The Wesley Chapel District Park on Boyette Rd. already has basketball courts outside, but once the county’s 18,000-sq.-ft. indoor facility at the park has been completed, it will provide and indoor home for those who want to play hoops and other sports that are often difficult to play outside with Florida’s unpredictable weather. (Photos: John C. Cotey)
The new indoor sports and recreation center being built by Pasco County at the Wesley Chapel District Park (WCDP) will have indoor courts for basketball, volleyball, pickleball and other sports, plus the flexibility to host meetings in additional rooms and the opportunity for summer camps. That may not be all that unique for such a facility, but this is:
It’s going to finish on time.
The Neighborhood News went on a recent tour of the new $4.8-million facility, which Pasco County project manager Curtis Franklin proudly says will open as expected in June. That’s big news coming off a year where so many projects have been slowed due to Covid-influenced difficulties in getting building materials on time.
“If you get this done by June, I really need to get you on more projects,” District 2 Pasco Commissioner Mike Moore quipped.
Pasco Commissioner Mike Moore tried out his slapshot at the Tampa Bay Lightning-funded outdoor roller rink during a recent tour of the county’s new indoor gymnasium at WCDP.
The new facility, located at 7727 Boyette Rd., has gone vertical and is taking shape. Located right next to the Tampa Bay Lightning street hockey rink — Comm. Moore and parks director Keith Wiley fired a few shots before the tour (and we can neither confirm nor deny whether they put any in between the pipes) — the long-awaited recreation facility will have 18,000 square feet of indoor space, including 10,000 for a court that will be used for a variety of indoor sports.
The court is large enough for a regulation size basketball court and can be converted to two 3/4 length perpendicular basketball courts for youth leagues, two volleyball courts or six pickleball courts. Cheerleading and dance also can be held inside, and plans also may include indoor soccer, also known as futsal.
With the push of a button, a partition can even separate the gymnasium in two, allowing for a multi-purpose room on one side and a court on the other.
The facility will use the additional 8,000 square feet of space for two multipurpose rooms (one of them large enough to convert to two rooms) for meetings, as well as a full kitchen and offices.
The facility opens up in the back to a large seating area overlooking a grassy area, which can accommodate parties, small concerts and even movies in the park.
With the new gymnasium, plus tennis courts, 20 fields for soccer, lacrosse and flag football fields, a first-of-its-kind inclusive playground for children with disabilities, a regular playground, the Lightning street hockey rink, fishing, fitness trails, picnic areas, a pavilion and still plenty of leftover space on its 144 acres, WCDP will be the premier park in Pasco County.
“This is kind of the model for future district parks,” Wiley said during our tour.
The facility at WCDP also will be able to host summer camps, which will be a big deal, Wiley says. Currently, campers hoping to take part in the county’s popular summer programs have to drive to the Land O’Lakes Recreation Complex on Collier Pkwy., which Wiley says fills up within minutes once registration is opened each year.
Meanwhile, the much larger Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, located just a few miles south of WCDP, was completed in July as a public-private partnership between the county and RADDSports, Moore says, but the new indoor facility at WCDP will serve a different audience.
The future front entrance to the indoor gym at WCDP.
“When it comes to the county, tourism has always been the focus for Wiregrass Ranch — holding events and bringing people into town on weekends who will be spending money in the community,” Moore says. “This is more for local residents, a place for the community to congregate.”
Wiley said the county’s Parks & Recreation Dept. controls six sites for future parks in Pasco County, and three of those will be built in Wesley Chapel in the areas of future master planned developments in Wyndfields, Two Rivers and the Village of Pasadena Hills (VOPH) once concurrency calls for it and the funding can be found.
Those three projects will add a combined 50,000 or so homes to Wesley Chapel. Those projects, however, are years away from being built.
Until then, WCDP’s expansion will widen the scope of what can be offered to Wesley Chapel residents.
“The gymnasium was always the plan (when the park was originally built), we just needed to get the funding,” Wiley said. “The more residents, the more services you need, and Wesley Chapel is booming.”
