Although 2022 was a busy year for restaurants that opened and closed in New Tampa, there was a lot more dining news on the way for 2023 in zip code 33647 as the year came to a close.
Over the past few weeks, several local eateries closed their doors for good, while others were just getting ready to open.
We were sad to see that both Nova Pizza in the Pebble Creek Collection and Precinct Pizza (top right photo) on Cross Creek Blvd. at Morris Bridge Rd. had closed.
While we havenโt yet heard about anything new opening in Precinctโs place, weโre definitely excited that Zioโs New York Bagel & Deli Co. (bottom right photo) is expected to take over for Nova by sometime in February.
Zio (which means โUncleโ in Italian) is the brainchild of Wesley Chapel resident Jeff Cofini, who previously owned several bagel places in upstate New York.
โWeโll have homemade, NY-style bagels,โ Cofini says, โplus great bacon, egg & cheese sandwiches, Boarโs Head deli meats, and weโll be open for breakfast and lunch every day.โ
Cofini says he is definitely looking for hard-working help at Zioโs. Email him at ZiosNYBagels@gmail.com if you or someone you know might be interested.
Speaking of possible Feb. 2023 openings, real progress has finally been made on the new location of Kobรฉ Japanese Steakhouse (below) and one of the contractors at the site told me that the plan is to try to open the new Kobรฉ in time for Valentineโs Day.
We also were sad to say good-bye to the Walk at Highwoods Preserve location of Oronzo Honest Italian last month. We havenโt yet heard of a replacement for the fast-casual Italian concept, but Oronzo has another location in Midtown Tampa.
We also hoped that the new Macaw Latin Provision on Cross Creek Blvd. would be open before we went to press with this issue, but as of Jan 13, we were told that the former location of three previous restaurants โ Hawkeyeโs NYS Pizza, Deanoโs Pizza and Fish Fiesta โ was now not going to open at all and the restaurant space behind the Mobil station was available again. โ GN
Brunchery Becomes Brunchinโย
For anyone who was wondering why the sign above The Brunchery on S.R. 56 had changed to Brunchinโ, wonder no more.
Owner Al Marku of Brunchinโ says that all three of his existing Brunchery locations (S.R. 56, New Tampa and Lithia) are in the process of becoming Brunchinโ because The Brunchery name was previously in use by other restaurants.
So, even though Brunchinโ has the same ownership, menu and outstanding service as Markuโs local Brunchery restaurants, he says he decided to make the change to a unique name that wasnโt already in use as he prepares to open his fourth Brunchinโ location in Riverview.
After finishing #2 in this yearโs Reader Survey forย Favorite Breakfast, Brunchinโ was named my #1 Favorite Breakfast. โ GNย ย
Whenever I get to talk to Ferdian Jap, the co-owner of Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill on S.R. 56, it seems that he and co-owner and executive chef Gia Tran are always talking about their next venture.
Zukku-Sanโs original location, known as Zukku Sushi, is located in Armature Works near downtown Tampa, and is definitely more of a fast-casual sushi bar concept than Zukku-Sanโs more formal, sit-down dining room equipped with a premium full bar.
Even as our Zukku-San was opening, however, Ferdian and Gia were already opening another Zukku Sushi location in Charlotte, NC.
And, sometime shortly thereafter, the first-ever location of the fast-casual concept restaurant known as Ato was opening in Lakeland, even though the second location of Ato also was getting ready to open in the KRATE at The Grove container park here in Wesley Chapel.
Crisp vegetable spring rolls are served with a side of semi-spicy orange chili sauce.Shrimp tempura
Ato opened here a couple of months ago and it basically combines a nice selection of Zukku-Sanโs appetizers (more on them below), along with both curated and make-your-own pokรฉ bowls and what the partners have dubbed โsushi burritos,โ which are basically like super-sized sushi rolls, complete with seaweed (nori) wraps filled with sticky sushi rice and an assortment of available fillings.
Those Delicious Starters!
You long-time readers already know how much I love the appetizers available at Zukku-San, so please excuse me for repeating myself, as the starters at Ato offer a nice cross-section of the ones I love at Zukku-San.
