Murtha & Murtha, LLC, Takes The Confusion Out Of Tax Season

It seems like taxes get more complicated every year, and the Covid-19 pandemic has caused more confusion than ever.

Patrick Murtha, the managing partner of the accounting firm of Murtha & Murtha, LLC, says, “There is an abundance of changes the IRS is sending our way.”

Patrick, his father Tom, and Kyle Flischel run Murtha & Murtha in the Seven Oaks Professional Park off S.R. 56 (across from Sam’s Club) in Wesley Chapel. 

While Kyle has served as the firm’s long-time senior accountant, he recently became a full managing partner of the business. The trio has more than 60 years of combined experience in handling taxes on behalf of their accounting clients.

One of the biggest changes parents will see on their taxes this year is in the child tax credit. In past years, people have gotten a credit on their annual taxes — and often a refund — for each child in their care, but this year, that money has already been paid to those parents in quarterly payments.

“People are used to getting that refunded,” Patrick says, “but it won’t be like that this year because they already got it.”

While that may cause confusion — and some people may be upset that they won’t get as large a refund as they are used to, or may end up owing money —Murtha & Murtha promises that if you have the firm prepare your taxes, you will always understand the issues and exactly why you owe what you owe.

“It’s really important for us to understand every single thing that goes on the tax return so we are able to make sure our clients understand it, too,” he says. “Some just say, ‘Tell me what I owe,’ but others want to know why they owe, so we make sure they understand exactly what happened and why, and what we can do to make sure future outcomes are not that way.”

Patrick says people are still dealing with stimulus issues, too. But, whatever your situation, the accountants at Murtha & Murtha are up to date on all of the tax code changes and can help you file your taxes easily and correctly.

“We’re experts, we’re prepared and we’re well-learned,” Patrick says, “so we’re able to confidently handle all of that.”

Bobbie Smith is a small business owner who came to Murtha & Murtha a couple of years ago when she needed help with taxes, both business and personal.

As the owner of the Wesley Chapel-based Interior Design By Bobbie, she lives in Meadow Pointe III.

“They do everything for me,” she says, “I am so impressed with them, their knowledge, their expertise, and their response back to me. Every time I have a question, they are quick to reply to me.”

Patrick says that’s intentional. He says communication is the top priority at Murtha & Murtha, and while mistakes can sometimes happen because of human error, not returning a client phone call in a timely manner is “unforgiveable.”

And, he says, while some tax firms have a strategy where CPAs meet with clients face-to-face but hire seasonal tax preparers to actually complete the client’s tax forms, that’s not how Murtha & Murtha does it.

“Whoever you meet with is who is going to actually be doing your tax return,” he explains. “If I meet with you and learn about your situation and tax circumstances, I’m going to remember that and it will play a role in making sure I remember to catch things. That doesn’t translate.”

Tax season is Murtha & Murtha’s busiest time of year, but it’s just part of the services the firm provides.

Patrick says Murtha & Murtha’s “CFO Retainer Package” continues to attract new clients. With this package, the firm helps businesses and people who are self-employed do monthly accounting and bookkeeping, but also helps with budgeting, and act when clients have questions about tax planning, mitigating tax bills, or about offering health insurance or retirement plans, for example.

“It’s almost as if you hired a CFO (Chief Financial Officer), but you’re not paying a six-figure salary,” explains Patrick. “We come up with a plan as to how you’re going to grow your business and mitigate your tax bill, so that the tax return should just be a formality. Most people are just looking at their bank account, and it’s impossible to really manage a business effectively that way.”

Patrick understands that most business owners are too busy worrying about their primary business to really step back and look at the big picture, so Murtha & Murtha provides its clients with an extra layer of financial planning and analysis for their business.

Background

Tom Murtha, CPA, earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Management from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, in 1976, and his M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration) degree in Accounting from St. John’s University in Queens, NY, in 1981. He has been doing mergers, acquisitions and business valuations since the 1990s.

