Wesley Chapel Archives — Page 6 of 99

Nibbles & Bites: Johnny C’s Italian Kitchen To Open By May 1!

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

New & ‘Coming Soon’ Restaurants Adding To Wesley Chapel’s Dining Options

Despite all of the recent newcomers to the Wesley Chapel dining scene, if you’re still looking forward to some of the restaurants that are planned to open in and near Wesley Chapel, join the club.

Two highly touted and anticipated places — Cooper’s Hawk Winery (bottom center photo) and Rodizio Brazilian Steakhouse (bottom left) have not yet even begun building. Meanwhile, the Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar (bottom right), in the same plaza as Chicken Salad Chick, still has just a dirt floor. The good news is that there are others that are a lot closer to bringing great new options to our area.

One that just opened that I, for one, didn’t realize was such a good restaurant is PopStroke, the new Tiger Woods-designed (and co-owned) mini-golf course. The biggest problem with PopStroke to date is that it’s been so packed every day, it’s hard to find parking to get into the open-air (but covered) restaurant to sample some of its great food options. My favorite, to date, is the fresh Caribbean mahi (top), which is grilled with tasty jerk seasoning and a warm pineapple salsa that gives it a semi-spicy, slightly sweet flavor. The mahi is usually topped with two grilled shrimp, but I had to have (and photograph) it without the shrimp. Truly delicious. And, the side of grilled zucchini and squash ribbons also was tasty and healthy. Even PopStroke’s creamy hard-packed ice cream also is really good.

Hopefully opening within the next couple of months is Azteca D’Oro, the upscale Mexican place replacing Cantina Laredo at The Shops at Wiregrass. With a huge menu of options, including upscale entrées like the marinated Borrego lamb shank (left), Azteca D’Oro can’t open soon enough for me!

Speaking of Latin cuisine, owner Cindy Cruz says her Rice-n-Beans Express should only be a few weeks from opening on S.R. 54 in Lutz. Cindy says that those of us who enjoy the Puerto Rican-inspired sit-down dining at the Rice-n-Beans on Wesley Chapel Blvd. and those looking for quick, delicious sandwiches and hot food specials should be thrilled when her Express location opens.

And, despite the fact it should be several months before it opens, Shuckin’ Shack promises a menu focused on shrimp and oysters (neither of which I can eat). But, there will be plenty of other seafood and non-swimming options at the North Carolina-based, two-dozen-link chain’s newest location off of the WC Blvd. Extension, including some pretty great-looking snow crab legs (right) — which (at least, to date) I am able to eat. There also will be mahi-mahi bites, sandwiches, wings and other options to keep things interesting.

Azteca D'Oro Coopers Hawk dining food PopStroke Rice-n-Beans Express Rodizio Brazilian Steakhouse Shuckin' Shack Oyster Bar Wesley Chapel

Chicken Boss & Top That! Pizza Are Open…Blush Champagne Bar Coming Soon

When we last updated you about everything happening at The KRATE at The Grove Container Park, The Chicken Boss had not yet opened next to The Bacon Boss HQ.

Since then, Bacon Boss owners Josh & Christy Norland’s new Chicken Boss (top photo) has opened and they have another local favorite on their hands. The Chicken Boss’ nicely spiced, hand-breaded tenders (left), new chicken sandwiches and waffle fries are served hot and crispy, the chicken is juicy inside and there also are several tasty house-made sauces from which to choose.

*Top That! Pizza has added NY-style pizza & wings to the menu at The Fry Room, which it replaced.*

Also now open, in something of a surprise, is Top That! Pizza & More. The surprising part is that Top That! opened so quickly — and still carries many of the same food items — in the former location of The Fry Room, although its new menu items — including some really good NY-style pizza and wings — have replaced The Fry Room’s popular (and tasty) apple cider donuts.

Another newcomer at the KRATEs, in the former location of the shuttered Tonella’s Flowers, is MM Kicks, which owner (and long-time “kicks” collector) Will Mendez (photo below) says is your place to buy, sell and trade vintage and sought-after sneakers.

With the impending release this month of “Air,” the Matt Damon/Ben Affleck movie about how Nike built its athletic shoe brand around one man — Michael Jordan, of course — MM Kicks is likely to get an instant boost in popularity.

In other news from the KRATEs, neither the new Blush Champagne Bar (above right) next to Urban Sweets (in the former location of CenterEd tutoring center), nor the Tutti-Frutti Café (in the former location of Valiart Designs/Jewelry, next to Life Essentials Refillery) were quite ready to open, but both were hopefully only a couple of weeks away from doing so.

And finally, when we told you about the new 3Eleven Aroma candlemaking shop in the KRATEs, we neglected to tell you that the retail store it replaced — MaeBerry Co. — did not close its doors. Instead, MaeBerry moved a few doors down, to the former location of the Décor by ZC balloon shop.

For more information, visit MaeBerry.com or “@maeberry.co on Instagram.

Bacon Boss Blush Wine Room Chicken Boss krate MM Kicks Top That Wesley Chapel

Grove Mini Golf Sets A Date For Grand Opening

The long-awaited and often-teased miniature golf course at The Grove is, dare we say, just about ready to open.

Ryan Mortti, the owner of the putt-putt course, says that after a number of supply chain issues, permitting obstacles and other delays — not to mention a few premature announcements of an impending opening on Facebook — the course is now expected to open on Saturday, April 15.

