Taxes. Death. Stonewood being chosen by our readers as New Tampaâs Favorite Restaurant.
(L.-r.) Tampa Palms location Executive Chef Greg Gonzalez, operating partner Denny Diaz and Corporate Chef Danny Manzur of Stonewood Grill & Tavern invite you to check out what has once again been voted as our readersâ Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa. When new dishes like the amazing Manhattan Strip Steak (below) keep being added to the menu, itâs easy to understand who Stonewood keeps winning. (Photos by Charmaine George)
Despite some changes in operating partners over the years, little else has changed at Stonewood. Since opening in 2002, it has consistently been voted the areaâs favorite, even in the face of some tough new challengers like Via Italia and the Grill at Morris Bridge.
This is the sixth straight year Stonewood has topped our survey results, and it has had many other top finishes in the years before that.
Manhattan Strip Steak
It still has a great bar, a superb wine selection and a menu featuring tasty items like cedar plank roasted salmon, sweet tea-brined pork chops, Tuscan chicken and other items you wonât find anywhere else in New Tampa â including the new Manhattan Strip Steak, created by Corporate Chef Danny Manzur, which we got to preview before this thick, tender and juicy strip was added to the regular menu on Jan. 4.
Its steaks are popular â in fact, Stonewood was the only restaurant in our survey to top two categories, thanks to it also winning Favorite Steak in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel.
With an upscale atmosphere that suits a family or that is perfect for date night, the Stonewood experience continues to be one enjoyed by many. â JC
Since opening in 2017, Noble Crust has established itself as one of Wesley Chapelâs premier restaurants, and based on the votes of our readers, the premier restaurant.
For the second straight year, Noble Crust tops the list as our readersâ favorite in Wesley Chapel (and New Tampa, this year).
With competition stiffer than ever, Noble Crustâs Southern Italian-style dishes resonate with local foodies. The seasonal menu includes such favorites as the Ricotta Gnocchi (pictured, bottom right), bronzed salmon, Southern fried chicken (bottom left), fire-roasted Pork Chops and the F.G.B.L.T. â fried green tomatoes, Tabasco honeyglazed pork belly and pimento cheese.
âI think itâs the consistency and quality of the food that wins people over,â says Brad Elia, Noble Crustâs executive director of marketing and events, adding that great service also goes a long way.
Elia adds that, despite the industry struggles post-Covid, Noble Crust never substituted cheaper ingredients to make their dishes. The team at Noble Crust meets every Thursday at noon, 52 weeks a year, to discuss ways to tweak the offerings and make sure everything on the menu is always up to par.
That has resulted in a rustic, ever-changing menu with few weaknesses, from a plate of spaghetti and meatballs to a pizza with pear and burrata to a bowl of rigatoni & beef ragout. And, Noble Crustâs popular bar offers unique craft cocktails and a variety of craft and other beer and wine options. â JC 2. Chuck Lager 3. Grillsmith 4. TrebleMakers 5. Falabella Bistro 6. Vallartaâs 7. Yamato 8. Bonefish Grill 9. Brunchery 10. Texas Roadhouse
Tomorrow: New Tampa’s top restaurant is familiar to local residents, and we reveal the top 25 overall in the combined New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area. Category winners will be published in the coming days, so make sure you check back.
When Ihab Elyafe first moved from his native Syria to Dallas, TX, seven or so years ago, he worked for several years for Enterprise Rent-A-Car before moving to Tampa to be closer to family. He got some experience working for a number of restaurants locally but always felt he was missing something â a restaurant that served food with the unique flavors of his homeland.
Ihab and his partner Samer El Dahala began scouting locations more than a year ago and ultimately found a 2,800-sq.-ft. space on E. Fowler Ave. across from University Mall. They opened Champa Chicken earlier this year and for Ihab, itâs obvious that the restaurant is a true labor of love.
âI wanted to open a restaurant that focused mainly on the different kinds of chicken I grew up on in Syria,â he says. âAnd I wanted it to be a casual restaurant with great prices for food that you might expect to find in a fine-dining establishment.â
The Syrian-spiced fried chicken at Champa Chicken, located on E. Fowler Ave, across from University Mall. Champa Chicken co-owner Ihab Elyafe. (All photos on these pages by Charmaine George)
If you already enjoy Middle Eastern or Mediterranean-style food, youâll feel right at home at Champa Chicken. Even if youâre not already a fan, if youâre in the mood for chicken with different flavors than what you might normally be used to, Ihab, his wife Sherry and their daughter Sara serve always fresh, delicious chicken several different ways.
The fried chicken shown at the top of this page has a delicate, nicely spiced coating and is pressure cooked until it is super-crisp on the outside and juicy and tender inside. Individual pieces of the fried chicken are available, as well as two-, four- and eight-piece meals served with a side of crispy fries or creamy cole slaw and a fountain drink.