First of all, while I still canโt eat shrimp (curse you, shellfish allergy), photographer Charmaine George loved Atoโs shrimp tempura appetizer served with the already-famous house-made ponzu sauce.
Speaking of shellfish issues, Ato head chef Walter Ruiz cautioned me that there is a possibility of cross-contamination in virtually everything served at Ato, but if you let them know you have an allergy, they will make sure to change into a fresh pair of gloves to prepare your food. That may not be enough for some of you to risk it, but after dozens of visits to Zukku-San and now four visits to Ato, Iโve never had my reaction after eating at either location.
Both the pan-sautรฉed (in egg and a sweet brown sauce) Zukku dumplings and the fried pork gyoza dumplings are nothing short of sublime.
The super-crisp vegetable spring rolls are served with the same slightly spicy orange chili sauce as at Zukku-San, but I like them better at Ato because the sauce is served on the side, which keeps those spring rolls cracklinโ crisp. At Zukku-San, the spring rolls are served atop the sauce, which does get them a little bit soggy.
I personally have never been a big fan of crab Rangoon, but the crab-and-cream-cheese pillows are very popular with the folks weโve seen eating them at Ato. Other starters include wakame (seaweed) salad, ginger tossed salad, miso (tofu) soup and edamame (soybeans).
Bowling You Over
Ato also features a variety of big pokรฉ bowls already curated for you and also offers you the opportunity to โExpress Yourselfโ by creating your own pokรฉ bowl.
My favorite of the curated bowls is the tuna pokรฉ, with fresh tuna, pickled red onions, masago (smelt roe/eggs), mixed greens, carrots, roasted corn, scallions, wonton chips and sesame seeds topped with a zesty, but not spicy, pokรฉ sauce. Charmaine and I both also enjoyed the spicy salmon pokรฉ bowl, with salmon, scallions, masago, wakame, cucumbers, mixed greens, carrots, grilled pineapple, pickled serrano peppers, togarashi (spice mixture), spicy nori (dried seaweed) and a not-too-spicy sriracha vin sauce.
Other curated bowls include the โDynamite Bowlโ with tempura shrimp, avocado, spicy mayo and veggies; the โTiger Bowl,โ with panko-breaded chicken, crab mix, broccoli, spicy mayo and sweet eel sauce; the โTrio Bowlโ (salmon, tuna and hamachi, or yellowtail); and the โFlorida Bowl,โ with tuna, salmon and avocado.
There are three sizes of โExpress Yourselfโ bowls, made with your choice of โCanvasโ (sushi rice, brown rice or mixed greens), your choice of the proteins mentioned previously, one sauce per protein and lots of โEmbellishmentsโ (including asparagus and edamame beans) and โFinish It Upโ options that include salmon bacon, teriyaki shitake mushrooms, cilantro and more.
The curated burritos include โThe Buddhaโ (all veggies), the โLand & Seaโ (with panko chicken and tempura shrimp), โThe Godzillaโ (spicy tuna, hamachi, tempura shrimp and crab mix) and โThe Krakenโ (salmon, crab mix, cream cheese, serrano peppers, pineapple and more).
Ato also offers hot and cold sakes, pinot gris, pinot noir, Sapporo Japanese beer on draft and non-alcoholic drinks like fountain sods, coconut water, rotating flavors of Ramune Japanese sodas and certified organic Tractor beverages, including cold brew green tea, hibiscus and Mandarin orange & cardamom.
In other words, if you havenโt tried Ato yet, I think thereโs a great chance youโll love it when you do!
Ato is located at 5816 Goldview Pkwy., Suite 102, at the south end of the KRATEs. It is open from 11 a.m. every day until 9 p.m. Mon,-Fri., until 10 p.m. on Sat. and 7 p.m. on Sun. For more info, visit AtoPoke.com or call (813) 602-2015. Online ordering is available but delivery currently is not.
