Spicy chicken pasta with fresh veggies at Omari’s Bar & Grill.
Have You Tried Omari’s Grill At Lexington Oaks Golf Club?
Although I didn’t include the all-new Omari’s Bar & Grill at the recently revamped Lexington Oaks Golf Club inside the Lexington Oaks community on my list of favorite new local dining experiences for 2018, that’s probably only because all I’ve sampled at owner/chef Anass El Omari’s new eatery was the delicious spicy chicken pasta with fresh veggies shown above and a couple of buffet-style items when I’ve visited the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon, which meets every Wednesday at noon at Lexington Oaks. But, so far, so good. And yes, the fully redecorated dining area at Omari’s Grille is available for catering and private parties.
Look for a full-length dining review of Omari’s Bar & Grill (26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd.) in a future issue.
For more info visit LexingtonOaksGolf.com or call (813) 907-2440. And please, tell Anass and his wife Susana I sent you!
Fratelli’s Opens In Woody’s Village Market Space!
So, while we’re on the subject of delicious pasta, please check out the new Fratelli’s Pizza & Café, which very quietly took over the space previously occupied by Woody’s Pizza & Wings in the plaza on S.R. 54 at BBD Blvd. last month.
Fratelli’s Pizza & Café’s broccoli rabe.
The Fratelli family owned a famous Fratelli’s pizza place and Italian restaurant in the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx, NY, for more than 30 years, but sold it a few years ago. It was renowned not only for being open 24/7/365 to accommodate the huge crowds of workers responsible for bringing fresh seafood and produce into all of New York City, but also for its broccoli rabe sandwiches, broccoli rabe on pizza and yes, the best broccoli rabe with grilled chicken and/or sweet sausage in garlic & oil over al denté penne pasta (photo above right) in our area.
The NYC Fratelli’s was featured on the Food Network, the Travel Channel and other TV stations in New York many times and was named one of NYC’s best several times.
I haven’t been able to order a whole pizza from Fratelli’s yet, but based on how delicious the pasta was, I look forward to bringing my staff there soon.
For more info about Fratelli’s (5327 Village Market), visit FratellisPizzaPasco.com or call (813) 991-1118.
But Wait, There’s More!
F.J Express Sushi & Hibachi Grill’s hibachi chicken is a must-try.
• I like the new F.J Express Sushi & Hibachi Grill (1832 BBD), which is located in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza on S.R. 56 at BBD, between Bealls and Publix.
Similar in concept to (but smaller than) Hibachi Express in the Village Market, I haven’t yet sampled the sushi, but the hibachi chicken is a must-try. For more info or take-out orders, call (813) 991-1500.
• I was saddened when the Wok Chi restaurant in the Shops at Wiregrass closed on Dec. 10. I will miss the freshly made Chinese fare, especially the fresh, crisp veggies, Sichuan sauce and especially, general manager Robin Scovotti and her friendly, outstanding crew. I hope that whatever opens in the space will keep those great folks around.
• Congratulations to our local Culver’s franchise owners, Marty and Ann Roeske, on the opening of their second location (the first is near the Tampa Premium Outlets) on S.R. 56 in the Wiregrass Ranch area (near Audi Wesley Chapel). — GN
Samantha Taylor Fitness has helped thousands of women change their lives by helping them not only lose weight, but keep it off.
In July, owner Samantha Taylor’s Wesley Chapel personal training studio moved from its former location on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (across from Florida Hospital/Advent Health Wesley Chapel) to its own building off of S.R. 56, near I-75, in the Cypress Ridge Professional Center (off Cypress Ridge Blvd.).
The new location is bigger, with a larger personal training room. It features upgraded specialty rubber floors, and Samantha says clients prefer the private, first-floor entrance.
Also this year, Samantha Taylor Fitness opened a location in Palm Harbor. Samantha now has five Tampa Bay-area locations, including nearby Land O’Lakes, plus Carrollwood and Westchase.
Each woman who walks through the doors of any of her fitness studios is someone whose life Samantha hopes to change. Samantha says women who come to her are often the heaviest they’ve ever been. They’re frustrated, and have a lack of energy and medical problems caused by being overweight. They tell her they have tried all kinds of diets and nothing has worked for them.
