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Las Palmas Earns The Title Of Best Cuban Restaurant In Tampa Bay!

Ramses Garcia, the owner/chef at Las Palmas Latin Grill off County Line Rd., just south of the Pasco County line (near Five Guys Burgers & Fries), is a pretty confident guy — confident about his food and his restaurant’s entrenched position in our community — and that confidence has been boosted in recent years, as Las Palmas has won a couple of impressive titles.

After being named as the purveyor of the “World’s Best Cuban Sandwich (Tampa historic style)” at the Cuban Sandwich Festival held in Ybor City the last two years, and with the shocked reaction he received from the community when he closed his former Las Palmas location (in the Pebble Creek Collection, a little further south on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) nearly two years ago — as well as the overjoyed reaction he and his wife Ana got when Las Palmas resurfaced in its new location earlier this year — it’s easy to understand why he feels so strongly about what he does.

But, even the big man with the bigger personality couldn’t possibly have expected to win the title bestowed upon him recently by another well-known (even though I’d never heard of it before…just kidding) local publication — Best of the Bay Cuban Restaurant, by Creative Loafing.

Or did he?

“Hell yes, we deserve it,” Ramses says proudly. There were at least 75 other Cuban restaurants throughout the Tampa Bay area that received votes, so that’s not something you can win by accident. You and the Mrs. love my food, don’t you?”

Heck yes, we do. I’ve enjoyed so many dishes over the years at both of Ramses’ Las Palmas locations — from the ropa vieja (shredded beef) to the breaded palomillo steak to the lechon asado (roasted pork) and the crispy beef, aka vaca frita (which is marinated in garlic-lemon mojo sauce sautéed to a delicious crisp), to the deep fried pork chunks drizzled with garlic mojo (masitas).

But, the dish that hooked Jannah on Las Palmas that also has been my long-time favorite is the merluza a la Russe (whitefish with Russian sauce, made with chopped eggs, parsley and spices; left photo on next page). Well, maybe it used to be my favorite.

New Favorites?

The reason is not because I don’t still love this flaky, white fish (also known as hake), lightly breaded, flash-fried and topped with chopped egg and delicious spices. It’s because Ramses recently added a few new menu items that are now vying for attention as my favorite.

Ramses has a unique take on the traditional Peruvian-style fish ceviche tapas. Not only does he marinate raw whitefish in lime juice and spices, he places chunky pieces of it into edible cups made out of plantains and tops this tapas with onions and red and yellow peppers. Other favorite starters/tapas on the menu include yuca fries, empanadas, deviled crabs, stuffed potatoes and croquettes.

Las Palmas also has a great café salad, topped with smoked ham, Genoa salami, Swiss cheese, green olives and banana peppers and his creamy herb dressing is outstanding, although he also has great balsamic vinaigrette and ranch dressings, too.

Ramses also recently added thick-cut loin pork chops (costillas de puerco; photo above) that are available breaded and deep fried or marinated and grilled (as in the picture) and are tender and super-tasty.

But, my favorite of the new menu items is an amazing churrasco steak (above), topped with one of the best homemade chimichurri (green) sauces I’ve ever tasted. And, even though the churrasco is flank steak, it is amazingly tender and cooked to perfection.

“Of course it’s tender,” Ramses says proudly. “That’s prime flank steak — the best you can buy. It costs a little more, but I want people to know that when they eat here, they get top quality at great prices.”

For those looking for a quick and delicious lunch (served 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday-Friday only), many of Las Palmas’ Cuban favorites are available with one side dish for $8.49 to no more than $9.49, including the roasted pork, ropa vieja, picadillo (minced beef), fried butterfly shrimp and the chef’s selection “Tour of Havana,” a classic sampler trio of ropa vieja, roasted pork and picadillo.

Available lunch sides include black beans, boiled yuca, sweet or green fried plantains, green beans, peas, a side house salad and even French fries.

And, of course, Ramses sells a lot of his “World’s Best” Cuban sandwiches at lunch, too. He also serves a Miami-style Cuban (without salami), a roasted pork sandwich, breaded or grilled palomillo steak and a breaded basa (freshwater fish) sandwich, all served on artisanal Cuban bread.

