Category: New Tampa

Coffee Drinks & More Take Flight At The Bean Bar Co.!

Few people I know love a good cup of coffee more than I do, so the latest innovation at The Bean Bar Co., located just off the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. exit of I-75 (in the plaza next to Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Tampa Palms), is definitely right up my alley.

Owner Danielle Henry says that The Bean Bear’s new “coffee flights” definitely borrowed the flight concept from alcoholic beverages, from beer to bourbon and from tequila to wine.

The flights offer customers four 5.5-oz. samples, one each of The Bean Bar’s four customer-favorite “classic” coffee drinks — café mocha, Irish nutcase, café con leche and caramel macchiato. And, Danielle says that since being introduced in January, the flights have really (pun intended) taken off.

“It’s always fun to introduce something new and see how people react to it,” Danielle says. “We’ve sold a lot of coffee flights in just a few weeks.”

In fact, leading up to Valentine’s Day, The Bean Bar offered a flight of four V-Day favorites — raspberry white chocolate, cherry almond, chocolate-covered strawberry and red velvet lattés. “We probably will experiment with other flights,” she says. “Stay tuned.”

For me, it’s difficult to stay away from the Bean Bar, whether anything new is introduced or not. I have continually switched off between the very-authentic-tasting café con leche, made with real Cuban sugar, and the better-than-Starbucks caramel macchiato since the place first opened a little more than a year ago (in Nov. of 2021). But now, I may just have to put the café mocha and some of the other flavors (e.g., toasted marshmallow and peanut butter cup) in my rotation. There also are a number of flavor shots available.

Whatever flavor you choose — even if you just like regular hot or iced — the coffee is always outstanding. Danielle says that all of the coffee is from Naviera Coffee Mills, “an amazing Cuban roast. And, even though people have tried to get us to switch, I don’t believe I ever will.”

Danielle and her brother Kyle Trina each also operate a Bean Bar Co. food truck (and Danielle says both are new versions of their original food truck, and make regular appearances in Wesley Chapel), and she recently finished a 12-day run at the Florida State Fair. “We have the space (at the fair) right next to Peachey’s (Baking Co. of Sarasota), which sells amazing Amish donuts. It’s a perfect spot for us.”

But, as someone who can take or leave the fair, I’m just happy that The Bean Bar Co. has a brick-&-mortar location so close to where I live. In addition to the variety of hot and iced coffee drinks (including a nitro cold brew), there’s also a large menu of hot and iced tea favorites, from Earl Grey and Florida orange blossom to chai tea lattés.

But, What About Breakfast?

I’m glad you asked. I am huge fan of The Bean Bar’s breakfast sandwiches — including the croissant egg sandwiches with garlic aioli, to which you can add turkey bacon or real bacon (for just $1 more), and my favorite waffle chicken sandwich with bacon & egg, served with breakfast syrup. So good.

*The quiche Lorraine isn’t house-made, but it’s still fluffy & delicious.*

But, even though Danielle says it’s been on the menu for a long time, I only recently sampled The Bean Bar’s light-&-fluffy quiche Lorraine. It isn’t made on the premises, but it’s honestly better than the quiche at most places that do house-bake their own. There also are garlic-&-cheddar and everything-&-gouda bagels and Danielle says mini-sized Dutch-style pancakes (with strawberry jelly, Nutella and other toppings) are being added this month.

*If you like your avocado toast a little spicy, try it at The Bean Bar!*

And, while I don’t eat avocado toast, photographer Charmaine George says The Bean Bar’s spicy version of it, served on multi-grain bread, is worth a try, too. The sandwiches also are available for lunch, as are tasty beef and chicken empanadas.

Danielle also has brought in new baked goods. The current options include (all shown on the plate below) apple Danish, apple maple and creme brulée muffin tops (think “Seinfeld”), chocolate pastry twists and lemon raspberry and pink & red marble mini loafs. Other tasty treats float in and out (including cream-filled whoopie pies and strawberry-iced scones) — so stop in to check out the latest.

Danielle and her husband Mark recently welcomed their third child — son Hudson (the others are 5-year-old son Peyton and 2-1/2-year old daughter Layne).

The Bean Bar Co. is located at 17018 Palm Pointe Dr. and is open Mon.-Fri., 6 a.m.-5 p.m., & 7 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sat. & Sun. For more info, call (813) 442-7699, visit BeanBarCo.com or on Instagram (#beanbar_co) or Facebook (“The Bean Bar Co.”). Also, see the ad on pg. 37 to save 15% off your entire order.

Legacy At Highwoods Preserve Celebrates Vets, Centenarians & More

Congratulations to The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve (18600 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy.) — which was the first full-service assisted living and memory care residence to open in New Tampa when it made its debut more than a decade ago — for hosting a couple of great recent events.

