Florida Hospital Center Ice Presents Holiday Skating at Tampa Premium Outlets

If you’ve ever wondered what ice skating is like and always wanted to try, now’s your chance.

Starting Saturday, December 17, Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI), in partnership with Tampa Premium Outlets at the corner of I-75 and S.R. 56, will offer public skating sessions during the holidays on a new, 20’ by 40’ synthetic ice surface, located in Lagoon Court at TPO.

Multiple  sessions will be held on Dec. 17 and 18 and Dec. 21-23, between noon-3 p.m. and 5-8 p.m.

There is, however, a possibility that the public skating sessions may be extended during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Check the TPO website for updates.

All skating sessions are 30 minutes in length.

Skate rental is $6, a pair of socks is $2, and a skating walker is $1.

“We are excited to offer ice skating on a new synthetic surface at Tampa Premium Outlets during the holidays,” said Gordie Zimmermann, managing partner at FHCI, in a press release. “With our opening next month, we look forward to seeing many people from the Tampa Bay area who will be shopping at the outlets and skating at our facility on a real ice surface. This is an opportunity to get a head start on getting a feel of what skating is like.”

 

Cantina Laredo Adds New Menu Items, Offers Offsite Catering & More!

WHEN I talk to most people about Cantina Laredo, the upscale Mexican restaurant located next to the new Union 72 BBQ (see ad on facing page) in the Shops at Wiregrass mall, the first thing many of them tell me is that “it’s too expensive.”

OK, so this Texas-based chain, which now has 37 locations in 18 states, is a little pricy. If you’re looking for two-for-one fajitas for $9.99, you’re in the wrong place.

But, that doesn’t mean Cantina Laredo doesn’t have very good food or good value for your money. It just means that if you’re looking for a Mexican place that’s a little more elegant, with better-quality food and a gorgeous bar area featuring a nice variety of everything from agave tequilas to red, white and sparkling wine and from premium vodkas and whiskeys to Mexican and domestic beers with great Happy Hour specials (see below), I recommend a visit to Cantina Laredo, whether during your next shopping trip to the mall or for a drink and a bite after work.

And, Wesley Chapel general manager Chris Cintino and his outstanding staff promise to make every trip to the Cantina well worth the cost.

Before I get into the new menu items, I just have to say that normally, I’m not a big fan of guacamole. Superfood or not, avocados are virtually tasteless to me, but when you add just the right amount of diced tomatoes and onions, jalapeños and a generous amount of fresh-squeezed lime juice — and the whole concoction is prepared tableside for you, I think this gluten-free delight is well worth the $10.29 price tag, especially with Cantina Laredo’s endless free chips and salsa. There’s also a new Queso y Guacamole Combinacion, which includes chili con queso (queso cheese dip with chili peppers) and the guacamole, but I haven’t sampled it yet.

So, What Else Is New

Our office enjoyed a recent trip to the Cantina and we did sample some of the great, new items on the menu.

There’s new chicken tinga, chicken fajita, ground sirloin and other new burritos and billing manager Stephanie Smith said her ground sirloin burrito was delicious and filling.

Staff writer Celeste McLaughlin also had high praise for the new Monterey chicken enchilada topped with poblano pepper sour cream sauce and poblano drizzle in a soft taco filled with fajita chicken and topped with lettuce, tomato and cheddar cheese. I enjoyed the new Arroz con Pollo (chicken with rice) soup.

But, my surprising favorite new item at Cantina Laredo is the new cascabel pepper-marinated, 16-oz. bone-in ribeye steak, which was just so tender after 21 days of aging and perfectly done to my medium rare liking. The steak was served with sliced red potatoes covered with cheese (I wish they were crispy, but they were very tasty) and grilled asparagus.

The cascabel pepper isn’t overly spicy, but it adds a unique flavor that I’m betting most will love but I know some won’t.