At dinner time, you can have your choice of yellow or white rice and black or red beans, in addition to the lunch sides mentioned above. You also can substitute a cup of one of Las Palmas’ premium soups — black bean, white bean and collared greens, garbanzo beans or black beans and rice soups — for only 45 cents additional. Other dinner entrées not mentioned earlier include chicken and yellow rice, grilled chicken breast and two shrimp dishes I sadly can’t sample — breaded, fried shrimp and shrimp in garlic sauce.

What About Dessert?

You definitely should save room for dessert at Las Palmas.

The sampler pic above features items that are available every day in the beautiful display case at the front of the restaurant, including (l.-r.) the tres lechés (sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk, including evaporated, condensed and heavy cream), a traditional chocolate layer cake, Cuban-style flan and a light and delicious creme brulée, which has that perfectly crisp topping even though it’s not flambéed tableside. A second display case located near the cash register offers a variety of perfect pastries, all with flaky crusts and delicious fillings like guava and (I believe) some kind of berry.

And of course, there’s amazing espresso (aka café Cubano) and some of the best café con leché in town.

Las Palmas’ catering menu is extensive but never expensive, with corporate events and large parties a specialty, and Ramses says beer and wine is definitely in the restaurant’s future.

Las Palmas Latin Grill is located at 6431 E. County Line Rd., New Tampa. It is open Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., and Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. It is closed on Sundays. Reservations are never required. For more information, call (813) 803-3903 or visit LasPalmasLatinGrill.com.

Las Palmas

The Brunchery Looking To Open Doors By December

When it comes to grabbing breakfast off busy Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa, there is no shortage of places to grab a pastry, donut, breakfast sandwich or a cup of coffee.

But, if you want a couple of eggs over easy, a strip of fresh bacon, a slice of warm toast and coffee in a ceramic mug, you’re pretty much out of luck.

However, the good news is that your luck is about to change.

The Brunchery, a popular Valrico restaurant locally owned for 30 years by Kevyn Farley and known for its stuffed French toast, grilled muffins and six kinds of eggs Benedict, is planning to open in the old Boston Market space on BBD the first week in December, if not sooner.

New owner Stanley Athan is enthusiastic about his latest venture. He grew up in Washington state, in a family that has spent more than 50 years in the restaurant business.

Athan’s first job was washing the dishes in one of his father’s restaurants at age 14, so he could earn enough money to buy a car when he turned 16. He is the youngest of three brothers, all of whom now own restaurants — Stanley owns Voula’s Good Eats, named after his mother, in Mountlake Terrace, WA.

When he started looking for new a new business to buy, however, a number of factors pointed him towards Florida. He spent eight months searching for a pizza place or a diner — anything but a chain eatery.

“Floridians are sick of chains,” he says. “They go because they don’t have other choices.”

When one of his old high school friends mentioned that the restaurant he lived down the street from, The Brunchery, was for sale, Athan quickly hopped on a plane.

“When I first walked in, it was exactly what I was looking for,” Athan says.

On his second visit, they got his order wrong. He ordered stuffed waffles, and instead was brought stuffed strawberry French toast. He said it was so good, however, he left a $10 tip.

The Brunchery wasn’t “broke,” so Athan didn’t have much to fix. The restaurant uses the same recipes that Farley used, continues to buy their products —bread, fruit, etc. — from the same vendors, and perhaps most important, serves the same coffee.

Athan merely added some social media muscle to the operation, and sales have been up since he took over in December of 2018.

Now, he is looking to duplicate the rooster-themed, country feel of his prized mom n’ pop at his 2,300-sq.-ft. space in Valrico to his new 3,100-sq.-ft. space in New Tampa, which will have seating for 100.

He is fully aware that a place to have breakfast in New Tampa is high on the wish list of many area residents.

The Brunchery is best known for its breakfast items — made-from-scratch Belgian waffles and French toast (for the special this week, they were stuffed with blackberries), homemade homefries, steak and eggs and breakfast scrambles — but it also has a lunch selection that includes burgers and sandwiches.

Athan said one of the best compliments he has gotten since taking over the restaurant came from one of his customers who is from New York, and said The Brunchery’s Reuben sandwich was the best he’s had since moving to Florida.

