Chef Luca Ammirati and his wife Erika are closing Frammi, the authentic Italian & American restaurant on BBD Blvd. on Aug. 22, but are reopening it by sometime in Nov. in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms. In the meantime, Luca wants to teach you how to make delicious parmigiana di melanzana (eggplant parmigiana, bottom left) and semi-spicy, al dente rigatoni amatriciana (bottom right) like he does — without burning down your house! (Photos by Charmaine George)
So, here’s a little bad news-wonderful news situation for you.
First, the bad news: Luca and Erika Ammirati, the owners of Frammi — the authentic Italian & American restaurant previously known as Oakley’s Grille — are closing their location at 17631 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in North Palms Village as of Saturday, August 22.
The amazing news is that Luca and Erika will reopen Frammi at 15363 Amberly Dr., in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms (hopefully) by sometime in November of this year.
I met Luca at the new location just before we went to press with this issue and although the space between the Tampa City Ballet and the Tae Kwon Do studios in the plaza was still an empty shell, Luca was meeting with his engineers to finalize the plans for the new Frammi’s layout that same day, and he believes “It won’t take too long to get the new Frammi open,” he said. “And it’s a larger space, so we will have room for a bar and more tables.”
That’s great news, as is the fact that the new Frammi will expand Luca’s already-extensive menu of authentic Italian favorites.
“But, other than the burgers (right), we will not be bringing the rest of the American menu from the old Oakley’s Grille with us,” he said.
Please note that for the few days to a week of time between when you receive this issue and Aug. 22, the original Frammi (which the Ammiratis took over in 2018 and renamed in 2022) will still be open every day, serving both Luca’s authentic Southern and Erika’s equally legit Northern Italian specialties — as well as the fajita tacos, chicken sandwiches and more that made Oakley’s so popular. “And, I will still have chicken at the new location, so if you want a fried chicken sandwich, we can still help you.”
Cooking Lessons & Private Chef Service
In the 2-3 months’ time between Frammi’s closing and the new restaurant’s opening, Luca says he is offering both “Cooking Classes with the Chef” and “Private Chef Experiences.”
Jannah and I are already getting a group of ten people together to take lessons from Luca.
For just $50 per person, each guest will learn how to make two different pasta dishes (but not how to make the fresh pasta) and Luca will provide all of the ingredients and pair each pasta with a different Italian wine, as part of a full meal. Please note that for the cooking class, since Frammi will be closed, you will have to provide the kitchen for Luca and that ten people is the magic number for that $50-per-person price.
Want more? Luca also is now offering a two-hour “Private Chef Experience” for up to four people for just $200. It includes two hours of Luca’s time preparing and serving your food in your home, but the ingredients for your private meal will be charged separately.
Either way, if you’ve ever had Luca’s pasta, you know that both of these are well worth it!
For more info or for reservations for the last day of the current Frammi (Aug. 22), call (813) 523-5075 or visit Frammi.com. For cooking lessons & private chef services, call Chef Luca’s cell at (813) 775-8279. — GN
The people of New Tampa have now been hearing the phrase “Welcome to Cold Stone” for 20 years and even though many other ice cream shops have entered the local market (and many others have gone away), Cold Stone Creamery has been a constant source of joy for young and old alike. It features a unique selection of super-creamy, ultra-premium ice cream flavors, and a huge variety of toppings that you can have the happy Cold Stone ice creamers mix in from more than two dozen ingredients (bottom photo) — from fresh bananas, strawberries and raspberries to candies and cookies like Heath bars, Twix and Reese’s Oreos and toppings like real (but not hot) fudge, marshmallow, caramel and even pistachio cream sauce.
New Tampa store general manager Nola Davis (above) says that this summer before the kids go back to school is a great time to try or return to Cold Stone, as there are several new flavors and new Signature Creations everyone can check out.
For example, she says, “in honor of the recently released “Supergirl” movie, Cold Stone currently has ‘Supergirl’s Cosmic Kettle Corn’ (above left), which combines kettle corn-flavored ice cream, big pieces of kettle corn (above right), a caramel swirl and Supergirl-colored sprinkles.”
Another current specialty creation is the Oreo® Pretzel Perfection (left), which Nola says, “has a sweet cream-based, Oreo® Cookie chocolate-covered pretzel ice cream, Oreo® cookies, mini-pretzels, caramel and sugar crystals (below left).”
There’s also a new “Cup & Cookie Chaos” (not pictured) that features Cookies ‘n’ Peanut Butter ice cream that is made with Oreo® cookies, Reese’s peanut butter cups and Oreo® Reese’s cookies.
