As a native New Yawka, although I have nothing against other kinds of pizza â and there are lots of good options for those other types in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel â pizza to me has a thin crust, a certain kind of mozzarella (only) cheese and a certain tomato sauce taste. Some places have it but most simply donât.
However, all of the places on the list below come pretty close to the pizza I loved most in my home state, with NY NY coming closest of all.
The Grill at Morris Bridge, Stonewood & Via Italia Repeat As Garyâs Top-3 In New Tampa!
he only tomahawk ribeye steak youâll find on a menu in New Tampa is at The Grill at Morris Bridge, which is Neighborhood News editor Gary Nagerâs favorite restaurant in New Tampa for the second year in a row.
Every year, after our readersâ favorite restaurants in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel are published, I like to provide our readers with my own list of favorites â and there are always lots of differences between your choices and mine.
I also always have a few haters every year who say that my reviews arenât âreal,â that I only pick my favorites based on which restaurants advertise with me and/or give me free food, that I have no taste whatsoever, etc.
The primary thing these haters donât seem (or want) to understand or believe is that the restaurants I tell you about in my annual âGaryâs Favoritesâ are not just the places I like the most, theyâre also the places where I spend the most of my own money. And yes, when you consider that there are literally dozens of restaurants named, Jannah and I do spend a lot of our money dining out (and taking out food) â Iâm betting more than just about anyone else in our two distribution areas, especially when you take into consideration our combined annual income.
The haters also donât seem to âgetâ the other reason I give my opinions on local eateries every year is that I so appreciate the feedback â both positive and negative â I get after my âGaryâs Favoritesâ are published each year.
I canât even tell you how many people come up to me and Jannah when weâre sitting at the bar at The Grill at Morris Bridge, TrebleMakers, Stonewood, Zukku-San, Azteca DâOro or any of our other favorite eateries to tell me what they think of my opinions. The vast majority of them say things like, âI only even tried this place because of what you wrote about themâ or âI didnât really love this place the first time I tried it, but I decided to give it another try because of you.â If youâve never felt that kind of love from absolute strangers before, I promise you that itâs one of the things that most makes the long hours I still put in 30 years since I first started doing this job worthwhile.
And yes, a few people also come up to me to tell me that they totally disagree with my assessment of one restaurant or another. Others also tell me that they read my reviews âeven though I know they arenât real.â
But the fact is that whether my haters believe it or not, my dining reviews are 100% real. And, unlike the online trolls who think theyâre dining âcriticsâ because they tell their few followers that they hated something they ate (or the service they received) at a particular place, I tell every restaurant owner in our area that when I write a review of their eatery, I will tell more than 170,000 of my âclosest friendsâ (thatâs the total possible number of readers we reach in print) everything I like about their place. Anything I donât like I will tell the restaurant owner about â and pretty much all of them appreciate this approach a lot more then online trolls who cause their overall online ratings to drop.
Although a number of new restaurants did open in New Tampa in 2023 â with the reopening of KobĂŠ Japanese Steakhouse in its new location as the biggest news (although it happened too late for our readers to vote for it, it came in at #9 for me) â my top-25 Favorite restaurants in New Tampa didnât change too much from 2022. In addition to KobĂŠ, the only other ânewcomersâ to crack my top 25 were Johnny Câs Italian Eatery on Cross Creek Blvd. at #8 and Zioâs NY Bagel & Deli in the Pebble Creek Collection at #20, although I did also enjoy sampling many of the new restaurants in the Sijang Eatery food court at the new Lotte Plaza Market, as well as the unique Bang- Bang! Bowls in the Pebble Creek Collection. Feel free to tell these restaurant owners that I sent you and, as always, I welcome your feedback, both good and bad.
Since opening in late 2021, The Grill at Morris Bridge finished as the second Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa with our readers last year and third in this yearâs voting, even though it has been #1 with me both years, thanks to its always-fresh fish (the bacon parmesan crusted grouper shown here replaced the same dish with mahi-mahi in 2023) and great steaks. In fact, The Grillâs bone-in tomahawk ribeye (see pg. 1), which is now a regular menu item, is the only true tomahawk in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel.
