Category: News

‘Best Food Ever, Most Fun Ever!’

THIS ONE WAS MAGICAL!

When the Rotary Club of New Tampa revived the Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel last year, I was proud to be the restaurant guy who procured 46 food and beverage providers and helped promote the 2017 return of my favorite 20-year-old single-day event in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel in these pages and on WCNT-tv (Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television on Youtube & Facebook).

Rotary Club president and Taste organizer Karen Frashier — who also ran the show last year when an estimated total crowd (including vendors and volunteers) of about 2,000 people helped the club net about $10,000 for its own charitable foundation (more on that below) and about $1,000 to benefit the Greater Wesley Chapel (now North Tampa Bay) Chamber of Commerce (NTBCC)’s high school scholarship fund — was truly stunned at how much bigger and better this year’s Taste was than last year.

“Based on our ticket sales, we estimate the crowd this year at more than 2,000 attendees and close to 2,500 people overall,” Frashier said only three days after the event. “We don’t have final numbers yet, but we definitely more than doubled last year’s net proceeds.”

Whether you chalk it up to the Rotary Club having a year of experience under its belt, the even better restaurants, the even more outstanding entertainment — everyone loved the virtuoso guitar work of Shaun Hopper and taking pics with Zammy the Giant Sheepadoodle — or the even bigger promotional bump the Taste got from our New Tampa issue hitting mailboxes in zip code 33647 only two days before the event (where the preview started on Page 1), Taste 2018 was pure magic.

Superlative Food & Drinks!

Although I honestly believe that there were at least a dozen other restaurants that planned to be at this year’s Taste, including several of last year’s participants who simply couldn’t get themselves together in time, I have no doubt that this year’s food was the best in the 22-year history of the Taste.

Yes, there were the superlative samples of three different bowls served by People’s Choice 1st-place winner Ciccio Cali, the lasagna, meatballs and eggplant parmigiana from 2nd Place Little Italy’s (which had by far the longest lines of any restaurants all afternoon) and the crispy Brussels sprouts appetizer from 3rd Place Noble Crust.

I also thought that Vesh Catering’s potsticker dumplings and chopped salad were both outstanding, as were Texas Roadhouse’s ribs and steak bites. Canterbury Hall at Grace Episcopal Church served delicious salmon mousse cups provided by Rotary Club member Peter Gambacorta of the Private Chef of Tampa. And, Acai Brazil, Bosco’s Italian-to-Go, Cinebistro, Jon’s Nutrition, Union 72 BBQ and Cappy’s Pizza all offered tasty samples, too.

The beverage competition came down to the three beer providers — The Brass Tap, Zephyrhills Brewing Co. (2nd place), and 81 Bay Brewing (1st place), and wine providers PRP Wine, Time for Wine (3rd place), Vom Fass (which also brought, and quickly went through, a giant tray of paella I couldn’t try because of my shellfish allergy, but it looked amazing) and Chuy’s Tex-Mex (see story on pg. 14), which is opening in our area later this month. Chuy’s only served chips with very spicy salsa for food but everyone who sampled the sangria raved about it.

As for the dessert providers, Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt, Blondie’s Cookies, Leann’s Gourmet Cookies, Culver’s frozen custard and Snowrolls ice cream all deserve high marks, with Snowrolls and Culver’s my favorites, although there were no People’s Choice dessert winners.

Rotary Club of New Tampa president Karen Frashier explained that the People’s Choice food and beverage honors went to the providers who had a combination of the most actual People’s Choice votes and the number of Taste tickets they collected from patrons who sampled their wares. It’s an imperfect, somewhat subjective system, but I have to give major kudos to all 43 of our food and beverage providers who showed up, as well as to Rotary Club members Nikki Smith and David West, who figured a way to donate all leftover food to local food banks and shelters, although there was definitely less food left over than last year.

Thank You, JCs!

I also want to send a big shout-out to this year’s “JC” sponsorship chairs — Rotary Club members James Carner and Jason Contino. Not only did these two hard-working gentleman procure thousands more in sponsorships this year than last, between the two of them, they helped me get about 1/4 of the 40+ restaurants for this year’s Taste.

And, best of all, Carner also lassoed his long-time friend — fingerstyle and percussion-style guitarist Shaun Hopper — into being the headline entertainer for the event. Read more about Shaun on the next page.