Favorite Newย Restaurant 1. The LIVING ROOM 2. The Grill at Morris Bridge 3. Millerโs Ale House 4. Carrabbaโs Italian Grillย 5. Chuck Lager Americaโs Tavern
One of the most anticipated new restaurant openings in Wesley Chapel in 2022 was the opening of the second location of Dunedin favorite The Living Room in the Shops at Wiregrass.
And, it would appear that our readers were not disappointed, as The Living Room (see ad on pg. 26) dominated the โFavorite New Restaurant in New Tampa & Wesley Chapelโ category in this yearโs survey, despite (because of?) the opening of so many new places to eat at The KRATE Container Park at The Grove.
Obviously, the locals are enjoying the food, craft cocktails and ambience owners Christina and Zach Feinstein (with scissors above) have brought to Wesley Chapel.โGN
Favorite Breakfast 1. FIRST WATCH 2. The Brunchery 3. Brunchieโsย 4. Kekeโs Breakfastย Cafรฉ 5. Cracker Barrel
We thought the addition to the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa area of more local breakfast joints the past few years might make repeating as Favorite Breakfast a tough task for perpetual survey champ First Watch.
Well, we were wrong.
First Watchโs breakfast, brunch and lunch items continue to be popular with our readers. From avocado toast to pancakes (banana nut crunch, yum!) to omelettes, frittatas and skillet hashes, you can throw a dart at the breakfast menu and hit something delicious, decadent and healthy or indulgent. And, you can wash it all down with a Kale Tonic, Morning Meditation fresh juice or even a Bloody Mary or Mimosa. โ JC
Weโd be lying if we told you that we thought Starbucks had the best coffee around, but what they do offer is unmatched โ a variety of hot and cold coffees, mochas, lattรฉs and frappuccinos with never-ending options.
Because of that variety, ordering drinks at Starbucks is truly an art form. Order just a plain old cup of hot coffee and you have a choice of 20 syrups (sugar cookie syrup? Yes, please!) or sauces to add to it, eight different sweeteners and 10 different kinds of milk โ like soy, oat, almond and coconut (and you can get any of them steamed…or not.)
That may not be for everyone, but try telling that to the lines of folks in every Starbucks drive-thru. โ JC
Sometimes, a restaurant or eatery can get caught up in trying to do too much.
But, thatโs not the case at Nothing Bundt Cakes. It does bundt cakes and nothing but (duh!). Delicious, moist, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth bundt cakes.
Since opening at the Shops at Wiregrass in 2017, Nothing Bundt Cakes has been a perennial favorite in our dessert category, previously winning top honors in 2018.
You can choose between 11 flavors (including one gluten-free) in different sizes โ bite-sized bundtinis, mini bundtlets or special-order full-sized bundt cakes โ and, well, boom: perfection. โ JC
Favorite Dessert/Frozen 1. TWISTEE TREAT 2. Ice Dreammm Shop 3. Brusterโs Real Ice Cream 4. Cold Stone Creamery 5. Culverโs
It should probably come as no surprise that an ice cream place that is actually shaped like an ice cream cone would be our readersโ Favorite Frozen Dessert, unseating last yearโs winner โ the Ice Dreammm Shop.
Twistee Treat has locations in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, and serves up 30 different flavors of soft-serve ice cream in cups and cones, dipped and topped with more than a dozen different kinds of cookies and candy. It also makes Waffle Tacos, Cookiewiches and sundaes to order. The twirl ice cream cones are a favorite of customers.
What truly separates Twistee Treat from the rest, however, is the convenience of the drive-thru, especially when you have a carload of kids. The โbig ice cream cone buildingโ is great for making visits quick and hassle free. โ JC
Favorite Indian Restaurant 1. MINERVA 2. Saffron 3. Ice Spice
Due to the New Tampa and Wesley Chapelโs ever-growing Indian population, as well as the slew of new Indian restaurants popping up in the area over the past few years, we decided this would be a good time to add a Favorite Indian Restaurant category, and weโre not that surprised that Minerva is our first winner โ and only three Indian places garnered enough votes to even make our list.
Minerva, located in the New Tampa Center at the corner of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and New Tampa Blvd., opened in June 2016, and many instantly became fans of the restaurantโs authentic Indian flavors, ambiance and lunch buffet (photo, right).