Brothers Frank and Jimmy Gouveia also offer one of our areaâs best Sunday brunches, the most extensive wine list of any local restaurant, craft cocktails and always-excellent service.
Stonewoodâs run as the favorite with our readers continued for an eighth straight year in 2023, and it again comes in just below The Grill with yours truly.
The quality of the fresh fish, steaks (like the unique hand-cut Manhattan strip steak, usually offered as a special, in this picture), pastas and even Jannahâs favorite bowl (the Southwest chicken bowl) in New Tampa, plus the always-packed bar scene make Stonewood an outstanding choice, whether itâs number 1, 2 or lower on your list.
Like The Grill, Stonewood isnât inexpensive, but there are plenty of much lower-priced restaurants to fill that need for you in our area that canât match Stonewoodâs quality or variety.Â
With four of my favorite pasta dishes â the linguine alle vongolĂŠ (with clams), cavatelli con salsiccia (sausage) & broccoli rabe and two different types of pesto (Sicilian and the Genovese shown above) â and the biggest variety of gourmet pizzas in town, the only things keeping Via Italia from finishing higher with me are some fresh fish and maybe a steak or veal chop. Love the bar, too!Â
4. Lima Peruvian Cuisine
19062 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
New Tampa Center
(813) 304-0205
Where do you go when you love ceviche but canât eat shrimp? Why, Lima of course! I also love the Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, the unique Chinese fusion dishes like lomo (lo mein) with steak or chicken, and I regularly crave a helping of ceviche with giant corn kernels and Lima is the only place I can enjoy it in New Tampa.Â
Even though Las Palmas isnât ânew,â since it did have a food truck at the same plaza all year in 2022, owners Ramses and Ana Garciaâs Las Palmas moved way up on my list this year when they reopened their brick-and-mortar location a couple of months ago. Ramsesâ merluza (white fish) a la Rusa (photo) is as good as it gets and his flank steak churrasco, vaca frita (fried steak), picadillo and roast pork also rock.Â
This âUpscale Neighborhood Pubâ truly lives up to its name, as you canât really call the Fat Rabbit just another âsports bar.â From the best wings and tater tots in town to outstanding grilled chicken sandwiches and big burgers (or choose the burger sliders shown above), plus craft cocktails & lots of whiskeys and that unique bar vibe, whatâs not to love?Â
The restaurant formerly known as Oakleyâs Grille still has great burgers, fries and other American food, but for yours truly, the attraction of Frammi will always be its outstanding Northern and Southern Italian fare. My favorite dish is the vongole (pasta with baby clams above), but the spicy arrabiata, less spicy Amatriciana, penne alla vodka, lasagne, eggplant parm and pesto options are what keep me coming back.
From having no true Italian restaurants a few years ago to now having three that make my top-10 favorites in New Tampa, this highest-ranking (for me) newcomer offers great Italian comfort foods, like pizza, the meatball parmigiana appetizer above, chicken parm, Mommaâs lasagna and penne alla vodka, as well as a variety of popular seafood dishes I canât eat.
I guess I didnât realize how much I missed the quality of KobĂŠ until it reopened late last year, but wow, between the best filet mignon (photo) hibachi in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel â and even a Japanese Wagyu steak & lobster combo â and the perfect hibachi veggies, lo mein and fried rice, plus pretty good sushi, itâs nice to have KobĂŠ back in New Tampa â and in my top-10 favorites in 33647.
From the grilled lamb chops above to the Athenian fish, saganaki (fried cheese) appetizer and more, the recently redecorated Acropolis found its way back into my top-10 for 2023, with or without belly dancing or hookah pipes.
Garyâs 2023 Favorite Restaurants In New Tampa #s 11-25
The cast of the New Tampa Playersâ âPreviewâ performance at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center on March 25.Â
Although thereâs no doubt that there were (and still are) more major news stories coming out of Wesley Chapel in 2023 than there were in New Tampa, zip code 33647 certainly had any number of big news stories of its own the past 12 months. Below are the five that made the biggest splashes.