And finally, Nola says, the big hit of the summer so far is, “Our Dubai Chocolate Creation” (top photo). “It has our chocolate ice cream with pistachio cream, kataifi (finely shredded phyllo dough) and chocolate shavings. Everyone is crazy about Dubai chocolate these days. And, people are really loving it!”
Nola even sent us home with samples of each creation, so we could all sample them. My favorite, not surprisingly, is the “Cup & Cookie Chaos,” but I can definitely finish off a serving of any of them.
She adds, “Even if you pick one of our Signature Creations,” Nola says, “You can still make it your own.”
All of these Signature and “Create Your Own” Creations can be put on your choice of a cone, cup or waffle bowl, in the usual Cold Stone sizes — Kid’s Size, “Like It®,” “Love It®” and “Gotta Have It®.”
I had for me to not take one of these entire cakes home with me and finish it all myself.
Nola also explains that although there is always a supply of ready-made cakes in the store (above right photo), including some of the “Perfect Pair” cakes, “Most of our cakes are custom-ordered, so you can always get whatever flavors of ice cream you want, toppings, everything, but please always give us at least two days to create the cake you want because someone has to build the cake and someone else will have to decorate it. Then, it has to stay in the freezer for a certain amount of time.”
So Many Specials!
The New Tampa Cold Stone Creamery also offers different specials every Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Monday is “Mega Monday!,” when you get one FREE “Like-it Create” creation with one mix-in when you purchase any two “Love-it” sizes (or larger).
Tuesday is “2-for-$10 Tuesday!,” when you get any two “Like-it” creations (with one mix-in each) for only $10.
Wednesday is “Waffle Wednesday!,” when you get a FREE plain waffle bowl or cone when you buy one “Love-it” size (or larger),
Thursday is “Thriving Thursday!,” when you get $2 OFF any Cookies, Cupcakes or Reese’s Cups OR $5 OFF any Large-Size Signature Cake.
And, right now, when you mention this story and present the coupon in the ad below, you’ll get a FREE scoop of ice cream!
All of these offers are valid in-store at the Cold Stone location on Preserve Walk Ln. in New Tampa ONLY. Please note that they are not available with any other offers and are limited to one special per family/per order.
We definitely agree with Nola that the summer is the best time of year to check out the New Tampa Cold Stone Creamery. Now you know why!
New Tampa’s Cold Stone Creamery is located at 17519 Preserve Walk Ln., in the Highwoods Preserve area, just off I-75. It opens every day at 11 a.m. and stays open until 11 p.m. on Sunday, until 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and until midnight on Friday & Saturday. For more info, visit ColdStoneCreamery.com or call (813) 977-0024.
People have been asking us for years — and posting questions online — about whether anything was ever coming to the former Wendy’s location at 19430 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. Until now, we didn’t have any answers.
The replacement for Wendy’s is a local link in a small but growing chain of 35 halal Indian/South Asian restaurants called House of Biryanis & Kebabs (HBK) — and, three days after the restaurant’s ribbon-cutting event with Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera on July 6 (above right), photographer Charmaine George and I were treated to a number of delicious dishes by the restaurant’s five local franchise owners, led by Satya Meka (left in photo) and Karthik Achanta (right in same photo). And yes, we thoroughly enjoyed everything we sampled.
The three appetizers we indulged in were the most uniquely garlicky Murgh Malai Kebabs (top photo),which were chunks of chicken served fajita-style on a sizzling dish, followed by a spicy Mongadu Gobi (cauliflower, bottom left). Next was an order of Onion Samosas (bottom right), which were different than most Indian samosas I’ve had before, as the tasty onions and potatoes were wrapped in a crisp, spanakopita-style, almost-cellophane-like crust and were not spicy at all.
“We can vary the spice on any of our dishes,” Satya told us. “But, these authentic recipes use the same quality ingredients and taste the same at every HBK location (most of which are along the East Coast and in the Midwestern U.S., with one location in Manchester, England).”
Of course, we had to try one of the restaurant’s signature biryanis — the HBK Special Chicken Biryani (right photo), which combines spicy, long-grain rice, a hard-cooked egg and a side of zesty, slightly sweet red curry chicken.
Our friend Prahlad Madabushi, who introduced us to the owners and is a vegetarian himself, also had us sample a mild mixed-veggie curry that also was excellent.
Our final sample (left photo) was HBK’s traditional, thick, creamy butter chicken, which we savored with three different varieties of naan flatbreads — butter, garlic and the spicy (but not too) “Bullet Naan” shown bottom right of the page. The naans were all pillowy soft, with a slightly crispy edge perfect for indulging in the butter chicken. I also loved the true Masala Chai tea and Charmaine and I both gave thumbs-up to the Thums Up soda (the Indian version of Coca-Cola now owned by Coke) and the house-made, creamy Mango Lassi.
