The staff at the Palms Pharmacy in Tampa Palms (l.-r.): compounding pharmacist Jake Johnson, pharmacist Shahida Choudhry, pharmacy clerk Alexandra Garcia-Rubio, senior technician Naivis Valdez and pharmacy intern Dustin Williams. (Photo: Charmaine George)
There is a chain pharmacy right across the street, and two other Publix pharmacies located right down the road on each side of her.
And yet, Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) Shahida Choudhry says her Palms Pharmacy is thriving at its location in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms â just off the Bruce B. Downs Blvd. exit of I-75.
Dr. Choudhry may not have the national and regional backing of her nearest competitors, but she has something she says is just as valuable â a hard-working and committed staff that is growing and genuinely cares about providing the exceptional neighborhood touch that comes with being a locally owned and community-focused business.
âAnd donât forget, woman-owned,â says Choudhry, who opened the pharmacy in 2016 between the popular Ciccio Cali and Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi eateries in the plaza.
She says a strong relationship with local physicians, as well as word of mouth and advertising in the Neighborhood News have helped Palms Pharmacy grow from what was once just Choudhry and Naivis Valdez â who Choudhry says âruns the showâ â to a staff that has grown to six people, including a second full-time pharmacist, two pharmacy students and a pharmacy clerk.
Despite Palm Pharmacyâs now-larger staff, Dr. Choudhry still promises the personalized service and familiarity that is hard to find in a typical chain drug store, and it has remained open during the COVID-19 crisis
She and her staff get to know all of their customers. Not only do they learn their names â so they can greet them personally and start getting their prescriptions ready as theyâre walking in the door â they also learn about their patientsâ medications so the staff can provide the best possible care for them.
âLots of folks like the 1-on-1 service we give them,â Dr. Choudhry says proudly. âWhen they pull up, we have their stuff ready. I know youâve heard that before, but itâs true.â
The pharmacy will celebrate its fourth anniversary in Tampa Palms on April 15.
It already has expanded once, in 2018, when it literally moved one door over to a larger location, allowing more room for pharmacists and technicians to work, a separate room for prescription compounding, and another separate room where durable medical equipment (such as walkers, crutches and nebulizers) is sold and fittings for compression garments are done.
Even so, Palms Pharmacy has almost already outgrown its newfound space.
Dr. Choudhry received her Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy, then went on to receive her Pharm.D. degree, both from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, in 2001.
Before opening Palms Pharmacy, Dr. Choudhry was the pharmacist at the Publix in Tampa Palms for 10 years. She loved her job and her customers, but her search for a better balance of her work life and home, where she has two small children, led her to starting her own business.
So, she says, she took classes and read books and asked questions of many people who served as mentors to her, eventually opening Palms Pharmacy and hiring Naivis to work alongside her.
âItâs a hustle,â she says about owning her own business.
She must be doing something right, though â she has been asked to speak in June about owning a pharmacy at a Women in Pharmacy conference in Austin, TX.
Success Spurs Growth
Whatâs Palms Pharmacyâs secret sauce?
âWe do exactly the same as every other pharmacy,â Dr. Choudhry says, showing off her ever-present wide smile. âBut, we do it better.â
And, she adds, just because Palms Pharmacy is a small business doesnât mean its prices are any higher than the chains. âWe actually are competitive and in many cases, cheaper,â she says.
Palms Pharmacy boasts a wait time that Choudhry says is usually ânext to nothing,â along with compounding medications and selling durable medical equipment not available at typical big chain pharmacies. Choudhry and her staff also provide immunizations such as flu shots, vaccines for pneumonia and shingles, and travel vaccines.
Dr. Choudhry says she had Shingrix, a shingles vaccine, when no one else around had it.
âWe try to stay ahead of the market,â she says.
The entire staff also thrives on helping patients with especially complicated health or insurance issues, which are becoming more and more common these days. Dr. Choudhry says that when insurance companies decline to cover a patientâs medications, thatâs when she picks up the phone. âI know the doctors and the medical assistants,â she says. âI work with them to get their patients what they need, usually within the day.â
This is in huge contrast to other pharmacies, which may take 7-10 days to come up with a solution when an insurance company wonât cover a medication.