With chef and general manager Al Marku, Athan hopes to build the same loyal customer base in New Tampa that he has built in Valrico.

“We know what customers want and like,” Athan says. “We will be bringing that to New Tampa.”

brunchery New Tampa

93-LOVE

Williamsburg resident Francesca Caravella is 93 years old, but that doesn’t stop her from playing tennis 3-4 days a week and whipping up on the young‘ns.

Three times a week, and sometimes more, Francesca Caravella slings her tennis bag over her shoulder and trudges across the grass from her home just a few hundred yards away in search of competition.

She arrives at the court each morning, and effortlessly reaches down like a gymnast stretching for a routine to remove little plastic bags from her shoes, her protection against the morning dew.

Here at Williamsburg, one of Wesley Chapel’s oldest communities where she has lived since 1983, Francesca is tennis royalty. The 93-year-old left-handed racquet-wielding spitfire also is something of a freak of nature.

“You wouldn’t know she’s that old, the way she plays,” says Glenn Dimiccio, who maintains the courts at Williamsburg and also is one of the community’s top players.

Dimiccio is warming her up on this day, and it is brutally hot and humid. And yet, Francesca is moving side-to-side, hitting backhands and forehands undaunted.

She had her left meniscus surgically repaired a few years ago, ending her singles career, and her right knee is bone-on-bone and can get quite sore, but Francesca is remarkably agile for someone her age. She still cracks a steady forehand and will liberally mix in high lobs to keep her opponents off the net.

“You gotta do what you gotta do,” she is fond of saying.

In matches, Francesca lets her partners do the work at the net. She was once smacked so hard in the face by an overhead, “I had to spend thousands of dollars on new dentures.”

Francesca definitely knows the game of tennis. She is picky about her racquets and tennis gear and she watches the game closely on the Tennis Channel.

Her friends at Williamsburg have asked her why she doesn’t get an official USTA ranking. The USTA holds national events in all age groups, including 90+, and her teammates and opponents are almost certain she is one of the best 90-year-olds in the country.

“I don’t want to travel far to play people,” she says. “Being number one is just not that big a deal for me.”

The daughter of immigrants who hailed from Messina, Sicily, Francesca grew up in Brooklyn, NY, where she says exercise was always a way of life.

She played handball in junior high and stickball in the streets. She says she joined a gym at 16 years old, and after meeting her husband Sal at age 18, learned to ballroom dance. After she had children, she would exercise along with Jack LaLanne on television.

It wasn’t until she moved to Florida in 1985 that she picked up a tennis racquet.

“Nobody ever gave me a lesson,” Francesca says. “Not one. I picked up things by watching players on television. I remember watching (Bjorn) Borg, (Andre) Agassi and (Pete) Sampras. I learned the basics by watching them.”

After tennis, Francesca heads back home to shower, and then it’s off to the New Tampa YMCA for some cardio and yoga. When her workout is over, she will spend many afternoons on her ¾-acre lot, tending to her gardens.

Francesca takes her tennis seriously. She keeps a journal and a log of every potential player. She plans matches at least two weeks in advance. And, if you don’t show up to play when scheduled, you will learn something else about Francesca.

“She is feisty,” Dimiccio says.

The two became fast friends, after DiMiccio moved to Williamsburg long after Francesca had already established herself as the Queen of the Courts in the tight-knit community.

Dimiccio had just started playing tennis again after putting away his racquet decades ago, and he says “she was kicking my butt.”

The two are now inseparable mixed doubles partners. Dimiccio is more advanced, with a high 4.0 USTA rating, while Francesca is more of a 3.0. He serves as her unofficial coach and protector, and they make an ideal pair.

“I promised her I’ll play with her every Friday as long as she’s around,” DiMiccio says, then jokingly adding, “but now it looks like she just might bury me.”

Special thanks to Wes Henagan for his help on this story.

Moffitt’s Partnership With AdventHealth WC Just The Beginning

Moffitt Cancer Center VP of government affairs Jamie Wilson (right) asked Jim Engelmann & the other North Tampa Bay Chamber members in attendance at the NTBC’s Sept. 26 Economic Development Briefing for their support of Moffitt’s efforts to receive more funding the state’s cigarette tax revenue.