1. The New Tampa Performing Arts Center Opens!
âGreaseâ officially opened NTPâs 2023-24 season in July of 2023. (Below) The group known as âSave Pebble Creekâ helped get a redevelopment plan for the communityâs shuttered golf course rejected by Hillsborough County.Â
It took more than 20 years for it to become a reality, but the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) did finally open in March of 2023, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a New Tampa Players (NTP) âPreviewâshow. The NTPAC was dedicated to the memory and in honor of NTP founder Doug Wall, who passed away nearly six years before his dream of a local place for his theatre troupe to perform came true.Â
I was in the cast of the first show of NTPâs 2023-24 season â âGrease,â which was true to the original Tony Award-winning Broadway version, but also incorporated songs from the hit 1978 movie starring John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John. The Performing Arts Centerâs first-ever Fall Festival was held in September and was followed by âShrek The Musicalâ in October. NTP will next host performances of âDreamgirlsâ (see ad on pg. 5) in February.
2. Pebble Creek Redevelopment Plan Rejected!
As 2023 came to a close, we still had no idea what will happen to the former Pebble Creek Golf Club golf course, which has been shuttered since July of 2021.Â
The plan submitted by GL Homes to redevelop the 149-acre golf course property into 251 single-family homes was rejected on July 17 by the Hillsborough County Commission by a vote of 5-2, as Commission Chair and District 2 (which includes all of Pebble Creek)
Commissioner Ken Hagan told his fellow commissioners that the feedback he had received from the residents of Pebble Creek was overwhelmingly against the GL Homes plan, leaving property owner Bill Place with few options moving forward for his property.Â
With three County Commission seats â including Haganâs District 2 â up for grabs in a presidential election year, itâs possible that Place is waiting to see how the election changes the Boardâs makeup before trying again to redevelop his land.Â
3. Lotte Plaza Market Opens!
Lotte Plaza Marketâs Grand Opening in November was attended by hundreds of New Tampa residents and continues to attract large numbers of people for everything from its Korean beauty products (below) to its Sijang Eatery food court.Â
While the opening of the new Aldi supermarket in the former Ruby Tuesday location in New Tampa did receive some fanfare a few years ago, it was nothing compared with the expectations and reaction to the opening â finally! â of the new Lotte Plaza Market Korean/Asian grocery store in the former Sweetbay/Kash N Karry location next to Home Depot.Â
The long-vacant 49,000-sq.-ft. store became the 15th link in the Lotte Plaza chain (the only other Florida location is in Orlando) of Korean/Asian superstores on Nov. 3 and immediately attracted large crowds of people (photos on next page) of all backgrounds and nationalities to its huge selections of produce, fresh fish, meat and groceries, as well as its unique Korean beauty products and its Sijang Eatery food court, which features a half-dozen eateries never before seen in our area.Â
Although the crowds have died down somewhat since that opening month, thereâs no doubt that Lotte Plaza Marketâs opening is still one of the biggest 2023 news stories for New Tampa. If you still havenât visited it yet, what are you waiting for? It literally has something for everyone!Â
4. Live Oak Property Sale To Help Build Pride Park
The developer of Anand Vihar in Pasco County purchased an adjacent parcel of land in Live Oak from Hillsborough County that will help the county pay for its planned rec center at Pride Park.Â
Hillsborough County has had a plan in place to build an indoor rec center and expand the outdoor facilities at Pride Park (just south of Pride Elementary) for some time. The county also has owned an unused 61.89- acre parcel of land intended to be a county park, but didnât have enough money to construct facilities at either location.Â
That is, until Anand Vihar (in Meadow Pointe) developer Santosh Govindaraju decided to purchase (for $6 million) the unused park site in Live Oak, which means the county will be able to begin construction on the Pride Park rec center early this year.
5. Early Storm Causes Damage In New Tampa
he unnamed first major storm of 2023 hit New Tampa hard on June 4. Fortunately, no other major storms blew through our area (or Florida) for the remainder of the 2023 hurricane season.