In fact, Dr. Choudhry says many of her patients find Palms Pharmacy through their doctors.
âDoctors are supportive of us because we take care of their patients,â she says.
And, itâs not always about the sale. Choudhry is always suggesting helpful lifestyle changes, such as exercise and diet recommendations, to help customers avoid bigger health problems down the road, as opposed to just handing over your medication and rushing you out the door.
Always Evolving
Dr. Choudhry also embraces new technologies when it comes to providing convenient customer service, as environmentally-friendly QR codes are now included with every prescription.
Patients can now point their cell phone cameras at the QR codes on their prescriptions and be taken to a website that will play a video offering the same description of the medication, and its possible side effects, that come on the folded up paper with the small print that has always previously come with your prescription.
The website also contains other information, as well as a form to fill out, and any questions will go directly to Dr. Choudhryâs email. âWe started it in January, and have had a really good reception to it,â she says. âI think itâs really cool, and a lot of folks lose their stuff, so itâs really convenient, too.â
More Than Prescriptions
Choudhry also says she tries to hit the trade shows to make sure that Palms Pharmacyâs shelves are always stocked with the latest and best products.
She has recently begun carrying three different brands of CBD products â Procana, Medterra and Ananda â at various price points (you can get two tablets for $4 if youâre only looking to try it out), in various forms and in a variety of dosages. And, Dr. Choudhry and her staff will work with you to help you find the right product and dosage that will work best for you.
Over the past year, Palms Pharmacy has added products like handmade soaps from the highly-rated Old Whaling Company, as well as carrying aluminum-free natural deodorant from American Provenance, beeswax and honey soaps from Joanâs A Keeper and organic cleaners from Rena Naturals.
âI like to carry stuff no one else is carrying,â Dr. Choudhry says.
Palms Pharmacy also sells natural vitamins and supplements, from top companies such as Pure, Nordic, Metagenics and Mason. The store also sells LovePop pop-up greeting cards and most of the popular the Zum line, such as all-natural soaps, lip products, body lotions and more.
Whatâs the next hot product? âIâll let you know in two weeks,â Dr. Choudhry says, as she is off to another trade show.
âAlways hustling,â she says, adding that opening her own pharmacy has been extremely rewarding.
âI love it,â she says. âWeâre growing every day and itâs a blessing. I wake up every morning and Iâm excited to get to work every day.â
Palms Pharmacy is located at 17008 Palm Pointe Dr., Tampa, and is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, call (813) 252-9063, see the ad on pg. 23 or visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com.
AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (AHWC) celebrated a heart-touching victory on April 9 as COVID-19 patient Tamashri Maharana was released after battling the virus for a week.
Maharana spent seven days at AHWC, the last four of those in the ICU battling the virus.
Team members lined the halls and clapped as she made her way home.
Maharana is now in quarantine at home continuing her recovery.
The latest COVID-19 numbers show 17,531 confirmed cases in Florida, with 390 deaths. In Hillsborough County, there are 671 cases and nine deaths. In Pasco County, there are 141 cases and two deaths.
Here’s the video of Maharana leaving AHWC, courtesy of the hospital.
Ciara Cotey is a Wesley Chapel native and University of South Florida graduate and the daughter of Neighborhood News managing editor John C. Cotey. She has lived and worked in Seoul, South Korea, since 2012, and has been living through the coronavirus outbreak since January.
South Korea sends out detailed emergency messages when someone is identified as having COVID-19, and includes a list of all the places they had been while infected.
I first heard about COVID-19 (which Koreans just call âcoronaâ) around the end of January, when it was becoming more widespread in China. It was the weekend of the Lunar New Year, so lots of people were traveling abroad and gathering with their families.Â
I wasnât too worried about it, and it didnât stop any of my Korean friends or coworkers from taking a weekend trip to Hong Kong or Shanghai over the vacation. I took a short trip to Daegu, which would become the epicenter of the spread in Korea, and we casually chatted about how we hoped the coronavirus would stay in China.