Patrick, who grew up around tax codes at his father’s business, graduated from the University of South Florida in 2009 with B.S. degrees in both Finance and Accounting. He joined his father in opening a firm in Tampa in 2010, focusing on mergers and acquisitions.

Meanwhile, Kyle Flischel, CPA, is practically family, having gone to school with Patrick at USF.  

The Murthas merged with another accounting office in Zephyrhills a couple of years ago, and that location is now called Henson & Murtha, CPAs. It is located at 5315 8th Ave.

Murtha & Murtha, LLC, is located at 2236 Ashley Oaks Cir., Suite 101. For more information, visit TampaTaxFirm.com or to schedule a free consultation, call (813) 991-1120.

900Âș New York Pizza At The Grove Is A New Wesley Chapel Favorite!

I have known Steve Falabella for more than a decade, since he first co-opened 900Âș Woodfired Pizza in the Shops at Wiregrass in 2011. Today, not only are Steve and his wife Micaela the sole owners of 900Âș Woodfired, they also opened (in 2021) two new restaurants, which are located next to each other in The Village at The Grove at Wesley Chapel — Falabella Family Bistro and 900Âș New York Pizza.

We’ve been telling you about all three of these outstanding eateries, not only in Dining Feature stories but also in our annual Reader Dining Survey and Gary’s Favorites features, where Falabella Bistro finished as the #3 Favorite restaurant with me and #4 Favorite Restaurant with our readers for 2021, and both 900Âș Woodfired and 900Âș New York finished in the top-6 for Favorite Pizza with both yours truly and our readers — for good reason.

But, no matter how nice a guy and well-liked Steve, his family and crew may be, if his places were all just so-so, they wouldn’t finish as high in our annual rankings. But, the fact is that this native New Yorker whose family roots can be traced to Italia knows great Italian food and he definitely has brought that knowledge to his Bistro and pizza places. Only quality ingredients are used, and it shows, at all three local Falabella-owned restaurants. 

OK, Let’s Start With The ‘Za

Steve’s 900Âș Woodfired pizza may also offer traditional Neapolitan-style wood-burning oven pizza as well as New York style, but he only offers the NY-style at his pizzeria at The Grove. 

But, that’s just fine with yours truly, as I have always preferred NY-style, which also has a thin crust, but with a little more crust on the outside ring, made in a traditional pizza oven on what is known in the biz as a pizza “stone.” I also have always enjoyed the thicker-crust, square Sicilian-style pizza, which is another long-time favorite of mine at both of Steve’s pizza places.

Meat lovers pizza

In fact, while I usually order fresh round pies with pepperoni and sweet Italian sausage (or just plain cheese), I also am a big fan of the Meat Lovers pizza shown above. But, Steve says that one of his most popular by-the-slice options is what he calls his Carmine pizza, which is a square pie with a slightly different crust than his Sicilian pizza. The Carmine is covered in “baby” pepperoni and a zingier almost-Grandma’s-style sauce, as the pizza made famous by Carmine Gangone of Carmine & Sons Pizzeria in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, NY.

“Carmine and I are friends from Brooklyn and he showed me how to make his most famous pizza,” Steve says. “That’s why I named it The Carmine. We only sell it by the slice, and it takes two hours to make one pan of it. It always sells out almost right away.”

And of course, 900Âș NY Pizza also serves a wide variety of other pizzas — from 12” and 18” pies with your choice of toppings to Keto-style; low-carb options made with a cheese crust in 12” or 16” sizes; gluten-free 10” personal pizzas made with a cauliflower crust; and about 20 different Specialty Pizzas, from his version of Grandma’s pizza to barbecue chicken pizza with white sauce, Calabrese (with spicy Calabrese salami, Ortolano (with cherry tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, artichokes and no sauce) and many more. There’s even “Pizza Metro” party pizzas (36” x 18”) that serve 10-12 people, make-it-yourself pizza kits (which were super-popular during Covid) and of course, an always-changing variety of NY- and Sicilian-style pizzas sold by the slice.

Calzones, Appetizers & More!   

