Wesley Chapel’s Favorite Bars!

Based on the results of our 2019 Reader Survey:

There’s no doubt that Bahama Breeze Island Grille is popular, but considering the selection of bars and restaurants now located in Wesley Chapel, it was a bit of a surprise to see the popular Darden Restaurants brand take home both our readers’ Favorite Bar in WC and Favorite Restaurant.

It probably shouldn’t be so surprising, however, considering that the Bahama Breeze bar has more seats — inside and out — than any other in or near Wesley Chapel. In addition, it’s one of our area’s few live music venues and, Melissa says, “with so many other restaurants and businesses having opened around us, there’s a lot more nearby parking than there was when this location opened.”

And of course, for those seeking sweet tropical specialty drinks, few local hangouts offer the variety that Bahama Breeze does, from a full line of mojitos to cocktail flights to the famous Bahamarita, or half-priced appetizers during Happy Hour and other bar specials. 

And, Melissa says, all Bahama Breeze locations will again be celebrating National Margarita Day with $2.22 margaritas all day. Might I suggest a ride-share service to go that day? Bahama Breeze is located at 25830 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz. For more information, call (813) 949-0779 or visit BahamaBreeze.com. — GN

2. Brass Tap, for my money, is truly Wesley Chapel’s premier bar hangout and has only grown in popularity since the nearby Primebar closed in the Shops at Wiregrass. With the cheapest premium full-liquor bar prices at the mall and karaoke, live music and trivia, the Brass Tap is hard to beat.

3. BJ’s Brewhouse would finish higher on my own list of Wesley Chapel favorites if it just had a few additional seats at its always-packed bar. BJ’s has one of the more-rounded food menus in Wesley Chapel, and reasonable enough prices, it just could use a more bar-friendly configuration, in one editor’s opinion. 

4. The Basement has long been one of Wesley Chapel’s best-kept secrets, especially since it’s technically located in Lutz. But, its great beer and hard seltzer/wine-based cocktail selection, karaoke and DJ dance music and occasional comedy nights always bring out a lively, fun crowd —  and the drink prices are great.

5. Noble Crust truly offers one of the great bar scenes in Wesley Chapel, with ultra-premium liquor but still fair prices and usually enough seats to accommodate those who don’t want to sit at a table. Noble Crust was the only place this year other than Bahama Breeze to make the top-5 as both a restaurant & bar.   

New Tampa’s Favorite Bars!

Based on the results of our 2019 Reader Survey:

Owners John Kuemmel and Shawn Diehl have done exactly what they wanted to do when they decided nearly three years ago to fulfill a 25-year dream they shared of opening their own bar. In the heart of Tampa Palms, they have spun an inventive menu, ice cold beer, premium liquor and a unique atmosphere into our readers’ favorite bar in New Tampa to enjoy a night out.

 What’s not to like (other than the ridiculously hard questions on Tuesday Trivia Nights)?

A bar that has outstanding food — and The Fat Rabbit finished just behind Acropolis as our readers’ sixth favorite restaurant in New Tampa, too — is never a bad thing.

The chicken wings are arguably the best around — make sure you check out the Buffalo Garlic Ranch — and there’s even a Real McCoy burger named after former Tampa Bay Buc and Tampa Palms resident Gerald McCoy and a fresh Catch of the Week. And, the crispy tater tots are truly divine.

The Fat Rabbit now even brews a Transplant IPA and Concrete & Gold Pilsner in-house, with more tanks on the way.

And, the decor gives the Fat Rabbit an elegant look with a comfortable neighborhood feel that keeps you coming back for more. — JCC

2. Stonewood Grill & Tavern has been among New Tampa’s favorite places to drink since the moment it opened, and since our readers obviously also love the food (see previous page), too, there’s no doubt that Stonewood is here to stay.

3. Mr. Dunderbak’s  has never had a full-alcohol bar, but its huge variety of beers from around the world, unique German-inspired menu, gifts and even chocolates keep it one of our readers’ favorite bars year after year, which often makes it hard to find a seat at that bar. 

4. Chili’s Grill & Bar in New Tampa continues to receive lots of votes in our Reader Survey every year. Even though it’s a chain, there’s no easy access to it from BBD and the restaurants next door to it keep going out of business, it keeps on rolling. ‘Nuff said.

5. Peabody’s in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms is another long-time favorite bar that also has great food (especially pizza & wings). Plus, it’s New Tampa’s adult play place, with tons of TVs, pool tables, darts and a younger-skewing crowd.

Wharton Career Fair Opens Students’ Eyes To More Options

A different kind of fair made its way to Wharton High earlier this month.

Although there were no rides or fried foods, the school’s gymnasium hosted the first Wharton Technical School & Career Fair on Feb. 11. 

Advertised as the first of its kind, the fair provided more than 250 students a chance to meet with various companies, businesses, technical and vocational schools and even recruiters from various branches of the military.

The message? There is a wide range of opportunities that don’t require a traditional college education.

