Nibbles and Bytes: Bahama Breeze Opening Soon

A sign (see top photo on next page) on the building indicates that Bahama Breeze Island Grill, which is getting ready to open just east of Chuy’s Tex-Mex on the north side of S.R. 56, will open to the public on Monday, July 16. We’re trying to make sure we get an invite to the friends & family pre-opening, so look for a sneak peek on WCNT-tv before Bahama Breeze opens. Fresh seafood + live music one mile from where we live means Jannah and I will be frequenting Bahama Breeze…frequently.

•Also opening in July, next to Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt in the Shops at Wiregrass, is Nothing Bundt Cakes, which has been among the favorites at each of the last two Tastes of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. At our press time, those amazingly moist bundt cakes with perfectly creamy icing still seemed to be weeks from being made or sold at this location, but a spokesperson for the store said “definitely in July.”

If you’ve still never tried Nothing Bundt Cakes, visit the N. Dale Mabry or another location before this store opens and have a couple of samples and please tell them the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News sent you!  You’ll be waiting with baited buttercream breath for Nothing Bundt Cakes to open here, too.

•Not enough for you? Pomodoro Pizza, which is opening in the space previously occupied by Kwan Ming Bistro in the plaza on S.R. 56 that also is home to Wolf’s Den, also is expected to open in early- to mid-July.

Pomodoro is the first local pizzeria to admit that it has New Jersey-style pizza — which I’ve tried to tell quite a few New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents over the years — is similar to, but slightly different (in most cases) from New York-style. I’ll let the Pomodoro owners give you their take on the differences, but new pizza is never a bad thing for me to try.

•And last, but not least, another newcomer to the same plaza as Mellow Mushroom on the north side of S.R. 56, across from the Tampa Premium Outlets, is Sweetea Café, which is still mostly a shell inside and doesn’t look like it could possibly be open before the end of July, but we’ll keep you posted.

We’ll also have updates on Earth Fare (which looks ready to go vertical), Mod Pizza (in the getting-much-closer-to-completion building next to Starbucks on S.R. 56, in front of Costco) and the three hotels set to open in the next next issue.

Have You Tried Bayscape Bistro?

I’m sure most residents of that community have heard that the restaurant at the Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club off Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa has changed hands again, following a $1.3-million investment by the Heritage Isles Community Development District (CDD) to revamp the club house and the restaurant that rarely has been much more than a place for hungry golfers to stop and have a sandwich and a cold beer.

No matter how nice the renovations may be, unless the CDD found the right operator for the restaurant — one that could attract people who don’t live in Heritage Isles to check it out — it was likely to fail again.

Well, not only is the new Bayscape Bistro & Bar at Heritage Isles significantly more attractive looking than anything else that has occupied the space before, some of you may recognize the name of the guy who owns and operates it — and who has provided a much more restaurant-like menu than any of his predecessors.

Edward Bujarski, who ran one of the first and most successful high school culinary arts programs in Hillsborough County at New Tampa’s Wharton High for 17 years, is genuinely excited to bring real, fresh food to Cross Creek Blvd. near Morris Bridge Rd. and to be able to hire some of his former students to work at Bayscape.

I first visited Bayscape few days before we went to press with this issue, but the Bayscape chef salad I started with combines greens, roasted chicken, mojo pork, cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, tomatoes, cucumbers and four crispy seasoned pieces of grilled toast that I assure you are better than any croutons you’ll have anywhere.

Look for more about Bujarski’s new venture in a future issue, but go check it out and tell the happy crew we sent you!

Bayscape Bistro & Bar (10630 Plantation Bay Dr.) is open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For more info, call (813) 994-3445 or visit BayscapeFlorida.com. 

I also spoke with Cary Anderson of Streetfront Commercial Properties, who is now leasing out the space in the Shoppes of Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms, which does have a few vacancies, including the 6,400-square-foot space previously occupied by Casa Ramos Mexican Restaurant.

Anderson says he has been close to closing a deal for the space, but that he is still looking for “something special, like a sit-down Italian or seafood restaurant or even a great sandwich place for that Casa Ramos slot.”

Amici Pizza Reopens…And The Crowd Goes Wild!!

It took so long to open that many fans on the Wesley Chapel Community Facebook page of Amici Pizza — previously located in the Grand Oaks Square plaza on Wesley Chapel Blvd. in Lutz but which has been closed for a few months— was never going re-open in its new, freestanding building located less than a mile north of its old location.

