Category: Dining & Entertainment

Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes

Spa Moritz’s Elegant Grand Opening!

If you missed our ‘222’ Speakeasy Party on Jan. 14, I at least hope you got to attend perhaps the most elegant Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) ribbon-cutting event ever — when new Spa Moritz (located on Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms) owners Martin and Patricia Anello (at left in photo below) decided to not only cut a ribbon with the WCCC but also open the doors of their spectacular, European-style salon to more than 100 Chamber members and other friends and existing clients.

With truly delicious all-vegetarian food that Martin prepared himself, imported chocolates and great wine and cocktails served by Martin and the Spa Moritz staff, the highlights of the evening were still the dozens of free spa services and the great raffle prizes given away, including beautiful “real stone” jewelry by Erika Williner, who sells her original jewelry designs at the spa.

For more info about Spa Moritz, visit SpaMoritz.com or cal 813-971-4772.

Green Grocers & More Coming To WC In 2016

In our last issue, we had an article about some of the new “stuff” that’s coming on and around S.R. 56. Well, for those of you who live in New Tampa who have been waiting for a “green” grocer to come to the property located across from the main entrance to Hunter’s Green on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Wesley Chapel may beat New Tampa to the punch.

There are no fewer than four supermarkets planned and all but one of them would have access to S.R. 56 — and at least three of them are being touted as possible “green” grocery chains such as Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts.

Stage Left & Sprinkles Close

All of us at the Neighborhood News were truly saddened by the sudden closing following the close of regular business on Jan. 16 of Stage Left Bar & Kitchen on S.R. 54 in Lutz. Those who enjoyed (as we always did) visiting Stage Left for the Tuesday Open Mic night on Jan. 19 were notified by Stage Left’s Open Mic “host” Cal Olivier in a Facebook message on Jan. 18 that the popular restaurant and night spot, which featured live music every Tuesday-Saturday, would not be open the following evening.

Later that same day, co-owner Isabelle Dunleavy posted this message on Facebook:

“Yes kids, the buzz is true……. The restaurant is officially closed. ?

Thanks for reaching out but please understand & respect that it was a difficult decision to make and no, we don’t want to talk about the details…It hurts. But we know that God is good and His voice was very clear that it was time to pull the plug…

Thanks for the love & support and know that we will be ok.

We will miss our amazing employees (those that stayed loyal to us) and our nice customers and our awesome musicians!!!”

I consider Isabelle and her husband and co-owner Brian to be dear friends and I loved living so close to such a vibrant night spot with great food in the middle of Lutz.

A few weeks earlier, shortly after we went to press with our Jan. 1 New Tampa issue, where I named it as my third favorite ice cream or dessert place in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel in 2015, I was saddened to learn that Sprinkles Ice Cream Parlor, in the Northwood Plaza between the SuperTarget and Marshall’s, also had closed.

A note (photo) posted in the shop’s door shortly after Christmas said, “We have made the difficult decision to close Sprinkles effective immediately. We appreciate your support and will treasure the friendships we have made.”

Little Italy’s — Great Italian Food Just Minutes From Wesley Chapel!

By Gary Nager

Where do you go in Wesley Chapel for great Italian food? It’s not a trick question. I know we have a lot of good pizza places in Wesley Chapel proper, but since D’Alessio, Ciao! Italian Bistro and even Primadonna have opened and closed in either New Tampa or Wesley Chapel, there really is no place for authentic Italian cuisine in either of our distribution areas.

However, there is a great little place that we’ve helped create something of a stir about (admittedly, with a lot of help from the Wesley Chapel Community on Facebook.com) that’s located just a couple of miles west of the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO) mall, in the same space that used to be occupied by Bosco’s Pizza.

We may have helped stirred things up for them, but Little Italy’s Family Restaurant & Catering owners Carl and Chef Jessica Meyers have kept the sauce pot simmering nicely ever since with Jessica’s amazing recipes and the happy couple’s no-B.S. northeastern attitude and homemade Italian food “like mama used to make.”