Thankfully, 2023 was a relatively quiet hurricane season throughout Florida, especially coming on the heels of 2022, which saw two major hurricanes decimate portions of the Sunshine State.Â
And, although Florida and New Tampa were virtually unscathed by any of the 20 named storms (including seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes) that hit the Atlantic in 2023, our area received an early dose of hurricane-like Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera had to call for assistance to remove uprooted and downed trees in several New Tampa neighborhoods.Â
(L.-r.) Amber, Steve and Tammy DeRolf of Absolute Air Systems, Inc., with the companyâs mascot, Hurricane. (Photos by Charmaine George)Â
When Steve DeRolf started Absolute Air in 2001, he was working in the industry and saw customers regularly being sold things they didnât need at prices that were extremely inflated.
âThey were getting $300 for a run cap back then,â he says, explaining that a run cap is an electrical part necessary to run an air conditioning unit. âToday â 22 years later â I only charge $250.â
He says other companies overcharging customers still happens today. And, while he canât keep other companies from taking advantage of customers, Steve promises that Absolute Air offers honest and reasonable prices to give people an alternative.
He has lots of stories to prove his point â like the woman in a mobile home who was told she needed a new unit with a price tag of $18,000 for the system, plus $6,000 to replace her ductwork.
âWe told her the entire job would be $7,000 with us,â Steve says. And, he also told her she could keep using the system until it no longer worked, while the other company was pressuring her to replace the entire system immediately.
Then, there was the man who called because he thought his mom was being taken advantage of by another company.
âThey told her that her heater was bad and it would be $1,500 to replace,â says Steve. âBut, it was just a burnt wire, so for $200, we had it running again.âÂ
Nate Clements provides outstanding air conditioning and heating system services at the company’s always fair prices.
He says another common problem is that some companies wonât tell the customer that a part is still under warranty. Instead of dealing with the warranty to replace the part, they try to sell a whole new system.
âItâs more work to do it right,â Steve says, âso they make it easier on themselves, rather than doing whatâs best for the customer.â
Steveâs wife, Tammy, has served as Absolute Airâs office manager since the companyâs early years and now his daughter, Amber, is the assistant office manager.
The DeRolf family loves being part of the community they serve.
âI grew up in Zephyrhills when Wesley Chapel wasnât even here,â Steve says. âAll three of my kids went to schools in Zephyrhills.â
Steve met Tammy when she was in the Air Force and he had just gotten out of the Army. They married 29 years ago.
In addition to Amber, they have a son who is a Pasco County Sheriffâs Deputy and a daughter who lives in Palm Bay.
âOur familyâs goal is to always treat the customer right,â Steve says, âand to run our business with honesty, integrity and loyalty.â
He says regular maintenance is essential, âlike changing the oil in your car,â but you should be wary of companies who say theyâll do your maintenance for $29.99.
Since it costs more than that â between labor and vehicle costs â for them to send a technician to your house to do the maintenance,â Steve says. âThey will likely try to get more money from you by selling you something you may not need, or by charging too much for it.
âSome of them are getting $2,500 for an ultraviolet light,â he adds, âbut we put them in for $600.â
Amber says those UV lights are important, though.
âItâs something everyone should have,â Amber says. âIt improves the life of your coils by keeping mildew out of them, and keeps your air cleaner.â
She explains that Absolute Air also offers maintenance âmembershipsâ for people who want peace of mind regarding keeping their air conditioning and heating units running properly.
âIf you join the membership program,â she says, âitâs $5 less for the maintenance and then youâll get 10 percent off any service calls you might need for the whole year youâre on the program.â
Amber says that Absolute Airâs phones are answered in the evenings and on weekends, because they understand that emergencies happen. They can even send someone out right away, although the cost is slightly higher for after-hours service calls.
And, Amber says that Absolute Air promises that if the company can fix your system and keep it running, they will.
âI have my word and my integrity,â Steve says. âWe donât scare our customers into buying something they donât need.âÂ
In addition to the DeRolf family, Absolute Air includes vice president Mike Thornton, who co-founded the company with Steve and now handles commercial accounts and new construction installation, and long-time technician Greg Weatherspoon, who used to be a neighbor and whose dad once worked for the company.Â
Long-time Absolute Air Systems technician Greg Weatherspoon.