If you’ll be up late and driving north on I-75 this weekend, you might want to leave a little extra time for a detour as the result of construction on the Overpass Bridge between S.R.s 54 and 52.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation:
All northbound I-75 traffic will be detoured off the interstate between SR 54/CR 54 (Exit 279) and SR 52 (Exit 285) between 9 p.m. Saturday, February 20 and 10 a.m. Sunday, February 21. No later than 10 a.m. Sunday, at least one lane of traffic will be restored on northbound I-75 and the detour will be removed. Work will continue on northbound I-75 and all northbound I-75 travel lanes will be open to traffic no later than noon on Sunday, February 21.
The detour is necessary for the safety of the traveling public as the existing Overpass Road bridge section is removed over northbound I-75.
DETOUR ROUTE for northbound I-75: Traffic will be directed off northbound I-75 at Exit 279. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left onto SR 54/CR 54/Wesley Chapel Boulevard and continue west about 8 tenths of a mile to Old Pasco Road. At the traffic signal for Old Pasco Road, turn right and go north for approximately 6.75 miles to SR 52. Turn right at the traffic signal onto SR 52 and go east about 3/4 mile. After passing under I-75, turn left onto the entrance ramp to re-enter northbound I-75.
CAUTION: Old Pasco Road is a two-lane road (one lane in each direction) and will be very congested during the hours of the detour. The posted speed limit along Old Pasco Road must be observed. Motorists are urged to plan plenty of extra time to drive the detour and return to the interstate or consider alternate routes. Law enforcement officers and traffic management personnel will be active along the detour route to assist with traffic flow. Detour signs and message boards will be placed along the detour route for guidance.
Here’s Gary’s favorite restaurants in New Tampa. If you missed Gary’s New Tampa favorites from 11-25, CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Here’s the Top 10!
1 — STONEWOOD GRILL & TAVERN 17050 Palm Pointe Dr., Tampa Palms (813) 978-0388 Even though it hasn’t always been my #1 favorite restaurant in New Tampa, there’s no doubt that Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Tampa Palms has been near the top of my list since the day it opened two decades ago. And yes, it did win with our readers again in 2020, too.
Stonewood continues to serve delicious and popular ahi tuna, crab cake and bruschetta appetizers, as well as the best (and best variety of) steaks (like the 9-oz. filet mignon pictured above) in New Tampa and it also offers a daily “market catch” (like the fresh grouper piccata, with sauce on the side and perfectly sautéed spinach) and other specials (like excellent lollipop rib lamb chops…mmm) that have kept it near the top of my list every year.
GM Matt Passardi — who previously ran the Grillsmith in the Shops at Wiregrass — and his staff also are back to keeping their guests happy at New Tampa’s most-happening bar scene, but of course, Covid-19 had shut down the bar and Stonewood’s elegant dine-in experience for several months.
Passardi told me that the posting of the picture of the ribeye steak with last issue’s Reader Survey results definitely helped boost his ribeye sales since then.
2 — VIA ITALIA 8644 Hunter’s Village Rd. The Village at Hunter’s Lake (813) 475-4857 The fact that Via Italia had only been open a short time before our annual survey ended but still finished 9th in New Tampa with our readers is an indication of what a great place it is. Owner/chef Roberto Maganuco’s place has an amazing variety of different styles of pizza (Neopolitan, Roman and others), but I love it even more for its beautiful, full-liquor bar and amazing pasta selection — including two types of pesto — Genovese and Siciliano — as well as linguine with clams, cavatelli with broccoli & sausage (photo above) and more. If Roberto adds fresh fish and maybe a steak special next year, Via Italia could move up to #1.
3 — THE FAT RABBIT 16029 Tampa Palms Blvd. City Plaza at Tampa Palms (813) 252-3004 The Fat Rabbit in Tampa Palms is another place with outstanding food (like the best wings in New Tampa, and great burgers and tater tots) and beverages that could finish even higher on my list with even more menu options. Adding a fresh catch — fish (photo), or sometimes shellfish — option in 2019 definitely moved it up and the addition of a petite (5-oz.) “Fat Filet” has given it even more appeal for me. And of course, The Fat Rabbit also has a large and attractive, premium liquor bar that would make it a great option for live music or karaoke (or both), in addition to its regular trivia nights, but maybe that’s just my opinion.