I teach English to some of the board members of the Central Bank of Korea, and one day when I arrived, they had a thermal camera set up outside the elevators. They informed me that I couldnât get into the building without wearing a mask. Luckily, I had a few at home to deal with the fine dust, but when I went to buy some later, I learned that masks were sold out everywhere â both in stores and online.
No one here was taking it too seriously until the last week of February, when infections quadrupled in a matter of days, due to one patient who refused a test and attended several âchurchâ events while she was sick. This led to the entire city of Daegu shutting down, and the rapid spread of the virus north into the South Korean capital of Seoul caused people to take it more seriously.
Soon, masks and hand sanitizers were quickly bought up, and the government started the warning system.
The Korean government sends out detailed national warning messages every time a new patient is discovered, and you can see the list of all the places they had been while infected.
If anyone receiving the messages had been near any of those places, there is a hotline phone number and the health department will tell you to self-quarantine. And, if you show symptoms, they will come to your house to test you.
Korea did a really good job of containing the virus when it was only China that had most of the cases. Daegu got pretty much shut down. After that, cases started popping up all over Seoul, but most of the cases still remain related to this âchurch.â
All of the registered members were tested and, after that, coronavirus testing became mandatory for people who might have come in contact with infected people.
Iâm not really scared of catching the virus, because Iâm healthy and the healthcare system in Korea is excellent, so I know I would recover. The testing and treatment of covid-19 is paid for by the government, so I also didnât have any fear of going broke if I caught it. However, I would be worried about spreading it to other people, like my adult students and their families, or my boyfriend and his parents.
Lots of working moms have had to take unpaid leave to take care of their children, as the school year continues to be postponed, currently until mid-April.
Itâs surprising to me that Americans are treating this as a vacation when the health system and response to the virus has been so abysmal. On Facebook, I see my friends back home going to the beach, going to concerts and taking advantage of the cheap flights to take a trip, and I canât imagine that happening here.
Social distancing is so important when thereâs no way to even follow the trail of infections. Americans here are all glad we stayed because if we had gone home out of fear, we wouldnât have had the same access to the health care and testing we have here.
As for the whole toilet paper thing, Koreans are literally laughing at Americans because they donât understand why toilet paper is sold out.
The only shortages I have seen have been hand sanitizer, thermometers and face masks, which are rationed by National Health Insurance. You can get 2 masks on the designated days. On Thursdays, for example, if your birth year ends with 5 or 9, you can stand in line at the pharmacy to get your masks. Luckily, my boyfriend had the foresight to order 200 masks in January, just in case.
If anything, this pandemic has created a huge demand for ordering groceries online, and people arenât stocking up or going to the grocery store because they can get whatever they want delivered whenever they want.
In general, people are still pretty worried, but some people are still living their lives the way they did before. My friends still go out and drink with their friends on the weekends, I still see restaurants packed with people.
But, everyone wears a mask in the subway and if you cough, all heads turn towards you. At the start of the issue, several foreigners here just up and left on the soonest flight to get away from the virus, I guess not knowing that it would eventually spread to their home countries as well. My close friends in Daegu are all confined to their homes because the situation in Daegu is much more stressful than it is here in Seoul.
âMy whole family communicates by calling and video chatting now,â my friend Eunyoung Kim tells me. âNone of the restaurants in the neighborhood are open except for delivery, and they just leave it outside your door after you pay electronically so thereâs no physical contact. Itâs hard not being able to share a meal with your family members for fear of getting sick.â
In a family-oriented culture like Korea, people are feeling very isolated compared to before.
At the moment, Korea is only showing about 75 or so new cases per day, with recovery rates surpassing the new cases, so it looks like itâs slowing down so far. People coming in from Europe are now forced into quarantine, so if this method works, Korea should have it fully contained within the next few months.
Stay safe, everyone. Hopefully, the U.S. response to the pandemic will continue to get better over time.
Stonewood Grill and Tavern once again tops publisher Gary Nager’s Top 25 list of restaurants in New Tampa.
Every year, after we report the results of our annual 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. Some of you love my opinions; others…not so much.
Even so, most people I meet out in our neck of the woods tell me they agree with my choices more than they do those of the readers year after year.
