For those seeking unique local options outside of the KRATEs, we also wanted to let you know that the second Tampa location of Mpanitas has opened in the oft-vacated spot in the Mobil gas station plaza at 10865 Cross Creek Blvd.
With delicious Venezuelan favorites like the excellent empanadas shown here (above), stuffed with your choice of shredded or ground beef, chicken, cheese, ham & cheese, potatoes & cheese and even fish, Mpanitas also serves arepas, mini-empanadas, mandocas, sweet tequeños and outstanding café con leché. For more info, follow “mpanitas” on Instagram.
TrebleMakers’ co-owners (l.-r.) Joe Hess, Lee Bevan & Jamie Hess.
I’ve said this before but, as much as we love live music, Jannah and I don’t visit Treble Makers Dueling Piano Restaurant & Bar in the Village at The Grove every week for the weekend dueling piano shows. Don’t get me wrong, the shows are great — as are the free solo piano shows beginning at 6 p.m. every Thursday-Saturday.
The shrimp tacos are served with house-made crispy potato chips.
You can enjoy TrebleMakers’ delicious chicken bruschetta for brunch or dinner!
But, for those who still have never enjoyed a meal at TrebleMakers, I can’t urge you strongly enough to check it out for everything from its delicious fresh fish (the coconut curry grouper is one of executive chef Kevin Maggard’s true masterpieces) and seafood (love the diver scallops and many rave about the shrimp tacos), plus excellent steaks (the filet mignon and thick-cut prime rib are my favorites), great chicken options (like my latest favorite, the bruschetta chicken shown left), delicious pastas and starters like the seared ahi tuna, the fried calamari in sweet Thai chili sauce, the potato gnocchi, crispy Brussels sprouts and their most popular appetizer, the baked Imperial crab dip.
And, even though Jannah and I have been frequent visitors for lunch at TrebleMakers from the moment it opened in Sept. 2020, we now have a new reason to visit and enjoy it — the super-yummy Sunday brunch!
When all three of Jannah’s kids came to visit recently, we got her entire family together at TrebleMakers so that yours truly could check out the different brunch items being offered by TrebleMakers co-owners Jamie and his brother Joe Hess and Lee Bevan.
One piece of good news is that if you’re not a fan of bottomless mimosas for only $15 per person (or bottomless champagne for just $20 per person) or eating eggs at lunch time, no matter what day of the week it is, most of TrebleMakers’ entire delicious menu also is available during the Sunday brunch hours — 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
And, it appears the word about the brunch has already gotten out, as our party of 13 was only the second largest the Sunday we visited and there were a number of other tables on hand, all raving not only about the food, but also the recently added robot server (photo, below, and more on that below).
About The Brunch Menu…
The brunch specialty that isn’t on the regular lunch or dinner menu at TrebleMakers that most appealed to yours truly is the “Feather & Waffles,” which features super-crispy, house-brined chicken breast, served atop a Belgian-style waffle and served with applewood-smoked bacon, two eggs served your choice of sunny side up or scrambled, and real maple syrup.
Another brunch-only option sampled at our table was the fried egg smash burger, which features sausage-infused brisket smash patties on a brioche roll, cheddar cheese, that crispy applewood-smoked bacon, with lettuce, tomato, onion and garlic aioli, topped off by an over-easy fried egg and served with TrebleMakers’ super-crispy fries.
One option we didn’t try that I look forward to sampling in the future is the Treble Classic Platter, featuring TrebleMakers’ exclusive 12-hour espresso-rubbed brisket, roasted garlic hash, with Cuban toast, two sunny-side-up or scrambled eggs, bacon and maple sausage links. Also available on the brunch menu are Cuban avocado toast, featuring a La Segunda Bakery Cuban loaf, fresh Haas avocado smash, cherry tomato, everything bagel seasoning and local micro greens (you can even add two fried eggs to this one), brioche French toast, fried deviled crab Benny (with a honey deviled crab cake and potato hash on an English muffin) and the brisket skillet Treble hash with bell peppers, Brussels sprouts and a fried egg. All of the brunch menu items are only $13-$16 each. Kids menu items (including penne marinara, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks and a kids cheeseburger) are all just $7 each. There’s even a solo piano show every Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
TrebleMakers also served a special, “not your typical” Easter buffet brunch on Apr. 9, with chef-inspired stations for $44.95 per person ($39.95 for those aged 65+ and $19.95 for kids ages 5-12, 4 & under free). Jamie says many of the same items will be repeated for Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 14, so make your reservations now!