But, she says, the new year is a perfect time to do something different to lose weight and finally keep it off. This is especially true if every year you think you are going to make changes, but then the next year rolls around and you find yourself in the same situation, or worse.
“Everyone thinks they’re going to set goals and be focused and lose weight, but most people don’t,” Samantha says. “I want to encourage people to start this year different. We have a proven track record, so women can get results. When 2020 comes, they can look back and say, ‘Look what I did in 2019.’”
Kate Green is rightfully proud of the way that Samantha Taylor Fitness Studios has transformed her body, after dropping 60 lbs. and keeping it off.
Women who come to Samantha Taylor Fitness find 30-minute workouts and education about how to eat to lose weight and keep it off. They also find a community of support, which is proven to help women stay on track — and have fun.
Samantha herself is a Certified Personal Trainer who began her career 26 years ago and launched her own business 19 years ago.
“We’re teaching women a way to eat that they love,” says Samantha. “It’s not a diet, not a pill, not shots; just understanding how to eat, how to work out their muscles for tone, and develop a healthy lifestyle they can keep for life.”
She says that things like knowing how to cook and knowing how to eat in real-life situations — like at holiday parties or on vacation — is critical for long-term success, along with understanding why you gain weight, and then modifying your behavior so you don’t gain it back.
Whether a client wants personal training — the most customized and private option — or boot camp classes, both programs start with a completely free, no-obligation consultation called a “Body Transformation Analysis” to determine your goals help the professionals at Samantha Taylor Fitness and plan a fitness program.
Personal training can be done one-on-one, semi-private, or in small group sessions. In addition to personal training sessions, each client also meets with an assigned results coach monthly, to be sure they’re progressing.
Now, those monthly sessions include images taken by the new 3D body scan machine, which takes measurements and analyzes body fat digitally.
“Clients can see the changes visually with 3D images and printouts,” explains Samantha. “They can see how their body is changing and the progression of their measurements and their body’s shape.”
Clients who choose the boot camp option attend regular or beginner sessions, which vary in cardiovascular intensity levels. Several classes are offered every day, and women choose three or more times each week to attend.
“Our clients like that our workouts are only 30 minutes,” says Samantha. “They’re in and out and don’t have to be at the gym for hours.”
One of those clients is Neighborhood News editor Gary Nager’s fiancée Jannah McDonald, who had lost more than 13 pounds after only a couple of months attending the boot camps.
“I have more energy and feel great,” Jannah says, “and I like that there are different instructors who all get to know you and what you can and can not do. They give you lots of feedback and support, too.”
Like Jannah, Samantha says many of her clients see more than just weight loss — they’re getting healthier as well.
“They are preventing diseases such as heart disease and diabetes,” she says. “Some women no longer have to take cholesterol or blood pressure medication, and no longer suffer from muscle pains and aches.”
Where Are They Now?
A year ago, we wrote about Samantha’s clients Judy McFarland and Kate Green, who are both in their sixties. At that time, Judy had lost 31 pounds and 36 inches in just a few months, exceeding her goal of losing 25 pounds. Judy has now lost a total of 34 pounds. Kate (photos on previous page) not only lost the 50 pounds she wanted to lose, she dropped from 170 to 110 pounds, which remains her current weight.
Both say their lives are completely different, and they are now in the best shape of their respective lives. Neither has any fear of putting the weight back on.
Kate now spends most weekends zip-lining and completing obstacle courses at a local outdoor adventure park, and Judy just completed a half-marathon, running without stopping for 13 miles.
“This has transformed my life,” says Judy. “Not only my body, but my whole way of life, and I couldn’t be happier.”
She credits Samantha’s eating plan, high-quality workouts with excellent trainers, and the support she receives.
“It’s a very friendly, loving environment,” says Judy. “They are there to keep you motivated and hold you accountable. They’re like a family.”
Samantha says that sense of community is something that is intentionally fostered at her fitness studios, and is like nothing else women can find. There are monthly member socials, such as putt-putt golf, zip lining and pot luck dinners. There are webinars to encourage healthy eating and trainer-led support groups.