“A lot of times, when I have kids sitting in front of me, they’re saying they don’t what they’re going to do after they graduate,” said Wharton’s Success Coach Roslyn Brown, who organized the event. “They guess they’ll go get a minimum-wage job.”

However, Brown says that doesn’t have to be the case. That’s why she came up with the idea for the Technical School & Career Fair.

“I try to tell them there are a lot of things they can do that don’t require a four-year (college) degree that will make them a really good income and (allow them to be) happy and successful,” she said. “They’re just not aware of those opportunities, so that’s why I thought it would be great to provide these kids with one forum to learn about multiple opportunities or options.”

Roughly 25 vendors were on hand in Wharton’s gymnasium, from Publix to the military branches, as well as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Border Patrol and Busch Gardens. 

Paul Mitchell the School, which offers cosmetology and hair styling/barbering programs, as well as technical schools such as Keiser University and Erwin Technical School on E. Hillsborough Ave. were on hand, too, all there to show that a motivated junior or a graduating senior’s only option isn’t enrolling (or trying to enroll) in a traditional four-year university.

Leaving An Impression…

“I thought it was really good to see different outlooks on what you can do after high school,” said senior Jahniah Eaton. “It lets you keep your mind open and it also gives you something to fall back on. Say you don’t want to go to college, then you can just fall back on this or have a way to make money, so you’re not just walking around with empty pockets in a couple of years.”

For fellow senior Jarell Miranda, the career fair was enlightening and productive.

“Personally, I was going to go to a trade school, not a four-year college, so I got to speak to Erwin Tech and saw more things that I would really like to do,” Miranda said. “It was awesome that the school did this for us.”

Brown said part of putting the fair together was pinpointing who would benefit most from attending and then preparing them to impress potential employers.

Three different sessions were held to determine the best students to attend the fair.

The first session gauged the interest of students who were mostly unsure of what they wanted to do after graduation, or were not specifically interested in attending a university or college.

Once those students were chosen, they were prepped on how to make an impression on potential employers and post-high-school technical programs.

A second session was dedicated to resumé building and during the third session, Brown had a representative from Men’s Wearhouse come to the school to teach the students how to “dress for success,” right down to how to properly knot a necktie.

“I’m not personally aware of another school that (hosts a career fair like this),” Brown said. “But now, a lot of feedback we’ve gotten from (the businesses, schools and recruiters) was how impressed they were by the size of it and how many opportunities were available, all at one location.”

Roslyn Brown

Brown said she was wasn’t sure why more schools don’t also offer career fairs like the one Wharton hosted but did say the Hillsborough County School District does a good job of promoting other events that businesses, companies, organizations and even recruiters might host for students.

In the end, the students were not only appreciative of the fair being held by the school, but impressed, as well.

“You got to see a lot of different opportunities outside of just going to college,” junior Jayla Bembow said, “and it was cool that the school made this available to us. And, it wasn’t just about what’s available, they were also telling us other things to prepare for, like interviews and resumé building.”

For those who want to learn an applicable skill and begin working sooner, the career fair definitely was an eye opener.

“I thought it was pretty cool to see about different jobs there are without having to go to college,”  junior Heather Johnson said. “But also like the trade and tech schools — it’s cool that you can go there for just a year or two and already start working.”

Nibbles and Bytes

More Italian, Honest!

Oronzo Honest Italian is expected to open in late-April in the old Men’s Wearhouse store in the Walk at Highwoods Preserve on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

Dan Bavaro, who founded Bavaro’s Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria in downtown Tampa in 2009, is teaming up with the Front Burner Brands restaurant group on the fast-casual Italian concept. 

“Oronzo is named after my grandfather, Oronzo Bavaro, who migrated from Giovinazzo, Italy, to Gravesend, Brooklyn, New York, in the early 1900s,” said Bavaro in a press release. “My grandfather established Oronzo & Sons General Trucking Company, which made deliveries to area grocery stores and restaurants.”

Front Burner Brands owns The Melting Pot and Burger 21 franchises. Its CEO, Bob Johnston, said in the release that when he first met Bavaro, “We knew there was something special about him.”

The menu at Oronzo’s will focus on from-scratch recipes, many featuring Piadana, a thin Italian flatbread whose dough is made by mixing imported Italian flour, water and lard or olive oil and then grilled and sandwiched around a number of different fillings. The menu will also have chicken, steak, hand-rolled meatballs, Forza bowls and homemade pasta, as well as vegan options like zucchini noodles. — JCC

Lima Opens In El Pescador’s Place!

Quick, which cuisine is widely regarded as the finest of Latin America? No, it’s not Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican or Colombian.

If you want to find out the answer, head to the new Lima Restaurant, which is located in the former El Pescador location in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza, near the Mobil gas station. Lima, owned by Oscar Escudero and his family, is named, of course, for the capital of Peru and yes, Peruvian food is world-famous for unique flavors like the best rotisserie chicken and the most incredible fish and seafood ceviche. 