But, having waited until after the coronavirus outbreak hit home here in Florida to give you my list of favorites for 2019 surely didnât help matters any, as several of the eateries listed on pages 32-37 of this issue were closing, at least temporarily, rather than be open for takeout and delivery only, per Florida Gov. Ron De Santisâ order on Mar. 20.
Sadly, thereâs no doubt that some on this list may not be able to weather this storm and may close permanently. Until that happens, however, please support as many of the still-open eateries on my list as you can. I know Jannah and I will.
Iâm glad I got to sit down to a perfectly seared ahi tuna appetizer, a tender medium-rare filet, and a flavorful grouper piccata at my (and our readersâ) favorite restaurant in New Tampa â Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Tampa Palms â shortly before DeSantis gave his order.
As for the rest of my New Tampa top-25, please read on! â GN
1 — STONEWOOD 17050 Palm Pointe Dr., Tampa Palms | (813) 978-0388 Even though it hasnât always been my #1 favorite restaurant in New Tampa, thereâs no doubt that Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Tampa Palms has been near the top of my list since the day it opened nearly two decades ago.
New GM Matt Passardi â who previously ran the Grillsmith in the Shops at Wiregrass â and his staff usually also keep their guests happy at New Tampaâs most-happening bar scene, but of course, covid-19 has shut down the bar and Stonewoodâs elegant dine-in experience, at least for now. My suggestion? Get it to go while you can!
2 — THE FAT RABBIT 16029 Tampa Palms Blvd. | (813) 252-3004 The day The Fat Rabbit opened a few very short years ago, I was impressed with the look and feel of the place as a bar hangout, but I was thrilled when I sampled the food the first several times. Even though Iâm not so much a wing aficionado as I am a foodie, many in our area agree that The Fat Rabbit has the best wings anywhere Ââ blackened with a side of the Fat Rabbit cilantro sauce are my faves â as well as great burgers, âtatersâ (try the garlic sweet potato) and grown up grilled cheese. But, adding a Catch of the Week (blackened mahi-mahi above) moved the Rabbit way up on my list.
CICCIO CALI Shoppes at The Pointe 17004 Palm Pointe Dr. | (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 Ciccio Cali has been the only one in our area since Lodge closed in the former Ciccio & Tonyâs location in City Plaza. But, I have always credited Ciccio Cali as the first to bring âbowl cultureâ to New Tampa. The menu has been simplified, with multiple âbowl styleâ options (the âLean & Cleanâ with tuna is my fave), plus crisp-crust pizza and famous wrap sandwiches (the Cali Club is my fave). Â
6 — 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. With a more extensive menu, Bayscape would finish even higher on my list, because itâs hard to beat for breakfast, lunch and dinner,. There are great wings, burgers, salads and sandwiches, but my faves are the dinner âsignaturesâ like country fried chicken and slow-roasted, top round roast beef with brown gravy pictured above. Itâs been a while since Jannah and I stopped in for dinner and Friday night karaoke, but the last time we were there during the week, the chef-made pasta bar was incredible.
7 — FUSHIA ASIAN BISTRO Shoppes at Amberly, Tampa Palms 15317 Amberly Dr. | (813) 903-6705 If you still havenât tried Fushia, youâve been missing one of New Tampaâs best-kept secrets. Fushia may not serve traditional New York-style Chinese food, but it features many dishes I love you wonât find anywhere else in our distribution areas. Iâm partial to the pan-fried pork dumplings, but Fushia has a large menu of dim sum (served 11 a.m.-3 p.m. only) appetizers, plus all-you-can-eat Chinese hot pot and Korean BBQ, but my faves are the yang chow fried rice, the spicy yan jian pork, dry pot chicken and the beef with Chinese broccoli shown above.
8 — 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 a couple of months ago. 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 youâll find anywhere (I love the steamed broccoli with carrots, green beans and snow peas), but this is the place I go when I have a craving for crispy duck, whether its the tender roast duckling shown above or the âfancyâ duck with sweet & sour sauce. Â
9 — 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, you wonât find a better choice than 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 IÂ (sadly) am not able to enjoy. The sushi is really good, too.