But, what if you’re in the mood for something other than pizza? Steve’s got you covered at 900Âș NY Pizza, too. There are delicious salads, like the grilled chicken Caesar shown on this page, Mediterranea (with romaine, kalamata olives and feta cheese) and more.

Garlic knots

For other starters, 900Âș NY Pizza also has a great Caprese (with fresh mozzarella and slice tomatoes), bruschetta, mozzarella sticks, fried calamari and delicious oven-baked wings (naked or with your choice of BBQ, Buffalo Hot or garlic parmesan sauce), plus some of the best garlic knots in town. There also are deep fried calzones called panzerotto, fried cheese ravioli and traditional Italian Arancini (rice balls).

I’m personally not the biggest fan of calzones, but if you are, people rave about them at 900Âș NY Pizza. You can choose from a base calzone with shredded mozzarella, to classic (mozzarella, fresh ricotta and ham), Americano (with pepperoni and Italian sausage) and a vegetarian style “Farcito,” with spinach, black olives and tomato. 

And, don’t sleep on the hot subs at 900Âș NY Pizza, either. Both the chicken and meatball parm subs are served on crisp crust sub rolls with mozzarella and tomato sauce. They’re also delicious.

Pasta, Everyone?   

In addition to the pizzas, my other favorite reasons to visit either of Steve’s 900Âș locations are the delicious pastas.

From specialty baked pastas, like the lasagne, ricotta or blue crab-filled ravioli, baked ziti or the excellent chicken parm entrĂ©e (top right photo on this page) served with a side of spaghetti or penne in tomato sauce, to delicioso create-your-own pastas with your choice of pomodoro (homemade tomato), alla vodka, Bolognese (meat), Alfredo (cream) or Pesto (with basil, pine nuts, grated parmesan and olive oil), you really can’t go wrong. 

I’m not usually the biggest Alfredo fan, but the fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken (pictured) is as good as I’ve had in our area — super-creamy, but not overly heavy.

My favorite pasta is still the pesto “Genovese” style, to which I add not only grilled chicken, but also some sautĂ©ed fresh spinach.

There’s also an affordable kids menu with everything from chicken fingers to spaghetti or penne with meatballs, meat sauce, butter or pomodoro, four pieces of fried ravioli or a kids-cut pizza slice (all just $4.95-$5.95).

And, while I don’t usually save room for dessert at 900Âș NY Pizza, a variety of delicious options is available — from pizza Nutella (a 12” pizza crust covered with Nutella hazelnut spread and dusted with powdered sugar), which also is available topped with strawberries and bananas. There also are Nutella knots (deep-fried dough draped with Nutella and topped with powdered sugar), plus a variety of real Italian ice flavors.

For those who want an adult beverage with their meal, 900Âș NY Pizza has pinot grigio (white) or cabernet blend (red) wines by the glass, 20-oz. Peroni Italian beer on draft, a variety of other domestic and imported beers, plus White Claw hard seltzers.

900Âș NY Pizza (6027 Wesley Grove Blvd.) opens every day at 11 a.m. and is open until 9 p.m. Mon.-Thur., 10 p.m. on Sat. & 8 p.m. on Sun. Dine-in, pick-up and delivery (through Uber Eats, Door Dash & ezCater) are available. For info, call (813) 406-4500 or visit 900degreeswoodfirepizza.com, which also has info about 900Âș Woodfired.

Medi-Weightloss Of Lutz Can Help You Lose Unwanted Pounds

Tina Russell was like many who have struggled with their weight their entire life. She was a yo-yo dieter, who tried the all of the usual get-skinny plans, and in the end, found herself more miserable, and heavier, than before.

After adding more weight while working at home during Covid-19, she finally got serious. In February 2021, she signed up at the Lutz location of Medi-Weightloss weighing 236 pounds.

One year later, Russell, a 36-year-old mother of two living here in Wesley Chapel, is tipping the scales at 134 pounds, a remarkable 102-pound loss.

“I feel completely different,” says Russell, pictured left. “I feel younger than I was when I was in my 20s.”