On Presidents Day (Feb. 21), The Legacy hosted a unique celebration to honor its three residents who are all at least 100 years old — Grace Forsythe (age 101), Mary Carbonara (100) and Holocaust survivor Nat Ross (also 100). As part of the celebration, The Legacy executive director Mitchell Edelstein unveiled a unique wall mural adorned with the U.S. flag, an American bald eagle and photos of all ten Legacy residents who also are U.S. military veterans.

The next day, Edelstein and the entire staff at The Legacy hosted a North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting event in honor of its Grand Reopening, with amazing food by Chef Josh. For more info about The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve, call (813) 375-9858 or visit LegacyPreserveTampa.com.

Tampa City Council member Luis Viera celebrates the lives of the three 100-year-old residents at The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve (l.-r.) Grace Forsythe, Nat Ross & Mary Carbonara.

A new wall mural honoring all of the U.S. military vets at The Legacy also was unveiled on Presidents Day

legacy at highwoods preserve New Tampa

Chicken Boss Opening Highlights Changes at KRATE

When The Grove developer Mark Gold first started filling the many spaces at his KRATE Container Park, most of us realized that not all of the restaurants and retail shops that started out in a KRATE would last very long. Although we may not have known which would succeed and which would fail, you had to know that some wouldn’t make it.

Until recently, only a couple of retail KRATEs had gone the way of the dinosaur. But now, several more changes have either recently taken place or were on the way — and we have an exclusive look at the new and planned moves at the container park.

The first-ever restaurant KRATE to close is Falafel Factory, which shut its doors last month. That set off a couple of changes that, quite honestly, we’re pretty excited to announce.

Falafel Factory’s space between Pisco Express and Palani’s Hawai’i Noodles has been taken over by TJ’s Hot Dogs, which previously occupied the space next to the The Bacon Boss HQ.

And, while TJ’s already is open in its new space, The Bacon Boss owners Josh and Christy Norland quickly followed suit and opened their new concept — The Chicken Boss — this weekend in the former TJ’s location this weekend. The turnout was impressive, say the owners.

Christy says The Chicken Boss’ menu focuses on hand-breaded chicken tenders. And, based on the love The Bacon Boss HQ has received from our readers (it was voted the #1 Favorite KRATE in our 2022 Reader Dining Survey) and from yours truly (it was my #4 favorite KRATE), I’m sure The Chicken Boss will be equally successful — as, I expect, TJ’s also will continue to be in its new space.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Urban Sweets, the currently vacant former location of Center Ed tutoring center will reopen as the second Blush Wine Room at KRATE, but owners Felicia and Nimesh Desai say that the new location will be solely a champagne and wine-based cocktail bar with a dozen slushie machines.

The original Blush location will focus on other wines and, we hope, perhaps expand its current menu of delicious food items, although anything on the Blush menu will still be available at the new location, too. The new Blush will open before the end of March.

Two new non-food KRATEs also recently opened in previously shuttered retail locations, both of which we first told you about in our Dec. 26 issue. The first is 311 Aroma Candle Studio, which is a do-it-yourself candlemaking “bar,” with nearly two dozen different fragrances — from apple & maple bourbon to Froot Loops and many more.

3Eleven owner Shareeka Screen offers classes for beginners and sessions for experienced candlemakers and calls 3Eleven “an interactive experience bringing people and families together to explore and create through the power of creativity.”

Plus, the place smells delicious.

And, Shareeka is the sister of Yuhanna Alahmary of Radiant Wellness Spa, and 3Eleven Aroma, Blush and Mythos will all be on-hand at Radiant’s Health & Wellness Fair on Sunday, March 19.

Speaking of Mythos, it is now open in the former location of The Rebellious Hippie at the KRATEs. Mythos is an eclectic gift shop with cool T-shirts, plush toys, candles and knickknacks for your home and more.

And finally, next to Life Essentials Refillery, Valiart Designs (which previously was called Valiart Jewelry), will become the Tutti Frutti Cafe, which will sell all things fruit — fresh fruit smoothies and creative fruit desserts.

It is owned by Stacy Esposito and Eddie Nasr, who also own Cafe Zorba. They hope to open the Tutti Frutti Cafe by April. — GN

Bacon Boss

Cafe Zorba — The Newest Dining KRATE Serves Delicious Greek Cuisine!

The last of the 29 restaurants to open at the KRATE Container Park at The Grove in Wesley Chapel is Cafe Zorba, which serves delicious Greek and Mediterranean cuisine from the former owners of Acropolis Greek Taverna in New Tampa.

Cafe Zorba owners Stacy Esposito and her husband Eddie Nasr are proud to bring you authentic recipes with unique flavor touches that Eddie says are mainly his recipes from his childhood in the Republic of Cyprus, which is an independent nation on the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea between Greece, Turkey and Syria. Although his parents were Lebanese, Eddie says his Cypriot recipes have been strongly influenced by the cuisine of Greece.