Well, our Neighborhood News Facebook page and WCNT-tv — Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television — were among the first to announce last month that brothers Vincent and Rick Mannino had finally reopened at 26602 Wesley Chapel Blvd./S.R. 54, also in Lutz.

The result of our announcement was one of our most popular Facebook posts and WCNT-tv videos of 2018 — with a reach of nearly 26,000 people, 15,000+ views on YouTube and Facebook and 1,600+ likes, loves, shares and comments.

Happy Amici patrons across the area were raving about the layout and look of the new place, the food (like the true NY-style meat pizza above; photo by Gavin Olsen) and about the return of a 16-year-old local favorite. We wish the Mannino brothers luck, but it doesn’t look like they’re going to need it. We also wish Rick’s wife Tracy much success in her also-new Salon Tré Anne hair salon which shares the building with Amici.

Amici Pizza is open every day for lunch & dinner. For take out & more info, call (813) 973-9734 or visit Amici-Pizza.com and please tell ‘em the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News sent you! For Salon Tré Anne, call (813) 994-3553 or visit the salon’s page on Facebook.

Again, we’ll keep you posted. — GN

Nibbles & Bytes

Hope Allen

Congrats To The North Tampa Bay Chamber Of Commerce!
O.K., so it’s not called the Wesley Chapel Chamber anymore and the new office is located in Lutz, but May 10 was still a pretty big day for the recently renamed North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, its CEO Hope Allen and her staff, Board of Directors and Ambassadors.
They and a total of about 200 Chamber members and guests were all on hand when Allen cut the ribbon at the Grand Opening of the Chamber’s new office at 1868 Highland Oaks Blvd., Suite A-1.

“This is such an amazing day for us,” Allen said, holding back tears. “Thank you for your continued support as we continue to support the businesses in our three-county area.”

It was as hot inside the Chamber’s new office — which also rents out suites to a number of tenants (who also had ribbon cuttings following the Chamber’s own scissors ceremony) — as it was outside, where the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club band “Strictly Business” played, there was great food provided by Chamber members like Culver’s and Chick-fil-A of Wesley Chapel, The Private Chef of Tampa, A Dash of Salt & Pepper, Fresh Healthy Café, Ava’s Lowcountry Cuisine, Tijuana Flats of WC, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, Prime 19 Events at Cheval, Top Shelf Sports Lounge (at Florida Hospital Center Ice), Catering by Vesh, CBK Catering & Events, Chuy’s Tex-Mex, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Brunchies (Lutz), Pinchers Crab Shack, Buttermilk Provisions and Craft Café & Coffee Shop and beer and wine from A Time for Wine.

Also attending were dignitaries like State Rep. Danny Burgess, Pasco County commissioners Mike Moore and Jack Mariano and Pasco’s comptroller and clerk of courts Dr. Paula O’Neil, all of whom were genuinely excited to share in the celebration.

And, since the new Chamber office also leases space to other businesses, those businesses also held ribbon-cutting ceremonies during the event, including Realtor Mollyana Ward and Lagoon Realty, Washington Woods Accounting, Furr & Wegman Architects and Rettig & Associates.

In addition to the Strictly Business band, Allen also thanked Acme on the Go, West Coast Rentals and her staff for their help in making the Grand Opening another smashing success.

For Chamber membership & other information, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com or call (813) 994-8534.

La Prima Pizza Is For Sale!

If you love NY-style pizza as much as I do, you probably love La Prima Pizza, located next to the SuperTarget in the Northwoods Plaza.
If you’re interested in owning and/or operating a successful local restaurant, one of the few true NY-style pizza places in Wesley Chapel, you definitely should talk to La Prima owner (and my long-time friend) Willie Lopez and his Chef Dino, who are looking forward to retirement after 15 years of serving the Wesley Chapel community.

“It’s been an amazing run for us,” Lopez told me as I enjoyed yet another perfect slice from La Prima. “I believe there’s still tremendous growth opportunities here in an established, turnkey business. It just needs to be someone else’s business to make it happen.”

If you’d like more information about La Prima Pizza (1211 Bruce B. Downs {BBD} Blvd.), stop in or call Willie Lopez at (813) 907-2878.