In other words, even with its supposedly limited “soft opening” menu, HBK has a lot to offer those looking for authentic (mostly South) Indian cuisine. There’s also lamb, goat, paneer (cheese) and other dishes we will definitely return to try sometime soon.
For more information about House of Biryanis & Kebabs, visit HBKTampa.com or call (813) 388-6777.
One Of The Largest Undeveloped Corners Along S.R. 56 Is Moving Towards Finalizing Its Design
The site map above was submitted to Pasco County for Parcel M13 of the Wiregrass Ranch Master Planned Unit Development. The three parcels with development plans mentioned in this article are Parcel D (with the dark parking area at the center of the map), Parcel A (smaller rectangular lot to the north & west of Parcel D) & Parcel B (to the east of Parcel A). (Map source: Regency Centers of Tampa)
A 59-acre cow-field located between Pasco-Hernando State College and S.R. 56, on the southwest corner of the signal with Mansfield Blvd., is set to become Wiregrass Ranch’s next major commercial development.
Plans were officially submitted to Pasco County starting on June 19, confirming that development activity is preparing to begin on land that has remained largely untouched for years.
For many longtime Wesley Chapel residents, the project is hardly a surprise. The property has long been designated for future development within the Wiregrass Ranch Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD).
Still, there is a sense of nostalgia among some residents, as yet another stretch of open pasture land and cattle fields gradually gives way to additional growth.
Fresh Market Appears To Remain The Anchor Tenant
The development was first publicly discussed during a community presentation in April, when longtime Locust Branch, LLC (the development wing of the Wiregrass Ranch MPUD) chief operating officer Scott Sheridan shared several upcoming projects planned throughout Wiregrass Ranch — as reported in detail in our Apr. 14 issue.
While the project was mentioned at that meeting, Sheridan declined to discuss additional details for this article beyond acknowledging that plans had recently been submitted to the county.
That lack of comment initially raised questions about whether the project had changed at all since the April presentation. County permits do not specifically identify The Fresh Market by name, and the grocery chain has not yet made any public announcement regarding a Wesley Chapel location.
However, several pieces of evidence strongly suggest that The Fresh Market remains the new development’s planned anchor tenant:
The applicant and developer listed on the permit documents is Seth Lane, VP of Regency Centers, a Tampa company that has extensive experience developing shopping centers anchored by The Fresh Market. Additionally, the proposed grocery space — Parcel D in the center of the site map above — shown on the site plans measures 26,187 square feet, which is almost exactly the size of a typical Fresh Market store.
Combined with the company’s recent expansion efforts across Florida, there is strong reason to believe that The Fresh Market is still moving forward as the centerpiece of the project.
What Is The Fresh Market?
For residents unfamiliar with the brand, The Fresh Market is an upscale, European-style “green” grocery chain known for its boutique shopping experience, premium meats, high-quality prepared foods, fresh produce (much of it organic), wine selections and specialty grocery items.
Unlike traditional supermarkets, The Fresh Market operates smaller-format stores designed to create an old-world market atmosphere. Stores typically average around 25,000 square feet— roughly half the size of a standard Publix.
Online reviewers frequently praise the chain’s USDA Prime steaks, seafood selection, freshly prepared hot foods and salads and made-daily sushi offerings. Many customers also use the store as an alternative to cooking at home, thanks to its extensive selection of ready-to-heat meals.
The chain is already established in the Tampa Bay region with four stores — with the closest existing location to New Tampa or Wesley Chapel situated near the intersection of N. Dale Mabry Hwy. and W. Fletcher Ave. in the Carrollwood area.
Grocery Store Size Comparison:
The Fresh Market: 26,187 sq. ft. (Boutique/Small-Box Grocery)
Under-Construction Wesley Chapel Whole Foods (Aronwood Blvd. at Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Meadow Pointe): 35,518 sq. ft. (Mid-Sized Organic Grocery)
Typical Publix: Approximately 50,000 sq. ft. (Traditional Full-Service Grocery)
A Project Nearly The Size Of The Shops at Wiregrass
The total scale of this development may surprise some residents.
The overall property is roughly comparable in size to The Shops at Wiregrass and will ultimately be divided into 10 separate parcels and outparcels. So far, plans have only been submitted for three of those parcels (see map above for reference), meaning much of the project’s future remains unknown.
Parcel D – 7.65 Acres:
This will serve as the development’s primary retail center and is planned to include:
• The Fresh Market grocery store (proposed as the parcel’s anchor tenant — 26,187 sq. ft.)