While Medi-Weightloss is available for weight problems of all kinds, owners Tom & Gerri Willett say the pandemic has ultimately driven many new patients, like Tina, to the practice, which is located on S.R. 54, less than two miles west of where it meets S.R. 56 (near the Tampa Premium Outlets). 

Since it opened in 2006, Gerri says Medi-Weightloss of Lutz has helped patients lose nearly 141,000 pounds. It’s easy to get started, as completely free assessments are always offered. 

Today, there are 91 Medi-Weightloss locations nationwide. Tom & Gerri own the locations in both Lutz and Brandon, operating the two as a local, family-owned business, which has been their passion for the past 16 years. 

The success patients see when they try the Medi-Weightloss program is what continues to drive people to the practice. A large part of their new patients come from patient referrals.

“Our patients refer their friends because we do a really a good job,” Gerri says.

Tina says that when people ask her if they should do it, she doesn’t hesitate with her response.

“Do it,” she says. “One hundred percent, do it!”

Medically Supervised

The Medi-Weightloss program is supervised by Howard Riker, D.O., and Mandy Johnson, P.A. The program combines diet and exercise plans with supplements, managed by a doctor and a physician’s assistant to help people lose weight and keep it off.

And, to accommodate those still uncomfortable due to the pandemic, “We also offer telemedicine,” says Gerri. “We do whatever you feel comfortable with, whether that’s telemedicine, or coming in to be weighed when we’re otherwise closed to patients, so you’re the only one in the office, or driving through the parking lot to pick up a prescription.”

The staff at Medi-Weightloss.

Those who take part in the Medi-Weightloss program have a built-in support group. Gerri says the staff is compassionate and understanding, cheering their patients on to reach their goals.

“It can be very difficult for people to step foot into a weight-loss clinic because, a lot of times, they have already tried so many different things,” says Gerri. “People beat themselves up horribly about their weight.”

Whether it’s newfound weight gain as your body changes due to age, weight that was lost in the past but has crept back on, or pounds put on during the pandemic, Gerri says, “We want people to know we’ll figure it out and we’ll get them to be successful.”

Getting It Done

During the first phase of the program — also known as the acute or weight-loss phase — clients come in once a week.

After an initial consultation with weight measurements, blood work and an electrocardiogram (EKG), patients receive a binder to store educational handouts, recapping the information shared at each session. They also receive recipes for delicious, healthy meals, with ingredients that are easy to find. Patients also start a detailed journal to log their eating, drinking and sleeping data. They also receive vitamin supplements, a food scale to help with portion control and ketone sticks to detect their level of ketosis.

(Note: Physiologic Ketosis is a normal response to low glucose availability, such as from low-carbohydrate diets or fasting.)

Medi-Weightloss has many ways to help during the weight-loss phase, including injections of Methionine Inositol Choline (MIC Combo) to put B12 vitamins and amino acids into the bloodstream, both of which help with fat metabolism, liver function and fat excretion. Patients also can receive Vitamin B6 and B1 injections (which help reduce water retention and keep your energy up while battling food cravings), as well as B Complex and Vitamin C injections.

Mandy says the goal is always to reduce medications that patients may be taking. She says one of her favorite things is getting patients off blood pressure medications, which is often the result of a significant drop in weight.

After the acute phase of the program ends (once a client reaches his/her target weight), they check in less often during the maintenance and wellness phases.

But, if a client should re-gain weight after completing the program, Gerri says there’s no reason to worry.

“Life happens and we are here to help,” she says. “It doesn’t mean you failed. It means you had stress in your life, or something happened. Just pop back into the program! There is no restart fee.”

Caring, Helpful Staff

Medi-Weightloss of Lutz has a staff of caring professionals who truly understand what it’s like to be in their patient’s shoes. In fact, some are former patients.

Erin Jones had lost her husband in 2010, and ate her way through her depression. In 2011, she started the Medi-Weightloss program and lost 50 pounds.

After that, she joined the team. Erin is now a full-time medical assistant and the office manager at Medi-Weightloss of Lutz and Brandon. 