Checking Out The Basement

Speaking of pizza, I know that many of our readers are still anxiously awaiting the Grand Opening of the new location of Amici Pizza (and Salon Tres Anne) in a new, freestanding building located a quarter-mile north of the Grand Oaks plaza that Amici and the salon used to call home. Although the new building is getting close to completion, we still haven’t heard an opening date announced.

On the other hand, we have already visited The Basement Beer & Wine Bar (photo on next pg.), the new bar and entertainment venue which has been open in Amici’s former space in the Grand Oaks Plaza for a couple of months.

I wish that The Basement would have full liquor, but the place that husband-and-wife owners Jason and Ashley bill as “The Best ‘80s Bar in Tampa” does have a fun vibe and offers DJ dancing on weekend evenings, trivia and karaoke during the week (my buddy, Gary Carmichael of Heart & Soul Karaoke is there on Thursday evenings), a pool table and a great selection of craft and other beers, plus a variety of house wines.

Here & There, This & That…
• The latest word from a company spokesperson on Bahama Breeze Island Grill, which is getting ready to open just east of Chuy’s Tex-Mex on the north side of S.R. 56, is that the Wesley Chapel Bahama Breeze should open this summer, sometime in July. We’ll keep you posted when the company announces an actual opening date.

• And, for those who can’t get enough pizza, we also have not yet gotten word as to when the new Pomodoro Pizza will open in the same plaza on S.R. 56 as Wolf’s Den (in the space formerly occupied by Kwan Ming Bistro), but the new sign promises New Jersey-style pizza, which New Yorkers will agree is slightly different than New York style, but we’ll let you know more when Pomodoro opens.

• The new Burger King, which will be the first new business to open in the development known as Brightwork Crossing, just west of the Walgreens at the junction of S.R. 54, S.R. 56 and Wesley Chapel Blvd., is now hiring. The building is nearly complete and should open before the unnamed apartment complex in the same development, which now has multiple buildings coming out of the ground. We’ll keep you posted.

• I was sad to hear that the Ellen’s Hallmark store in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center has closed. A spokesperson for the store says that Publix, the plaza’s landlord, had raised the rent too high for the 20-year-old store to continue. The Ellen’s Hallmark store in the Shoppes at New Tampa (S.R. 56 at BBD) is still open. — GN

900º Woodfired Has A Lot More Than Just Two Kinds Of Delicious Pizza!

MOST Neighborhood News readers recognize how much I enjoy doing our dining reviews, especially when I get to do stories about my favorite local eateries and their restaurateurs.

Case in point: 900º Woodfired Pizza, located in the Shops at Wiregrass, which is owned by someone I’ve really only known since he and a former partner opened it in the mall seven years ago.

Today, long-time New Tampa resident Steve Fallabella is the sole proprietor and Steve is a very hands-on kind of owner (like a certain newspaper editor) and he has an authentic Italian heritage and knowledge of good food honed in New York. Steve says he also enjoys being the “delivery boy” for 900º Woodfired’s growing catering side of the business (more on that below).

Even though I’ve never been a New York sports fan myself (I root for the Rays, Bucs and Lightning), Steve is a lifelong Yankees fan who also is a past president of his subdivision in West Meadows.

And yes, 900º Woodfired, which isn’t a chain and is one of the most successful places to eat at the mall, is a really good restaurant, even though its primary business is still pizza — both New York-style and the 900º woodfired Neapolitan style that gives the place its name.
But, I told Steve that even though a pic of each kind of pizza will likely slip into this article, I really wanted to focus on everything else there is to eat at 900º Woodfired.

For Starters…

I’ve mentioned in previous stories about 900º Woodfired how much I enjoy the caprese appetizer (fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato, oregano, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh basil served on a bed of mixed greens), and the entire Neighborhood News staff recently got to enjoy a variety of other starters, including the fried, cheese-filled raviolis (served with a marinara dipping sauce), the fried calamari (also served with marinara) and the homemade bruschetta.

My favorite appetizer that we all sampled this time around, however, were the oven-baked naked wings. We split an order of ten wings — five with no sauce and five with garlic and parmesan — and they come out crispy outside, moist inside and the garlic parmesan sauce wasn’t overpowering, as it can be at some places.

