If you don’t feel like having to cook a big meal at home for Thanksgiving, why not check out the big Thanksgiving Buffet at the beautiful Hyatt Place Hotel Tampa/ Wesley Chapel (26000 Sierra Center Blvd., just west of I-75, Lutz), on Thursday, November 28 (obviously), with three seatings — one at 10:30 a.m., one at noon and the last at 1:30 p.m.
Starters include lobster & crab bisque and a butternut squash soup, Italian chopped salad, a “berry bliss” salad, as well as classic creamy potato salad and a “melody” of pasta salad.
Save room for dessert, as there will be (of course) sweet potato pie, traditional apple pie and rich cream carrot cake.
The meal also will include live music at all three seatings and bottomless mimosas (for ages 21 & older), although the Hyatt Place also will offer its full premium-liquor bar (Note-All bar drinks will incur an additional charge; soft drinks are included in the per-person price, however).
The price for this sumptuous meal with no post-meal cleanup at your house? It’s just $75 per person, $30 for children under age 12 and children under age three eat for free. The prices do not include tax or gratuity and an 18% gratuity will be included for all parties of six or more.
Reservations are definitely suggested, as the hotel believes that all three seatings are likely to sell out. To reserve your table, call (813) 803-5600. For more information, visit Hyatt.com/WesleyChapel. — GNÂ
When I lived in Manhattan, New York, in the 1980s, my apartment was a couple of blocks from the original TGI Fridays on 1st Ave. Not only was it the location where Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown served drinks in the movie “Cocktail,” it also was a truly great non-chain restaurant.
Then, when I moved to Tarrytown, NY, one of the first TGI Fridays franchises opened and I was disgusted by the “chain-ing” of this fabled eatery. My favorite potato skins on earth went from giant, crispy spuds filled with real cheddar cheese and topped with crumbled hunks of real bacon to mini-potatoes with low-quality American cheese and fake bacon bits. I swore to never visit a Fridays again.
But, when the Fridays on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Highwoods Preserve opened nearly two decades ago, I still visited fairly frequently, as it often had live music, a hoppin’ bar and the food seemed better than it was in Tarrytown, even though the potato skins were still less than overwhelming.
So, I wasn’t surprised to hear that the New Tampa Fridays was one of nearly 50 to close its doors on Oct. 24 (see notice, above), following a purge of 36 locations in January, leaving the chain with 164 remaining links and the parent company reportedly ready to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.Â
Hopefully, something good will replace Fridays in this prime BBD location, but can a mom-&-pop even afford to move in there?
The better news is that zip code 33647 is about to get its just desserts, as Nothing Bundt Cakes (NBC) will open a location about eight miles south of its popular location in The Shops at Wiregrass. Although NBC is limited to moist bundt cakes with amazing icing, it will still be a better choice in the former Subway location next to China City in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center.
The most interesting news is that Cookie Plug, which also is getting ready to open in The Grove at Wesley Chapel (next to the Ice Dreammm Shop), also is getting ready to open in the former Weight Watchers location about 11 miles to the south in The Walk at Highwoods Preserve plaza.
We had no further information as to when NBC or Cookie Plug were expected to open, but we will keep you posted. — GN
When Angela Silva called our office a week or before Hurricane Helene hit, the first thing that stood out to me was her New Yawk accent. That’s not always so important to me, but when that accent is telling you that her and her husband Hiram (photo below) had just opened a “new caw-fee and New Yawk bagel place called Silva’s Coffee Grind” (on S.R. 54, in a tricked-out trailer in front of One-Stop Landscape Supply at 34100 S.R. 54), I was suddenly even more interested in what she had to say.
The week after Helene decimated the Gulf coast, Jannah and I went to sample what the Silvas had to offer.
And, we both came away impressed. The coffee is delicious (they get their espresso for their cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos & espresso affogatos from Coffee Latitudes) and the bagels? Oy! Legit!
“We import them from New Yawk,’ Hiram says, “but I won’t tell you where from because I know you’re gonna write about it and I want us to be the only place that has them.”
I, of course, had my bacon, egg and Swiss cheese on a toasted everything, while Jannah opted to have her bacon, egg and cheddar on a toasted croissant. Both yum.
By the time of our next visit, a few days before Hurricane Milton hit, Angela was making sure they could get an ad in this issue of the paper and I prom- ised I would tell 105,000 or so of my closest friends in Wesley Chapel a little bit about them.
We opted for a lunch sandwich this time — a delicious turkey BLT on a toasted plain bagel, with lettuce, tomato and Angela’s zesty homemade pesto cream sauce. “I like it on everything,” Hiram says. And, who could argue with him?
Hiram, who does the on-site cooking, is all about giving the people outstanding breakfast and lunch items at a fair price and he is planning to expand the menu offerings in response to people’s requests. As seen in the ad below, Silva’s Coffee Grind also features iced coffee, cold brew, iced lattes and frappes, hot and cold teas, including green tea matcha, flavored iced teas and lemonades, bursting boba tea drinks and even smoothies and sorbets — all from that one little trailer? Ya gotta try it, yo!
Silva’s Coffee Grind is open Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. & 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sat. For more info, search “Silvas Coffee Grind” on Facebook or@Silvas.Coffee.Grind” on Instagram. — GN
While Jimmy John’s has never been my favorite sandwich place, the company has built its reputation for “Freaky Fast” service, freshly-baked bread, with fresh meats and hand-sliced veggies on its sandwiches.