11 — FULL CIRCLE PIZZA Pebble Creek Collection 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. | (813) 994-3700 Donât get me wrong…even though I find the deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza shown above very tasty, Iâll 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, Iâm 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.
14 — KOIZI ENDLESS HIBACHI & SUSHIÂ Shoppes at The Pointe 17012 Palm Pointe Dr. | (813) 971-1919 Anytime you get into a discussion with a local about which endless hibachi and sushi restaurant they prefer â Koizi or Ginza â things can get a little heated. Koizi is $1 less for adults for lunch ($11.95) and dinner ($18.95)and it actually does have teppanyaki tables (above), I just have long felt that the quality of most items, especially the appetizers, is better at Ginza. Even so, the hibachi filet mignon, New York strip steak and chicken are all pretty good and there is a great variety of sushi and sashimi available. The teriyaki and black pepper chicken are also pretty good options .
15 — WOODFIRED PIZZA 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 Taylorâs unique pizza names â 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 (Peterâs âcarnivoreâ pizza has all three) and fresh spinach. The wood-fired meatball appetizer and wings also are delicious, and Iâve yet to sample the wood oven petite (4-oz.) filet mignon, but the classic Caesar, Greek and iceberg wedge salads are excellent, too.
16 — LITTLE GREEK New Tampa Center 19022 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. | (813) 972-0707 Although itâs a completely different kind of eatery than Acropolis, Little Greek also has really good Greek food, as evidenced by the crowds that usually are in line (but always moving; great service!) during lunchtime. In addition to the only true gyro sandwiches (photo) and platters in New Tampa, this still-growing small chain (with around 30 locations in Florida and 50 total in six states), also features excellent steak, chicken, salmon and even lamb skewers, spanakopita, falafel, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and hummus and the only true Greek salad dressing in zip code 33647.
17 — SAKE HOUSE Shoppes at Amberly, Tampa Palms 15311 Amberly Dr. | (813) 977-3838 This unassuming little sushi bar and Japanese restaurant has previously been called Fongâs Sushi and Sushi Raw, but one thing has remained consistent through all of its incarnations â really good sushi (photo) and specialties like gyoza (pan-fried dumplings) filled with your choice of pork, chicken or shrimp, tempura (shrimp, chicken, beef, scallops, salmon, veggie or even tofu), and beef and chicken teriyaki. The seared tuna tataki appetizer is outstanding, and among my favorite rolls are the tuna trio (spicy tuna inside, red and white tuna on top) and the OZ roll, with fried grouper and spicy crabmeat.
18 — OAKLEY’S GRILLE 17631 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. | (813) 523-5075 Even though the restaurant hasnât been owned by anyone with the last name Oakley in a few years, current owner Luca Ammirati is a native Italian who has added a number of specialties from his homeland, starting with authentic fried meatballs served with the tomato sauce on the side. The last time I was in Oakleyâs, Ammirati had not yet added penne carbonara, lasagna or penne al ragu (meat sauce), but all three are now listed on his website, so I definitely need to stop in to try them. And of course, Oakleyâs still has my favorite bacon cheeseburger and crisp fries in New Tampa.
19 — ISLAND FIN POKE CO. 6417 E. County Line Rd. | (813) 575-8002 This newcomer, which was opened by former New Tampa residents Brenda and Jeff Sproat in late 2019, has established itself as the first Hawaiian-style create-your-own poke 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, the thing that sets Island Fin apart are the sauces. I really only need the OG and Island Fire marinating sauces…and an occasional Dole whip dessert.
20 — THAI LANNA & SUSHI Cross Creek Center 10022 Cross Creek Blvd. | (813) 991-0108 For those of you who donât live off of Cross Creek Blvd., Thai Lanna is another excellent (and pretty) Thai place that also really good appetizers like the Thai spring rolls, pan-fried dumplings (bottom right in the photo) fried calamari and even fried eggplant. There are three kinds of crispy duck, with the volcano duck (with mixed veggies and sweet chili sauce) being my favorite. Try the and crab fried rice! Thai Lanna also has really fresh sushi (cooked shrimp sushi and California roll are shown above), too.