Jessica is originally from Canarsie, a tough part of Brooklyn, New York, where she learned real Italian cooking, especially from her grandmother. This reporter is particularly happy that Jessica learned everything she needs to know about making the perfect red sauce, which most Italian food lovers (like yours truly) can’t live without.

First, let me say that although Little Italy is in no way fancy, it’s really a misnomer to call it a “pizza place — even though Jessica does offer amazing true Sicilian-style thick-crust pizza with a variety of great toppings, or try the “I Did It My Way” where the first three toppings are “on us.”

I’m not holding it against her that there’s no round New York thin-crust pizza at Little Italy’s, but I hope that when they expand into a larger location — which the Meyers are already trying to do — maybe they’ll add the thin-crust ‘za, too.

In the meantime, Jessica says, “I use the best ingredients and make everything here, except for the actual dough for the pizza crust and the real Italian bread we make our ‘grindas’ with. That, we import from New York.”

“New Jersey,” Carl, who met Jessica in his native Rhode Island, chimes back.

“Somewhere up there anyway,” she laughs. “The best Italian bread I‘ve found.”

My favorite dish so far has to be the meatball parmigiana grinda ($9). Jessica’s big, homemade meatballs are literally too much to contain, even for the crispiest, most perfect Italian hoagie roll I’ve had in the Tampa Bay area, swaddled in a thick, red marinara.

That bread also is no slouch when wrapped around Little Italy’s tender, but thick cut of chicken breast parmigiana ($9 grinda, $14 with spaghetti). And those to-die-for meatballs are also available in some of the best spaghetti and meatballs around ($13). All of these dishes make a great meal for two hungry people who both crave this kind of “comfort food.”

Other traditional Italian pasta favorites (all $12-$15 for a huge portion) on the menu are baked lasagna, eggplant rollatini or parmigiana, fettuccini Alfredo or bolognese (meat sauce) and some properly pillowy ravioli. I bet if enough of you ask nicely, Carl will even give the OK to adding his linguine with a loaded with clams zesty white clam butter sauce I’ve never tasted before sampled (but wasn’t allowed to photograph; just kidding) on my most recent visit. I’m so thankful that I’ve yet to get my shellfish reaction from clams, ‘cause I love ‘em and this was a dish worth risking it on, ya know?

For starters, if your family loves any kind of cheese sticks, you have to try the mozzarella “half-moons,” which literally are so big more than two people can share them (for just $6!). Other of our office’s favorites to date are a great bruschetta appetizer ($6), an even better caprese salad with a beautiful balsamic finish and an excellent house salad. Other big-portion starters (all $5-$8) on the menu are Jessica’s own “smashed potatoes,” French fry and onion ring baskets and garlic and cheesy garlic bread.

‘Give Me That Calzone…”

Even when I lived in New York, I was never a big calzone guy. But, if you even like a traditional (with a unique tomato sauce, Bacio mozzarella and creamy ricotta, $10) or chicken parm, Buffalo chicken or “I Did It My Way” options (all $13). Just try to eat one of these bad boys without at least four other people…six in some cases.

Even if youse guys feel like a burger, Little Italy’s has you covered, with the already-legendary-in-our-office Godfather burger. It costs $10, but is an 8-oz. slab of made-to-order ground beef, salami and cappicola ham, encased with melted provolone, then topped with prosciutto ham and a balsamic glaze reduction, all on a garlic toasted bun. Add $3 for a huge portion of great fries or the thick onion rings pictured above.

Lil’ Goombas catch a break with smaller portions of those delicious “pa-sketti” and meatballs or cheese ravioli (both $5) or “chicky” fingers and fries for $6.

At least try to save some room for dessert because Jessica promises that no matter how busy she gets, she will always come to your table and hand-fill you one or two (or seven) of her crispy cannoli shells (as she is in the photo above) with the best cannoli filling I’ve had since a certain bakery in Elmont, NY, I mentioned in a previous article.

And, Jessica promises that she can handle your holiday catering order like nobody else. She and Carl started in Florida with a popular mobile food truck called “Little Italy’s Meatballs, where they served hundreds of people a day. In other words, she means it when she says, “No order too large or too small,” she says.