“Patients can take comfort in knowing that we’ve been down their road before and that we can truly say we know what they’re going through,” Erin says. 

Medical assistant Patty Pinson has been with Medi-Weightloss for a decade and is a retired Registered Nurse (RN). Medi-Weightloss’ Certified Medical Assistants (CMAs) include Karina Gonzalez, Krystal Adams, Kristina Ford and Shannon Bresnen, while Raquel Sanford manages the front office.

Tina says the support may be the best thing about the program.

“They are super helpful,” she says. “If you gain one week, they are like, ‘It’s okay, it’s not the end of the world, we can do this.’ I don’t think I could have done it without them.”

Dr. Riker is an Osteopathic Physician, who earned his Doctor of Osteopathy degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Board of Family Practice, and was a Medical Staff Chief for many years with the U.S. Air Force in New Jersey, South Carolina and Tampa before coming on board at Medi-Weightloss more than 14 years ago. 

While the goal is to help its patients lose weight, Riker says he also is focused on preventing weight gain, which he says may be different than primary care.

“The main difference is that with primary care, you’re already treating a patient’s disease,” he says. “Here, we’re working strictly with prevention.”

He stresses all three legs of the weight-loss process: diet, exercise and appetite suppression. Dr. Riker and Mandy agree that you have to do all three in order to succeed.

Tina said she was very strict when it came to following the plan, and never cheated. She is maintaining her weight, even though she continues to drop a pound here and there. She still goes monthly, even after proudly earning her gold star for a 100-pound weight loss.

“I was depressed, which made me eat a lot, before I started this,” Tina says. “This has given me something I can stick with. The food is good, it works and it has really taught me how to enjoy food in a healthier way. It’s been great.”

To schedule a free assessment at Medi-Weighloss of Lutz (24420 S.R. 54), call (813) 909-1700. The office is open five days a week: 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. on Tuesday and 1 p.m.-7 p.m. on Thursday. More information is available at MediWeightloss.com/locations/lutz.

The KRATE Container Park At The Grove Keeps On Growing!

Although a lot more signs announcing places set to open have gone up at the KRATE Container Park, the only additional restaurants to open by our press time are The Fry Room, El Prince Mediterranean Cuisine & Palani’s Hawai’i Noodles. Other new eatery signs that have gone up since November include SubZero Nitrogen Ice Cream, Chamo Bites Venezuelan Cuisine, Bakery X Authentically French, Flipn’ Fries Factory, Rhythm Pon Jamaican Cuisine, Bebo’s Cheesesteaks, Sugar Pop! and CafĂ© Zorba.

The KRATE Container Park, the long-awaited jewel of developer Mark Gold’s redevelopment of The Grove at Wesley Chapel, is really taking shape these days. On these pages is an update on all of the new signs that have gone up at KRATE since we told you about Provisions Coffee & Kitchen and the then-new Shake-A-Salad back in November.

We also showed you pictures of and/or mentioned all of the dining- and/or drinking-oriented establishments that had their signs up at that time —  CafĂ© 365, La Creacion Express Puerto Rican Bakery, The Bacon Boss, Mojo Grill Latin Fusion, TJ’s Famous Hot Dogs, Tacos el Patron, Åto Sushi Burritos & Poke Bowls, Palani’s Hawai’i Noodles, Tasty Ramen, The Fry Room, Urban Sweets, Yummy Tablas, El Prince Mediterranean, Blush Wine Bar, Boba Macs Tea & Eat and The Fry Room.

We also mentioned the other places with signs up that weren’t about food or drink — Center Ed Education, Reset Natural Remedies, We Rock Rocks, SmartStart Market Space, Budget Blinds, The Rebellious Hippie and All Good Things Gifts.

As we went to press with this issue, the only additional KRATEs that had opened since November were The Fry Room (we’ve sampled not only owners Donny & Lori’s delicious apple cider donuts, but also their crispy chicken tacos and French fries — all excellent), All Good Things and El Prince, as everything from Covid to supply chain issues have not only delayed the construction, the complete shutdown of the few parking spaces around the open KRATEs have had many people thinking that none of them were open. 