Minerva tries to hit all the right notes with its popular butter chicken, chicken tikka masala and chicken, goat/lamb, fish and vegetable biryani (mixed rice) dishes. Be sure to check out the biryani specials Thursdays and Sundays and, of course, the impressive lunch buffet for dine-in only.
The oven-baked garlic naan is always a favorite, and Minerva offers a host of Indian drinks (including beers) and desserts. โ JC
Favorite Greek 1. HUNGRY GREEK 2. Little Greek 3. Acropolis Greek Taverna 4. Cafe Zorba 5. El Prince Mediterranean
Although it hasnโt won this category every year weโve asked our readers to tell us their favorite restaurants, The Hungry Greek on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel has never finished lower than second in this suddenly-more-competitive category.
And, thereโs a good reason for that: Hungry Greek offers a consistently good product โ from gyro sandwiches to kabobs to Greek salads โ all at always-fair prices with outstandingly quick service. In fact, even though the line at the counter where you place your order can sometimes be long, especially at lunch time, youโre never kept waiting more than a few minutes.
And, Hungry Greek also offers a selection of decadent desserts and even Greek beer to go with the huge portions of delicious food.
Hungry Greekโs success here โ and at the original location in West Tampa โ surely has contributed to the rise of eight other locations in and around the Tampa Bay area, with the latest opening soon in San Antonio. โ GN
Favorite Burger BURGER 21 2. Red Robin 3. Fordโs Garage 4. Bacon Boss HQ 5. Five Guys 6. Burger Monger 7. Bubba’s 33 8. Culver’s 9. Fat Rabbit 10. Frammi
With arguably more competition than any other category, Burger 21 continues to dominate the Favorite Burger category of our annual Reader Survey.
Dating back to 2013, Burger 21 has never not won the category, whether it was just New Tampa or New Tampa and Wesley Chapel combined. In fact, Burger 21 has been such a force it actually finished as New Tampaโs favorite overall restaurant in 2015 (after finishing second overall in 2014).
Thatโs a pretty amazing feat.
Readers continue to flock to the local chainโs Bruce B. Downs Blvd. location, due to a variety of different ways to get their burgers, all served on toasted brioche buns. You can get anything from regular cheeseburgers to a variety of Burger 21โs specialty burgers, like the limited time chimichurri burger. There are chicken, seafood and veggie options, as well. The fries are always nice and crispy, and donโt leave without capping your meal without one of Burger 21โs creamy, hand-spun shakes. โ JC
Favorite Asian Restaurant 1. LIANGโS BISTRO 2. Asian Buffet 3. Yamato Japanese Steakhouse 4. Zukku-San Sushi 5. Umu Japanese & Thai
When you speak of perennial favorite restaurants in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, thereโs no doubt that few (if any) have been as dominant as Liangโs Bistro.
Since completely revamping a defunct Burger King 20 or so years ago, Liangโs has been voted โ by a wide margin every year โ as either your โFavorite Asianโ or โFavorite Chineseโ Restaurant (or both) every year since.
And honestly, while Liangโs isnโt a traditionally authentic Chinese or even New York-style Chinese restaurant, its combination of NY-style egg rolls and BBQ spare ribs โ plus everything from Mongolian-style beef, chicken or shrimp to more Japanese-style teriyaki chicken or steak and fried rice, with a few Thai and Korean BBQ-style and even fresh fish and vegetarian dishes thrown in โ have kept Liangโs at the top of our readersโ annual list.
Of course, the fact that it also is our only upscale sit-down Chinese restaurant, also serving beer and wine, hasnโt hurt, either. โ GN
Favorite KRATE 1. BACON BOSS HQ 2. Shake-A-Salad 3. Blush Wine Room 4. TJโs Hot Dogs 5. The Fry Room
It was a simple concept started by Josh and Christy Norland in 2015 โ letโs make something everyone loves…bacon!
In 2022, that one idea gave birth to the Bacon Boss HQ.
Rarely disappointing, what began as a food truck has now become the biggest hit at the new KRATE at the Grove, according to our readers.
