Tampa Alumni Guide Right Foundation Presents “Bowties, Hats & Bourbon III”

Get ready for an exhilarating blend of southern charm, high-stakes excitement and philanthropic fervor as the Tampa Derby Day + Casino Night Fundraiser returns for its third annual edition. 

Hosted this year at The Venetian Event Center on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa, this Kentucky Derby-themed extravaganza promises an unforgettable experience, seamlessly blending the glamour of the races with the thrill of casino-style gambling. 

Before the sun sets on May 4, guests will step into an atmosphere buzzing with excitement. This highly anticipated event has sold out each year, becoming a staple on Tampa’s social calendar. This enchanted evening kicks off at 3 p.m., offering a unique fusion of sophistication and entertainment until 8 p.m. 

The Venetian Event Center at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church will set the stage for a night of elegance and celebration. A haven for bow ties and big hats, the venue echoes the grandeur of the Kentucky Derby itself. This will be the first year that this event is held in New Tampa. 

Event Highlights: 

‱ Premium Entertainment: Saxophonist Manzell Bledsoe headlines the event. 

‱ Gaming Excitement: Casino-style gaming will elevate the stakes. 

‱ Culinary Delights: From 3 p.m.- 5 p.m., guests will indulge in complimentary premium food and non-alcoholic beverages, setting the stage for an evening of refined enjoyment. 

‱ Race Day Thrills: Experience the heart-pounding moments of the “most exciting two minutes in sports” with real-time viewings of the Kentucky Derby. 

‱ Philanthropic Impact: All proceeds from the event will directly benefit the Tampa Alumni Guide Right Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering local youth through a variety of programs, including the Kappa Leadership & Development League for young males ages 12-18, scholarship, education and outreach programs. 

‱ Sponsorship Opportunities: The Tampa Alumni Guide Right Foundation invites businesses to align their brand with this noble cause. 

This is an affair of style and sophistication. Attendees are urged to leave casual attire at home. The event dress code requires a step-up from jeans and tees, embracing a more refined elegance. 

So, don your best Derby hats and attire, fasten those fascinators, and be part of an event that transcends entertainment, leaving an indelible mark on the community. 

For sponsorship details and ticket info, visit TampaDerbyDay.com or see the ad above. 

Tijuana Flats Closes; Are Island Fin & Smallcakes Next? Plus, A Potbelly Update

TJF USA LLC, the parent company of Central Florida-based Tijuana Flats Tex-Mex restaurants, has been acquired by a new ownership group (Flatheads, LLC), but the company concurrently announced that it has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which has resulted in the closing of 11 of its 26 franchise locations (there also are 65 company-owned Tijuana Flats), including the one in New Tampa at 17501 Preserve Walk Ln. in the Highwoods Preserve area, which is already closed.

The Wesley Chapel Tijuana Flats, located at 27709 S.R. 56, is one of the locations that is remaining open. All of the Tijuana Flats restaurants are located in Florida, North Carolina, Texas and Alabama.

In addition, the Island Fin PokĂ© Co. (located next to Winn-Dixie, in the same plaza as LA Fitness south of County Line Rd.. off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa) is expected to be closed by the close of the business day tomorrow (Apr. 30).

Island Fin owners Brenda and Jeff Sproat — who also were known for posting photos featuring their fresh pokĂ© bowls and Dole whip desserts pretty much every day — posted a message on the fast-casual pokĂ© bowl restaurant’s Facebook page. 

Here is the Island Fin announcement:

To Our Ohana,

With sadness we announce the upcoming closure of our Island Fin Poke location in New Tampa/Wesley Chapel on Tuesday April 30.

Our leased space is up for renewal, pushing us to a decision point.  After careful consideration, we are choosing to finally slow down a bit, travel and enjoy our grandchildren.

We will miss our amazing team of young people, the opportunities to meet so many wonderful people in this great community, and offering delicious and healthy food on a daily basis.

Thank you for your support and we hope you will come by for a poke bowl or Dole Whip so we can personally thank you. — Jeff and Brenda Sproat, Owners

Also, although Smallcakes Cupcakery & Creamery (in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms, off BBD, next to Cali Tampa Palms) owners Marissa and Justin Dewdney had not yet made any formal announcement as to when their business would close, they did confirm to the Neighborhood News that it was closing. Marissa said that although they had decided to close the cupcakery, “We are still open and ready to serve our community fresh baked cupcakes like we have been for the past six years.”