If you love sizzling fajitas, I’ve always enjoyed Cantina Laredo’s skirt steak and chicken fajitas, but someone else will have to let me know if they like the new shrimp or portobello mushroom fajitas. I’m allergic to the former and not partial to the latter. Other new tapas items include the chicken tinga Flautitas (flautas) with poblano pepper sauce, tamales and camaron (shrimp) and chorizo (sausage) empanadas.

Other favorites on the menu include the fresh Fish of the Day special (like an awesome pan-seared sea bass in a jalapeño beurre blanc sauce), the chicken chipotle lunch special and the grilled steak tacos. I also love the chewy Mexican brownie sundae shown above.

Catering, Brunch & More!

Cintino says that Cantina Laredo has a complete off-site catering menu and can also cater a private party on-site for up to 30 people in a private room or 75 people in the main part of the restaurant.

Cantina Laredo also recently added Sunday brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. With items like the crab cakes benedict shown at the bottom of the previous page to chorizos con huevo (sausage with eggs), all Sunday brunch items come with one complimentary mimosa, Bloody Mary or soft drink. Happy Hour specials (served at the bar only) are available Mon.-Fri., 4 p.m.-7 p.m. & 9 p.m.-close, plus 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sat., with domestic beers for just $2, imports for $3, well drinks/house wines for $4 and Casa Ritas cost just $5.     

For info, stop in at 2000 Piazza Ave., see the gift card special in the ad on pg. 38, call 907-3068 or visit CantinaLaredo.com.

Nibbles & Bytes: Union 72 BBQ Opens In Shops At Wiregrass

union-72-1If you prefer some good, down-home, yet surprisingly upscale barbecue, I definitely suggest a visit to the new Union 72 Barbecue in the Shops at Wiregrass mall.

Union 72 is a chef-inspired barbecue restaurant with a modern and innovative take on sauces, rubs & pairings. According to Union72.com, local restaurateurs Jeff Martin and Bharat Chhabria have at least two things in common. They love barbecue and they’re both impressed by the increasing use of global spices and flavors in American culinary scene. Their idea became a reality when Geoff Zukosky, whose cooking technique and vision resonated with their own. Union 72 was born, with Geoff as the Pitmaster.

I’m not the biggest BBQ guy myself, but like so many have posted on the Wesley Chapel Community website, I really enjoyed the BBQ brisket, collared greens and mac-and-cheese (left) I tried on my first visit and I like the fact that all of Union 72’s smoked meats come without sauce on them.

For more info about Union 72 (28211 Paseo Dr., next to The Brass Tap) or visit Union72.com.

Nibbles & Bytes: Fushia

fushiaNibbles & Bytes: Fushia Adds Chinese Hot Pot Buffet

If you’re looking for a healthier and more fun way to enjoy an authentic Chinese meal, Fushia Asian Bistro has recreated a portion of its space in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms as our area’s first-ever Chinese Hot Pot Buffet.

Although it isn’t cheap (it costs $25.99 per person), Fushia co-owner Sharon Wang says the hot pot buffet can be addicting (in a good way, of course). Sharon says to think of it as a kind of a “melting pot” for Asian cuisine. Each diner chooses one of 8 broths as the “base” for their own hot pot, which simmers on burners at each table. Then, choose from more than 30 different kinds of meat, chicken, shellfish, fish and veggies. Throw it all in your hot pot, let it simmer and then you scoop out all of the goodies and drop them in your plate and enjoy them with more than 20 different sauces — from sweet and mild to multiple kinds of hot & spicy. Your meal comes with soft drinks and dessert.

I wouldn’t try the hot pot buffet with the kiddies. Go on a date night, bring the coupon in the ad below and try the sensation that’s sweeping large cities across the nation! And, Fushia does still have delicious New York-style Chinese fare next door, too.

For more info about Fushia’s Hot Pot Buffet (15315 Amberly Dr.), call 903-6705 or see the ad below.