Items like the John Gotti burger (with Gouda cheese and bacon jam), the Nicky Santoro spicy burger (mango jalapeรฑo relish!) and Mafioso Patty Melt (bacon-infused burger inside a bacon grilled cheese!) are all favorites.
And, while the smoked brisket over creamy mac & cheese (above), chicken wings and Fat Tony tater tots topped with mac & cheese and bacon may not be good for your waistline, they are good for your soul. (But, if you tell your personal trainer we said that, weโll just deny it.) โ JC
When Stonewood Grill & Tavern opened in Tampa Palms 20 years ago, it was a more upscale version of an Outback Steakhouse, as its founders had previously been Outback executives. Our Tampa Palms location was the First Stonewood on Floridaโs west coast, and it was an instant hit with New Tampa residents and, eventually, with residents of Wesley Chapel, too.
Now, however, despite so many new restaurant options in both of our distribution areas, Stonewood is still our readersโ favorite New Tampa eatery and this year, it officially also has your favorite steak in both communities.
The rest of your top-5 steak places appear below and none of them are in New Tampa. โ GN
Considering how many restaurants there are in both of our markets that serve sushi, itโs almost hard to believe that the five restaurants on this list put so much distance between themselves and any of their competition.
Even so, Zukku-San won the Favorite Sushi category by a fairly wide margin with our readers. We donโt know if thatโs due to Zukku-Sanโs artistic interpretations of your favorite rolls, hand rolls and sashimi or if more people come to Zukku-San for its variety of other Asian-inspired dishes (you can check out Ato, the fast-casual concept from the owners of Zukku-San on pg. 32) and stay for the sushi, but weโre guessing itโs a combination of both factors. โ GN
Favorite Fullย Liquor Bar 1. THE BRASS TAP 2. Florida Ave 3. Fat Rabbit 4. Stonewood 5. Joe Whiskey’s 6. Bahama Breeze 7. Noble Crust 8. Falabella Bistro 9. Glory Days 10 (tie) Peabody’s 10 (tie) Chili’s
Considering that it became popular as a place serving a huge variety of craft and micro-brewed beers on tap at lower prices than any of the beer-oriented restaurants located in the Shops at Wiregrass, we were surprised that The Brass Tap didnโt place in this yearโs top-5 Favorite Beer/Wine Bar category (see pg. 28) with our readers, but finished first in the Favorite Full Liquor Bar category โ as we separated the two types of bars for the first time.
There is no doubt, however, that The Brass Tap offers a cool vibe and is the choice of many of our readers, regardless of what type of alcohol they prefer to imbibe. It also allows you to bring in food ordered from the restaurants at the Shops. โ GN
Favorite Latin Restaurant 1. RICE-N-BEANS 2. Latin Twist Cafe 3. Las Palmas 4. Lima Peruvian Cafe 5. Mojo Grill
One thing we had noticed over the years of this Reader Survey was that restaurants serving Latin cuisines other than Mexican food werenโt being given enough credit by our readers.
So this year, with all of the new restaurants, especially at the KRATEs, serving a variety of Latin cuisines, we decided to ask our readers to pick their favorite Latin restaurant that didnโt focus on fajitas, enchiladas, quesadillas and burritos.
The result was that virtually every Latin restaurant serving something other than Mexican food registered a decent number of votes.
There was no doubt, however, that the Puerto Rican cuisine served at the ever-popular Rice-N-Beans was the winner in this category. Serving authentic mofongo, chicharrons, pan-fried whole snapper and even a chilled octopus salad, Rice-N-Beans also offers an upscale atmosphere, a reasonably priced bar and evening entertainment that none of the other non-Mexican Latin places on our list can boast.
And, owner Cindy Cruz says the Rice-N-Beans Express on S.R. 54 in Lutz (west of the Tampa Premium Outlets) should open soon. โ GN
Favorite Mexican 1. VALLARTAโS 2. Cantina (CC Blvd) 3. Seรฑor Tequila 4. Cantina Laredo 5. Don Julio
Vallartaโs is coming pretty close to making us retire the Favorite Latin & Mexican Restaurant categories (donโt worry, amigos, weโll give you another shot next year!).