She emphasizes that anyone can do what Judy and Kate have done, even in their sixties.
“As people get older, they think life is declining and they can’t do these things anymore,” says Samantha. “These women are defying that. Their quality of life is affected in a positive way with the changes they’ve made.”
Kate says before she found Samantha Taylor, she had been retired for a year and was overweight and out of shape.
“I was miserable,” Kate says. “I didn’t want to do anything or go anywhere, which led to being sedentary and overeating. It was a godsend for me to find her and get into this program. This was the right program for me, and it works beautifully. I haven’t had this much fun in my entire life as I am right now.”
The Six-Week Challenge!
Beginning in late January, Samantha will start her next six-week “Body Transformation Challenge,” where she gives away thousands of dollars in prizes, including a Grand Prize of a cruise for two for the woman who loses the most weight (as a percentage of her total body weight).
To register, or for more information, go to 6weekBTC.com.
Samantha also does a regular segment on “Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend,” which airs on WFTS-TV, the local ABC affiliate. She brings guests on the show, sometimes clients, and shares nutritious recipes, which she says are delicious.
For recipes and to view segments of the show, including Judy and Kate’s stories in their own words from when they were Samantha’s guests on “Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend,” visit SamanthaTaylorFitness.com.
The Wesley Chapel Samantha Taylor Fitness studio is located is at 2609 Ridge Brook Dr., Wesley Chapel. For more information, call (813) 377-3739.
George Stark is a long-time resident of Wesley Chapel who expertly helps his neighbors who experience injuries due to motor vehicle accidents or the negligence of others.
When George Stark, a successful personal injury lawyer who has been based in downtown Tampa for since 1987, moved with his wife to Saddlebrook in 2007, he opened a satellite office in Wesley Chapel, next to Saddlebrook Resort in the Brookside Professional Center off S.R. 54.
For the past 11 years, Stark Injury Law has grown locally so that now, he says he spends most of his time in his Wesley Chapel office and is as familiar with Pasco County courts as he is the courts in Hillsborough County.
Stark Injury Law helps those who are injured because of someone else’s negligence, often because of car accidents, but also because of slip-and-fall accidents, defective products, medical negligence and other causes.
“All injuries are serious,” he explains, and he says he is knowledgeable and experienced in handling a variety of cases, “from sprain and strain injuries that are not disabilities, to those that are catastrophic.”
Stark also says that anyone who has been in an accident should consult with and — if appropriate — retain the services of an experienced lawyer.
“A law firm is needed to assist in the various activities necessary to successfully pursue a claim both prior to and, if necessary, after litigation,” he explains, “including investigating, documenting, evaluating and ultimately negotiating a settlement or filing a law suit.”
Stark is a graduate of California State University and Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.
He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1976 and first got started in the Tampa Bay area as an assistant public defender for Hillsborough County that same year. He was assigned to the felony division and continued to work as a public defender until 1981.
He also worked in a general civil practice before opening his own firm in Tampa 31 years ago.
Stark says he is proud that his practice has grown by word of mouth.
“As a referral practice, I’ve been in business long enough that now I have three generations of people I’ve represented,” he says.
Here’s One Such Referral
Wesley Chapel resident Michael Nowe is one of Stark’s satisfied clients who is now referring his attorney to others. While Nowe says he has mostly recovered from a car accident several months ago, his case has already been fully resolved to his satisfaction.
“He is a really great guy,” Nowe says about Stark. “He and his staff explained the whole procedure, so I knew exactly what was coming. They were very detailed and specific, very knowledgeable, and for every question I had, they had an answer.”
Nowe says Stark and his wife, Maxine, who has recently taken on administrative and bookkeeping duties for the office, after retiring as a teacher several years ago, came to his house after the accident for a consultation.
“They sat with me and it was very personal,” Nowe says. “It was almost like a friend coming over.”
George Stark and his staff at Stark Injury Law have decades of combined experience providing legal services to diverse communities and a Wesley Chapel office location in the Brookside Professional Center.