Champa Chicken also offers fall-off-the-bone-tender baked chicken with a savory red pepper sauce, and a variety of rotisserie-grilled chicken options, including rosemary, lemon garlic and spicy grilled. All of these are sold as half or full chickens with a huge side of uniquely spiced rice or cole slaw. Ihab recommends the authentic Mediterranean garlic sauce for dipping with any of the chicken options.
Is that not enough options for you? There also are three-, four-, five- and ten-piece crispy chicken tender options (served with fries or slaw with a fountain drink), as well as six- and 12-piece fried hot or mild Buffalo-style, fried garlic parmesan and grilled lemon garlic or spicy wings available. Photographer Charmaine George enjoyed the mild Buffalo wings and I definitely savored the flavor of the garlic parmesan wings.
Ihab says that a couple of sandwich options are coming soon, including a chicken tawook (kebabs marinated in yogurt, citrus, garlic and spices) and yes, even a Philly-style cheesesteak sandwich, both served on hoagie-style bread.
âI know that not everyone loves chicken as much as I do,â Ihab says. âWe may even add more non-chicken options in the future, too.â
For Starters…
Although the varieties of chicken are definitely the stars of the show at Champa Chicken, there also are some other options on the menu.
Starters include truly homemade, super-creamy hummus, freshly-made Mediterranean-style and Caesar salads (the Caesar is available with grilled chicken, too) and some of the best fried mozzarella sticks Iâve had in years, served with a differently spiced, thick tomato dipping sauce.
âThe fries and the mozzarella sticks are the only items that start out frozen,â Ihab says, pointing to the small freezer at the front of the kitchen. âEverything else here starts out fresh and we marinate all of the chicken ourselves.â
Ihab also is rightfully proud of how clean his restaurant is â and heâs willing to take anyone who asks on a tour of the kitchen to prove it. He says it is all part of how much he loves his food â and his customers.
âI donât know why anyone would want to eat at a dirty restaurant,â he says. âI want you to know that when you eat at Champa Chicken, our restaurant will be clean and your food will always be fresh.â
He adds, âWhen your number one ingredient is love, it shows in everything you do. âI love our food and how it is made. I think if you come in and see how we take care of our restaurant, our food and our customers, you will definitely want to come back.â
I almost forgot to mention, because I havenât yet sampled either one of them, that Champa Chicken also serves a rustic triple berry tart and chocolate lava cake for dessert. In addition to a soda fountain with Pepsi products, thereâs also a machine serving a variety of iced tea flavors, including a super-tasty Yumberry Pomegranate.
Champa Chicken is located at 2311 E. Fowler Ave. and is open every day (except it is closed on Wednesday) from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. For more information, call (813) 443-4200 or visit ChampaChicken.com. Â
Hungry for some chicken? Before too long your choices could be (l.-r.) Slim Chickens, Chickân Fun, King of the Coop, Popeyes and Chick-Fil-A. (Graphic by John C. Cotey)
Chicken lovers rejoice â yet another entry into the âfast-casualâ chicken tender and sandwich business is ready to start building.
Slim Chickens, a fast-casual chain that specializes in chicken tenders, wings, sandwiches, salads, wraps and chicken & waffles, has now filed its plans to build a 3,065-sq.-ft. restaurant on the southeast corner of Wesley Chapel Blvd. and Old Pasco Rd.
Not only that, but Slim Chickens also has plans to build another location in the Mirada Market on S.R. 52.
Until now, itâs been slim pickinsâ for Slim Chickens in the Tampa Bay area. While the restaurant has more than 100 locations in more than 30 states, these will be just the second and third locations in the Tampa Bay area, joining the lone existing Slim Chickens near Macdill Air Force Base.
The new location will create a chicken-eat-chicken world of competition along Wesley Chapel Blvd. (see map on the next page), as a Chickân Fun restaurant is just a short walk east from Slim Chickens, which is just another short walk from King of the Coop, which is another short jaunt from Popeyeâs and then Chick-Fil-A, and of course, off S.R. 56 are Zaxbyâs and PDQ (not shown on map). â JCC
The Clarksville, TN Black Rifle Coffee Company store.
Black Rifle Coffee Coming To S.R. 56?
With coffee chain powerhouse Starbucks adding two more locations in Wesley Chapel â one at the new Promenade Business Center on Curley Rd. and the other in front of The Grove off Wesley Chapel Blvd., a lesser-known chain is making plans for a local location.
Black Rifle Coffee Company, founded in 2014 by former U.S. Army Green Beret Evan Hafer, was built upon the mission to serve coffee and culture to people who love America. Popular with conservatives and those in favor of right-wing politics, Black Rifle submitted pre-application plans to the county for a planned 2,659-sq.-ft. retail store and drive-through immediately east of the Rock & Brews on S.R. 56, a half-mile or less from Starbucks.