The newest Jimmy John’s in Wesley Chapel is in the same new plaza at 5478 Post Oak Blvd. as the newest Moe’s Southwest Grill and franchisee Eric Edmonds, a long-time Wesley Chapel resident, is excited about the store. “We’ve had great response from our customers already,” Eric told me. “A lot of people love Jimmy John’s.”
Maybe that’s because of actor Brad Garrett (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) & his portrayal of Tony Bolognavich in an ongoing series of commercials but the guess here is that it’s more about Jimmy John’s over-stuffed sandwiches, including new options like the smoked cheddar bourbon club sandwiches, with turkey or roast beef, lettuce, tomato, mayo, smoked cheddar cheese and sriracha bourbon sauce. With more than 2,700 locations nationwide, the company is doing just fine.
Of course, there’s also favorites like the Hunter’s Club (top photo), with double roast beef, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes & mayo, and Charmaine’s “usual” — the Beach Club (below left), with turkey, provolone, avocado spread, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo.
Whatever sandwich you choose, you can make it a combo with Jimmy John’s own branded chips and a fountain drink. The brownies and chocolate chip cookies are pretty good, too.
The new Jimmy John’s is open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. every day except Sun., when it is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. For more info, call (813) 991-7700 or visit JimmyJohns.com & please tell Eric I sent you!—GN
The Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings “Mega Sando,” with cheese, waffle fries & Hangry Sauce. (Photos by Gary Nager and Joel Provenzano)
Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings is now open in Wesley Chapel! The new chicken-focused, quick-service restaurant has opened on the north side of Wesley Chapel Blvd. just west of I-75, in front of The Grove, next to Brooklyn Water Bagel (in the former location of King of the Coop).
This is the eighth Hangry Joe’s location in Florida. The Wesley Chapel restaurant’s Grand Opening was held on Oct. 19, following a “soft” opening a few days before. The husband-and-wife team of Nico and Jalahany Gutierrez was on hand for the Grand Opening, making sure everything was running smoothly in their new franchise, as the line outside their location began building several hours before the new Hangry Joe’s opened.
First-in-line Richard Coley celebrates theribbon-cutting at the new Hangry Joe’s in Wesley Chapel, then enjoys his Mega-Sando
In fact, Zephyrhills resident Richard Coley, who was first on line, said he arrived “at about midnight” in order to be first. He even brought his own comfy chair with him!
As to why Richard — who said this was his third attempt at being first on line for a Hangry Joe’s opening (he was first in Zephyrhills and third at Cocoa Beach, when he said a couple came to the soft opening the day before “and just never left”) — is so taken with Hangry Joe’s, he said, “It’s the biggest chicken sandwich I’ve ever seen in my life…and it’s delicious!”
Richard was guaranteed one of the 25 top prizes given away to the first 100 people on line — one free “Sando” per week for a year (Jannah also got one of the 24 other randomly-distributed top prizes) — and as promised, the first 100 attendees all were served within the first hour of the new Hangry Joe’s opening.
Owner Nico Gutierrez (atleft behind the register) helped his employees deal with the crowd at the Grand Opening
Meanwhile, Nico, a Wesley Chapel resident for 14 years, wasn’t afraid to get behind the counter and help out both his customers and his staff. He wore a Hangry Joe’s branded polo, setting the example for his employees.
Nico also owns Code Ninjas, located in the New Tampa Center plaza at Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. at New Tampa/Cross Creek Blvd.
As to why someone who has a long professional background in software engineering got into the restaurant business, Nico said, “I worked in restaurants when I was younger and knew I would eventually get back to it.” He also said he got connected with the Hangry Joe’s brand when he was invited to a Founders Dinner back in February because he wanted to learn more about the franchise. From that first meeting to opening in October, things obviously moved pretty quickly.
The line stretched around the building by the time the new Hangry Joe’s opened.
When asked what really sets Hangry Joe’s apart from its competition, Nico explained that it’s the Korean touch — from the way the chicken is prepared to the way it’s fried. According to the company’s website, “Founders Derek Cha and Mike Kim [both from South Korea] are the dynamic duo behind the success of Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings…,” and that, “Their meticulous approach to sourcing ingredients, like locally-raised chickens and Korean gochujang peppers, ensures that each dish is a perfect blend of heat, sweetness, and smoky goodness.” The company also prides itself on never freezing its chicken.
Unlike many fast food restaurants, the food that came out actually looked better than the pictures on the menu board! The “Sando,” their normal-size fried chicken sandwich, was plump and juicy, lightly fried, with the right amount of pickles and slaw, on a beautifully toasted bun.
The “medium” sauce had just the right amount of heat and flavor. For more extreme tastes, try the “Mega Sando” which is a huge half- pound chicken breast, and go all the way up on the heat scale to “Angry Hot,” but be aware that you’ll have to sign a waiver if you do!
In addition to sandwiches, wings and Kore- an-style nuggets, Hangry Joe’s also offers chicken & waffles, waffle fries, mac & cheese, salads and wrap sandwiches.
The new Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings is located at 27835 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Unit 102. For more info, visit HangryJoesWesleyChapel.com or call (813) 519-4997.
Try the crispy wings with soy garlic sauce & Reese’s shake.