For more info about Little Italy’s Family Restaurant & Catering (24436 S.R. 54, Lutz, next to Walesby Vision), call 909-2122, visit LittleItalyFamilyRestaurant.com. It is open Tues.-Sat. at noon for lunch and dinner.

First weekend in the books, TPO is a hit

By Gary Nager

How do you sum up, in one word, how many people in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel feel about the opening of the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO) on S.R. 56?

I think Stacey Nance, the general manager of the sparkling new outlet mall, said it best at the festive VIP Grand Opening event on October 29:

“Finally!”

After years of delays due to environmental concerns, TPO — which originally was supposed to open as a series of big box stores (similar to The Grove shopping plaza off Oakley Blvd. in Wesley Chapel) before both The Grove and the Shops at Wiregrass mall — has finally taken its opening bow.

And, despite previous concerns (and a Sierra Club lawsuit) about environmental impacts on the Cypress Creek watershed (a major source of drinking water for New Tampa) and the traffic the mall would bring, from what I’ve seen and heard so far, the reviews for the 441,000-sq.-ft. designer outlet mall are mostly raves.

And, with the deals the mall’s 100+ stores were offering throughout the Grand Opening weekend (Oct. 29-Nov. 1) — and the quality of the merchandise and the shops themselves — it was hard to not be impressed with TPO as a whole, regardless of any nit-picky little issues some have with it, such as:

1) TPO’s Name & Address — Despite the involvement and best efforts of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce from Day One of this project, the mall’s main address, on Grand Cypress Dr., is in Lutz, not Wesley Chapel — and certainly not in Tampa — although (as Nance has had to explain many times) Tampa is the city most people who live outside of our area will look for when they search on-line for it.

2) The Food Court — Those of us who have been looking for some great new restaurants are not going to find them in the mall’s five-eatery Food Court. On the other hand, the lines at Asian Chao, South Philly Cheesesteaks and Villa Italian kept moving.

3) Traffic & Parking — The opening weekend traffic at TPO was greatly helped by the mall’s hiring of multiple off-duty law enforcement officers and their vehicles. How long that additional help will be on the scene remains to be seen, but this reporter was impressed by the lack of delays on S.R. 56.

As for parking, it’s also been pretty incredible how hard all those valet parking and orange-vested parking “directors” already have been working and how easily visitors have been able to get in and out of the mall’s 2,200 parking spaces (plus overflow lots). The opening weekend had some temperatures in the low 90s, but you have to wonder how the parking help will hold up in the heat of our Florida summers.

VIP Breakfast

John and I were among the hundreds of media, Chamber and local governmental dignitaries on hand on Thursday morning for the mall’s amazing VIP breakfast.

With incredible food like breakfast crepes, pecan-crusted chicken & waffle “bites” and mini-Monte Christo sandwiches and adult beverages (I was among those raving about the mimosas with not only orange, but also peach and even passion fruit juice) by Puff n’ Stuff Catering of Tampa, elected officials like State Rep. Danny Burgess, Pasco clerk & comptroller Paul O’Neil and Pasco commissioners Mike Moore, Jack Mariano and Board chair Ted Schrader, plus lots of WCCC and New Tampa and Wesley Chapel Rotary Club members helped Nance and crew celebrate TPO’s opening in style before Schrader and the top brass from Simon Premium Outlets cut the ribbon. Everyone who attended the invitation-only VIP breakfast also received a portable stand-up cooler as a parting gift.

Opening Weekend Deals

Although I certainly didn’t get to check out all of the 100+ stores that were open for the first weekend (a few more, like the Aldo outlet will open within the next week or two, bringing the total number of shops up to 110), there’s no doubt that the deals — and giveaways — were hot and heavy for the opening.

Many stores were offering not only 60-70-percent off (and more!), but also free gifts to the first wave of shoppers as the stores opened their doors following the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Of course, many people skipped the ribbon-cutting to line up in front of their favorite stores for their free gift(s).Considering that I only wear New Balance athletic shoes, I was one of the first 50 in line at the New Balance outlet, which earned me a $15 gift card, in addition to 60-percent-off the shoes I bought (which were already on clearance for half off the regular price). When it was all said and done, I went home with an incredible pair of “kicks,” plus some New Balance gym shorts and orthotic inserts for my shoes for less than $70!