And yes, after seeing how efficient a robot server was at an Asian restaurant in New Tampa, Jamie, Joe and Lee decided to invest in a robot server for TrebleMakers.
“And, rather than replacing our servers,” Jamie says, “it’s helped them and our busboys work more efficiently, as the robot brings the food to the table, so the server only has to put the plates in front of each patron.” The robot also politely asks for people to move out of its way and even plays ‘Happy Birthday!”
TrebleMakers (6034 Wesley Grove Blvd.) is open every day for lunch and dinner. For more information, call (813) 406-4371, visit TrebleMakersofWC.com.
Although I never actually saw it close, The Fry Room at the KRATE Container Park at The Grove was quickly replaced by Top That! Pizza & More, which serves NY-style pizza (top photo), plus Buffalo wings and many of The Fry Room’s tasty fried chicken, fish and other specialties (but sadly, not the apple cider donuts). For more info, visit TopThatPizzaFL.com.
We also told you last issue that Valiart Jewelry was being replaced by Tutti Frutti Café. However, if you thought Tutti Frutti would be “just” a smoothie place, you (and I) were wrong. As it turns out, not only can you get a great smoothie there, Tutti Frutti also offers fresh organic juices and a variety of fresh fruit “sushi” and other platters. Even just the fresh fruit case (left photo) will make you want to go sample it. For more info, visit Tutti-FruttiCafe.com.
Likewise, we were sad to see the Computer Emergency Room location in the KRATEs — which is owned by TrebleMakers (see pg. 32) co-owners Jamie and his brother Joe Hess — close (they replaced my cracked iPhone screen while I waited during the KRATE Grand Opening event last year).
But, when you see what Computer ER’s replacement — Paleta Mia — will have to offer when it opens sometime next month, let’s just say that it’ll surely soften the blow.
Mojo Grill (also in the KRATEs) owner Luis Ledezma says that Paleta Mia will offer truly gourmet, hand-crafted fresh fruit ice pops with a variety of toppings, but what really caught my eye were Paleta Mia’s unique waffle pops (right photo), many of which are chocolate-dipped, and also with a variety of toppings. So much for the diet! “We believe the price points at Paleta Mia will appeal to many people,” Luis says, “and the pops are definitely Instagrammable!” For more info, visit “PaletaMia_icepops” on Facebook.
Mac’s Custom Meats + Deli
For those seeking unique options outside of the KRATEs, we’ve also waited until we had more info about Mac’s Custom Meats + Deli, which is now open in the northern anchor spot of the Grand Oaks Plaza on Wesley Chapel Blvd., before we told you about it.
Mac’s, named for owner and and grilling fanatic Daxton McLochlin (left photo), sells top-quality Angus steaks, plus delicious baby back ribs and other pork and chicken options. But for me, having a new deli so close to where we live carries the most appeal.
For a variety of delicious pressed Cubans (including the excellent roast beef Cuban, with freshly sliced roast beef, shown here), grilled burgers and delicious deli meat and tuna & egg salad sandwiches, check out Mac’s, which opened just after we went to press with our April 18 Wesley Chapel issue.
“We’ll make your lunch and provide everything you need to grill your dinner,” Daxton says. He even sells his own line of Mac’s sauces to enhance your grilling experience.
The long wait is over, as Wesley Chapel’s newest family-oriented miniature golf course has opened in The Grove! Neighborhood News Online has an exclusive look at Opening Day!
Grove Mini Golf has LED lights at each hole to illuminate the courses and to the fun environment
Wesley Chapel Theater Group Takes Over TrebleMakers! If you missed the performance of WCTG yesterday, Neighborhood News Online has a quick look back. Great Broadway-style show…perfect venue! (Photos By Charmaine George)