Stark says that’s what he wants people to understand about the difference between hiring Stark Injury Law versus some of the big advertisers you might see on TV.
“Most of those folks [who hire a large firm] never see a lawyer,” says Stark, “unless their case cannot be amicably resolved by way of settlement.”
He says that nearly all of the cases he takes on — and the vast majority of those who are taken on by all other firms, too —are resolved by settlement.
“I pride myself on my ability to be successful in trial,” says Stark, “but the reality is that personal injury cases rarely go to trial.”
He says the busiest trial lawyers, such as himself, are only in court one or two times a year.
In fact, he says, 95 percent of cases are resolved by settlement within six to nine months, often without even filing a lawsuit.
“That’s the norm,” he says, “and not just for my office.”
That’s what Nowe says he experienced, as well.
“I figured it would take at least a year to resolve my case,” Nowe says. “It turned out to be about four months. It was pretty quick and wasn’t a long, drawn-out process.”
Nowe also agrees that Stark is hands-on in maintaining a personal relationship with his clients, too.
“I advise all of my clients that they control my schedule,” says Stark. “My clients can speak with me at any time, and if I’m not available, they just schedule a telephone conference. No one is left hanging.”
In addition to being accessible to his clients, Stark says he makes no decisions without their personal involvement.
“I enjoy the dialogue with the clients,” he says. “It’s important for them to understand the process and make an informed decision. I hope they’ll listen to what I have to say, but ultimately it’s not my case, it’s their case.”
Helping You Help Yourself
Stark also says that helping people get the care they need is an important part of the role he plays.
“The average person comes in and they’ve been in an accident, they’re traumatized and they’re not sure who to seek for medical care and attention,” Stark explains. “We encourage people to maintain good relationships with their doctors. The most important thing before getting the case settled is getting good patient care.”
Stark says that, if a patient is unsure where to turn for proper care, he can refer them to physicians he has worked with before.
“We point people in the right direction, so that they get excellent care for their injuries and then, if necessary, get appropriate documentation in order to document those injuries,” he explains.
Stark adds that he welcomes calls from anyone seeking the assistance of an attorney, whether or not he is able to personally assist them.
“I’ve had a broad range of experience,” he says. “I can take questions that aren’t necessarily within my area of expertise — I know a lot of people — so I’m happy to assist in making referrals.”
Nowe says it’s worth the phone call to reach out to Stark Injury Law.
“They are super nice, too,” says Nowe. “I really want to stress how incredibly nice they are.”
Stark Injury Law is located at 29150 Chapel Park Dr. in the Brookside Professional Center. Stark’s downtown Tampa office is located at 400 N. Ashley Dr.
You can reach attorney George Stark by calling (813) 991-6161, by visiting StarkInjuryLaw.com, or see the ad on page 3 of this issue.
And, it seems, never ending. Already this year tentative plans have been revealed to build a Rock & Brews Restaurant on the south side of S.R. 56 just east of the Tampa Premium Outlets, right next to a proposed Saltgrass Steak House.
Both are part of the Cypress Creek Town Center Development of Regional Impact (DRI).
Nothing seems to get our readers more excited than news about the Cypress Creek Town Center.
In January of 2018, we broke the news about Earth Fare, HomeGoods, Chipotle, Walk-Ons Bistreaux and Blaze Pizza coming to the already burgeoning commercial and retail development on S.R. 56. It was the most popular story on our website all year, with twice the traffic as the story that was second — an update on the diverging diamond interchange (DDI) that should begin construction at I-75 and S.R. 56 any day now.
Chuy’s was one of 2018’s popular restaurant openings.
In fact, Cypress Creek-related stories and maps (2) — touting the arrival of restaurants like Chuy’s and Mellow Mushroom as well as many others — held the Nos. 3 and 6 spots on our 2018 web traffic rankings.
Wesley Chapel was gripped by Cypress Creek Fever in 2018, and there’s still so more to come. Earth Fare, HomeGoods, Walk-Ons and Blaze should all open in the first quarter of 2019, Chipotle just recently opened, and vertical construction has begun on Hobby Lobby, Burlington, Five Below and others.