4 — LIMA PERUVIAN 19056 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. New Tampa Center (813) 304-0205 When Lima opened basically a couple of weeks before the pandemic hit in the former location of El Pescador in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza, I was excited, because I already loved Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken (photo) and fresh fish ceviche. And, owner Oscar Escudero’s delightfully different (at least from any place in our area) take on the cuisine widely considered as the best of the Latin countries is absolutely delicious and my second favorite new place (to Via Italia) to open in New Tampa in 2020. Try the baked scallops (conchita parmesano) appetizer and the Peruvian/Chinese-style fried rice, too!
5 — CALI-TAMPA PALMS 17004 Palm Pointe Dr. Shoppes at The Pointe (813) 975-1222 The Ciccio Restaurant Group has created one of the most successful slates of local eateries in the entire Tampa Bay area, with concepts like Green Lemon, Daily Eats, Ciccio Water and Better Byrd (look them all up), but Cali (nee Ciccio Cali) has been the only one in our area since Lodge closed in the former Ciccio & Tony’s location in City Plaza. But, I have always credited Cali as the first to bring “bowl culture” to New Tampa. The menu has been simplified, with multiple “bowl style” options (try the “Lean & Clean” with tuna), plus crisp-crust, hand-tossed pizzas and famous wrap sandwiches (photo; the Cali Club is my fave).
6 — LAS PALMAS LATIN GRILL 6431 E. County Line Rd. (813) 803-3903 If you’re looking for amazing fish, owner/chef Ramses Garcia serves our area’s flakiest, tastiest merluza (like snapper) a la Rusa, as well as award-winning Cuban sandwiches (photo) and traditional specialties like ropa vieja (shredded beef), picadillo (ground beef) and arroz con pollo (chicken & yellow rice). I really love the steaks — palomillo (in mojo sauce, with onions), churrasco (skirt steak with chimichurri sauce) and sautéed vaca frita (crispy beef). But, the lechon asado (tender roasted pork), masitas (pork chunks) and special pork chops are my faves. Try Ramses’ wife Ana’s award-winning tres leches dessert, too!
7 — LIANG’S BISTRO ASIAN CUISINE 17515 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 978-1225 Liang’s is now the undisputed champ of our local Chinese places with both yours truly and our readers, now that Fushia in Tampa Palms has closed. There’s no doubt Liang’s is an upscale Chinese (with other Asian options) restaurant with great food. My favorite entrées are the steamed (with mixed veggies) or Liang’s crispy fish, the sizzling Shanghai steak and Sichuan chicken, but I love Liang’s for its New York-style BBQ spareribs (photo) and crispy egg rolls. The item Jannah and I take out most often, though, are Liang’s awesome sautéed string beans, but I order them in a spicy chili sauce.
8 — ORONZO HONEST ITALIAN 18027 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. The Walk at Highwoods Preserve (813) 730-0100 What happens when you take a fast-casual concept like Chipotle but instead of Mexican fare, you offer homemade Italian dishes with freshly made pasta, unique wrap sandwiches, pizza-style flatbreads and more? In the case of Oronzo, the answer is “something delicious.” Owner Dan Bavaro, who also has Bavaro’s Pizza locations in downtown Tampa and downtown St. Pete, offers house-made spaghetti (with delicious meatballs, above), sausage, veggies and a variety of sauces, plus beer, wine and yummy desserts.
9 — ACROPOLIS GREEK TAVERNA 14947 Bruce B Downs Blvd. Oak Ramble Plaza (813) 971-1787 Although I spend a lot less time these days south of Tampa Palms on BBD, it never takes much to convince Jannah to go to (or take out from) Acropolis. Part of another successful Bay-area mini-chain, Acropolis features authentic saganaki cheese flambé and artichoke & spinach dip appetizers, a tender shish (filet) and chicken kabob duo, savory loin lamb chops and our favorite entrée — the thin, crisp, lightly fried Athenian fish pictured above. And, even though Acropolis doesn’t have a true Greek vinaigrette-style dressing, the Greek salad also is outstanding.
