “by leaps and bounds,” thanks to many people in the community who support her. 

Like Dr. Jasthi, Dr. Park (above) provides personalized service to her patients. 
(Photo by Charmaine George) 

That includes patients such as Wesley Chapel resident Karina Fernandez, who says she has been a patient of Dr. Jasthi’s since she moved to Florida in 2015. 

“They always have appointments available and are very flexible with their schedule,” Karina says. 

She also appreciates that she never feels like she’s being sold something she doesn’t need. “They’re not trying to take your money,” Karina says, adding that she is absolutely thrilled with the Invisalign treatment she recently completed. 

“I had no idea it would be so effective,” she says. “I thought I would need braces because my bottom teeth were so crooked. I didn’t think it could be fixed with a plastic aligner, but after a year and half, my teeth are straight.” 

In fact, she adds, “what I like the best is that I can feel the difference in my bite. I used to have trouble chewing, but now I don’t. I’m really amazed by the difference.” 

Karina says every member of her family is now a Family & Cosmetic Dentistry patient and she highly recommends the practice. 

Another happy patient is Veronica Givens, a New Tampa resident who says she drove by the office many times on her travels up BBD and one day decided to make an appointment. 

As a busy mom, she says she had put off going to the dentist herself, even though she had some concerns about her teeth. 

“When I took the time to go in and see Dr. Jasthi and her team, they were open and friendly, and they listened to me,” Veronica says. 

One of her concerns was that her teeth were crooked, so Dr. Jasthi suggested Invisalign. “She really transformed my teeth to completely straight,” she says. 

“It’s really helped boost my confidence,” she adds. “I talk with a lot of people all day, whether it’s in person or on video, and Invisalign has made me feel more comfortable. I’m no longer wondering if someone is noticing my crooked teeth now. I’m just smiling, laughing and talking.” 

Veronica says that, throughout the process, she was impressed with the professionalism of the staff, and how caring everyone in the office seemed to be. 

“I always recommend Dr. Jasthi because she’s definitely the best doctor I’ve ever seen in my whole life,” Veronica says. “My teeth are straight and white, and I have healthy gums and no cavities. I’m really grateful for her and her team.” 

Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, the office of Dr. Neeraja Jasthi, is located at 20441 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa. Office hours are available Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; and 8 a.m.–4 p.m. on Friday. For more information about the practice, visit DrJasthi.com or call (813) 866- 9913.

Kay Nail Spa’s New Management Promises Great Nail Services & Customer Care! 

(L.-r.) Belinda, Jackie, Lauren, owner Lee Alley, Nina & Dolys are the friendly, professional nail techs at Kay Nail Spa on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., across from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

Lilliana Harrington is a huge fan of having her nails done by owner (and experienced nail technician) Lee Alley at Kay Nail Spa, located in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel, across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, in the same plaza as Dickey’s BBQ. 

She’s such a fan, in fact, that even though Lilliana sold her home in Wesley Chapel and moved to outside of Orlando, she now travels more than two hours every three weeks to have her nails done by Lee. 

“When you find someone who is so extraordinary,” Lilliana says, “you can’t leave them.” 

Lilliana says she, her 19- and 11-year-old daughters and even her husband all go to Kay Nail Spa for pedicures and manicures, despite the drive. They discovered Lee at her first salon in Wesley Chapel — Colorful Nails in the Freedom Plaza on S.R. 54, which Lee and her husband Chris still own. 

The Alleys bought Kay Nail Spa just a few months ago, in November 2024. They also previously owned Lavender Nails at the Tampa Premium Outlets, but Lee made the decision to sell that salon when the opportunity presented itself. 

“[Lavender Nails] was very successful,” says Lee, “but someone offered us a good deal and I thought three salons was too much, so we let it go.” 

Lee says she loves the location at Kay Nail Spa, since it’s close to her home and even closer to her two-year-old’s day care. Lilliana says she’ll follow Lee anywhere, but she particularly likes Kay Nail Spa. 

“It’s a very clean place,” Lilliana says, noting that there are never any stray items on the floor and that it doesn’t have a strong chemical smell, as some nail salons do. “It’s very beautiful, very calming and very uplifting. All of her places are wonderful, but I fell in love with the chair at Kay.” 

And, while Lilliana has a strong loyalty and prefers that only Lee do her nails, she says that whenever she’s had her nails done by other technicians at Lee’s salons, she’s still always has been happy with both the quality of the work and the customer service she’s received. 

Lee says she worked at a salon when she first came to Wesley Chapel with her husband in 2019. She says she was often booked all day from people requesting appointments with her. She loved the work, and knew she wanted to go into business for herself. 

