For those seeking unique local options outside of the KRATEs, we also wanted to let you know that the second Tampa location of Mpanitas has opened in the oft-vacated spot in the Mobil gas station plaza at 10865 Cross Creek Blvd.
With delicious Venezuelan favorites like the excellent empanadas shown here (above), stuffed with your choice of shredded or ground beef, chicken, cheese, ham & cheese, potatoes & cheese and even fish, Mpanitas also serves arepas, mini-empanadas, mandocas, sweet tequeños and outstanding café con leché. For more info, follow “mpanitas” on Instagram.
If you don’t already like Tandoori-style chicken (Above), vegetable samosas (Below), butter chicken with butter naan (bread) (Below), gulab jamun (Indian-style donuts) (Below)or chicken biryani (Below) at most Indian restaurants, our editor says you should still try all of these new favorites of his at Desi Flavors Indian Cuisine, located in the Telecom Park off E. Fletcher Ave., a couple of miles west of I-75.(Photos by Charmaine George)
Long-time readers of this publication no doubt realize that Indian food has never my favorite cuisine type. On the other hand, if more Indian restaurants served the subtly delicious flavors I’ve sampled at Desi Flavors Indian Cuisine, I might have spent more time in Indian eateries.
Owner Sree Alla, an information technology (IT) guy who worked for many years at an Indian restaurant in Atlanta, opened Desi Flavors, the first restaurant he has owned himself, in the Tampa Telecom Park off E. Fletcher Ave. in December 2020 — in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Even so, Sree says he has continually built a loyal following since opening and he is hoping that his ads and this story in the Neighborhood News will help him continue to reach new customers in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.
The food, at least what photographer Charmaine George, her boyfriend Brendan and I sampled on a recent visit, is pretty impressive. While most Indian cuisine is curry-based, Sree explains that there are so many different types and heat levels of curries that the same dishes at every Indian restaurant can taste different from every other place.
Whatever the reason, there’s no doubt that Sree’s dishes from all regions of India are full of flavor, which explains the “Flavors” in the restaurant’s name. The “Desi” in the name means “country person,” or “one from our country,” and also can refer to people from Pakistan and Bangladesh.
About The Menu…
Vegetable Samosas
The only way to describe the two-sided menu at Desi Flavors is HUGE! The starters on the front of the menu are divided into “Veg” and “Non-Veg.” To date, we’ve only sampled the vegetable samosas (minced potato and green peas deep-fried in pastry dough), but they were crispy and had a milder, more delicate flavor than many of the samosas I’ve sampled elsewhere, and were served with two different chutneys (sauces).
Other “Veg Starters” I am looking forward to trying include the spring rolls (minced veggies wrapped in rice paper and fried), the chilli paneer (crispy paneer tossed in a spicy sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar and chili sauce) and the gobi Manchurian (cauliflower florets dipped in corn flour, deep fried and tossed in ginger, garlic, spring onion and chilis).
The “Non-Veg Starters” I look forward to trying include the non-veg samosas (with chicken or lamb), the chilli chicken (crispy chicken in the same spicy sauce as the cauliflower) and the fried fish pakora (fritters).
Charmaine, Brendan and I did try one of the “Tandoori Sizzlers” on the front side of the menu — the chicken kababs, which are boneless pieces of chicken marinated in the Tandoori spice mix and cooked in a clay oven, served with fresh onions and peppers. Yum! There also are chicken on the bone, shrimp, fish (filet or whole), paneer (cheese)and mixed grill Tandoori options.
Chicken Biryani
The chicken biryani Sree had us sample also had a completely different flavor than most others I’ve tried. The long-grain basmati rice is flavored with unique spices and the rice and bone-in chicken served on top of it are sealed in a thick pot and cooked over a slow flame. The chicken seemed spicier than the rice, but both were very tasty. I definitely plan to try the goat and lamb options in the future, but there are eleven different biryani on the Desi Flavors menu.
On the menu’s flip side, there are 20 non-vegetable entrées, but all we tried was the butter chicken, another dish I’ve not always enjoyed elsewhere. The tender pieces of boneless Tandoori chicken are cooked in a rich, creamy (and very mild) tomato sauce with butter. It is served with a side of perfect butter naan bread (one of 12 baked-to-order breads on the menu) and basmati rice with peas and carrots.