10 — BAYSCAPE BISTRO at Heritage Isles Golf Club 10630 Plantation Bay Dr. (813) 994-3445 Former Wharton High culinary teachers Eddie and Lourdes Bujarski have created an impressive restaurant inside the Heritage Isles GC clubhouse. As I said last year, with a more extensive menu, Bayscape would finish even higher on my list, because it’s hard to beat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. There are great wings, burgers, salads and sandwiches, but my faves are the dinner “signatures” like country fried chicken and slow-roasted, top round roast beef with brown gravy above. It’s been a while since Jannah and I stopped in for dinner and Friday night karaoke, but we’ll definitely be back.
If you missed Gary’s New Tampa favorites from 11-25, CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Every year, after we report the results of our Reader Dining Survey & Contest, I always feel compelled to give you my dining favorites, including all of the restaurants that opened in (or very near) New Tampa and Wesley Chapel the previous year. And, with all the new eateries that opened in our distribution areas in 2020 after the reader voting ended, my “survey” list looks even more different than usual than the places our readers voted for in our last issue.
While Wesley Chapel definitely saw more new restaurants open in 2020, New Tampa did have some wonderful additions to its local dining scene — and, unlike “The Chap,” almost all of the new places that opened last year were mom-and-pop restaurants with a nice variety of cuisine options, from Asian to Italian and from Acai bowls to poké bowls.
Here are my favorite restaurants (new and existing) in New Tampa for 2020, from Nos. 11-25. The top 10 will publish online tommorrow. — GN
25. THE BRUNCHERY 17507 Preserve Walk Ln. (813) 533-7271 For those of us who had been begging for a great breakfast place in New Tampa, owner Stanley Athan’s The Brunchery filled that void. And, even though I prefer fried eggs over easy with crispy bacon to the beautiful pancakes topped with fresh fruit shown here, this was such a pretty picture we decided to use it instead. The Brunchery also serves a selection of “Benedict” (poached egg) breakfasts, avocado toast, a lox (smoked salmon) platter, ultimate omelettes and an incredible variety of French toast options. The Brunchery also serves great burgers, sandwiches (including tuna and grilled chicken melts) and salads for lunch, too.
24. PEABODY’S Shoppes at Amberly 15333 Amberly Dr. (813) 972-1725 Peabody’s is more than just a sports bar taken to the next level — with amazing video games, pool tables, dart boards and more TV screens to watch every game at once than just about anyplace else in New Tampa. It’s also a great place for NY-style pizza, the best wings this side of The Fat Rabbit and a recently expanded menu offering Philly cheesesteak and Santa Fe egg rolls, pickle fries, and “Classics” like country fried chicken, loaded boneless wings and of course, some of the best burgers and hand-cut French fries in town. The full-liquor bar also has great drink prices and an outstanding selection of beers on tap.
23. THAI LANNA & SUSHI Cross Creek Center 10022 Cross Creek Blvd. (813) 991-0108 For those of you who don’t live off of Cross Creek Blvd., Thai Lanna is another excellent (and pretty) Thai place that also features really good appetizers like Thai spring rolls, pan-fried dumplings (bottom right in photo above), fried calamari and even fried eggplant. There also are three kinds of crispy duck, with the volcano duck (with mixed veggies and sweet chili sauce) being my favorite. Try the crab fried rice, too. The basil and garlic & black pepper sauces are my faves. Thai Lanna also has added really fresh sushi (cooked shrimp sushi and California roll are shown in the above), too.