âOur customers love Greg,â Amber says. âHeâs honest, reliable, trustworthy and will even talk customers through things to help people over the phone, whenever possible.â
One customer who agrees with that assessment of Greg is Mary Mosiello. When Mary and her husband, cosmetic surgeon Dr. Gerard Mosiello, moved into their home 10 years ago, they needed to replace an air conditioning unit. They asked around and one of their neighbors recommended Absolute Air Systems.
They were so pleased, they also had Absolute Air take care of the units at their business in Tampa Palms, as well.
âThey are very dependable and responsive,â Mary says. âI appreciate that theyâre so helpful and that they educate us as to the best ways to keep this very expensive product running.â
Over the past 10 years, Absolute Air has built a relationship that Mary says is built on her confidence that the company and its technicians are trustworthy and reliable.
âItâs not an easy decision to have to replace something,â Mary says, âbut it helps if you trust the people youâre dealing with. They know your home and business and what you need, and I like that for sure.â
And, while she says sheâs happy to recommend Absolute Air to others, âI just donât want them to get too busy where they canât come see me,â she laughs.
Absolute Air Systems provides heating and air conditioning service for both residential and commercial systems. The company offers full system installs, service calls, preventive maintenance, emergency repairs, UV light installation, thermostat upgrades and any other heating and cooling needs.
âAt least get your units serviced once a year,â says Steve. âSince weâre family owned and live in this community, after we come to your house, youâll probably see us out in the community. Whether itâs at Walmart or Applebeeâs or church, weâre out in the com- munity we serve and love.â
And, he says, he never has to worry when he sees his customers out and about. He has no qualms, knowing that he and everyone in his company has treated them with honesty and integrity.
To schedule an appointment for maintenance or service, call (813) 779- 0101. For more information about Absolute Air Systems, visit GetColdAir.com.
RealtorsÂŽ Joel & Jessica Provenzano of Florida Executive Realty in Tampa Palms offer a unique combination of skills to help you buy or sell a home. (Photos provided by Joel Provenzano)Â
Choosing a real estate agent when buying or selling a home can be difficult. But, what if you could get two agents working for you instead of one â and they are both locals of almost 20 years, who have lived, worked and raised a family in this growing and changing community?
Jessica and Joel Provenzano are RealtorsÂŽ licensed in Florida and they work together at Florida Executive Realty (FER)âs Tampa Palms office. FER, founded in 1992 at the former Tampa Palms Welcome Center (off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. on Amberly Dr.) by Doug Loyd and John Zielenbach, has now expanded to more than 100 agents in six offices across the Tampa Bay area, including Brandon and Lithia.
âJess and I are a team on every deal and for every client,â explains Joel. âWeâve been married for 18 years and found very early on that we actually work pretty well together, not just relationship-wise, but in professional settings, too.â
âOur different skill sets complement each other,â Jessica adds. âI work more on communication and contracts and Joel does more research and is more hands-on with things like inspection reports and technical issues. But, we always work as a team for all of our clients.â
The Provenzanos have been together since they were high school sweethearts who met as teens in Estero, FL. While dating, they worked at the same seafood restaurant, with Jessica working in the front of the house and Joel working in the kitchen. Despite their different roles, they found themselves constantly communicating on how to improve the service and flow of the restaurant.Â
They moved to Tampa by 2004, got married and bought their first â and current â home in Wesley Chapel in 2005. While Jessica worked for several companies in sales and marketing and Joel worked as an engineer for 22 years, they still found ways to work together. For four years, they both worked at a local design and construction company, American Consulting Engineers (now American Consulting Professionals). They also volunteered together at Lifepoint Church in New Tampa, mostly in the kids and student ministry.Â
Is this your idea of a dream kitchen? If not, let Jessica & Joel Provenzano help find yours, too.