The wings went down easy with my 23-oz. Peroni Italian beer on draught, and bottled beers and a variety of house wines also are available.
But, my favorites at 900º Woodfired are the pastas, and I’m not talking about baked items like lasagna and baked ziti, although those also are on the menu — and they’re pretty darn tasty, too.

My favorite pasta combination on the menu is the beef-and-veal-filled tortellacci, which are pasta “pockets” (some call them “purses”) filled with ground beef and veal in a classic Bolognese (meat sauce). So good. I also enjoyed the tortellini della casa, which are spinach-and-cheese-filled tortellini in a sautéed tomato sauce with black olives, chopped garlic and fresh spinach.

It’s probably also not too surprising to our readers that I often take advantage of 900º Woodfired’ “Create Your Own Pasta” option. I almost always choose the penne pasta with pesto Genovese sauce, grilled chicken and sautéed spinach. It’s such a huge portion that I usually have it as a side dish with every meal for several days and the penne always comes out al denté (firm), as I prefer it, without having to ask for it that way.

Pizzas, Catering & More!

OK, yes, 900º Woodfired Pizza does have pizzas, too (having won “Best Pizza” in our annual Reader Survey in 2015-16), but I’m going to be honest again — I’m biased as to which style of pizza I prefer. Although the 900º F, wood-burning oven (photo, left) is awesome to watch, I’ve never liked wood (or coal)-fired, Neapolitan-style pizza as much as I do true New York-style options. I’ve never been to Naples, but I grew up on Long Island and lived in Manhattan in my 20s, so the more authentic, the better.

Steve knows that using the best ingredients (never mention the words “Papa” and “John” in the same sentence to me) makes the best pizza and his New York crust is legit and his blended pizza sauce and mozzarella are the real deal, too.

So, I still prefer regular ol’ NY-style cheese pizza the best, but for the pics for this story, I wanted to show 900º Woodfired’s delicious toppings, so the photo above right is a large (16”) NY-style pizza that is half-pepperoni, half-”Mega Meat,” with ‘ronis, sausage, bacon and ham. To no one’s surprise, none of it was left over.

As for the woodfired pizza that gives the place its name, we decided to try a couple of pizzas other than our usual (and super-delicious) Neapolitan-style margherita pizza and went a little exotic.

Several in our office went crazy over the 12” medium-spicy Buffalo chicken pizza, but I was stunned at how much I loved the Ortolano pizza, which is a veggie lover’s dream — a sauceless pie with fresh mozzarella, sliced cherry tomatoes, marinated zucchini and eggplant, artichokes and fresh basil. The pieces of artichoke were huge and a little overpowering, but this is one delicious and unique pizza. And, for those who want or need gluten-free pizza, every pizza on 900º Woodfired’s extensive menu is available as a 10” gluten-free.

“Our newest growth area is catering,” Steve says. “Through the EZcatering Network and word of mouth, our catering has doubled over last year. And our online catering reviews have been awesome. We will soon be publishing a new catering menu, and eventually buying a vehicle dedicated for the catering business.”

Steve is one of those techie people who jumps all over the latest industry trends. In fact, 900º Woodfired was the first Wesley Chapel restaurant to use Ubereats.

“I helped Uber recruit more restaurants in Wesley Chapel, so they would deliver into more subdivisions,” Steve says, “and our delivery business just took off. We’re part of the industry shift to the convenience of dining at home vs. dining out.” ” He also offers online ordering for takeout.

For more information about 900º Woodfired Pizza (28152 Paseo Dr.), which is open every day for lunch & dinner, visit 900DegreesWoodfiredPizza.com or call (813) 527-6940.

Minerva Indian Restaurant — Where Adventurous Taste Buds Are Rewarded!

EVEN WHEN I lived in New York City, where some of the most renowned Indian cuisine outside of the sub-continent itself is served, I was never the biggest fan of curry, a primary (and spicy) ingredient in Indian food from all of the country’s many distinct regions, each of which has its own signature dishes.

But, it’s been more than 35 years since I lived in the Big Apple and since then, either my taste buds have “grown up” or the two-year-old Minerva Indian Restaurant in the New Tampa center plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. has some of the most delicious Indian food I’ve ever tasted.

Or, maybe a little bit of both.

At any rate, when Minerva opened in 2016, I had freelance writer Brad Stager write the story about owner Venkat Reddy’s unassuming (from the outside) but elegant inside eatery because a) Brad told me he knows quite a bit about and loves Indian food and b) I was concerned about not being able to rave about a new advertiser.