And, while I didn’t get on line soon enough after that to get a free gift at the Calvin Klein outlet, I returned a $20 shirt I had purchased at the Prime Outlets of Ellenton (does anyone still remember how much further that drive is?), exchanged it for a $60 dress shirt that also was on clearance and with all of the discounts applied, I ended up getting that shirt for about $3!

Will the deals stay that impressive now that the opening weekend is over and the post-Halloween holiday season has officially begun? That remains to be seen. The whole concept of an outlet mall is that the merchandise sold there at deep discounts is so expensive to start with that only the rich could afford to shop at many of the stores without those discounts.

A case in point is TPO’s “signature” store, Saks Off 5th. Although I found it hard to believe how much merchandise in Saks has the same labels — Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, etc. — as the ones in TPO’s individual outlets, the huge Off 5th store literally has something for everyone. I didn’t feel that the deals were quite as good there as at other stores, but I have shopped at the original Saks ON 5th Ave. in NYC, so I know there’s nothing “cheap” there.

Bring It, Bethenny!

One of the highlights of the opening weekend was the appearance of reality TV star, author and Skinny Girl owner Bethenny Frankel.

Frankel, who has appeared on “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart,” “The Real Housewives of New York City” and “Bethenny Ever After,” also founded Skinnygirl Cocktails, authored four self-help books and hosted the talk show, “Bethenny.”

She told me she appeared at the TPO opening not to promote herself, but because, “I’m an outlet mall shopper from way back and I’m here to give shopping tips to the women here.” Her #1 tip? “Clean out those closets, ladies! Why bring new stuff to clutter up your limited space when you still have things in your closet that no longer fit or are old or pilly?”

Considering how long we have waited for the opening of TPO, I’d have to agree that the outlet mall’s opening weekend was a smashing success. TPO may only be about half the size of the Shops at Wiregrass (which has more than 800,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space), but it’s definitely a new force to be reckoned with that will surely bring more mom-and-pop businesses to our area. Take a bow, Simon!

For more info about the new TPO and its VIP Shopping Club, please visit PremiumOutlets.com/Tampa.

Pollo Tropical on the way?

Pasco County’s planning staff is scheduled to meet next week with project engineers looking into building a Pollo Tropical restaurant at the Cypress Creek Town Center Development of Regional Impact (DRI, across from the new Tampa Premium Outlets mall) at the Northeast corner of State Road 56 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

The permit pre-submittal meeting is scheduled for Nov. 2. “Right now, it is just conceptual,” said project engineer Zach Thornton.

The permit proposal is looking at a 3,600-square-foot restaurant and a drive-through lane”. A pre-application conference was already held Feb. 18 regarding the site plan but, according to the meeting request form, changes have been made since that meeting.

The Pollo Tropical chain was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Kendall in Miami-Dade County, and is best known for its flame-grilled chicken. It has more than 180 locations and more than 3,000 employees mostly across the southern United States.

Neighborhood Nibbles and Business Bytes

Capital Tacos Opens, Kinda

Capital Tacos, the hugely popular local eatery with an original location at 6765 Land O’Lakes Blvd. (U.S. 41) in Land O’Lakes, has opened its second restaurant in the former location of Café Fresco at 27209 SR 56, in the plaza next to Sports + Field.

As the budding business transitions to having two locations, the hours of the SR 56 location are currently from 2-8 p.m. Friday through Sunday until further notice. You can follow facebook.com/CapitalTacos for the latest changes in the new location’s schedule.

The Land O’Lakes location is always packed, even at night, and the buzz on the Wesley Chapel Community Facebook page is that most of the local community is ready to embrace Capital Tacos’ affordable, tasty fare.

For more information, visit CapitalTacos.com or call 973-3777.— GN

Russell’s Western Wear Coming to S.R. 54

If you’ve been looking for a place to stock up on all of your favorite western gear close to home, look no further than the former RaceTrac convenience store located just east of I-75 on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, which will become the fifth Florida location of Russell’s Western Wear.