Despite closing its New Tampa location a few years back, Vallartaโs is once again the most popular place our readers choose for Mexican food, even if the only local location is in Wesley Chapel.
The sizzling fajitas are always a hit, and the variety of tacos, nachos, burritos and quesadillas is impressive and can be served with steak, chicken or beef.
Or, you can go veggie with just beans and rice.
Vallartaโs also nails one of the most important attributes of a Mexican restaurant โ the price, which absolutely is affordable, especially the lunch specials and combo plates; the atmosphere, which is festive and loud; and the drinks, which are always large (e.g., โbig as your headโ margaritas!) and are often on special. โ JC
A confession โ I have been surprised for years that Thai Lanna hasnโt been named the Favorite Thai restaurant more often, because it really is superb.
Itโs about time our readers agreed. (OK, rant over).
Tucked away in the corner of a gasoline-anchored strip mall on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa, Thai Lanna may be hard to find โ kind of like a treasure box for varied flavors โ but itโs worth the effort.
The dinner menu offers a variety of authentic and traditional dishes like its top-selling Pad Thai, Pad Woon Sen and Massaman Curry. All of the fried rice options also are exceptional, and there are many curry dishes โ red, green, yellow and even pineapple โ from which to choose.
The expansive menu features a host of noodle, seafood, duck and vegetarian dishes, as well as fresh sushi and sashimi (photo).
And, save room for the Mango Delight (mango sticky rice). It might just be the best dessert in New Tampa. โ JC
Favorite Italian 1. VIA ITALIA 2. Falabella Bistro 3. Noble Crust 4. Olive Garden 5. Frammi 6. Oronzo 7. Amici Pizza
One of New Tampa and Wesley Chapelโs most highly-regarded restaurants, Via Italia has been near the top of our readersโ favorites since Roberto Maganuco opened it in 2020.
And, why wouldnโt it? Via Italia mixes a great atmosphere with wonderful Italian food that is arguably the best youโll find in our area.
But, the compliment that you hear most about Via Italia, and one that rings louder than any other when youโre talking about any ethnic restaurant, is authentic.
There are few, if any items on the expansive menu that donโt drip with authenticity, from more than 20 different kinds of wood-fired pizza to nearly just as many pasta dishes (like the tagliatelle Bolognese above). Just reading the menu is enough to get your mouth watering.
And, donโt forget to try out the variety of bruschetta options, or a high-end charcuterie board, filled with imported meats, cheeses and dried fruits from Italy. โ JC
Favorite Beer/Wine Bar 1. FLORIDA AVENUE BREWING CO. 2. Blush Wine Room 3. Brew Bar (KRATE) 4. TrebleMakers 5. Double Branch 6. Fat Rabbit 7. Mr. Dunderbak’s 8. Brass Tap 9. Grill at Morris Bridge 10 Bru Growler Bar (BBD)
Although the menu has changed multiple times at Florida Avenue Brewing Co. since it first opened a few years ago, we were still a little surprised the former location of Sports + Field on S.R. 56 didnโt finish in the top-25 Favorite restaurant category with our readers this year.
However, Florida Ave. did dominate our first-ever โFavorite Beer or Wine Bar in New Tampa and Wesley Chapelโ category.
No other local bar or tavern in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel offers both craft beer made on the premises AND full liquor, and the recent opening of Florida Ave.โs perhaps-largest-in-Florida on-site brewing operation at its Wesley Chapel location certainly has helped its popularity among our beer-drinking readers. And of course, cutely-named favorites like โYouโre My Boy, Blueโ and โNoggy By Natureโ โ and the opportunity to sample them all โ havenโt hurt Florida Ave.โs popularity, either. โ GN
Favorite Pizza 1. 900ยบ WOODFIRED & NY 2. New York New York 3. PizzaMania 4. Amici 5. Cappy’s 6. Via Italia 7. Marco’s 8. Noble Crust 9. Fratelli’s 10 (tie) Taste of NY 10 (tie) Best NY
It may be time to crown owner Steve Falabella the King of Pizza in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area, as once again his 900ยบ Woodfired Pizza is the readerโs pick for Favorite Pizza in our distribution areas.