I, for one, will be sad when Smallcakes does close its doors for good. The icing on those super-moist cupcakes is the best I’ve had in the area. 

I also plan to try the new Korean BBQ pokĂ© bowl at Island Fin before it shuts down. Sorry to see both of these locally-owned franchise businesses go. 

And finally, although we told you way back in our Sept. 19, 2023, New Tampa issue that Potbelly Sandwich Works was taking over the former Oronzo space in The Walk at Highwoods Preserve plaza on BBD, we had no idea at that time how long it would take for Potbelly to open in the plaza.

Well, we now know that the answer is “No time soon.” Yours truly was able to stop in at the under-construction location and what I saw was a still-completely-gutted space with a dirt floor. In other words, no remnant of what once was Oronzo remains and even the construction workers at the site (who said they didn’t know and certainly couldn’t speak officially about any projected opening date) said that it would be “months” before Potbelly could possibly open. I didn’t take any pictures inside, but based on what I saw, it could be until the end of the year before we see the new Potbelly opening in that space.

In the meantime, feel free to visit the Potbelly Sandwich Works at 4738 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. (near Raymond James Stadium) or the 2520 S. Falkenburg Rd. (near Brandon) for the Chicago-based chain’s famous “toasty sandwiches, soups, salads, fresh-baked cookies and hand-spun milkshakes.” — GN

New Tampa-Area Hits & Misses In Stacker.com’s Pizza Rankings 

Included among the Top-21 Pizza Restaurants in Tampa in Stacker.com’s rankings, based on reviews on Yelp.com, were (above) #4-The Grill at Morris Bridge (photo by Charmaine George); (below middle) #11-Capri Pizza-N-More; (below left) #15-Cali Tampa Palms; and (below right) #21-Via Italia. Note – All of the photos, other than The Grill’s, are from each restaurant’s website or social media. 

On April 21, Stacker.com, a nationwide website started in 2017, published a list of the Top-21 Pizza restaurants in Tampa, using data from Yelp. Here is how Stacker, which says that its mission is to, “provide approachable journalism that combines rigorous data analysis with rich editorial insights,” introduced this pizza feature: 

“Data is as of March 29, 2024. Businesses were selected using Yelp’s ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 25 reviews were considered.” 

As you read this feature, please recognize that the rankings of the eight New Tampa-area pizza places shown here — four that made Stacker’s Top-21 list and four that didn’t — are not our rankings or even our readers’ ratings. Stacker’s list was compiled using data culled from reviewers on Yelp.com. 

The only reason we’re providing them for you in this space is because four of the Top-21 (out of literally hundreds of pizza places with Tampa addresses) are located in zip code 33647 — which makes the story news for us and, we believe, for our beloved readers. 

A few other things to consider when reading these rankings is that: 

1) For this feature, Stacker’s list does not include any restaurants that do not have Tampa addresses (so no Wesley Chapel, Lutz, St. Pete, etc.), 

2) That the feature itself doesn’t say whether the rankings are for the restaurants overall or just for their pizza, but Yelp ratings usually take into account each restaurant’s overall menu, as well as ambience, service, prices, etc. 

3) That there appears to be at least one New Tampa restaurant — Johnny C’s Italian Eatery — that actually had a higher overall rating on Yelp — 4.3 stars out of 5, compared with 4.2/5), than at least one of the Top-21 (Via Italia), even though Johnny C’s has 45 Yelp reviews and Stacker’s criteria were that each ranked restaurant had to have at least 25 Yelp reviews. 

Also not explained is why Stacker chose the Top-21, instead of the Top-20 or Top-25, as at least three other New Tampa-area restaurants that feature pizza also had overall ratings of at least 4.0 stars out of 5 — Woodfired Pizza & Wine Bar (2822 E. Bearss Ave., 4.1 on 389 reviews), Taste of New York Pizza (17503- C Preserve Walk Ln., 4.1 on 165 reviews) and Cappy’s Pizzeria (16019 Tampa Palms Blvd. W., 4.0 on 152 reviews) and therefore might have made a Top-25 list. 

