Category: New Tampa

Neighborhood News Online Celebrates Six Months Of Google-Funded Videos!

When we received the first installment of our funding from the Google News Initiative on January 14, we made a number of promises to our benefactors regarding the number of videos we’d put online, the number of people we’d hire to shoot, edit and be on-air talent for those videos and the equipment we would need to fulfill our commitments.

As this issue is reaching you, it has now been six months since we received that funding and I’d have to say that we are right on track.

To me, the most important milestone for us to reach was the increase in the number of videos we would be releasing. Before our Google funding, we averaged one video every other week. But, we have now put out 41 videos in 21 weeks (with several videos in the can getting ready for release at out press time) since Jan. 14, or an average of at least two each week.

And, more and more of you are watching those videos. In the nearly three years since we first started Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television (WCNT-tv) — which we now call NeighborhoNewsOnline.net (search “Neighborhood News” on Facebook or “WCNT-tv” on YouTube) — we have flown past one million total views and nearly two million people reached on Facebook.

The 41 videos we have put online since January alone have been viewed more than 210,000 times and have reached more than 354,000 people. Perhaps even more important is that those 41 videos have received a total of more than 36,000 “engagements” (Likes, Shares & Comments), or an average of more than 900 per video! How many local videos/posts do you know of that have had 1,000 engagements?

We continue to reach our biggest audience whenever we put out videos about food, as our two videos about the opening of the new Chick-fil-A on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel each garnered more than 12,000 views and combined reached more than 35,000 people. Our biggest reach this year has been achieved by our video about the new Smallcakes Cupcakery in Tampa Palms, which also had more than 12,000 views, and a reach of more than 22,000 people!

Even more recently, my “Neighborhood Dining News” segment about Hummingbird Jerk House and Full Circle Pizza released on May 29 already has been viewed more than 7,000 times and reached more than 11,000 people.

En Español, Tambien?

Although I also have several more lined up to start as this issue is reaching your mailbox, we currently have four print advertisers who have begun sponsoring our videos and online content, as part of their Video & Online “Subscription” program, where each of them will receive a Video Business Feature.

Those advertisers are Total Air Solutions, Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam Edmonson, Omari’s Grill at Lexington Oaks Golf Club and KAP Medical Group. We have not yet released the Video Business Features for Total Air or Omari’s, but only the video for Omari’s had not yet been produced at our press time.

However, Total Air, which was our first “subscriber,” has already been shown as a sponsor of eight videos in seven weeks, and those videos have been viewed more than 50,000 times, with a Facebook reach of nearly 89,000 people and nearly 7,000 engagements. Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam has sponsored seven videos in six weeks, and those videos have been viewed more than 40,000 times, with a FB reach of more than 68,000 and more than 6,000 engagements. Omari’s had only sponsored two videos at our press time, but they had been viewed more than 7,000 times, with a FB reach of nearly 15,000, with nearly 700 engagements.

And, thanks to Omari’s co-owner Susana Herrera, who spent 20 years as a reporter and anchor in her native Colombia, including eight years on the Colombian CBN Network, our KAP Medical video was shot in English (with yours truly asking the questions) and in Spanish (with Susana interviewing fellow Latina Dr. Karina Parilo en Español). We plan to do a lot more with Spanish language videos in the future, so stay tuned! For advertising information, call (813) 910-2575!

Nibbles and Bytes

Walkabout Bakery Opens In Lutz

If you are looking for authentic, and tasty, Australian cuisine, the Walkabout Australian Bakery & Café is open at 18430 Livingston Ave. (at Sunset Ln.) in Lutz.

Owner Regina McColl is a truly authentic Australian, from Melbourne, but we’re fortunate that she has brought the flavors of her home country to within 10-15 minutes of most New Tampa residents.

The bakery goods are truly unlike anything I’ve had in the Tampa Bay area. There’s a square one that looked like it could be chocolate and peanut butter, but is actually caramel inside and it’s absolutely addictive. Sorry that I neglected to take a picture of it, but there’s no doubt I’ll be back.