Now, she’s busy managing the day-to-day operations at both salons and Chris, who also works as an information technology (IT) professional, supports the salon with IT, paperwork, payroll, marketing and other administrative functions. Lee still makes time for her loyal clients as much as she can, but fully trusts her employees to care for those clients, too. 

She says the most important thing to everyone at Kay Nail Spa is providing not only good quality manicures and pedicures, but also excellent customer service. 

Growing up in Vietnam, Lee says her family owned a small nail salon, so she was always around it. She left her home country to work on a cruise ship, where she got a job as a casino dealer. 

Lee explains that, as an employee of a huge company that trains thousands of people in customer service, she learned a lot of lessons that she now applies to her nail salon businesses. 

For example, she says it’s important to always put relationships first. 

“We treat our customers like friends and family,” she says. “We have to make them feel welcome. If any issues happen, we try to understand them so that we can build a strong relationship.” 

Lee also says that, because of that mantra, clients often become friends, too. 

“I tell my employees that they can improve their skills over time, and if they mess up, their customers will give them a chance to fix it,” Lee says. “But, if they’re mean or rude, people won’t come back.” 

Lee says another thing she likes about her shop is that there are nail technicians of many nationalities. “We have Spanish, Asian and African technicians,” Lee says. “I don’t care where they come from if they do nails well and have a good attitude.” 

Lee says Kay Nail Spa offers all nail services such as acrylic, gel and dip powder. “If it’s available in the market,” she says, “we do it.” 

While Kay Nails was not previously known for offering nail art, now that Lee’s technicians are there, they are proud to offer those trendy and beautiful nail art designs, too. 

And, Lee says, customers can rest assured their nails will last. “We guarantee our nails for at least five days,” Lee says. “We fix anything for free within five days. After that, we are happy to take care of any issues that arise. But, if it’s not our mistake, we may charge a small fee to fix it.” 

Kay Nail Spa offers a number of discounts, including 5% for members of the military and seniors ages 65 and older. Lee says she’ll also take 10% off all services on your birthday. 

The spa also offers a loyalty card, where each service of $30 or more equals one point. Once you have 10 points, you’ll receive $10 off any service.

Kay Nail Spa is located at 2653 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite 104, in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel plaza. It is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.,; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday; and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. To make an appointment, call (813) 527-6524 or visit KayNailSalon.com.

Tampa City Ballet Brings Beautiful, New Life To ‘Don Quixote’ At NTPAC 

Jannah and I were sad that we weren’t able to attend either performance of the classical ballet “Don Quixote,” as performed by the Tampa City Ballet, at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) the weekend of March 21-23. 

The good news is that our photographer Charmaine George was able to attend and take the beautiful photos on this page. Charmaine says that Tampa City Ballet artistic director and choreographer Paula Nuñez, Ballet Master Osmany Montano, who also portrayed Sancho Panza, the servant of protagonist Don Quixote de La Mancha (portrayed by Wilson de los Santos), Kali Bartasavich (who played Don Quixote’s “Beloved Fantasy” Dulcinea and the entire cast of “Don Quixote” all did an amazing job of bringing renowned Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes’ 17th century novel to life. 

Charmaine also particularly raved about the costumes and sets (which also are hallmarks of all Tampa City Ballet performances) and was hopeful that her pictures could do justice to this amazing spectacle! 

For more info about the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Tampa City Ballet (TampaCityBallet.org) or the ballet company’s incredible school, the Tampa City Dance Center (15365 Amberly Dr.) — which trains dancers of all skill levels in many different dance genres — call (813) 558-0800, visit TCDanceCenter.com For more info about Tampa City Ballet’s upcoming fund-raising gala “La Septima Society,” see the ad above. — GN 

Bloomin’ Blinds Brings Custom Window Treatments — & Repairs — To You! 

Mariana and Michael Imses, the owners of the local Bloomin’ Blinds franchise serving New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and other areas, are happy to bring their mobile showroom to your home. (Photo by Charmaine George) 

If you’re in the market for new window treatments — anything from plantation shutters and blinds to shades or drapes — local franchise owner Michael Imses says you should consider Bloomin’ Blinds, which offers a lifetime guarantee on its products, and also provides repairs. 

“Our warranty is great,” Michael says. “With us, customers don’t have to worry about if anything breaks because we always repair or replace our products for free.” 

Michael and his wife Mariana own the Bloomin’ Blinds franchise that serves homeowners in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas such as Lutz, Land O’Lakes, Tampa and South Tampa. 

Bloomin’ Blinds is a 25-year-old company that started in Dallas, TX, and began franchising within the last decade. There are now about 75 locations across the nation, including nine in the Sunshine State. 