900ยบ has developed a loyal following in Wesley Chapel, in part due to the omnipresent Falabella, who has two popular pizza locations in Wesley Chapel and also has opened the popular Falabella Family Bistro.
The Shops at Wiregrass mall location put Falabella on the map, as the only local eatery serving both woodfired Neapolitan-style and delicious New York-style pizza. Made with crispy crust and topped with a sauce made from six different tomatoes and Grande cheese, as well as any other toppings you might like, 900ยบ Woodfired & 900ยบ New York Pizza have been our readersโ choice for years.
Like a perfect pizza topping, though, the topping on Falabellaโs success is the consistency of the product and the always-friendly efforts of those serving it. โ JC
Not only is Chuck Lager Americaโs Tavern Wesley Chapel and New Tampaโs favorite American restaurant, it came very close to taking top honors for favorite restaurant in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, finishing second to fellow Shops at Wiregrass favorite Noble Crust.
Thatโs likely a testament to the delicious food, crafted by celebrity TV chef Fabio Viviani.
The restaurant offers an impressive drink menu of wine, beers and craft cocktails, and its appetizers โ especially the giant pretzel dusted in parmesan โ are popular, too.
The burgers come in different varieties and sandwiches like the smoked brisket grilled cheese also are popular.
The pasta, chicken and seafood dishes also are generally highly praised. You canโt go wrong with the prosciutto, goat cheese and fig jam flatbread, but you can also get it with many different toppings. And, an added bonus is the weekend brunch menu! โ JC
Favorite Chicken/Wings 1. BUFFALO WILD WINGS 2. King of the Coop 3. Fat Rabbit 4. Chick-fil-A 5. Wingstop
There are almost endless ways to get your chicken at Buffalo Wild Wings, whether you want it on a salad, on a sandwich, on a wrap or even on a bar pizza.
In fact, the Buffalo tender stacked burger, grilled chicken Buffalito and Nashville hot chicken sandwich are some of BWWs most popular items.
But, if we had to venture a guess, weโd say the most popular way folks eat their chicken at BWWs is via the mighty wing.
Whether you get your wings with the bone or without, Buffalo Wild Wings offers a long list of flavors to choose from, aside from just regular old Buffalo, teriyaki or BBQ sauce.
Some of the more adventurous (and tasty) options include Blazinโ (proceed with caution…and definitely have a beer in hand), Caribbean jerk, mango habanero and Thai curry. But, thereโs never any shame if you choose the safer lemon pepper or parmesan garlic choices, either. โ JC
Taxes. Death. Stonewood being chosen by our readers as New Tampaโs 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 readersโ Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa. When new dishes like the amazing Manhattan Strip Steak (below) keep being added to the menu, itโs 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 areaโs 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 wonโt find anywhere else in New Tampa โ 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.
There also are burgers, sandwiches, salads and pastas, as well as crafted bowls featuring pokรฉ, Southwest chicken and salmon.
Its steaks are popular โ 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. โ JC
2. The Grill at Morris Bridge 3. Via Italiaย 4. Liangโs Bistro 5. The Fat Rabbit Pub 6. The Brunchery 7. Sushi Cafรฉ 8. Frammi 9. Fresh Kitchen 10. Lima Peruvian
Since opening in 2017, Noble Crust has established itself as one of Wesley Chapelโs 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 readersโ favorite in Wesley Chapel (and New Tampa, this year).
With competition stiffer than ever, Noble Crustโs 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. โ fried green tomatoes, Tabasco honeyglazed pork belly and pimento cheese.
โI think itโs the consistency and quality of the food that wins people over,โ says Brad Elia, Noble Crustโs 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 Crustโs popular bar offers unique craft cocktails and a variety of craft and other beer and wine options. โ JC 2. Chuck Lagerย 3. Grillsmith 4. TrebleMakers 5. Falabella Bistro 6. Vallartaโs 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.