Well, you can call me an old dog learning some new tricks at Minerva, which actually shouldn’t surprise me too much because even when it first opened, I was definitely impressed not only with the restaurant’s huge selection of excellent Indian beers (at really low prices; see below for more info), but also with Minerva’s Indian-style Chinese chicken fried rice, which had a hint of curry, but nothing about the spices were overpowering and the portion was huge.

Two years later, Venkat has an even more impressed new fan. Whether you enjoy Minerva’s tremendous lunch buffet, which offers different dishes every day, including North and South Indian and Indo Chinese options, which is a great way to sample more than two dozen options (including salads, vegetarian dishes and desserts, as well as many main and side dishes), or order off the huge and very fairly priced menu, you really can’t go wrong.

Among the starters I’ve sampled, I really enjoyed the crispy vegetable spring rolls (served with mint and tamarind sauces on the side; I preferred the tamarind), the equally crisp and delicious garlic naan (similar to pita bread, but crispier and better tasting than any pita I’ve ever eaten) and the Minerva Special Soup, which is sort of a blend of traditional New York-style Chinese egg drop soup and my mom’s homemade chicken soup. In addition to a savory, but not spicy broth, the soup is loaded with white meat chicken and a variety of fresh veggies. In a word…awesome.

And if you have never sampled any of the Indian beers, you owe it to yourself to include a Taj Majal, Kingfisher or the amazing Hunter strong premium beer, which does have a 6.5-percent alcohol content (thus, the “strong” label), but tastes to me like a crisp, refreshing lager or pilsner.

Enticing Entrées!

I usually steer clear of Indian buffets, because, too often, there are too many different kinds of curry in one place for me. I know most people who like Indian food go for the butter chicken, Masala or Tikka Masala dishes (all of which are Specialties of the House at Minerva), but when I ate Indian food in New York, I really only liked Tandoori clay oven dishes, and only at some places. And, while I do enjoy Minerva’s Tandoori chicken on the buffet, my favorite entrée at Minerva is the Tandoori lamb shish kabab, which is actually ground lamb served with a crispy edge outside and tender inside on a sizzling fajita-style dish, only with better onions and peppers than at any Mexican restaurant. And, best of all, none of the entrées I’ve mentioned costs more than $14.95.

I also really enjoyed the Minerva Special Chicken, which serves equally delicious veggies with boneless chicken pieces in a sweet red curry sauce that has no bite at all. Another new favorite of mine is the goat curry, which is tender goat on the bone, again with a very light curry sauce that was excellent when paired with the vegetable biryani (basmati rice) from the buffet. And, speaking of the buffet, it’s truly a bargain at $9.95 Monday-Friday (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) and although the buffet costs $12.95 on Saturday and Sunday, Venkat says that he adds some special items that make it well worth the extra cost.

And yes, for you vegetarians out there, Minerva offers nearly two dozen veggie entrées, plus hand-made dosas (crepes), a South Indian favorite served with sambar, coconut and ginger chutney and a variety of veggie-based fillings.

So, reward your adventurous taste buds and try Minerva Indian Restaurant. You’ll be glad you did.

Minerva is located at 19050 BBD in New Tampa. For more info, call (813) 978-8586 or visit MinervaTampa.com.

Nibble and Bytes

Song

Ty & Hildi Visit TPO

If you were a fan of the old “Trading Spaces” home improvement TV show on TLC (formerly The Learning Channel), you probably already realize that the show has made a triumphant return, after a 10-year hiatus.

On April 7, the day the new edition of the show debuted on TLC, “Trading Spaces” co-hosts/designers Ty Pennington and Hildi Santo Tomas (photo, above) appeared for several hours at the Tampa Premium Outlets, to the delight of hundreds of fans who got to get “up close & personal” with Ty and Hildi. A great get for TPO, to be sure.

For more information, search “Trading Spaces” on Facebook.

Cost Plus World Market Is Open!

Although most of the action in Wesley Chapel is centered around S.R. 56, I had no idea how much excitement there would be about the Grand Opening of Cost Plus World Market (5831 Wesley Grove Blvd.; photo above right) in The Grove shopping center off S.R. 54.