Cali Tampa Palms
Capri Pizza-N-More
Via Italia

Anyway, Congratulations to each of the places that made Stacker’s Top-21: 

#4 – The Grill at Morris Bridge (10920 Cross Creek Blvd., 4.5/5 on 120 reviews) 

#11 – Capri Pizza-N-More (10359 Cross Creek Blvd., 4.4/5 on 88 reviews) 

#15 – CALI Tampa Palms (17004 Palm Pointe Dr., 4.3/5 on 751 reviews) 

#21 – Via Italia (8644 Hunters Village Rd, 4.2/5 on 250 reviews) 

Again, these are not our rankings or yours, although some of you may see your reviews of some or all of these places on Yelp. We just thought that including these ratings on our pages would be another great conversation starter for our readers.

Here Are The Places Stacker Left Out  
Because We Know At Least Some Of You Would Ask: 

Here are some of the other pizza places in New Tampa and their ratings on Yelp: Westshore Pizza (3.4/5 on 59 reviews); Marco’s Pizza (3.2/5 on 49 reviews); Papa John’s (3.1/5 on 28 reviews); Domino’s (2.9/5 on 32 reviews); Hungry Howie’s (2.3/5 on 23 reviews); Pizza Hut (1.6/5 on 28 reviews).

Welcome To Moe’s…Again…Wesley Chapel!

“Welcome to Moe’s!” was the familiar and unmistakable sound that filled the bright and airy new restaurant located at 5486 Post Oak Blvd. — the first business to open in the new retail strip center between The WingHouse and The Learning Experience, near the entrance to the Lexington Oaks community off Wesley Chapel Blvd. The second Moe’s Southwest Grill to open in Wesley Chapel (the other is in The Shops at Wiregrass) was a happening place during its Grand Opening on Apr. 19. 

The lure was too good for some to pass up. To celebrate, the new Moe’s gave tickets for “Burritos On Us for a Year” to the first 50 people in line for the planned 10:30 a.m. opening. The tickets are good for one burrito (or bowl) per week for a year. 

But, since there were already 75-100 people on line outside the new Moe’s long before 10:30, one of the restaurant’s partners, Jason Catalanotto, began handing out the 50 tickets at 9 a.m. “Many of them camped out overnight,” Catalanotto said. 

JosĂ© Garcia (photo, above), who received ticket #50, works in local construction and had just recently moved to Wesley Chapel. Garcia said his girlfriend is the one who told him about the burrito giveaway. When asked what time he had to get there (to be the last ticket recipient), he explained, “I got here a few minutes before 8 a.m.” 

Those who arrived after 8 didn’t go away empty-handed. Next to the ordering counter, the new Moe’s had a colorful prize wheel set up where you could spin to win “merch” like squishy avocado shaped stress relievers, free kids meals, can koozies, or most creatively…T-shirts rolled up in foil like burritos! 

Catalanotto said that he and his partners Chirag (photo, right) and Aman Patel began working on the vision for this Moe’s location nearly two years ago and Moe’s is now the first business to open in this new plaza. The four adjacent suites are not yet occupied, but the suite directly behind Moe’s in the plaza is busy with interior construction. Aman Patel told the Neighborhood News that Little Caesar’s Pizza will occupy the space next to Moe’s and the space on the other side of Little Caesar’s will be “either a Jimmy John’s Sandwich Shop or Jersey Mike’s Subs,” with a dentist’s office planning to open in the plaza’s other end cap. 

Laceleaf Med Spa 

The day Moe’s opened, owner Lisa Rezvan (photo, left) of Laceleaf Med Spa, which will be located directly behind Moe’s in the plaza, was busy going over construction plans and coordinating her build-out. 

Rezvan, who lives in New Port Richey, wanted to have a location in Wesley Chapel but still wanted to live close to the water. 

“I really like Wesley Chapel, you can feel the positive energy in the people here,” she said. She also said she plans to open Laceleaf in June, and that her focus is on luxury, level of care and most important to her, “long-term results,” not just something that is a temporary solution. She said the thing that sets her apart mostly will be the Radio Frequency (RF) Microneedling and other unique services she says you won’t find anywhere else in Wesley Chapel. 

Rehearsals For ‘If I Cry’ Just Part Of The Tampa City Dance Center Story 

Members of the Tampa City Ballet (TCB) company rehearse for their upcoming performances of “If I Cry” (see promotional poster below), which will be performed at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tampa May 4-5. The rehearsal was held at the Tampa City Dance Center in the Shoppes at Amberly in Tampa Palms. (Photos by Charmaine George)

It’s been a while since we last checked in with Paula Nuñez, the founder and artistic director of what previously had been known as America’s Ballet School (located since 2002 in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms). But, not only has Paula now merged with the Tampa City Ballet, she has changed the name of her ballet school, which is still at that location, to Tampa City Ballet School (TCBS). 