The list of new places being built all across Wesley Chapel is seemingly endless. In addition to Mellow Mushroom, Chuy’s, Bahama Breeze and the Hyatt Place Hotel on the north side of S.R. 56, there was MOD Pizza and Nationwide Vision At Home on the south side near the Tampa Premium Outlets.
A little to the east of I-75 on 56, the Hilton Garden Inn hotel on the south side opened and in the Wiregrass Ranch DRI a few more miles to the east, the even newer Fairfield Inn on the north side of 56 did as well, as did Nothing Bundt Cakes highlighting a slew of new stores at the Shops at Wiregrass.
Main Event could be open by the end of the year.
Main Event Entertainment is building an entertainment center offering bowling, laser tag, adventure courses and food and drink, between the outlet mall and I-75 (in the same area as the Rock & Brew and Saltgrass Steak House proposals).
Along with the new Wiregrass Sports Complex, which broke ground in 2018, and an indoor athletic facility at Wesley Chapel District Park, those complaining about there being nothing to do in The Chap should hopefully find some peace.
And, the development wasn’t limited to places to shop and eat — houses are going up at near-record levels, and Wesley Chapel broke ground on one fire station (No. 38) while revamping another (No. 13 on Old Pasco Rd.)
Getting to those places might be an issue in 2019 (early frontrunner for Story of the Year!), as the DDI at S.R. 56 and I-75 is just one of a number of major roadway projects being built in Wesley Chapel.
While the S.R. 56 extension from Meadow Pointe Blvd. to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills made great progress basically out of view in 2018, the DDI will begin work smack dab in the middle of it all. Combined with the widening of S.R. 54 from Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. to Zephyrhills that started in 2018, driving in our area should be interesting in 2019.
When Jhana Pardue fell in love with the curriculum at The Learning Experience, and the way they treated her son, and pretty much everything about the facility, she decided to buy her own.w
She didn’t expect, less than two years later, to have one of the top locations across the country, to have more than two dozen employees, a waiting list and to have had all of the growth she has had.
“It has been amazing,” say Jhana, unable to contain an ear-to-ear smile from behind her desk at the The Learning Experience of New Tampa, which is located across County Line Rd. from the SuperTarget, behind L.A. Fitness.
Jhana Pardue is proud of all the awards her New Tampa location of The Learning Experience has earned, but is even more excited about all of her happy, successful students and their happy parents.
Last year, 90 percent of the school’s first two VPK classes of 39 total students were reading — thanks to the Fun With Phonics program and great teachers, she says — by the time they graduated to kindergarten. This year, there are four VPK classes of 67 students, and Jhana says at least 90 percent will again graduate with the ability to read.
“I want to say 100 percent, but I don’t want to jinx it,” she says.
And remarkably, the building feels and smells as clean as it did when it opened in July of 2017, an underrated but big factor for many parents.
“I would definitely say they are very well organized and very clean,” says Rashida Powe, whose 19-month old daughter was the second child enrolled at the New Tampa location. “Being clean is an important factor when you are dropping your child off for a long period of time. By far, of all the places I looked at, they were the cleanest.”
That is just part of the reason for the educational preschool’s early success, and those at the corporate headquarters in Deerfield Beach, FL, have noticed.
In April, Jhana’s New Tampa location was selected for the company’s 2017-18 Rising Star Award, which is awarded to only one of the company’s 250 franchises nationwide. The award is for new academies — there were 50 eligible locations — that have been in existence for 18 months or less and had significant growth in enrollment, staff and revenue.
While picking up that award at the national convention in Boca Raton, Jhana also received a Center of Excellence designation, which is given to schools that receive a score of 95 or better on their inspections in the spring and fall. The New Tampa location was one of only 15 to receive the award last year.
“And, we’ve already confirmed that we earned it again,” Jhana says. “We actually scored higher than last time.”
When Jhana picks up that award next year at the national convention in Austin, she also has been told she’ll be receiving yet another award.
“It’s a surprise,” she says. “We don’t know what it is, just that we’re getting it. I’m nervous, but excited.”