Walkabout, which celebrated its Grand Opening with a May 2 North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon cutting, also serves great food, like the thick-cut prime rib, with mashed potatoes and broccoli shown left. Regina also put out finger foods like yummy traditional meat pies (similar to empanadas), and spinach ricotta feta triangles for the Chamber event. Oh, and of course, there’s beer and wine, too, mate!

For more info, visit AussieBakeryCafe.com or call (813) 953-1085, and please tell Regina I sent you!

The Man Cave’s Grand Opening

Another great locally-owned business that recently cut a ribbon was The Man Cave Haircuts for Men, which actually celebrated its one-year anniversary on April 1 with a North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon cutting.

Located in the Pinebrook at The Grove plaza at 27419 Wesley Chapel Blvd. (S.R. 54) in Wesley Chapel, owner Katie Galentine has created a shop that is less barber shop and more salon for men, but with a variety of unique décor touches that make any man feel right at home — like spray bottles that look like bourbon bottles and shelves made out of tires. You also get a shampoo, with a complimentary steam towel, scalp massage and walk-ins and appointments are welcome.

For more info, call (813) 574-8405, or visit the-man-cave-haircuts-for-men.business.site and tell Katie and her crew the New Tampa Neighborhood News sent you!

Man Cave nibbles walkabout

The Hummingbird Jerk House Serves Authentic Jamaican Cuisine!

I’m not going to say that Jamaican cuisine has ever been among my top favorites, but I will say this — as a native New Yorker who has previously sampled some well-known Jamaican restaurants in Manhattan, there are a number of dishes I’m going to keep going back to the new Hummingbird Jerk House to enjoy.

Owner Patrick Murrel, a Hunter’s Green resident, and his family invite you to sample truly some of the best Jamaican cuisine I’ve had the chance to try, especially in Tampa.

The Hummingbird Jerk House, located in the space previously occupied by Dairy Queen, on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in North Palms Village (next to Oakley’s Grille), features everything from authentic meat patties to items I’ve previously never (and still haven’t) tried, such as cow foot and butter beans (with dumplings) and what is billed on the menu as the Jamaican National Dish called ackee and saltfish.

According to Hummingbird’s website, Patrick is from the Westmoreland province of Jamaica and grew up in the town of Sav-la-mar, next to Negril. The website says his “mama teach him to cook,” and from the items I’ve sampled so far, I’d say she taught him well!

The Best Fried Chicken?

Chicken is obviously a staple of Jamaican cuisine, based on the Hummingbird Jerk House’s menu. And, not surprisingly, three of my favorite dishes are the jerk chicken, the brown stew chicken and some of the best fried chicken I’ve had at any kind of restaurant in Tampa. The fried chicken is super-crisp, but still tender and served on the bone, with a side of Patrick’s signature and super-tasty brown stew sauce, plus sides like white rice or rice and peas (beans), plantains and veggies, which are usually either sliced carrots or carrots and cabbage. I’d love to see some additional veggies on the menu, but the sliced carrots are particularly tasty.

Lead video editor Gavin Olsen and I both also enjoyed the jerk chicken at Hummingbird Jerk House, although it doesn’t have quite as much kick as some jerk chicken I’ve sampled. Even so, it is full of flavor and there’s always a couple of different hot sauces on the tables, if you need a bigger jolt from your jerk. There’s also BBQ and curry chicken on the menu, but I hadn’t sampled either at our press time.

Speaking of the brown stew sauce, for those who crave sauce all over their chicken, there is a brown stew chicken on the menu, which is basically similar to the fried chicken but covered with the sauce. The brown stew sauce also is tasty on Patrick’s whole snapper, although he’ll warn you that the whole snapper does have bones, so it’s a little bit of work to enjoy this zesty dish.