At Lima both dishes live up to their lofty reputations. The chicken has a crispy coating and even though the chicken itself is extremely well done, it’s still juicy inside, and is served with two different, moderately spicy dipping sauces. Since I can’t eat the seafood ceviche, I got the mahi-mahi ceviche marinated in a trio of different sauces, with those incredible giant Aztec corn kernels (think corn nuts, only better). If you order either of these dishes and hate them, tell Oscar to call me and I’ll come get ‘em!

For more info, stop in or call Lima (19062 BBD) at (813) 304-0205. — GN   

Aldi, Aussie Grill, Bonefish & Carrabba’s (& More), Oh My!

Despite Earth Fare’s closing, there’s still plenty of action happening these days on both the north and south side of S.R. 56 just west of I-75, but nothing is more anticipated than the Aldi grocery store taking shape in front of Costco.

Although no grand opening date has been announced, the signs are up on the outside of the building that looks to be just a few weeks away from opening.

Right across S.R. 56, a number of eateries are going vertical in the Cypress Creek Town Center, including three Bloomin’ Brands restaurants — Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Aussie Grill by Outback (photo, left). The local Aussie Grill will be the first-ever freestanding location for the fast-casual eatery that currently only has kiosks at the International Plaza and the Brandon Town Center. After our Neighborhood News Online video came out about the progress on these restaurants three weeks ago, a comment on our Facebook page said that the Bonefish on BBD south of S.R. 56 would close when the new Bonefish opens, but we could not confirm that at our press time. — GN

 • In other news from this area of 56, according to permitting filed with Pasco County, Zukku Sushi is also opening in the Cypress Creek Town Center.

Zukku means “canvas” or “cloth” in Japanese and, according to the restaurant’s website, the rice is your canvas. With its first location inside the trendy Armature Works in South Tampa, Zukku specializes in sushi bowls and sushi. — JCC

HGE Opens Comfort Corner Sensory Room

The Comfort Corner at HGE is the Hillsborough County School District’s largest sensory room, thanks to the Sydney Has A Sister foundation.

For students who deal with sensory processing disorders such as autism, having a safe, comfortable space to calm down can make a difference in how successful that child is at school.

At Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE), to meet this need, a brand new sensory room was unveiled on January 30. While a few other schools throughout Hillsborough County also have sensory rooms, the one at He is housed in a large classroom, making it the largest in the District.

Dubbed the “Comfort Corner” — with fabric softening the room’s lights and translucent curtains dividing it into many separate spaces — it doesn’t feel like a classroom. Filled with quiet areas with dark spaces, hanging hideaway chairs, and weighted blankets, as well as active areas with fidget toys and fine motor skills activities, the room meets the many varied needs of diverse students.

“Some kids with autism have a sensory overload,” explains Joni Cagle, HGE’s Exceptional Student Education (ESE) teacher, “while others don’t get enough sensory input. We wanted a place for kids who have differences to feel safe and learn coping strategies to meet them where they are so we can help them to be successful at school.”

But, Joni is quick to add, “It’s not just for kids with labels.”

She says typical kids who get anxiety before a big test, for example, can come to the room and bounce on a ball for a few minutes to help reduce that anxiety.

David and Veronica Mardo have two kids at HGE, a daughter in third grade and a son with special needs in pre-Kindergarten.

“This will help my son for sure,” David says. “I think it’s great the school has something like this for him.”

To bring the Comfort Corner to the school, more than $8,000 worth of equipment – from bouncing balls to rope lights to a weighted blanket in the shape of a hamburger – was donated by a local foundation called Sydney Has A Sister, founded in 2014 by Ernie and Becky Black of Land O’Lakes.

Sydney Has A Sister was established to provide scholarships that recognize the sacrifices that typical children make when they have siblings with special needs, such as long hours in doctors’ waiting rooms.

It expanded its mission to help provide sensory rooms at schools after seeing one in Jacksonville.

“This is our fourth sensory room,” says Ernie. “Some other sensory rooms are a small room or even a longer hallway. The challenge is they don’t have enough space. This is what we envisioned. And, even though it’s large, we’ve created these nooks so it’s not as sterile and the space is intimate.”

He says every item chosen for the Hunter’s Green sensory room was intentional, based on the recommendations of specialists and what they have learned creating rooms at other schools.

“For example, the way the room has dividers,” explains Ernie. “There can be five kids in here that don’t feel like they’re in the same room. And, the curtains are transparent so the teachers can still supervise all of them.”

He and Veronica believe the Hunter’s Green Comfort Corner will be a model for future rooms.

“This is a place that gets kids geared up to learn and focus and gets them back into the classroom,” Ernie says. “That’s the whole point.”

He says that Sydney Has A Sister was able to fund the room through the generosity of its sponsors and fundraising events. 

In addition, a family at the school, who asked to not be named in this story, provided a donation to purchase additional needed furniture and supplies and ensure the ongoing success of the Comfort Corner. 

Joni says the total cost of the room is more than $10,000. The good news is that it’s already making a difference. 

“We’ve seen attention spans increase,” Joni says. “We’ve seen social skills increase. Fine motor skills. Gross motor skills. It really affects the whole child in a positive way.”

For more information, visit SydneyHasASister.com.