When I first heard that guitarist Shaun Hopper was going to be the headline entertainer at the Taste, I honestly had never heard of him, even though he’s toured with several major bands.

But now, I know for fact that not only is the guy a gifted guitarist and performer, he also is a truly caring gentleman. Shaun told me that when he saw Zammy the Giant Sheepadoodle (check him out at #ZammyPup on Instagram) lumbering around the insulated floor at Florida Hospital Center Ice, he instantly started writing a song in his head. Not long after Shaun finished performing, he sat with Zammy for a few minutes and played a happy, lilting little guitar melody that Zammy’s owner Todd Pitner will likely use as Zammy’s theme song for his future videos.

I also really enjoyed the performance of the New Tampa Players, who gave everyone a preview of their upcoming production of “Legally Blonde” during the Taste.

Zammy hung out on his grooming table, next to the free photo booth for most of the event. I apologize for not remembering the gentleman’s name who ran the photo booth, but I did see lots of people taking family pics during the event. Also busy all day was the Taste’s kids area.

I also want to thank each and every sponsor who appeared on page 39 of our last issue. I don’t have room to use pics of all of them in these pages, but without the hard work of James and Jason to get them to ante up money to be at the Taste, the event would never have netted as much money as it did.

I also applaud Jason’s daughter Sophia Contino, for bringing her lemonade stand to the Taste, and for making yet another big donation to the Pasco Sheriff’s K-9 Association.

Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel

‘Trading Spaces’ TV At Tampa Premium Outlets Saturday!

The cast of the newly rebooted “Trading Spaces” on TLC includes former stars Ty Pennington (far left) and Hildi Santo Tomas (with her arm around Pennington).

“Trading Spaces,” the hit TLC (The Learning Channel) TV show that launched innumerable copycat design shows, has been off the air for 10 years.

But now, it’s coming back.

Not only can you watch “Trading Spaces” on Saturday, April 7, at 9 p.m., but you can gear up for the big premiere right here in Wesley Chapel by taking pictures by the show’s iconic “Trading Spaces” truck or hanging out in the show’s lounge because, that same day, from noon to 6 p.m., the “Trading Spaces Experience” will be held at the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO, 2300 Grand Cypress Dr.), near the mall’s children’s play area.

Celebrity designer Hildi Santo Tomas and carpenter Ty Pennington — who both appeared on the original show and will be back on the reboot — also will be appearing live at TPO for the “Trading Spaces Experience.”

The event at TPO will be held from noon to 6 p.m. It’s part of a three-city tour, with similar events happening simultaneously in Atlanta and Charlotte (with different cast and crew members on hand), as well.

At TPO, the day’s events will include:

• Design Live — fans can design a room live and see which “Trading Spaces” talent they are most like

• DIY Lab — attendees will be involved in mini workshops where they will learn some of the best how-to secrets for designing from the show’s designers and carpenters

• Do It Yourselfie — an interactive photo station where fans can recreate iconic “Trading Spaces” designs to share with their friends

• Kid Zone — where kids can participate in a fun design.

“This is so exciting for us to have them here,” says North Tampa Bay Chamber CEO Hope Allen. “Another first for Wesley Chapel!”

To get in on the fun, follow the show’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/TradingSpaces.

trading spaces

New Tampa YMCA Picks Top Volunteer

Coach Brigid Merenda is congratulated for being named the New Tampa Family YMCA Volunteer of the Year.

Volunteer youth basketball coach Brigid Merenda has been named the New Tampa Family YMCA Volunteer of the Year.

At the New Tampa Y in Tampa Palms, Brigid uses her skills and experience as a college basketball player for the University of South Florida (1993-97) to teach the next generation of players the sport she loves.

“I have the ability and the skills to coach, and I had a lot of volunteer coaches in my life, so I want to give back,” says Brigid, who — in addition to her “day job” as a lawyer — also is a color commentator for radio broadcasts of the USF women’s basketball home games. (Our congratulations go out to the team, which is making its fifth NCAA tournament appearance in the last six seasons, all under the leadership of head coach and New Tampa resident José Fernandez.)

Among the many volunteers at the Y, Brigid stands out.

“Brigid has been heavily involved in growing the girls’ basketball program with a unique talent to teach a group of young girls in a fun, but competitive way,” explains Michael Cosentino, executive director of the New Tampa Y. “Brigid is always on the court, active and involved in teaching the game. Coach Brigid realizes that if you teach skills in a fun way, your team will learn about the game and be successful, even at a young age.”