Butter Chicken with Butter Naan (bread)
Other non-veg entrées include chicken tikka masala, kadai chicken or lamb with pan-sautéed veggies, butter lamb and Chef’s Signature lamb, goat, shrimp or fish curry.
There also are 18 different vegetable entrées, from Chana (garbanzo bean) masala to palak paneer (spinach and cottage cheese seasoned with ginger, garlic and aromatic spices) and malai kofta (dumplings of fresh veggies and cheese cooked in a mild cream sauce).
Craving something different? Desi Flavors also offers Indo-Chinese options like fried rice or hakka (similar to lo mein) noodles, both with your choice of veggies, egg, chicken, shrimp or mixed.
There also are eight South Indian options, including Idly (steamed rice and lentil patties served with chutneys), chole poori (minced veggies wrapped in rice paper and fried), upma (thick porridge made with coarse rice flour and different veggies and nuts) and eight different dosa crepes made from rice and lentils, served with sambar (lentils in tamarind & coconut), tomato and coconut chutneys.
Mango Lassi
Gulab Jamun (Indian-style donuts)
Save room for dessert, too. We got to sample the gulab jamun (Indian-style donuts made from evaporated milk solids deep-fried and served in a light sugar syrup) and rasmali (which reminded me of rice pudding) and I particularly enjoyed the gulab. Charmaine also really raved about the mango lassi, a super-creamy drink made with mango, yogurt, milk, a little sugar and a dash of cardamom. I also felt the hot masala chai tea was super-smooth.
Desi Flavors also has a variety of specials throughout the week. On Wednesdays (5 p.m.-9:30 p.m.), the South Indian menu options are buy-one, get-one free. The same offer goes for biryanis on Thursday evenings. On the weekends (Fri.-Sun), get a family biryani pack with a free appetizer or house special dessert to go for only $29.99 (veggie) to $45.99 (shrimp).
And, Saturdays and Sundays, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Desi Flavors is proud to offer its 35-item Grand Lunch Buffet for only $16.99 per person, or $11.99 per child under age 12.
Desi Flavors Indian Cuisine (13418 Telecom Dr. in zip code 33637) is open Tues.-Thur., 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. & 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; 11 a.m.-3 p.m. & 5 p.m.-10 p.m. on Fri.; 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. & 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; and 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. & 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on Sunday, For more information, call (813) 615-0004, visit DesiFlavorsTampa.com. And, please tell Sree and his staff that the Neighborhood News sent you!
The weekend Grand Lunch Buffet at Desi Flavors offers a wide variety of the restaurant’s most-requested dishes for just $16.99 per person. (photo provided by Sree Alla) Look for this sign when you turn off E. Fletcher Ave onto Telecom Dr. or you could drive past Desi Flavors Indian Cuisine.
Health Occupations Students of America, aka HOSA-Future Health Professionals, is a global student-led organization that actively promotes career opportunities in the health industry, and four New Tampa-area residents who all attend Strawberry Crest High in Dover and participate in the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme have created “Project Pink” to raise awareness about breast cancer.
Strawberry Crest sophomores Elizabeth Chettipally, Aditi Nair, Anika Prasad, and Netra Vijay (photo) will participate in HOSA’s Community Awareness competition by focusing on breast cancer, which affects more than 250,000 women (killing about 42,000) each year in the U.S. alone.
“Our team first felt the urge to raise awareness for breast cancer when we saw how fiercely one of our team member’s family (members) fought against breast cancer,” Anika wrote in the Crest Critique. “Being females and students, we saw the lack of education and awareness of breast cancer in our community and decided to make a change.”
To begin their quest to raise community awareness of breast cancer, the four friends spoke to Archana Nair, RN, an advisor in the Breast Clinic at the Moffitt Cancer Center, and Shilpa Sachdev, MD, an internal medicine specialist in Wauchula, FL. They also met with Shreya Shivan, a student at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.
“Through these discussions, our team realized that the subject of breast cancer is extremely personal, and a strong support system is needed by women survivors to reclaim feminine identity,” Anika wrote.
In October — also known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month — the quartet began their efforts by staging a “Pink Out” (getting students at their school to wear pink, including the cheerleaders at the Strawberry Crest football game that night). They also participated in the Cory Lake Isles Unity Walk in November.