22. THE LITTLE GREEK New Tampa Center 19022 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 972-0707 When you want a great Greek gyro sandwich (photo) or platter served with an authentic Greek salad, and you want it to be affordable, served quickly and delicious, you can’t go wrong by visiting The Little Greek. The spanakopita (spinach pie) is my favorite starter and in addition to the traditional gyro meat freshly carved off a rotating spit, there also are chicken (and Greek chicken), falafel, lamb, veggie and steak pita sandwiches, plus chicken, lamb and steak souvlaki skewer entrées in “light meal” and dinner-sized portions. Save room for excellent baklava for dessert.
21. MR. DUNDERBAK’S Oak Ramble Plaza 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 977-4104 When the original Mr. Dunderbak’s was in the University Square Mall, I thought it was a cool place for German food, even though I really only had roast beef and pastrami sandwiches there. The location on BBD (which has been around the last 15-20 of its 45 years in business) has a much more diverse menu, and I really enjoy German dishes like the crispy jagerschnitzel (available in veal or pork, both are great, photo above), the Holstein schnitzel, topped with two fried eggs, and the kassler rippchen (pork chops). I’m not a big beer drinker, but Mr. D’s biergarten has a huge selection. Great European chocolate selection, too.
20. ISLAND FIN POKE CO. 6417 E. County Line Rd. (813) 575-8002 Island Fin Poké Co., which was opened by former New Tampa residents Brenda, Jeff and son Jason Sproat in late 2019, is now well-established as the first Hawaiian-style create-your-own poké bowl place in New Tampa. I love the regular and spicy ahi tuna options as my protein (I usually do two scoops of spicy and one scoop of regular), and there are unique options like spam, octopus, shrimp and tofu, plus veggie options (like regular and spicy pickled veggies, edamame and corn), but as the Sproats say, Island Fin’s sauces are delish. I personally only need the OG and Island Fire marinating sauces…and an occasional Dole whip dessert.
19. GLORY DAYS GRILL 17508 Doña Michelle Dr. (813) 513-7550 When this, our distribution area’s first Glory Days Grill, opened a few years ago, replacing the popular Lee Roy Selmon’s, I will say I wasn’t a big fan. However, when Jannah and I first tried the new Glory Days on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, we recognized that the menu had been greatly upgraded and we have visited both locations quite a bit since then. We love the steak rice bowl, the comeback chicken entrée, Boston chowda and the 1/2-lb. proprietary blend burgers (photo). Glory Days also has two sizes (7-oz. & 10-oz.) of its tasty “1988” sirloin steak, a great sports bar atmosphere and decadent Oreo cookie ice cream sandwiches.
18. WOODFIRED PIZZA & WINE BAR Palms Connection 2822 E. Bearss Ave. (813) 341-2900 The first woodfired pizza place to open in (or near) either of our distribution areas is known for its high-quality pizza ingredients, as well as owner Peter Taylor’s unique pizza names — like my favorite Pizza Raquel, which features house-made fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, grana padano cheese and olive oil, to which I usually add either pepperoni, fire-roasted sausage or Italian-style meatballs (Peter’s “carnivore” pizza has all three) and fresh spinach. The woodfired meatball appetizer and wings and fresh Caesar and wedge salads also are excellent, too.
17. SUSHI CAFE The Walk at Highwoods Preserve 18015 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. (813) 977-7800 For anyone who’s asking, for my money, Sushi Café has the best sushi in New Tampa. With a huge assortment of sushi rolls (photo), including some truly unique options like a Pacific fusion roll with spicy tuna, crunch, cucumber and avocado on top, plus a wide variety of sashimi, Sushi Café also has one of the best spicy tuna tataki appetizers in our area. I also really enjoy the “hibachi from kitchen” entrées, like the filet mignon and chicken options, even though (especially because?) there are no teppanyaki tables. I also recommend the crispy chicken katsu and chicken and veggie tempura.
16. FULL CIRCLE PIZZA Pebble Creek Collection 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 994-3700 Don’t get me wrong…even though I find the deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza shown above very tasty, I’ll never say I like it as much as the New York-style pizza I grew up with. And, even though I know that deep-dish and thin-crust Chicago pizza is a big reason why many locals love Full Circle, I’m actually a much bigger fan of the other delicious menu items owner/chef Freddy Nova and his wife Julia have added since taking over the place in 2017. My favorites are the chicken and broccoli in garlic and oil and the meatball and chicken parmigiana subs.