21 — MR. DUNDERBAKâS Oak Ramble Plaza 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. | (813) 977-4104 When the original Mr. Dunderbakâs was in the University Mall, I thought it was a cool place for German food, even though I really only had roast bee 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) shown above, and the kassler rippchen (pork chops). Iâm not a big beer drinker, but Mr. Dâs biergarten has a huge selection and is always packed. Great European chocolate selection, too.
22 — PETRA MEDITERRANEAN 17503 Preserve Walk Ln. | (813) 898-8991 If youâve ever had a hankerinâ (as I sometimes do) for authentic beef shawarma hand-sliced off a rotating spit (photo), Petra is the place for you. The authentic Mediterranean/Middle Eastern menu includes a great sampler platter, which includes fried kibbe, falafel, hummus, babaganoush and grape leaves, served with a side of tahini sauce. I also really enjoy the nabulsi fried cheese appetizer, the tabouli, fattoush and Greek salads, as well as the chicken shawarma and chicken and shish (cubed lamb) kebab sandwiches and the Petra mixed grill with shish, kufta (ground lamb) and chicken kebabs.
24 — 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 Athanâs The Brunchery filled that void. And, even though I prefer fried eggs over easy with crispy bacon to the scrambled egg breakfast shown above, this was such a pretty picture we decided to use it instead. The Brunchery also serves a selection of âBenedictâ (poached egg) breakfasts, avocado toast, a lox (smoked salmon) platter, ultimate omelets and an incredible variety of French toast options. Iâm embarrassed to say Jannah and I havenât sampled it for lunch yet, but it offers burgers, sandwiches (including tuna and grilled chicken melts) and salads.
25 — TAMPA PALMS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd. | (813) 972-1991 There was a time, like when I first purchased the Neighborhood News 26 years ago, when this beautiful club, Boston Cooker and Hunterâs Green Country Club were the only ârealâ restaurants open for dinner in New Tampa. But of course, you usually had to be a member to dine at TPGCC, so I really only got to eat there when I attended New Tampa Rotary Club breakfast meetings on Friday mornings â and that club still meets there every week! However, I will say that the times when Iâve gotten to have dinner at TPGCC, the food has always been pretty good, like the filet shown above.
GARYâS NEXT 25 FAVES (in alphabetical order) All of these restaurants are very good, just not good enough (in my opinion) to make my Top-25 in New Tampa. Iâm even admitting to liking some âfast foodâ places.-GN
Al-Sham Palace Aroy Thai Bearss Tavern & Tap Burger 21 Cantina Mexican Grill Cappyâs Pizza Deanoâs Pizza & Pasta Don Julioâs Authentic Mexican Five Guys Burgers & Fries Ho King Hummingbird Jerk House Hunterâs Green Country Club Jersey Mikeâs Subs Juice Factory Minerva Indian Restaurant Mulligans Irish Pub (at PCGC) Olive Garden Palm Thai PJ Dolanâs Irish Pub Saffron Indian Cuisine Snowrolls Steak nâ Shake Sushi Avenue Taste of NY Pizza Westshore Pizza
*- Notes – Mahana Fresh & Lima both didnât open until 2020, or they would have made this list.
** – Sukhothai, Vallartaâs (Tampa Palms), and Regina Margherita (previously called Chefs of Napoli) were all on this list before they all closed (with Regina Margherita closing the week we went to press with this issue) and El Pescador, which previously occupied Limaâs location in the New Tampa Center plaza, made my top-50 before it closed.
Tom (seated) and Patrick Murtha have not only helped area businesses grow, but have grown quite a bit themselves since moving to Wesley Chapel in 2015. (Photo: John C. Cotey)
Tom Murtha and his son Patrick do more than just crunch numbers during tax season. Partners and owners of their own accounting firm â Murtha & Murtha, LLC â in the Seven Oaks Professional Park off S.R. 56 (across from Samâs Club), the father-son duo has more than 50 years of combined experience in handling ever-changing tax laws on behalf of their accounting clients.
The Murthas consult, advise and deal in complicated and intricate tax laws and provide things like business valuations and due diligence while also running the successful Murtha & Murtha Mergers and Acquisitions, LLC.
And of course, they do taxes.
âWe do it all,â says Tom.