The store, which features furniture, décor and gift items, packaged/dry foods and wines, had already been open a few days when World Market hosted a North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on April 5, which was attended by hundreds of deal-seeking locals.

I’ll admit that I went there with no intention to purchase anything but came home with a half-case of assorted wines, two types of coffee (the World Market Italian Roast? Amazing!), World Market’s own truly delicious vodka spaghetti sauce and assorted unique chocolates. I even ended up joining the store’s savings club. So much for not buying anything, right?

For more info,  visit WorldMarket.com or call the WC store at (813) 371-2433.

Jake’s Pizza Opens In MP

In case you haven’t been on County Line Rd. in Meadow Pointe recently, Jake’s Pizza has opened in the end space in the plaza adjacent to the CVS Pharmacy. Two previous restaurants opened and closed in the space but Jake’s Pizza already seems to have something of a cult online following (maybe from its existing Palm Harbor location), as it serves St. Louis-style pizza. I had never heard of that before, but it appears to be similar to the thin-crust (not the deep dish) Chicago-style pizza, especially in terms of its thick red sauce, but with an incredibly crispy thin crust that’s hard for even a New Yorker to resist. I haven’t yet sampled what Jake’s calls New York-style crust, but there also is a gluten-free option.

Jake’s Pizza (30036 County Line Rd.) is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. every weekday and until 11 p.m. on weekends. Jake’s serves a variety of appetizers, soups, salads, pastas, subs and desserts. For more information, call (813) 445-7070 or visit http://jakes.pizza.

SongCongrats, Mate…I Mean Mike!

Congratulations go out to my friends Mike and Sue Prenderville for the Grand Opening and two-Chamber ribbon cutting on Apr. 26 of the new location of Song Printing & Design, now located at 38514 5th Ave., in beautiful downtown Zephyrhills.

Both the Greater Zephyrhills and North Tampa Bay Chambers of Commerce brought scissors to the ribbon cutting, which was attended by more than 100 people, many of whom (we hear) stayed after the event ended to try a Song Printing IPA draught beer at the Zephyrhills Brewing Co., the 2018 Taste of New Tampa 2nd Place Peoples Choice Beverage winner, which is located directly next door. How convenient for our British friends, who can’t resist a pint themselves (especially Mike).

For more information, call (813) 715-2212 or visit SongPrinting.com. 

KAP Medical Group Celebrates Its Grand Opening

Congrats also go out to my friends Karina Azank Parilo, M.D., and her husband Dane Parilo, on the Apr. 25 Grand Opening of KAP Medical Group, located in the Windfair Professional Park behind the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel plaza, directly across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

Karina and Dane are long-time members of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (see story on page 19 of this issue) and she promises to provide traditional, affordable, concierge-style primary care medicine at her new practice.

In order to introduce her direct primary care practice (the first in our area) to the Wesley Chapel community, Dr. Azank Parilo is hosting a series of free Open House/Question & Answer events at the new office. The next one will be just a few days after you receive this issue in your mailbox — on Tuesday, May 8, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. — and it’s a great opportunity to meet Karina and her friendly staff and find out why direct primary care may be the right choice for you and your family in today’s crazy health insurance environment.

For more information about the Open House events or how the practice works, stop in at the office at 2615 Windguard Cir., Suite 101, call (813) 536-0050, visit KAPMedicalGroup.com or see the ad on pg. 38.

And, One More Pat On The Back…

Congratulations to my beautiful fiancé, Jannah McDonald, the marketing and events coordinator for the Pasco Education Foundation (PEF) — the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports Pasco County’s public schools — for putting on an amazing annual gala (formerly called the “Cinderella Ball”) at the beautiful Heritage Springs Country Club in the Trinity area of New Port Richey on April 7.

Although Jannah rightfully shares the credit with her boss, Stacey Capogrosso, and the rest of the PEF staff, this year’s gala surpassed last year’s fund-raising total by about $5,000 and Jannah secured WTVT-TV Fox 13 News anchors Linda Hurtado and Chris Cato to again emcee the event, as well as the Bus Stop Band (one of our favorites) to provide the evening’s entertainment.

PEF gave away $200,000 in scholarships to graduating students from all 13 Pasco high schools at its annual Scholarship Awards Banquet in April and Jannah also finds the time (after work) to help me get our invoices sent out every two weeks. Thanks, babe!