There will be no resting on those laurels, however, Jhana says. If anything, the quick and rewarding success just means she, director Amy Rath and the rest of the staff must maintain their current high level. Today, she has 28 employees, 24 of them full-time, and they all are working together to make New Tampa’s The Learning Experience the top choice for area parents.
“I wasn’t thinking about awards, I really just wanted to make an impact and help families with their children,” says Jhana. “I wanted a well-rounded, inclusive school where all of my children can be successful and can all be individuals. Sometimes, I feel a lot of schools put a box there, and the kids have to fit in that box. It’s important to me to let them be who they are. I wanted to build that kind of culture.”
School History & Programming
The Learning Experience was founded by Michael and Linda Weissman in 1980 with a single location in Boca Raton, and was built on teaching through cognitive, physical and social principles; or as Jhana says, “Learn, Play and Grow.”
When it comes to learning, all of the Learning Experience schools use the proprietary Learning Experience Academic Program (L.E.A.P.) that Jhana says was written by educators with years of experience. It guarantees that children will graduate with “exceptional core academic skills.”
The curriculum was written around what the school’s founders believe are the six stages of development – Infant (6 weeks to 1 year old), Toddler (1-2 years old), Tawdler (2-2-½ years old), Prepper (2-½ to 3 years old), Preschooler (3-5 years old), and Kindergartner (5 years old, but not offered at all locations, including Jhana’s).
L.E.A.P. includes sign language for infants and toddlers, a phonics program and even foreign language programs. Mandarin is taught for one year, as well as Spanish.
“It’s definitely one of the things that sets us apart,’’ Jhana says.
L.E.A.P. workbooks include a journal, an interactive book and Fun With Phonics, which is specifically designed to teach reading to 3- and 4-year-olds.
There are both indoor and shaded outdoor play areas at The Learning Experience of New Tampa, located off County Line Rd.
Children also take part in activities that promote a healthy and active lifestyle. The Learning Experience offers eight enrichment programs for children, like Yippee 4 Yoga, Suddenly Science, Dancing Feet, Talent Sprouts and Super Soccer.
Mascots like Flexi Flamingo (P.E.), Lionstein (Science) and Bubbles the Elephant — the leader of the mascots — help lead the children through their day.
“We learn through play,” Jhana says. “The children think they are playing, but they are actually learning. We do this through small group activities, more 1-on-1 interaction and more individualized teaching.”
Jhana says the program is followed strictly, but with a few personal touches she thinks makes the New Tampa school so successful.
“It’s all about finding the right staff members,” Jhana says. “There are a lot of schools, a lot of competitors, that also have a really good curriculum. But, it’s about the execution. We don’t cut corners; it’s really making sure we’re doing it and taking pride in how we do it.”
That includes things like adding a teacher to a classroom to improve the learning experience. While the state mandates an 11-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, Jhana — who has an Early Childhood Education Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree, to go with her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Accounting & Business Administration from the University of Central Florida in Orlando — has put herself in classrooms and added teachers if she felt they were needed.
“Now we have three teachers in a model built for two,” she says, proudly. “We give our staff the tools they need to do their jobs, and the parents see that we really mean it.”
Powe says even after a long day at school, sometimes her daughter is still not ready to leave at 6 p.m.
“Their curriculum is awesome,” she says. “They have so much detail with the kids — they are doing something every 15 minutes. My daughter was walking at 10 months, her motion, her development, is advanced. She is 19 months now and her vocabulary is advanced. She knows sentences, at least 10 colors, can count to 10, and even some sign language. I’ve just been really impressed. It’s definitely worth my money.”
All lead teachers are required to have their Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate, which is equivalent to an early childhood education A.A degree, Jhana says. Assistant teachers have to complete 45 hours of Florida Department of Children & Families (DCF) Child Care Training.
There are cameras in every room and, in the office used by Amy and Jhana, there is a 32-inch television to monitor 16 security cameras.
“There’s also an app that lets you know everything, from when your child had their diaper changed, to when they went outside and what they ate for lunch,” Powe says. “Friday, I knew she worked on math, drew pictures and had music class. It’s pretty cool.”