Although this issue hits mailboxes after Thanksgiving, it certainly is reaching you long before Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, and our local malls, as they do every year, are adding several new stores â many of which are temporary for the holiday season.
Among the newbies at The Shops at Wiregrass is Hickory Farms, which (according to its website) has âbeen bringing delight to every occasion since 1951.â Although there also are pre-made baskets available, at right is a picture of Hickory Farmsâ four-item special â 1 meat, 1 cheese, 1 sauce & 1 box of crackers for just $24.99. Yum!
For all of the new and coming soon stores and restaurants (including Crazy Sushi!), visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com. â GN
Stuffed strawberry French toast, (Photos by Holly K Photography)
Since opening the second local location (the other is on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa) of The Brunchery Breakfast & Lunch on S.R. 56 in March of this year, owner Alket (Al) Marku says he is thrilled with the way the Wesley Chapel community has already embraced the former long-time location of Wolfâs Den.
Despite having some competition nearby, Al says, âOur Wesley Chapel location is actually beating our sales in New Tampa, which is kind of amazing to me.â
Al, who was originally a partner in the New Tampa location when it opened in 2019, bought it outright from his former business partner in 2021. He and his wife Erinda Kostandini will open their third Brunchery location in the Lithia area sometime later this month and will open a fourth location in Riverview in the summer of 2023. âWe plan to open many more locations,â Al, 37, says. âWe think we have a great variety of menu items that will be welcome wherever we open.â
Breakfast Feature
Unmatched Breakfast Options!
Breakfast at The Brunchery definitely offers a little something for everyone. My favorite is what is known as the âBreakfast Feature,â which features two eggs any style, with your choice of bacon or sausage, seasoned home fries and a homemade biscuit, which I sub out for The Bruncheryâs tasty marble rye toast. Oh, and although you can sub grits for the potatoes, I add a side of grits because itâs so worth having all of it!
But, if you donât âjustâ want eggs for breakfast, The Brunchery more than has you covered. There are nine different Benedicts, including smoked salmon, corned beef hash, crab cake and chorizo sausage Benedicts. There also are four different skillet breakfasts, including Alâs favorite chorizo skillet.
Need something sweet? There are four varieties of French toast, including plain, orange pecan, loaded (with strawberries, blueberries and bananas) and the awesome stuffed strawberry French toast shown on this page.
There also are homemade muffins, breakfast crepes, three different pancake and three waffle options, including excellent crispy fried chicken & waffles.
âOur sweet breakfast items may be our most popular,â Al says, although he says items like avocado toast, fluffy omelettes (including heart-healthy egg white omelettes) and bagel & lox breakfasts also are popular. And, even the coffee is delicious, and there are specialty and iced coffee drinks available, too.
What About Lunch? Â
Although Al says that the majority of people who visit The Brunchery at lunch time still order breakfast items, Jannah and I really enjoy his smaller lunch menu, too.
My favorite lunch item is the grilled chicken melt with crispy bacon and Swiss cheese on a Kaiser roll. Jannah raves about the chicken salad croissant and I also am partial to the Reuben sandwich (corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss on grilled marble rye with thousand island dressing). Also on the menu are a BLT avocado wrap, chicken Estrada (grilled chicken breast, spinach, mushrooms, feta and Swiss cheese and may) and even a half-pound cheeseburger.
Please note that while The Bruncheryâs New Tampa location serves wine-based cocktails like mimosas and peach mango sangria, Al says they arenât yet available at Wesley Chapel, but should be within the next few months.
Special Thanks Go Out To…Â Â
Al, who is originally from Albania, says that his entrepreneurial spirit was instilled in him by his family, especially his father Alexander. However, he says his training in (and love of) the restaurant business was provided by the man he calls his mentor, Anthony Moissis, who still owns Anthonyâs Family Restaurant in Eastlake, OH, where Al first moved when he was just 15 years old. âIt was a great learning experience for me,â Al says, âAnthony taught me everything I know about the restaurant business, especially how to take care of not only my customers, but also my employees. My parents were still back home in Albania, so Anthonyâs family became my family in the U.S.â
About three years later, Al and his brother Alphonse opened Alexanderâs Restaurant in Ohio. Years later, when Al and Erinda (who are expecting their first child in a month or so) decided to move to Florida, he brought those experiences with him to The Brunchery.
âI love this community,â Al says. âI appreciate all of the customers who support us.â
Speaking of support, Al says he and Erinda would appreciate your vote when you enter the Neighborhood News Reader Dining Survey & Contest. Â
Both Brunchery Breakfast & Lunch locations â 27607 S.R. 56, Unit 110, and 17507 Preserve Walk Ln., New Tampa â are open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. every day. For more info, call (813) 994-9666 (WC) or (813) 533-7271 (NT) or visit LoveBrunchery.com.