In addition, in January of this year, she opened a new studio adjacent to the ballet school called the Tampa City Dance Center (TCDC), in order to offer both children and adults the opportunity to explore a variety of dance disciplines. Although TCBS still focuses on classical ballet variations, pointe, repertoire and contemporary ballet, and has its own outstanding faculty, TCDC offers classes (and private lessons) in Acrobatic Dance (or “Acro”), Contemporary, Flamenco, Hip-Hop, Salsa, Tango and even “Mommy & Me” (for kids ages 1-4, with their parent or grandparent). 

Top right, l.-r.) Jayron Perez (who choreographed some of the ballet pieces in “If I Cry”), TCB founder & artistic director Paula Nunez and musician & composer Nick Ewing. 

“It is exciting to offer a dynamic dance program designed to provide a platform to explore creativity and discover new ways to move,” Paula says. “Dance is a fantastic way to release stress, gain confidence and help with concentration and balance. This program fosters a supportive and fun environment for all ages. It definitely creates a community.” 

Paula notes that, at the Tampa City Dance Center, her long-time friend and TCDC executive director Claudia Correa and her staff, “offer a captivating selection of classes to suit all ages and interests. Paula says that Claudia was not a dancer herself, but adds, “She shares my passion for the arts.” 

Each of the dance disciplines at TCDC are taught by different professional faculty members. The pointe/ballet instructor is Vashti Walters. The contemporary and jazz dance and choreography lessons are led by Shelby Russ, who earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from the University of South Florida (USF). Aynsleigh Morehouse, another USF BFA graduate, teaches stretching, tap, contemporary, pointe and the “Mommy & Me” classes. John Delgado teaches salsa and contemporary dance. 

More About Paula Nuñez 

Paula, who has many years of professional experience as a dancer and choreographer, is on the dance faculty at USF. She is a former principal company member of the International Ballet of Caracas (Venezuela), Ballet Nuevo Mundo and the Cleveland Ballet, San Jose. In 1992, she co-founded the well-known “Fundación Ballet de las Americas” now in residence at the Teresa Carreno Cultural Performing Arts Center in Caracas. 

In 2008, she established a nonprofit organization with the goal to provide scholarships to talented youths and to foster discipline in others who desire to dance. Some of these students are currently national and international dancers, educators and choreographers. 

(Above, l.-r.) Aynsleigh Morehouse, Maria Fernanda Papa & Shelby Russ rehearse for “If I Cry.” Aynsleigh & Shelby also teach at the Tampa City Dance Center. 

Paula also launched a community engagement program (in 2012) called “On Your Feet,” which has offered scholarships and high-quality dance education in collaboration with well-known organizations such as the University Area Community Development Corp. and their research-based prevention and diversion program for youths ages 5-18. 

Then, in 2018, she created Tampa City Ballet (TCB), a nonprofit professional contemporary dance company with an innovative repertoire that focuses on, and is invested in, connecting communities. TCB serves the community by providing high-quality arts education, to facilitate research and to create a space for dancers seeking professional experience. It also encourages interdisciplinary collaborations, while also offering unique, immersive and engaging experiences. 

Since 2022, Paula also has been part of the collective art space at the Historic Ybor City Kress Building in the new Gas Worx District. She says her mission is to create a collaborative model that integrates intergenerational and intercultural productions, demonstrating the alchemy that occurs between disciplines, creators and performers. 

Paula has made a significant impact on the cultural landscape of Tampa Bay. She has received numerous awards for her teaching, choreography and contributions to the arts in our area. She also has been nominated for the City of Tampa’s prestigious Hispanic Heritage Award. 

“If I Cry” — May 4-5 

Although many recent TCB performances have been and will continue to be held at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, the ballet company recently used TCDC as a rehearsal space for its upcoming performances of “If I Cry,” which is described as “A surreal dance journey through the mind of renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo,” based on the artist’s personal diaries. Neighborhood News photographer Charmaine George attended that rehearsal, where she took the pictures on this page. 

The performances of “If I Cry” (see poster, below) will be held May 4-5, at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tampa. Tickets are available through the Straz Center Box Office. Call (813) 229-7827 or visit StrazCenter.org for tickets and more information. 

For more information about the Tampa City Dance Center or Tampa City Ballet School (both located at 15367 Amberly Dr.), call (813) 558- 0800, visit TCDanceCenter.com or TampaCityBallet.org.