Russell’s, a one-stop shop for cowboy boots, hats, jeans and apparel with stores in Ocala, Lakeland, Dover and on N. Dale Mabry Hwy. in Carrollwood, is expected to be open before the holidays, says marketing manager Chloe Gray. “We don’t have a specific date yet because we’re still working through the permitting and construction process,” Gray explains.

She says that a Wesley Chapel store made sense to reach the customers in between the Ocala store and the regional headquarters in Tampa.— MW & GN

Florida Orthopaedic Inst. Coming To Shoppes Of WC

Although the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel (on Bruce B. Downs {BBD} Blvd., across from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel) doesn’t yet have a restaurant tenant to fill the former D’Alessio Restaurant location, Shoppes leasing agent Barry Jackson of Momenta Real Estate says that the Florida Orthopaedic Institute has leased the remaining 6,000 sq. ft. of space (everything not already leased by Samantha Taylor’s Pure Health Fitness Studio) on the second floor of the plaza.

“It’s official, and we’re really excited,” says Florida Orthopaedic Institute’s director of marketing Donna Bossuyt. “We plan to open sometime in December.”

The Shoppes of Wesley Chapel office will be the 10th location for the medical group and will feature state-of-the-art X-ray technology, physical therapy and rehabilitation treatment, as well as at least three sub-specialty surgeons. Surgeries will not be conducted at the new location.

For more information, please visit FloridaOrtho.com.

Señor T’s Taking Over Macaroni Grill Location

The long-vacant former New Tampa Macaroni Grill, located on BBD, in front of the also-vacant former Sweetbay Supermarket has not been occupied for more than a year, but that’s about to change, as Señor T’s Mexican Restaurant is getting ready to move in.

A Señor T’s spokesperson says the new Mexican eatery will be the first link in a small, planned start-up chain of about seven locations, with a second location rumored to be moving into the former Macaroni Grill location on N. Dale Mabry Hwy. in Carrollwood. While the inside of the restaurant still is being renovated at our press time, Señor T’s plans to open on November 15. Once open, the restaurant will feature indoor and outdoor seating, a full premium liquor bar and mid-priced Mexican fare. — MW & GN

VIP Elite Barbershop’s Community VIP Event

If you’re looking for a great haircut at a great price, I can personally recommend VIP Elite Barbershop (20309 BBD, next to Bruster’s Ice Cream), even though I’ve never personally had a “fade” or any other razor cut before.

I took part in VIP’s “Community VIP” event on October 14, when men’s and kids’ haircuts were just $10, and you could even get the VIP Elite logo design in your cut (photo below; although I chose to not have that done) at no extra charge.

“We had some guys get Tampa Bay Lightning bolts, too,” says VIP co-owner Joanne Rivera, whose husband and Master Barber Omar cut my hair. “We had free food and beverages, provided by a number of sponsors. It was just one of our ways of giving back to this community we love.”

VIP is open seven days a week, but you can get the same, outstanding haircut I got from Omar — or any of VIP’s well-trained barbers — for just $10 on any “Ten Dollar Tuesday.” You also can get $5 off any haircut or hot shave with the coupon from the VIP Elite ad on page 34 of this issue.

Walk-ins are always welcome at VIP, or you can make appointments at VIPEliteBarbershop.com or by calling 994-4057. — GN

Tarek’s Cafe & Grill

A new breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant is coming to the Shoppes at Amberly shopping plaza off Amberly Dr. in Tampa Palms, in the space we once called the Neighborhood News headquarters.

Tarek Elsayed, who has owned and operated Tarek’s Café & Grill on the University of South Florida (USF)’s Tampa campus for the past 23 years, is set to open a second location, which will take up not only our old offices, but also the former Spices of India market next door, totaling 4,300 sq. ft.

“I’ve been thinking about a second location for years,” Elsayed says. “The opportunity never came. But the location became available.”

Elsayed says the café at The Shops will serve all three meals in 150 seats and will feature an open-kitchen design. The restaurant also will offer vegan options, but will not serve alcohol. Elsayed says he hopes to officially open in early December.

For more information, please visit TareksCafe.com. — MW