Delicious Starters & Entrées!

On these pages, you’ll find some of our favorite dishes at Cafe Zorba, a name inspired by the novel Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis that earned Anthony Quinn an Oscar nomination for the 1964 movie of the same name.

The top left photo, of course, is the delicious Greek-style calamari, which is delicately crispy and served with a side of marinara sauce and kalamata olives.

“If you visit Greece and you don’t have the calamari,” Eddie says, “it’s like you never visited Greece. There is tons of calamari in the Mediterranean.”

Other starters at Cafe Zorba include tzatziki (Greek yogurt with freshly grated cucumbers, garlic and herbs with olive oil, served with pita), hummus (fresh chickpea spread with garlic and tahini, topped with virgin olive oil and tomatoes), dolmades (grapevine leaves stuffed with rice, lemon juice, olive oil and herbs, topped with crumbled feta) and the crispy and delicious Greek fries with aioli, feta and a side of tzatziki.

The photo to the left is the traditional Cypriot fried halloumi cheese, which is made from a semi-soft brined cheese with a high melting point, so it’s perfect for deep-frying. The halloumi rectangles are served with pita bread, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.

The bottom photo on this page is, of course, the crispy spanakopita, or light and flaky phyllo pastry dough, stuffed with spinach and feta, served with a side Greek salad. Speaking of Cafe Zorba’s Greek salad, it is served with a similarly zesty, creamy Greek dressing to what you might remember from Acropolis.

My favorite entrees at Cafe Zorba are the lamb gyro wrap (also available with chicken — and the daily lunch special from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. gives you a gyro, fries and drink for only $15) and the chicken, pork or beef souvlaki platters, which are served with what may be the best, most savory orzo rice I’ve had in this area (or those crispy fries), as well as a Greek salad. The photo above is the chicken souvlaki platter.

Other entrées include the Zeus burger (topped with sautéed mushrooms, onions and feta); the tasty fish sliders (lightly breaded, pan-fried fish filet, topped with vegetable slaw, garlic aioli, onion and tomato on slider buns), the fried kibbeh platter (kibbeh are cracked wheat dough shells stuffed with seasoned beef, sautéed onions and pine nuts, served with fries, hummus and pita), and shrimp skewers. The shrimp are sauteed in lemon, garlic and butter sauce and served with pita.

All of the entrées are just $12-$18 and Stacy says, “We’re proud to be the only dining KRATE with all five-star reviews on Google. The reviews say our food is delicious and our portions are huge!”

Dessert, Beverages & More

Save room for dessert, as the options include regular baklava, baklava cheesecake, chocolate-covered baklava, tiramisu, Eddie’s homemade rice pudding and my favorite — the Zorba chocolate bombe filled with creamy milk and white chocolate mousse.

Cafe Zorba also sells a variety of beers, including Mythos from Greece, Almaza from Lebanon and many other imported and domestic options, as well as Greek and other delicious wines, plus coffee, soft drinks and Frazil shaved ice beverages.

And, the fun doesn’t end when you walk outside of Cafe Zorba, as there are nearly 50 flavors to enjoy with hookah pipes. Gypsi (photo, right), an exotic belly dancer, performs on Friday evenings, beginning at 7 p.m.

Even though it was only open for a couple of weeks when the voting ended, our readers named Cafe Zorba their fourth favorite Greek or Mediterranean Restaurant in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel and I placed it in my top-5 Favorite KRATEs.

Cafe Zorba is located at 5804 Grand Oro Lane, at the southern end of the KRATE container park. It is open Mon.-Thur., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Fri. and Sat.; and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sun. For more info, call (813) 388-5987 or visit Cafe-Zorba.com.

PopStroke Ready To Open!

Tiger Woods has made it official — PopStroke Wesley Chapel/Tampa is opening at noon on Friday, Feb. 17.

The golf legend announced the opening via his Twitter account Thursday morning.

Located just north and east of the intersection of S.R. 56 and Wesley Chapel Blvd., PopStroke is co-owned by Woods and Craig Bartoli. TGR Design, which is Woods’ golf course design company.

The Wesley Chapel location will feature two 18-hole courses — one will be harder than the other — featuring synthetic turf greens designed to mimic putting on real golf courses. The courses lack the usual mini-golf obstacles, instead focusing on a more realistic experience with undulated greens designed to challenge golfers of all ages, as well as fairways and sand traps.

The mini-golf is complemented by a 10,000-sq.-ft. restaurant and kid’s playground. The restaurant will feature premium food and drinks, as well as 24 different flavors of ice cream. Golfers can see their scores displayed on a large scoreboard, and even order drinks, via an app, that will be delivered to them on the course.

“It’s one of the only concepts I know of anywhere in world, really, where you can find a 3-, 8-. 27- and 80-year-old enjoying it to the same extent,” Bartoli said at the February 2022 groundbreaking.

PopStroke tiger woods