15. MAHANA FRESH 17512 Dona Michelle Dr. (727) 238-9967 Yes, bowl culture is in full swing in New Tampa and Mahana Fresh distinguished itself when it opened early last year by not just having ahi tuna and grilled chicken poké bowls. Try three kinds of chicken, plus tofu and grilled steak as protein options. I’m addicted to its kale crunch salad as a base, although there also are sweet potato noodles, spinach salad and multiple different rice (including cauliflower rice) options, too. My favorite veggies are the sesame ginger broccoli, the garlicky cilantro green beans and honey sriracha Brussels sprouts. I love the Mediterranean tomatoes as an add-on, and the citrus ginger and cilantro vinaigrette sauces, too.
14. MICHI RAMEN 18027 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. The Walk at Highwoods Preserve (813) 374-5320 Another newcomer breaking into my top-15 this year, Michi Ramen literally opened as the pandemic hit, and only served at a uniquely designed, plexiglass-enclosed takeout window for several months. But, once it did open, I could see that not only is Michi Ramen great for takeout, it also is a beautiful new place for a delicious sit-down lunch or dinner, with a full, premium-liquor bar. I’m not the biggest ramen noodle fan, but I have heard folks rave about the flavor and variety and I’m not surprised — Michi Ramen’s appetizers like pan-fried gyoza (pork dumplings) and semi-spicy, popcorn-style fried chicken are outstanding.
13. FRAMMI (formerly Oakley’s Grille) 17631 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 523-5075 Even though the restaurant hasn’t been owned by anyone named Oakley in a few years, owner Luca Ammirati kept the name of the popular burger-&-sandwich joint the same until revamping the place into an Italian & American eatery with a much bigger American variety than Oakley’s, plus a big variety of Luca’s authentic Italian dishes (like the amazing fusilli pasta with house-made pesto and grilled chicken above) with the new name “Frammi.” This year’s 13th-place finish is based on Oakley’s menu, but Frammi will finish higher next year.
12. THAI RUBY Shoppes at Amberly, Tampa Palms 15319 Amberly Dr. (813) 558-0570 As Thai restaurants go, Thai Ruby is the most beautiful Thai place in New Tampa and also has the best food, especially since Sukhothai closed. The spring rolls, ginger chicken, the spicy Thai combination fried rice (with chicken, beef and pork), the Siam chicken, filet of grouper and soft shell crab are all top-notch and Thai Ruby may have the largest selection of veggie dishes you’ll find anywhere (I love the steamed broccoli with carrots, green beans and snow peas). But, this also is the place I go when I have a craving for Thai-style crispy duck with sweet & sour, ginger or garlic sauce.
11. KOBE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE Pebble Creek Collection 19601 Bruce B Downs Blvd. (813) 994-6600 For those who crave the teppanyaki (hibachi) table experience in our area, please check out Kobe. And, even though Jannah and I usually sit at the bar rather than share a table with families with young children, you get the same great meal, just without the show. Kobe definitely has the best-quality filet mignon, sirloin steak and chicken of any Japanese restaurant in our area, and you can even get pepper-crusted tuna tataki hibachi, as well as beautiful-looking surf-&-turf combos with lobster, shrimp and scallops that I (sadly) can’t eat. Great sushi, too.
Here are this year’s Teacher of the Year nominees, as chosen by their respective schools in New Tampa. Also listed are the Ida S. Baker (ISB) Diversity Educator of the Year and the Instructional Support Employee (ISE) of the Year nominees from each New Tampa school.
Turner Bartels K-8 School Teacher: Briana Rabiero, 2nd Grade ISB: Marelisa Moreno ISE: Sue Garcia
Liberty Middle School Teacher: Megan Sullivan, Reading ISB: Brenda Silva ISE: Daina Vasquez