From what I’ve seen during my multiple visits to the restaurant, the more popular snapper seems to be the escoveitch, which is available bone-in or as a filet (which is likely how I will try it in the future). The snapper is fried and then covered in onions, sliced carrots, scotch bonnet peppers, pepper and vinegar. There’s also jerk salmon on the menu, although I don’t usually enjoy salmon other than smoked and on a bagel.

Meat patties are a popular item at the Hummingbird Cafe.

I haven’t yet sampled the ackee (a Caribbean fruit) and saltfish (cod), but many of the Hummingbird Jerk House’s regulars rave about it. I did, however, sample the Japanese coco bread with saltfish, a doughy appetizer which is slightly sweet from coconut milk.

Other Jamaican staples I’ve sampled at the Hummingbird Jerk House include the oxtail and the curry goat.

I’ve never been the biggest curry fan (although Jamaican curry is different than Thai or Indian curry) and I don’t go out of my way to eat goat, but I really enjoyed the oxtail. It is “stewed down” with Jamaican herbs and butter beans in a savory brown sauce and is very tasty and tender. It does take a little work to get at all of the available meat, but trust me, it’s worth it. I definitely also plan to try Patrick’s beef stew — which is only available Thur.-Sun. Other menu items include Rastaman vegetable stew, soups (including Manish-Water, or goat soup), chicken wings and roti skin sandwich wraps with curry chicken or goat, jerk chicken or veggies.

Breakfast, Too?

Patrick is proud to have recently announced that he is now serving authentic Jamaican breakfast favorites on Sat. and Sun. mornings (8 a.m.-11:30 a.m.). Among the breakfast items are salt mackerel, ackee and saltfish with cooked green bananas, dumplings and more, plus porridges of cornmeal and oats.

And of course, any time you walk into a place and the music of the great man himself — Bob Marley — is playing, you’re bound to feel good. And, at the Hummingbird Jerk House, you’re also likely to leave satisfied.

Hummingbird Jerk House (17631 BBD, Unit F) is open 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sun., and every other day 11 a.m.-10 p.m., except it is closed on Mon. For more info, visit HummingbirdJerkHouse.com or call (813) 512-2558.

fish hummingbird cafe jamaican

Omari’s Grill At Lexington Oaks — Delicious Food, Great People!

When I first met Anass El-Omari and his wife Susana Herrera several months ago, I was hopeful that their plan to completely revamp not just the look of the clubhouse at Lexington Oaks Golf Club, but also the food served there would work out for them. After all, we have plenty of chain restaurants in Wesley Chapel, but we have so few non-chain, sit-down, mom-&-pop restaurants in our area with great food.

Well, if you haven’t tried Omari’s Grill & Bar at Lexington Oaks yet, I hope the pictures on this page and this short writeup will convince you to go check it out.

Anass, who is originally from Morocco, was trained at the world-renowned Cordon Bleu Institute in Paris, France, and just from the sauces he has been serving alone, his extensive training and experience is obvious.

Anass met Susana in her native Colombia, where she was working as a TV network news anchor for RCN Television (Radio Cadena Nacional) in the Colombian capital city of Bogota.

About two years ago, his varied business interests (including banking software) brought their family (they have two children together) from Colombia to Florida, first to the Grand Hampton community in New Tampa and eventually, to Wesley Chapel, where he ended up buying the Lexington Oaks golf course and restaurant, a change of ownership that took place about a year ago.

“We were planning to just buy a small vacation home in Epperson, because of the lagoon, but the kids loved it here, so this is now home.”

Oh Yeah, The Food!

The lunch and dinner menus at Omari’s Grill may be somewhat limited, but there’s no doubt that all of the dishes Jannah and I have sampled together so far have been outstanding — and Anass is always coming up with daily specials.

My favorite items on the dinner menu are the flounder almendrine, which I thought I had shown in my Nibbles & Bytes column before, and the Chef filet.

For only $14.99, the flounder is sautéed in a Mediterranean-style butter sauce, with large chunks of fresh tomatoes. The 6-oz. filet ($20.99) is super tender and served with a fresh basil and white wine cream sauce. It was served with two fresh asparagus spears and we also enjoyed a side of cheesy baked broccoli.