About six years ago, Michael and Mariana, who are both accountants, decided that they wanted to own their own business. They searched for a franchise that would be a good fit for them and found Bloomin’ Blinds. Michael says they purchased the franchise at about the same time their only daughter was born. 

Michael and Mariana like that the company offers high-quality products, backed by a guarantee, so customers can have peace of mind about the investment they make in their homes. 

For window coverings such as roller shades, cellular shades, plantation shutters or blinds, Bloomin’ Blinds provides custom treatments direct from the factory, so the quality is much better than what you would buy off the shelf at a big box or home improvement store. 

Michael says Bloomin’ Blinds sells Norman shutters, Graber window treatments, and Alta window fashions, among other brands and yes, motorized, smartphone-operated shades also are available. 

“The automated systems are becoming more popular, because you can operate them from anywhere in the world,” Michael says. “And the prices for them have started to come down.” 

Kerry Estevez says she found Bloomin’ Blinds on an online community group when she built a new house in the Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch. 

After the builder completed her home, she brought in a line of contractors to finish everything from customizing closets to crown molding and, of course, window coverings. 

“Bloomin’ Blinds was the only one where nothing went wrong,” Kerry says. 

She also says the best thing about hiring Bloomin’ Blinds was the professionalism and quality of customer service that came with working directly with the local franchise owner. 

“Dealing with the owner of the company directly and having him in the house, the communication was flawless,” Kerry says, adding that she appreciated that when Michael came to her home for a free consultation, he took his time and she never felt rushed. She considers herself to be particular, but says Michael was even more so. 

“He noticed things I didn’t even notice,” Kerry says. “I would recommend him to anyone for his attention to detail.” 

In fact, she says, he was accommodating in working on timelines of other contractors and that, when it came to installation, he personally completed the job, along with one of his employees. 

While some other companies she called would have taken months to even come out for a consultation, Bloomin’ Blinds was able to complete the consultation, order custom plantation shutters for every window in her home and have them manufactured and installed before she moved in. 

Kerry says the prices she paid at Bloomin’ Blinds were great, too. “I highly recommend Michael,” Kerry says. “I tell my neighbors if they’re getting estimates to definitely call him. I think once they get an estimate from Michael, I don’t know how people can’t hire him.” 

In fact, she adds, she’s hiring Bloomin’ Blinds again, to come back and add drapes in her home, too. 

Michael says Kerry’s not the only customer who has told him that they appreciate how accessible he is. 

“We’re not a big corporation where people have to call and call and wait on the line for a long time to be transferred to someone who can help you,” Michael says. “We’re a small, family-owned local business and people love that we’re easy to communicate with.” 

He says they also love the parent company’s warranty and that they don’t have to worry if anything breaks. While Bloomin’ Blinds will replace anything that needs to be replaced, Michael and his crew can often make repairs on the spot, or come back soon if a part needs to be ordered. 

In fact, if you have another company’s window treatments you already love in your home, and something breaks, such as a slat or a tilter, Bloomin’ Blinds will come out to provide a free estimate for the repair. 

How To Get Started 

The first step is to schedule an appointment for a free estimate in your home. This allows Michael to show you the available products in your own environment, so that colors and styles can be best matched to your existing dĂ©cor, and you can see exactly what it all will look like in your space. 

Michael says he can help you, even if you have absolutely no idea what you want. New products are often available, and he’s happy to spend time going over all the options you may not even know about. “We bring all the samples and colors to our customers, help them pick out what would work best, and share all that we’ve learned from our experience.” 

Another advantage of Bloomin’ Blinds always coming to you is that the business doesn’t have a lot of overhead expenses so, Michael says, “We can give our customers a better price.” 

While in your home, he will measure every window to ensure that any product you buy is custom fit to each of those exact specifications. 

“We don’t have anything stored [in a warehouse or their home] or any standard sizes,” he explains. “That way, if your windows are slightly different sizes — even off by a portion of an inch — you won’t have gaps on the sides, especially with a shade or blinds.” 

He says plantation shutters currently are the most popular choice, although many clients also have been choosing roller shades. 

“Roller shades are a more modern product,” he says, “and they are much improved now, including using a smooth, easy-to-use cordless system.” 

Because these cordless systems are becoming more popular — now that regulatory bodies in the window treatment industry require that anything sold in the U.S. has to either be cordless or have inaccessible cords, because of the safety hazards they pose to children, the systems are continually being improved and also are becoming more affordable. 

Michael says he usually can install your new window coverings just three to four weeks after you order them, although shutters may take just a little longer. 

Bloomin’ Blinds comes to you & offers a free in-home estimate. You can schedule an appointment by calling (813) 444-5536, or get more information by visiting BloominBlinds.com.Â