*Owner Ryan Mortti is excited to finally be opening Grove Mini Golf near the B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel at The Grove.*

“We definitely stressed ourselves to get here,” Mortti says, “but, you know, we’re making it to the finish line. Obviously, we always wish it could have been a little faster. Nobody wishes it would have been faster more than we do.”

The 18-hole mini golf course is located near the B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel, which at one point was called The Grove Theater, and in tandem with the golf course was going to be the centerpiece of The Grove reclamation project.

Back when Mortti first came up with the concept, the mini golf course project had no competition. It was going to fill a hole in Wesley Chapel.

But then, the Covid pandemic created a host of issues, and two years later, PopStroke, the new Tiger Woods-owned miniature golf course, announced it was coming to town.

PopStroke, which is corporate-owned, opened last month to rave reviews and large crowds. But, Grove Mini Golf is a family owned, more family-friendly venture.

“We’ve definitely changed a lot of things once we knew we were competing with Tiger Woods,” Mortti says. “That’s not your typical competitor.”

But, while PopStroke promises two 18-hole courses that are intended to simulate putting on a real golf course, Grove Mini Golf is a much more traditional putt-putt course, and has gone through a number of design changes since Mortti first heard the Woods-designed PopStroke was coming.

*Not only do the waterfalls at Grove Mini Golf look cool, Mortti says they will keep the temperature on the putt-putt course nice and cool.*

*On the hole above, you can putt your ball into the rushing river, which will carry your ball towards the hole.*

Some of those changes including adding larger visual features, including volcanoes and large waterfalls and plenty of water features throughout the course. Mortti says the planned waterfall became more prominent in the design, and more water in general was added. The course, which Mortti says is designed to have a “tropical feel,” even has a few rivers running around and through some of the holes. On one hole, you can putt your ball into one of the running rivers, which actually will carry the ball towards the hole.

And, Mortti says, nine of the 18 holes are required to be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant, but he went ahead and designed all 18 holes to be ADA compliant.

Like PopStroke, which is free of all the trappings of your traditional miniature golf course, Grove Mini Golf also offers no windmills, although there are plenty of bridges and many more family-friendly design elements. There are few moving parts — large boulders and wooden posts are the only obstacles keeping your ball from the hole. The large fire-shooting volcano and waterfalls are all there only to add to the atmosphere.

There are plenty of tiki-hut-style places to grab some shade, there are numerous mister fans and the course will likely have drink and snack stations set up at certain holes as well. “All of the moving water also helps keep the course a lot cooler,” Mortti says. “We want you to stay comfortable.”

Mortti is especially excited about the lighting, which he says had to have special ordered. Each hole is outlined by LED strips which can be programmed for a number of different effects, like colors chasing each other or fading in and out.

“The typical LED lighting is like 60, 80 or 100 LED lights per three feet,” Mortti says. “The lights we have 720 (lights) per three feet….And you can do a lot of cool features with that lighting at nighttime. The playability is going to be pretty cool.”

While PopStroke was designed by TGR, Woods’ golf course design firm, Mortti says that Grove Mini Golf may appeal more to families and younger players.

“I worked with a mini-golf guy that’s built courses for 30 years,” Mortti said. “I had him send me a list of like 100 courses he built. And I just picked some of the best holes from each of those courses and then made ours kind of off of the history of all his courses. And obviously, we changed and tweaked it all a little bit.”

When it comes to food, Grove Mini Golf is definitely simpler and more old school. PopStroke offers an actual restaurant and sports bar with full liquor, while Mortti chose more scaled-down gastronomic options like burgers, chicken sandwiches, personal pizzas and nachos, plus ice cream and snow cones, to name a few, that can be eaten on benches outside or taken on the course.

“We’re perfect for kids’ birthday parties,” Mortti says.

Grove Mini Golf also will offer beer and wine for adults.

Mortti and his crew are hustling to put the final touches on Grove Mini Golf. The greens are already playable, but the lights are being carefully placed along the holes and some electrical fine-tuning remains.

“I’m excited,” he says. “We’re definitely more geared towards that family experience, and I think everybody will have fun coming here.”

Grove Mini Golf is located at 6201 Wesley Grove Blvd. For more information, call (813) 815-7888 or visit GroveMiniGolf.com.

Entertainment Grove Mini Golf Mini Golf The Grove Wesley Chapel

The Market Elaine Continues To Expand At The Grove!

Straight from the “How to Grow Something Special Out of Nearly Nothing” handbook, our congratulations go out to CEO Blair Valentine of The Market Culture, who organized and put on her first “Market Elaine” First Friday event at The Village at The Grove in October 2021 with little more than 20 crafters and vendors and an idea.

Less than a year and a half later, The Market Elaine, named for Blair’s paternal grandmother Dolaura Elaine, features more than 150 vendors, plus entertainment for kids and adults. The event held the First Friday of each month now attracts thousands of visitors to well beyond The Village area of The Grove. In fact, the vendors now reach south from The Village to The KRATE container park.

“This is so much fun,” a visitor walking her golden doodle named Janice told me. “I’ve found delicious baked goods for me, dog treats and toys for her and some great gifts for my family.”

And, even the existing brick-and-mortar businesses at The Grove say they now get a nice bounce from the Market Elaine.

Steve Falabella, who owns both the Falabella Family Bistro and 900º New York Pizza in The VIllage, says “We’re already packed every weekend at the Bistro,” Falabella says. “But, the Market Elaine has definitely attracted a lot of new faces and kept the pizza place hopping, too.”

The next Market Elaine will be held Friday, April 7, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.. For more info, visit TheMarketCulture.com.