• 28 separate retail & restaurant plaza suites
• Spaces ranging from 1,220-4,230 sq. ft.
• The plans for Parcel D currently show 54,985 total sq. ft. of retail space & 17,390 sq. ft. of restaurant space
Parcel B – 4.10 Acres
The plans for this outparcel include:
• One 5,750-sq. ft. sit-down restaurant
• One 8,000-sq. ft. sit-down restaurant
• One 3,075-sq. ft. fast-food restaurant with drive-through
Parcel A – 2.88 Acres
The plans for this outparcel include:
• One 3,000-sq.-ft. restaurant or
office building
• One 8,000-sq.-ft. sit-down restaurant
At this stage, no additional tenants have been publicly identified for any of these parcels.
Only The Beginning
While the currently submitted plans are significant, they represent only a fraction of this overall project.
Site plans indicate that seven additional outparcels remain undeveloped, representing approximately 27.28 additional buildable acres. As those parcels move through the approval process in the coming years, residents can expect additional retail, restaurant, office, commercial, and residential uses to be announced.
In other words, what has been submitted so far is likely only the first phase of what could become one of Wesley Chapel’s largest upcoming commercial — and restaurant — destinations.
Traffic Questions Remain
As with nearly every major project along the S.R. 56 corridor, the traffic implications of this new project already represent the biggest concern being discussed by local residents.
Current transportation standards limit where median openings can be located along S.R. 56. Under existing conditions, a full median opening is shown at Yaupon Lane, while a future full-access signalized intersection is anticipated at Lajuana Blvd. — the same median opening currently serving Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant and Audi Wesley Chapel across S.R. 56.
Plans also call for a future reverse-frontage road that would connect this development to that signalized intersection.
One question that remains unanswered is whether transportation officials will eventually require modifications to Wiregrass Ranch’s existing full median opening configuration.
If changes are required, some drivers traveling eastbound could find themselves needing to make U-turns at the existing signalized intersection until that reverse frontage road is extended west to the future signal (which is expected to be added to that Lajuana Blvd. intersection soon) in front of Cooper’s Hawk.
Those details will likely become clearer as the project moves through the county and state review process.
Another Piece Of The Wiregrass Puzzle
For years, residents driving along S.R. 56 have looked across open fields and wondered what would eventually be built there. Now, many of those answers are emerging.
While some will miss the remaining cattle pastures that once defined Wesley Chapel’s landscape, others will welcome the additional dining, shopping and grocery options in one of the community’s fastest-growing corridors.
Either way, the latest plans confirm that another major chapter in the ongoing development of Wiregrass Ranch is officially under way.
Although it doesn’t look that different inside (above photo) from the Beef O’Brady’s that it has now replaced, the new 1916 Irish Pub we first told you about last issue is now open at 27315 Wesley Chapel Blvd. (at Old Pasco Rd.), in the Towne Centre at Wesley Chapel plaza that had long been home to Winn-Dixie.
And yes, 1916 is an upgrade over Beef’s menu-wise, at least in one editor’s opinion.
Owner Chuck Jamieson, who also owns 1916 Irish Pub locations in Brandon, Plant City and Lakeland, says that his goal was always to create an Irish pub with an upgraded menu — he also owns Second Plate Catering — and Jannah, photographer Charmaine George and I agree that he is already achieving that goal.
To date, we’ve sampled three of 1916’s Irish favorites and we all gave them thumbs-up — the haddock fish & chips (right), the Rebel’s Reuben (tasty corned beef, sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese and house-made Thousand Island dressing; below left) and my favorite of the three, the Irish stew in a garlicky sourdough bread bowl (bottom right). The stew has marinated braised beef, slow-cooked in red wine, Guinness and house brand demi-glace, with celery, carrots and onions and topped with creamy mashed potatoes. And, the regular and parmesan fries and tater tots were all extra-crispy and were definitely addictive.
But, perhaps our favorite dishes so far have been the bruschetta appetizer (below left, the melted mozzarella was a unique touch), the Irish Lamb Jam (a tasty take on a traditional gyro sandwich, bottom left) and the crisp-crusted meat lover’s flatbread (below right).
1916 has a full-liquor bar and lots of beers on tap, plus different specials every day — from $6.99 burgers on Monday to Trivia and $6.99 wings on Wed. and $3 mimosas for Sat. & Sun. brunch — and Chuck says that, in addition to a Grand Opening celebration on Friday, June 24, 6 p.m., there will soon be live music and more. “We want to be your neighborhood hangout,” he says. “Come give us a try!”
For more information, call (813) 991- 4747 or visit 1916IrishPub.com.