I also love the fresh pear and brie cheese and the calamari appetizers and the Cajun chicken pasta with onions, peppers and salami in a semi-spicy Cajun cream sauce.

Although I can’t indulge in any of the multiple shrimp and lobster options on the menu because of my accursed shellfish allergy, Susana says her favorite dish on the menu is the lobster pasta, which is linguine served with generous chunks of lobster in a ginger cream sauce, with a touch of garlic and white wine.

The mahi-mahi, served with a mango salsa.

The special on our most recent visit was a super-thick cut of amazingly fresh mahi-mahi, served with a mango salsa that added a delicious touch of fruit without being overly sweet.

Although dinner currently is only served at Omari’s Grill Wednesday-Friday, it is open for lunch every day except Monday and the lunch menu features plenty of your favorite sandwiches, including Anass’ take on the classic Cuban, a Cajun chicken sandwich with bacon and cheese (of course), a Philly cheesesteak, classic BLT, as well as burgers, wings, a Buffalo chicken wrap and even shrimp tacos.

I’ve only sampled Omari’s catering-style food for lunch when I’ve visited the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel, which meets for lunch at Omari’s every Wednesday at noon. Anass and Susana don’t only host the club, they’re also members and say they look forward to getting more involved with the Rotary’s service projects, especially since the Lexington Oaks golf course is getting ready to close for renovations for three months shortly after this issue reaches you.

“While the greens are being resurfaced,” says Anass, “we will be really focusing on the restaurant side. We’ll do a lot more menu specials and host more special events.”

Speaking of special events, Susana says that the Easter brunch held last month “completely sold out.” But, despite lots of requests, Anass says he will not repeat the brunch special for Mother’s Day, so he and Susana can spend her special day together.

“I haven’t had a day off in 243 days,” he says. “But, I’ll be thinking about new specials.”

Oh, and before I forget to mention it, you should always save room for dessert at Omari’s Grill. All of the desserts are homemade, including an authentically French creme brulee and the totally decadent New York-style cheese cake shown in the far right photo on this page, which is served with fresh strawberries and a chocolate sauce that has other ingredients Anass wouldn’t share with me. “The sauce is a secret,” he says with a smile.

Omari’s also caters to families with an affordable kids menu (nothing more than $5) and there is a beautiful covered patio that can seat about as many people as the inside dining area, which features a premium, full-liquor bar with very reasonable prices.

For more information about Omari’s Grill & Bar (26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd.), call (813) 907-7270 or visit LexingtonOaksGolf.com and please tell Anass and Susana I sent you!

Lexington Oaks Omari’s Grill

My ‘25 Years Of Neighborhood News’ Celebration Rocked Bayscape Bistro!

Office & sales assistant Janet Levins checks in readers at our “25 Years of Neighborhood News” Celebration at Bayscape Bistro.

When I purchased Neighborhood News on February 26, 1994, with a former partner, I had no idea I’d still be doing the same job 25 years later.

At that time, this was a once-a-month, quarter-folded direct mail newspaper with only “spot” color (not full color) on four pages,that was delivered to 6,500 households in what wasn’t even yet referred to as “New Tampa.” Our only Wesley Chapel distribution back then were the few hundred copies that were being dropped off each month at the Meadow Pointe I clubhouse. I quickly added mailing to the first few hundred homes in the original portion of Meadow Pointe, as well as to the few hundred homes in the community surrounding Saddlebrook Resort.

All I knew then was that, in addition to homes, roads with no traffic signals and thousands of heads of cattle, the areas that would one day be called New Tampa and Wesley Chapel had a lot of vacant land, most of which already had development plans in place. I started calling the phone numbers on every sign along both Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa (at that time, the portion in Pasco County was only known as County Road 581) and Cross Creek Blvd.

And even though the Neighborhood News I purchased already had a reasonable number of advertisers, I knew that the key to getting people to actually read the publication was to tell them about the plans for the new developments coming to their community.