About a year and a half ago, Jessica was the first to get started in real estate. She says she always had a strong interest in real estate because, as a child, she moved 18 times, due to her fatherâs job at Loweâs, as he helped the home improvement warehouseâs underperforming stores. Thus, she became very familiar with both the moving process and financial challenges, such as dealing with multiple mortgages, which can happen when families move from home to home.
Joel initially began working with Jessica only on weekends and after hours, but decided to leave engineering to work with his wife full-time in May. His transportation and land development engineering background, both for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and as a private consultant, gives him tremendous insight into, and the ability to research, new construction, roads, permitting, inspection reports, damage mitigation due to the Florida elements and more He also provides research for this publication.Â
âWe are more than happy to take buyers to the construction sites and describe the stages of construction or map out how an empty lot will be transformed when construction is complete,â Joel says.
Now that theyâre a team again, the Provenzanos are putting their work and life experiences to good use â helping prospective buyers find their dream homes and getting sellers the best offers in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas and beyond.
Ashley Sullivan shares her experience buying her first home with Jessica and Joel.Â
Jessica and Joel can help you find the unique elements you want when buying a new home, or provide great photographs of those elements in your home when selling.Â
âI had the pleasure of working with Jessica and Joel Provenzano when purchasing my first home,â says Ashley. â(I was) new to the area and they were the perfect fit to help me find my dream home. Not only did they give me a good feel for the different neighborhoods, they also told me all about the area. Putting in an offer was incredibly smooth and I felt supported all along the way. Even with some bumps in the road, they handled everything quickly and professionally. They really made sure I wasnât left in the dark. I honestly donât think I couldâve found a better realty team.â
Another client, Sam Benoit, says, âJess and Joel were extremely helpful and detailed in every way. They were available anytime we had questions and made the process painless. It was more about finding the right place for us rather than making a sale for them. I would recommend them to anyone looking to purchase.â
The Provenzanos are uniquely positioned to help buyers and sellers in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and the surrounding areas. They were in their 20s with a tight budget when they bought their home in the Meadow Pointe II neighborhood in Wesley Chapel. They bought during a housing boom, which quickly became a recession. This taught them about home loans, refinancing and how to negotiate with lenders.
With two daughters, Kayla, 13, and Lily, 12, and changing jobs and careers, they understand financial planning for the uncertainties in life. Their involvement with their girlsâ schools, their church and the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce gives them awareness of the local community and helps them find business partners for inspections, appraisals and more.
Jessica & Joelâs Tips For Prospective Buyers:Â
⢠New construction has become extremely competitive, so this is one of the best times to buy a new construction home. In some cases, newly constructed houses can be more affordable than existing homes, even in the same communities. You will get better energy efficiency and upgraded finishes are basically standard now.
⢠For many new communities, the builderâs lender has many incentives to keep their construction momentum going â more cash towards closing, interest rate buydowns and matching or beating rates from private lenders. Buyers should always work with a Realtor, especially with new construction, to get competitive loan offers.
⢠Lenders crunch your numbers before offering loans, but that doesnât always mean that their terms are comfortably within your means. While predatory lending practices have declined in recent years, it is important to have an honest conversation with a Realtor to make sure you get loans with terms that are flexible enough to fit within your budget.
Tips for Prospective Sellers:
⢠Our best advice for sellers is that the property must be priced correctly from the beginning. If itâs even slightly too high, it can lose momentum in this competitive market. You can always get more money for a property by getting the price right from Day One.Â
⢠A knowledgeable Realtor will help you price your home for sale by performing market comparisons, also known as âcomparables.â The Realtor will check on recently sold properties as well as properties currently for sale and how long they have been on the market. Then the Realtor can price the property appropriately to stand out among the rest.
⢠Good photography makes a big difference. We do most of our real estate photography ourselves. We work with sellers to declutter and stage each room to look as appealing as possible to potential buyers. Unnecessary items can completely distract from the room being shown.
Jessica & Joel Provenzano are with Florida Executive Realty (15802 Amberly Dr., Tampa Palms). Call or text (813) 956-4093, visit JProvenzano.FloridaExecutiveRealty.com for a free consultation today.Â