Here are all of the additional eateries coming soon that we found: SubZero Nitrogen Ice Cream, Chamo Bites Venezuelan Cuisine, Bakery X Authentically French, Flipn’ Fries Factory, Rhythm Pon Jamaican Cuisine, Bebo’s Cheesesteaks, Sugar Pop!, Brew Bar, Pisco Express Peruvian Chinese Fusion Food and Cafe Zorba.

We’ve also included some of the signs for new stores and boutiques we hadn’t mentioned before, such as The Toy Jungle, MaeBerry Co., 2 Extreme Tattoos, Grove Cigars, Katie Beth’s Boutique, Tonella’s Handpicked Flower Shop, Valiart Jewelry, Pup Protectors and the second Wesley Chapel location of Gadgets Emergency Room. Are you excited yet? — GN

Nibbles & Bytes: Hot, Cold and Warmed Up!

Super Hot Asian & BBQ Is Open In Former Fushia Location!

For those who have been waiting for something to open where Fushia Asian Bistro closed in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms, your wait is over.

The new restaurant is called Super Hot Asian & BBQ, and it also is Chinese/Asian fusion. We’ve only gotten to try a few menu items so far, but we definitely enjoyed the pan-fried gyoza dumplings (served by an actual robot server), as well as the Yangzhou (aka “Young Chow”) combo fried rice. 

For more info about Super Hot (15317 Amberly Dr.), call (813) 680-4124 or visit https://superhot.kwickmenu.com/index.php. — GN 

Kobé Re-Opening Delayed By Supply Chain Issues!

For those who have been waiting patiently for KobĂ© Japanese Steakhouse to re-open in its new location a mile or so south on BBD (in the former location of Vuelo and Señor T’s Mexican restaurants, and Romano’s Macaroni Grill before that), well, we’re sorry, but you’ll have to wait just a little bit longer. 

According to Kobé spokesperson Hien Nguyen, the original hoped-for opening of as early as Dec. 2021 has had to be extended by several months.

“Unfortunately, construction is slower than expected, as supply chain delays for large equipment are stalling our progression.” says Nguyen. “We can’t move forward until some of these items are delivered. Unfortunately, we do not have an exact date, but hopefully in a few months if some of these items can be delivered soon.”

If you’ve driven by the site of the future KobĂ©, you’ve probably noticed that a tremendous amount of exterior work has been done, but that it definitely has stalled in recent weeks.

We know our readers are excited about the re-opening of Kobé, so be sure to keep checking these pages for further updates.

Unfortunately, we also haven’t received, seen or heard any updates about when Hungry Crab Juicy Seafood & Bar is expected to open in the former KobĂ© location in front of the Pebble Creek Collection, also on BBD. 

In fact, unlike KobĂ©, which has had the monument sign in the picture up for several weeks, we haven’t even seen a banner sign yet for Hungry Crab, which has six other locations already open, the closest of which is in Largo and the furthest of which is in Brunswick, GA. The New Tampa Hungry Crab is one of three additional locations opening soon. — GN    

Las Palmas Food Truck — Same Great Food, All-New Look!

When last we checked in with our friend Ramses Garcia, the owner of Las Palmas Latin Grill (which was shuttered by a fire in its storefront location on Oct. 11), he had just recently opened the Las Palmas Food Truck, which was just a plain white truck Ramses had renovated so he could continue serving his authentic Cuban cuisine in the same parking lot while rebuilding his popular eatery.

Well, since then, Ramses has added a custom exterior wrap to the truck, complete with a caricature of Al Pacino’s character and his famous line from “Scarface” — “Say Hello To My Little Friend.”

Yes, the revamped truck looks great, but it’s still the food Ramses and his wife Ana serve inside that’s the most important thing. Whether you crave award-winning Cubans, amazing roasted pork, grilled chicken breast, deviled crab or Ana’s Tres Leches dessert, visit LasPalmasLatinGrill.com to order  your favorites today — and please tell Ana and Ramses I sent you! — GN