Celebration attendees got to enjoy delicious appetizers.

As you can see from the first few of the 50 covers (see gallery below), I and my “staff” of one part-time writer/editor made sure that we told the residents in my two distribution areas everything we could about the plans for the homes, apartments, businesses, roads, libraries, churches and recreational opportunities that were coming “in the future.”

Well, 25 years later, I and my still-small staff of one outstanding full-time managing editor, a few great freelance writers and a few in-house support staffers continue to give you more news and information about everything that is still coming to our now-separate distribution areas.

The 50 Neighborhood News front pages include an average of two covers per year for every year we’ve been in business, although there are a few years along the way that didn’t make it to these pages — not because nothing “important” happened those years, but because most of these front pages are about “firsts,” meaning the first story we published (and believe me, especially in the beginning, no other local news media covered most of the stories we did) about a particular subject affecting our readers.

In order to give you that true historical perspective in a small amount of available space, there aren’t nearly as many covers from the era of 2015 until the present, even though managing editor John C. Cotey has probably broken as many big news stories in those 3+ years as I did between 1994-2000, but most of you have been here for most of John’s biggest stories, whereas the vast majority of our readers weren’t living here from the start.

But, What About The Party?

So, even though my anniversary of buying the paper was actually in February of ‘94, my first issue as the publisher and editor was April of that year. In addition, as we told you on last issue’s cover, I got married in late March, so I didn’t really want to host the party until after that event.

I was thrilled that Eddie Bujarski and his wife Lourdes, the owners of the Bayscape Bistro in the Heritage Isles Golf Club on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa, agreed to not only host the party on April 12, but also to put out a beautiful spread of both hot and cold munchies for what turned out to be more than 100 guests. I, of course, provided a karaoke DJ for the event, just as I had done at our first “Meet the Publisher” karaoke party way back in May of ‘94.

But, most of the folks who attended the 25th anniversary event weren’t there to sing (even though Jannah and I and some of our friends may have been) — almost every reader who attended said they just wanted to be there to thank me for being an important part of their lives here in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. We had folks from Epperson to the north and Tampa Palms to the south, and from Lexington Oaks to the west to K-Bar Ranch to the east attend and many came in groups of people who all had at least one thing in common — they all love the Neighborhood News!

I also was thrilled that several of our wonderful advertisers also found time to check out the celebration — and find out more about our new Video & Online Subscriptions. Among the attendees were Realtors Karen Tillman-Gosselin and her husband Renynold Gosselin, James and Alexis Staten of Olympus Pools, Pam Edmonson of Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam, Derek Usman of Usman Law Firm and Ramses Garcia of Las Palmas Latin Grill all showed up to party with me, Jannah, John, office and sales assistant Janet Levins, senior video producer Gavin Olsen and his assistant Charmaine George.

As you can see, there are a lot of front pages we’ve had to leave out to keep the number of our historic covers at only 50, especially from 2017-present.

Even so, pictured here are (left-right and top-bottom)our historic win as Small Business of the Year from what was then known as the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce; Wesley Chapel resident Mike Moore’s first election to the Pasco County Board of Commissioners; the Grand Opening of the Tampa Premium Outlets; our first story about the indoor sports complex which is finally beginning construction in Wiregrass; our first cover story about the “Connected City”; our story about the definitive history of Wesley Chapel being published by a local author; our WCNT-tv Preview Party; the opening of what was then known as Florida Hospital Center Ice; the first Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel hosted at the skating complex; our first explanation of the Diverging Diamond Intersection; a visit with the first families that moved into Epperson, prior to the opening of the Crystal Lagoons® amenity that is now open to the public (pg. 5); John’s great story about all of the new pizza places (almost all of which are now open) coming to Wesley Chapel; our nominee for our best New Tampa cover headline ever (“Bruce B. Done”) and a certain publisher’s nuptials from last issue. Impressive, right? — GN