Angry Chair Brewing Gets Wet Zoning

Angry Chair's location on Florida Ave. in Seminole Heights, which should be open early in 2014.
Angry Chair’s location on Florida Ave. in Seminole Heights, which should be open early in 2014.

By Matt Wiley | September 14

On August 1, Angry Chair Brewing, owned by Wesley Chapel residents Ryan Dowdle and Shane Mozur, as well as former Cigar City pilot brewer Ben Romano, was approved for a wet zoning license by the Tampa City Council for its future brewery and tasting room location in Tampa’s Historic Seminole Heights neighborhood.

Dowdle says that, if all goes according to plan, he hopes to be serving beers to the public at the new Angry Chair Tasting Room, which will be located at 6401 N. Florida Ave., by early 2014.

Visit Angry Chair Brewing Online

Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes

Wolf’s Den To Expand Hours, Menu & More!

Although we previously reported on WCNeighborhoodNews.com that the always-popular Wolf’s Den Restaurant, located on S.R. 56 (in the same plaza as Insight Family Eye Care), was taking over the spaces in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (opposite the new Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, or FHWC)) previously vacated by Baja Fresh and several other businesses (see below), Wolf’s Den owner Roger Wolf has decided instead to expand his menu (including adding BBQ specialties like real baby back ribs, brisket and more) and his hours and add beer and wine at his current location.

Look for an ad, with coupons, next issue because the new hours & BBQ menu items will debut at Wolf’s Den right after Labor Day. For more info, call 907-9124 or visit WolfsDenRestaurant.com.

 

Hibachi Japanese Express Is Open…& Yummy!

This lunch portion of Hibachi NY strip steak is available at the new Hibachi Express for only $6.25
This lunch portion of hibachi NY strip steak is available at the new Hibachi Express in the Wesley Chapel Village Market for only $6.25.

If you haven’t yet checked out the new Hibachi Japanese Express, located in the smaller outparcel building (next to China Wok) of the same Wesley Chapel Village Market that also is home to Vallarta’s & the new Famous Tate store, you should go…for lunch or dinner…today!

Hibachi Express features the same fresh sushi (I even special ordered a grilled red snapper and cucumber roll that was just too good), choice NY strip and fresh large shrimp and scallop hibachi dishes, complete with ginger salad, mushroom soup, grilled hibachi veggies and fried rice, all at prices much less than most “teppanyaki (hibachi) table” restaurants because the hibachi grill is located in the open kitchen just behind Hibachi Express’ much faster lunch counter, so you’re paying for the quality food and not the show. And, with the current special of a still-sizable lunch-sized portion of hibachi steak (photo), chicken or shrimp, with rice & veggies, for just $6.25, you can’t beat the value!

For info about Hibachi Japanese Express (5315 Village Market Dr.), call 991-9582, see the ad on page 34, or stop in & tell Chen, the owner, that the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News sent you!

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Starbucks Stores Go Completely Smokeless

By Matt Wiley

The seemingly age-old combination of stimulants, coffee and cigarettes has parted ways at Starbucks Coffee Co. stores nationwide, as the coffee chain moves toward making its locations completely smoke-free, inside & out.

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The Latest & Greatest News About Dining, Shopping, Retail & More In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!

By Gary Nager

Ciccio’s Confirms Its Move To World Of Beer Location

It took a while, but former Ciccio’s Lodge managing partner Robert Garofano has confirmed that Ciccio’s Restaurant Group, the parent company of Ciccio’s and South Tampa favorites Daily Eats, Water Sushi and The Lodge, has signed a lease to take over the space vacated by World of Beer in The Shoppes at the Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms.

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The Latest & Greatest News About Dining, Shopping, Retail & More In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!

By Gary Nager | June 8

Best NY Pizza Now Open

We know, we know. Wesley Chapel is suddenly being overrun by true New York-style pizza places, but the new Best New York (NY) Pizza, which just opened at 27429 S.R. 54 less than two weeks ago in the former Drake’s Place spot in the Pinebrook at the Grove shopping center (on S.R. 54 between I-75 and Old Pasco Rd.), is definitely worth checking out.

With delicious true NY-style pizza made famous at a Carrollwood location on N. Dale Mabry Hwy. and two adjoining dining room concepts (one with counter service and the other with a little more formal-looking dine-in area), Best NY Pizza also has one of the best meatball parmigiana heros (photo) and chicken parmigiana dinners (served with salad, pasta and garlic knots) I’ve had in our area.

Please call 994-2200 or stop by and tell Greg, the owner, and his staff that we sent you. Look in our June edition for great coupon specials on a truly FREE lunch or dinner at Best NY!

 WingHouse Should Be Open

Although its original scheduled opening was delayed by a week or so during the remodeling of the former Buffalo’s SW CafĂ© on S.R. 54 (at 5510 Post Oak Blvd.), Wesley Chapel’s Ker’s WingHouse should be open by June 8.

Hibachi Japanese Express To Open In Village Market

Meanwhile, in the same building as the China Wok restaurant in the Wesley Chapel Village Market at S.R. 54 and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just east of I-75, Hibachi Japanese Express restaurant is getting ready to open at least by shortly after you receive this issue. A spokesperson for the company says the sit-down restaurant will feature hibachi/teppanyaki tables, fresh sushi and Japanese and other Asian fare in a comfortable dine-in location.

Buddy’s Hot Dogs Opens Next To Baja Fresh

A little south of S.R. 54, at 2653 BBD, Buddy’s Hot Dogs (600-3138) has opened between the Baja Fresh and the also new Brewhouse CafĂ© (all owned by the same people), which opened in the former iCream location.

The good news, for Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel staffers (the hospital is directly across BBD from this plaza) and other local business folks looking for different ideas for lunch, is that this same plaza also already is home to the very popular Dickey’s BBQ, Hungry Greek and Latin Twist CafĂ© restaurants. The even better news is that Buddy’s offers crispy hand-cut fries.

 Vallarta’s To Replace Ciccio’s In Tampa Palms

Although we still couldn’t “officially” confirm whether or not Ciccio’s Lodge was going to move into the former World of Beer location in the Shoppes at The Pointe in Tampa Palms, we do know what restaurant will replace Ciccio’s in the Publix-anchored City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center.

Vallarta’s, which of course, has a very successful location in Wesley Chapel, as well as locations in Land O’Lakes, Temple Terrace and two in Tampa, is planning to move into the former Ciccio’s slot and Wesley Chapel Vallarta’s owner Fabian Jimenez promises the Tampa Palms location will feature a similar menu, full liquor bar and a great place to bring the family or hang out to watch a game.

For more info about Vallarta’s, call the Wesley Chapel location at 907-5161 or visit VallartasTampa.com.

 Cappy’s Pizza Also Coming To City Plaza

We also had to post a shot on our Facebook.com page last week announcing that a new location of Tampa Bay area mini-chain Cappy’s Pizza is opening in the original, smaller Ciccio’s location in City Plaza by the end of the summer.

Cappy’s already has locations in St. Pete, South Tampa, Riverview and one near to New Tampa at 4910 N. Florida Ave. in Old Seminole Heights and is known for both New York- and Chicago-style deep dish pizzas, calzones, salads and beer and wine.

Call 238-1516 for the Old Seminole Heights Cappy’s Pizza, or visit CappysPizzaOnline.com for more info.