Little Italy’s Restaurant & Catering Adds An Amazing New Lunch Menu!

1103161241aALLOW ME to start this review by saying that although Little Italy’s Family Restaurant & Catering isn’t actually physically located “in” New Tampa or Wesley Chapel (it is located on S.R. 54 in Lutz, two miles west of the Tampa Premium Outlets), it is the only place we have in our area serving authentic, delicious sit-down Italian food in a casual eatery that’s more than just another pizza place that also happens to serve Italian specialties.

The husband-and-wife team of Carl and Chef Jessica Meyers takes pride in being not only my favorite Italian place located close enough to our distribution areas for me to include it in our annual Reader Dining Survey & Contest, but also one of the favorite places of so many of our readers.

But, the big news is that Jessica and Carl have added a new lunch menu with smaller-sized (for them, anyway) lunch portions of so many of our favorite dishes that we felt that these new lunch options warranted their own full-length feature article in these pages. And yes, all of the food pics shown here are the actual portions you’ll receive for only $6-$9 apiece, with the seafood selections shown here  selling for just a few dollars more. And, lunch is served at Little Italy’s Tuesday.-Friday, noon-3 p.m., although the full dinner menu is available anytime the place is open.

So Simple…So Yummy

Although the shellfish dishes pictured on the facing page don’t actually appear on the new lunch menu, Jessica usually includes both the shrimp fra diavolo and mussels marinara sho1104161204ewn here on her daily specials board, along with the only shellfish option I can still eat without an allergic reaction — the linguine with white clam butter sauce. I will say that the people whose shrimp over linguine Gavin photographed for this article were getting a little impatient waiting for him to finish.

My favorite item off Little Italy’s new lunch menu is definitely the still-huge lunch portion of meaty baked lasagne, which comes with a side salad. Umm, actually, I think it’s the tender chicken parmigiana over spaghetti (also served with a side salad). Meanwhile, Gavin said the hand-crafted individual pizza (we preferred the meat lovers, but the veggie ‘za photographed better) was his favorite.

Although I didn’t include a picture of it on these pages, my favorite item also could be the mini meatball (it’s also available in chicken or eggplant parm) “grinda,” featuring the meatballs (photo) my entire staff has deemed the best they’ve had, at least in the Tampa Bay area, to date. The mini-sub roll comes out properly crispy  and Jessica’s red sauce — what her family back in Brooklyn still calls “tomato gravy” — is second to none in our area. One of those perfect meatballs also is served as a lunch menu item over spaghetti with a side salad.1104161150b

Another lunch option not pictured here is the personal-sized traditional cheese calzone, which, at just $8, is definitely a lot smaller than the regular size calzone that sells for $13 on the full menu, but it’s still big enough for two to share, especially if you add Buffalo chicken or any kind of meat (pepperoni, sausage, etc.) to it for just $1 per item.

I also would be remiss if I didn’t mention the amazing daily ravioli special, including the one shown here — spinach and cheese raviolis over Alfredo sauce with sautéed spinach in the sauce. I was surprised at how much I loved it because I’m not usually a cream sauce fan, but the spinach was the perfect complement for it and Jessica’s homemade raviolis are to die for…literally.

Help For The Holidays!

1104161153bIf you’re getting ready to host a holiday party for 2-to-200 people (up to 40 if you host it at the restaurant), you owe it to yourself to let Little Italy’s cater it for you. Jessica says she can do anything from a huge antipasto salad to big servings of bruschetta to eggplant rollatini, chicken Francese and even a roast beef carving station. Just don’t forget to order a few dozen meatballs. Oh, and maybe also get a dozen hand-piped cannolis filled with Jessica’s house-made cannoli cream for dessert.

For more info about Little Italy’s Family Restaurant & Catering (24436 S.R. 54, Lutz), visit LittleItalyFamilyRestaurant.com or call 909-2122. And, be sure to mention this article when you visit for a special offer.