“I feel like that even though a lot of people know about breast cancer, when it comes to the facts, to the details, we’re all lacking,” Netra says. “There’s also a lot of stigmatization about breast cancer because, when you talk about someone’s breasts, it’s a very taboo topic in our society, so I feel like it’s something people need to know about before the diagnosis.”
Anika adds, “We also want people to know that just because you’re diagnosed, it doesn’t mean it’s the end. We just want to spread hope to them.”
The group also will participate in Dr. Helene Robinson’s “Hugs from Heaven for Sister Warriors” breast cancer awareness podcast. Dr. Robinson is a faculty member at USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus.
In addition, the friends recently hosted a HOPE Kit packing party (photo left), in partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation — with donated items, such as makeup, wrist bands, notebooks, travel mugs and other “goodies” — that will be mailed to women who are struggling with breast cancer across the country.
Their school reposted the announcements the girls made on their Instagram about the packing party and also has allowed them to set up tables in the school’s library and talk with other students after school assemblies. They also were permitted to broadcast the “Pink Out” at the end-of-the-day announcements for a week before that event. The school’s Student Government Assn. and PTSA also helped spread the word about the girls’ efforts.
And, while there are more than 100 HOSA students at Strawberry Crest, the four friends are the only ones participating in the Breast Cancer Awareness campaign. They all will travel to Orlando April 13-16 to participate in the State of Florida Leadership Conference for HOSA, where they will make a presentation about their project.
Will offer takeout, delivery and banquet catering, in addition to dine-in seating and will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. For more information, call (813) 278-8020. — Gary Nager; photos by Charmaine George
Former Saddlebrook Resort owner Thomas Dempsey, general manager Pat Ciaccio (photo, top right) and Erik and Seth Ravenna (all of whom were at Saddlebrook together before it was sold last year) have again joined forces to bring casual, contemporary Italian dining to the New Tampa area.
Johnny C’s Italian Eatery (located at 10970 Cross Creek Blvd., in the space previously occupied by Precinct Pizza; photo, top left), which is expected to open by Monday, May 1, will proudly serve New York-style pizza and authentic Italian pasta dishes and other specialties.
Featuring both indoor and covered outdoor seating, Johnny C’s, which was named for Ciaccio’s father, “Who spent his entire life (working) in restaurants,”
New Tampa Dining Updates On Zio’s, Kobe & The New Mpanitas
Here are some updates on some restaurants we told you a couple of issues ago were getting ready to open in New Tampa. Unfortunately, none of them are open yet, but all three should open sooner than later.
We did mention before that Macaw Latin Provision on Cross Creek Blvd. (in the same plaza as Saffron) was now not going to open at all. However, what we didn’t know at that time was that the second Tampa location (the other is on Palm River Rd.) of Mpanitas was getting ready to open in its place. Owners Genesis and Julio say the Venezuelan eatery will specialize in homemade mini-empanadas, plus mandocas (fried dough rings), tequenos (cheese sticks) and other Venezuelan specialties.
For more info, visit Mpanitas on Facebook or Instagram.
Also still not open yet is Zio’s New York Bagel & Deli Co., but owner Jeff Cofini says his NY-style bagel place and deli should be open for breakfast and lunch every day very soon — hopefully only a week or two after this issue reaches you. Email Jeff at ZiosNYBagels@gmail.com if you want to work for Zio’s.
And finally, the new location of Kobé Japanese Steakhouse (photo) still isn’t open, but at least the sign has finally gone up on the building. The last update we had a couple of weeks ago was that it would be at least 3-6 more months before Kobe would reopen, but we’ll keep you posted. — GN
‘Fast & Furious’ Actor Sung Kang Visits Zukku-San!
Sung Kang, who appeared in “Fast & Furious” films (beginning with “Tokyo Drift”), was in Tampa for the 16th annual Gasparilla Film Festival to promote his directorial film debut, “Shaky Shivers.” While in town, he visited the Wesley Chapel Zukku-San. Here (l.-r.) he poses with Zukku-San’s Kathy Nguyen & co-owner Ferdian Jap.—GN
Producing artistic director Nora Paine (far left) and the New Tampa Players finally got to perform at their new home — the New Tampa Performing Arts Center — fulfilling the dream of NTP founder Doug Wall. (Photos by Charmaine George)
I can remember the first-ever conversation I had with Graeme Woodbrook and Doug Wall about trying to bring a professional performing arts center to New Tampa. It was the year 2001 and Woodbrook and Wall (the founder of the New Tampa Players) were both on the original organizing committee and both of them told me they believed that one day, their shared vision would bear fruit.