Brigid says she and her husband, Jason, have been members of the New Tampa Y since about 2003. She began coaching at the Y about three years ago, when her daughter, Sophia, who was five at the time, wanted to play basketball. Now, Brigid’s son, Charlie, is five, and will start playing basketball this summer.

“If you see a coach running around high-fiving everyone,” Cosentino says, “then you are probably watching Brigid coach. She has as much fun as the kids!”

Brigid received the award at the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA’s Community Impact Dinner on Feb. 27, at TPepin’s Hospitality Centre on N. 50th St. in Tampa, where more than 500 guests were in attendance.

new tampa family ymca Volunteer of the Year

Viera Files For Re-Election

Luis Viera is only a little more than a year removed from his first political campaign, and is already looking forward to his second one.

Viera, who represents District 7 (which includes the portions of New Tampa within Tampa’s city limits) on the Tampa City Council, has officially thrown his hat in the ring for the March 2019 City Council election.

Viera, who defeated fellow New Tampa resident Jim Davison by only 65 votes in a runoff election on Dec. 6, 2016, filed his re-election papers with the city on March 1.

“We have an election about a year away, and I wanted to get started,” Viera says. “I’m very optimistic and very proud of our accomplishments for District 7. We’ve done a lot in a short time.”

Viera cited his work organizing both the North Tampa Veterans Association and the New Tampa Council, as well as his partnerships with community leaders when it came to Tampa city budget issues involving the New Tampa Recreation Center and his pet project — a proposed autism park in Tampa Palms.

“I think those are the some of the greatest things we can be proud of in the last one-and-a-half years,” Viera says. “We’ve worked hard on the rebirth of civic engagement in New Tampa, and I think we’ve seen results. It’s one of the things I want to continue to champion.”

Viera says that Gene Siudut, Orlando Gudes and Arbor Greene’s Avis Harrison, all opponents in the 2016 primaries, have already endorsed his re-election efforts.

BIG START FOR DRISKELL:

Tampa attorney Fentrice Driskell, who has filed to run against incumbent Shawn Harrison for his State House District 63 seat (as we reported last issue), raised $40,805.18 in the first 22 days after announcing her bid. Driskell says that total is from more than 200 donors.

“I truly appreciate the outpouring of community support,” Driskell says. “We are focused on common-sense solutions to the challenges we face every day in Hillsborough County and throughout Florida, from investing in education and transportation, to protecting our children with sensible gun laws.”

Luis Viera

Local Girl Scout Donates 4000 Books

Elaine Feaster (center) donated 1,700 books to Edison Elementary in Tampa as part of her Girl Scout Silver Award. She’s pictured here with (l.-r.) Hillsborough County assistant superintendent Dr. Larry Sykes, Judy O’Connoll (Elaine’s great aunt, who is the sister of Linda Jones, a former teacher at the school), Edison principal Marc Gaillard and secretary Barbara Williams.

New Tampa resident and Liberty Middle School seventh grade student Elaine Feaster wanted to get books into the hands of kids who may not have them, as a project for her Girl Scout Silver Award.

Now, after dedicating 60 hours to her initiative, she has donated a total of 4,000 books, thanks to the generosity of the New Tampa community.

On February 22, Elaine wrapped up her community service project by donating more than 1,700 books to Edison Elementary in North Tampa, in memory of her great aunt Linda Jones, who was a teacher at the school for many years and who championed literacy.

Over the 10 months of her project, Elaine received and donated:

• 1,500 books to Foster Elem.

• 1,700 to Edison Elem.

• 200 to the Salvation Army (cookbooks, religious materials, books for adults, etc.)

• 60 brand new books to Metropolitan Ministries at Christmas

• 50 middle-school level books to her own school, Liberty

• 400 books to the Parents & Children Advance Together (PCAT) family literacy program

“When she was beginning to plan the project in January 2017, she only expected to collect 500 books,” says Elaine’s mom, Jane Feaster, “so the community support has been very overwhelming.”

To earn her Silver Award, Elaine had to spend at least 50 community service hours on a project that will have a lasting impact on the community.

The Cadette in Troop 1247, which meets at St. James Church on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Tampa Palms, says she was inspired by the Girl Scout Law. “It says to make the world a better place, and I want to do that for kids in need.”

Elaine Feaster Girl Scouts