And, as they help businesses grow and prosper, so has their own business. The Murthas are coming off a year in which they merged with another office in Zephyrhills, which is now called Henson & Murtha, CPAs. Tom says that transition went off seamlessly and is helping the Murthas spread their influence across eastern Pasco, an area they feel is underserved.
â(The merger) was very, very successful,â Tom says. âWe (inherited) some great people, havenât lost any clients and have grown over there.â
Tom, who earned his B.S. degree in Management from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, in 1976, and his M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration) degree in Accounting from St. Johnâs University in Queens, NY, in 1981, has been doing mergers, acquisitions and business valuations since the 1990s.
Patrick, who grew up around tax codes at his fatherâs business, graduated from the University of South Florida in 2009 with Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in both Finance and Accounting. He joined his father in opening a firm in Tampa in 2010, focusing on mergers and acquisitions. One of Patrickâs first tasks was to sell Tomâs former Englewood accounting firm.
In 2013, the Murthas expanded to full service, and in 2015, moved to their current location in Wesley Chapel.
Currently in the middle of tax season, Murtha & Murtha is expecting to do more than 2,000 tax returns between the two offices. In its Wesley Chapel location alone, where the Murthas and senior accountant Kyle Flischel, CPA, are particularly busy, business is up 70 percent.
Tom calls it âexplosive.â Patrick draws a laugh from his father when he says this tax season has already been like âtrying to drink water from a fire hose.â During a recent two-day span, Patrick says he had meetings with 20 new, potential clients.
That speaks to the success of the firm. The staff has grown and stayed ahead of the growth, allowing Murtha & Murtha, LLC, to provide business services that are never interrupted by seasonal changes or having too much on their plates.
Business Gurus, Too
Much of what Murtha & Murtha does is help businesses large and small handle their accounting. While the proliferation of online filing software has replaced the duties of many accountants over the years, Tom says it has only helped his business thrive.
Now, instead of using most of their time inputting numbers into a computer program, the Murthas have more time to advise businesses on more important matters that can improve their bottom line.
âToday, with QuickBooks and other accounting software, that stuff is already done,â Tom says. âThat doesnât do anything for the client; itâs all after the fact. We can actually help clients with what they need. Weâre helping them become successful, not just doing this work that shows them where they were last year.â
Thatâs why the Murthas suggest that businesses meet with them during the year, to make decisions before tax time, when it may be too late to help maximize a return or save money for that year.
Services Your Business Needs
Murtha & Murtha offers a âCFO Retainer Package,â which is designed to help businesses and those who are self-employed whose company may need a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) but donât have the budget to hire a full-time manager or accountant for that job.
For a fraction of the cost of a full-time CFO, the Murthas operate in an advisory position and can handle everything from accounting and bookkeeping to setting up payroll and ensuring that all of a clientâs income and expenses are classified correctly.
They also will put together a budget, which Patrick says hardly any other companies do. The Murthas are big on budgeting, which helps their clients make decisions in real time, instead of waiting until the end of the year.
And of course, they will take care of all of the tax preparation and planning.
Patrick says it is that personal touch that differentiates Murtha & Murtha from others. While some CPAs may take a pass on your more complicated business problems, the Murthas specialize in taking them on â and solving them.
At Murtha & Murtha, the person you talk to is the person who does your tax return. Whether youâre a filer from a lower income tax bracket, a business bringing in $100,000 a year or someone with an $80-million stock portfolio, you get personalized treatment.
âWe want our clients to view us as advisers,â says Patrick, ânot just the guys who do their tax returns.â
And if the help you require is outside of their parameters, they will help you find the right person, whether itâs a lawyer or a certified financial planner (CFP).
âHelping the client is our brand,â Tom says. âWe help people be successful. Thatâs what our firm does.â
Murtha & Murtha, LLC, is located at 2236 Ashley Oaks Cir., Suite 101, Wesley Chapel. For more info, visit TampaTaxFirm.com, see the ad on pg. 19 or to schedule a free consultation, call (813) 991-1120. Henson & Murtha, CPAs, is located at 5315 8th Ave. in Zephyrhills. For info, call (813) 782-0580.