Fast forward 22 years, to the evening of March 25, 2023, and even though Wall — who passed away in 2017 after battling pancreatic cancer — unfortunately didn’t live to see his Players take the stage at the sparkling new, 350-seat New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC), Woodbrook and I were both on hand to see the Players’ “Prelude & Recognition Performance” at their new home.
As new NTPAC general manager Keith Arsenault was proud to proclaim to that evening’s packed house, “Mission Accomplished!”
New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) GM Keith Arsenault and spoke before the “Prelude & Recognition Performance” by the New Tampa Players at the NTPAC.
Arsenault, who we introduced in our last cover story about the NTPAC, said he has been involved in Tampa’s arts scene for 50 years, since his mother owned a ballet studio near the University of Tampa. He thanked Woodbrook, former Hillsborough County Commissioner (and State Senator) Victor Crist and former Tampa City Council member (and State Rep.) Shawn Harrison, as well as original Players Lydia Macias, Jennifer Barnakow and Janine Hartfield (who is still a member of the theatre troupe today), current Players producing artistic director Nora Paine (“who is everywhere and doing everything,” he said) and, of course, Wall.
Arsenault, who called the NTPAC a “state-of-the-art” theatre, also said, “We also would not be here without the continuous efforts of (current Hillsborough County Commissioner) Ken Hagan,” who he then introduced as the evening’s next speaker.
Hagan, who said he has been involved in trying to bring the PAC to New Tampa for, “at least 15 years,” also thanked many of the same people — and especially focused on Wall.
County Commissioner Ken Hagan both spoke before the “Prelude & Recognition Performance” by the New Tampa Players at the NTPAC.
The future plaque remembering New Tampa Players founder Doug Wall. The orchestra pit at the NTPAC.
“The theatre was Doug’s heart, soul and light,” Hagan said, quoting Wall’s cousin Neil Berg, himself a Broadway composer and producer. “We wouldn’t be here tonight if not for his efforts. We realize Doug’s dream tonight!”
Hagan also noted and displayed a photo of a plaque created in Wall’s honor and memory that wasn’t quite finished in time for the “Prelude” performance, and mentioned that until the PAC was completed, the Players were a “theatre troupe without a home.”
Also speaking before the performance was Michelle Giles, the current chair of the Players’ Board of Directors, who presented Paine with a pre-performance floral bouquet.
The “Prelude & Recognition Performance” itself included almost 30 musical performances by the 13 current Players, interwoven with explanations of how the troupe’s shows are chosen, how the audition process works (including for directors and choreographers) and other ins and outs of the community theatre business.
The performances themselves were amazing and I’m sad that I don’t have room here to hit all of the highlights, but here are a few:
Kyle Fisher’s “One Last Kiss” from “Bye Bye Birdie,” Janine Hartfield’s “No Time at All” from “Pippin,” Bri Filippelli’s “Do Re Mi” and the title song from “The Sound of Music,” Makayla Raines singing “Little Girls” and Olivia Carr’s “Tomorrow” from “Annie,” and “We Go Together” from “Grease” by the entire company. What a great night!
Speaking of “Grease,” that will be the first show produced by the Players at the NTPAC. As shown in the ad below, the auditions will be held at the Uptown Stage at University Mall on Monday & Tuesday, April 24-25, and all performers are welcome to try out at this open audition.
For more information, to volunteer and/or make donations to the New Tampa Players, visit NewTampaPlayers.org.
For questions about the NTPAC, email ArsenaultK@HCFLGov.net.
Original New Tampa Players cast member Janine Hartfield performs a song & dance routine with Jarrett W. Koski-Kohler to “No Time at All” from the Broadway hit “Pippin.” Kyle Fisher as Conrad Birdie from “Bye Bye Birdie.”The orchestra pit at the NTPACThe entire current cast of the Players. Graeme (one of the original PAC organizers) and Sharyn Woodbrook (front left) enjoying the festivities.