The Moffitt Cancer Center, which recently forged a new partnership with Advent Health Wesley Chapel, could be making an even bigger footprint in Pasco County, with talk of a massive research center at the intersection of S.R. 52 and the Suncoast Pkwy.

But to do so, Moffitt will need money.

Jamie Wilson, the vice president of government affairs for Moffitt, spoke to local business leaders at the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC)’s Economic Development Briefing at Hunter’s Green Country Club on Sept. 26.

Wilson’s presentation is part of a more aggressive effort by Moffitt to convince the state legislature to raise the cancer center’s share of Florida’s annual cigarette tax.

“We have grown from a small cancer hospital with 409 employees in 1986 to 2019, where we now have 6,500 employees serving more than 68,000 patients a year,” Wilson said. “The demand continues to grow. We’re asking our legislature to partner with us again, and groups like this Chamber to support our (request).”

Wilson told the NTBC members in attendance that Moffitt, as the state’s only Comprehensive Cancer Center, is asking to increase its share of the cigarette tax from 4.04 percent this year to 7 percent next year and 10 percent in 2023. Each increase would produce an additional $11 million in annual revenue.

The existing Moffitt Cancer Center on the University of South Florida (USF)’s Tampa campus off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and E. Fowler Ave., is 33 years old, and Wilson said there is no space available for growth in cancer research or treatment there. He said there were 130,000 people diagnosed with cancer last year in the state of Florida — and that number is expected to continue to grow.

“There is more and more demand every year,” he said. “We are seeking additional assistance from the cigarette tax so we can accommodate that growth by building new, state-of-the-art treatment and research facilities.”

The additional revenue would be used to expand Moffitt’s local footprint. That likely would include a new hospital on McKinley Dr. (aka N. 40th St.) in Tampa, about a mile from the existing hospital on the USF campus, and potentially, a new research campus in Pasco County, which has already approved the zoning and land-use changes for the massive proposed development near the Suncoast Pkwy. that also could include homes, hotels and other commercial enterprises.

Wilson said that a facility such as that would be a huge boon for Pasco County, as it would bring thousands of high-paying jobs to the area as well.

“I think we all know or have been touched by someone dealing with cancer,” said District 2 County Commissioner Mike Moore. “I think something like that would be great for Pasco County, but I think the good it would do for everyone, here and around the world, would be tremendous.”

Moffitt already has a new and innovative partnership with AdventHealth, which was announced earlier this year.

Back in May, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (AHWC) and Moffitt broke ground on a new $44-million outpatient center to treat cancer patients from a new medical office building on the AHWC campus.

The three-story, 100,000-sq.-ft. medical office on the hospital’s campus will fill a pressing need for cancer treatment here. The outpatient center will offer medical and radiation oncology services and will be designed to accommodate oncologists to deliver chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy to patients. It is expected to open next fall.

Moffitt and AdventHealth also teamed up recently to bring early-phase clinical trials for patients who have run out of other treatment options to AdventHealth Celebration near Orlando.

It is that kind of forward-thinking that Wilson said proves Moffitt has been worth every penny it has received from the cigarette tax, and an increase would help it do more.

“I think the return on investment has been great,” he said, adding later, “Moffitt is doing some pretty great stuff.”

cancer Moffitt

Dr. David Scamard Is Your Independent Optometrist Inside Costco!

Costco Wholesale is highly-regarded for its great deals and convenience. Where else can you shop for groceries, electronics and furniture, while getting your tires rotated and filling up your gas tank on the way out — all at great prices?

However, one of the local Costco store’s lesser known perks adds even more convenience.

Not only can you get your eyes examined at Costco, you can get the frames and lenses right there.

Excellence in Eye Care

Don’t let the convenience factor fool you. Independent Optometrist David Scamard, O.D., has been in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area for more than 17 years, delivering the highest level of service and an exceptional experience.

Dr. Scamard’s Excellence in Eye Care, LLC, is an A-Rated business, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), has a 5-Star rating on Google Reviews with more than 140 reviews, and even has a 5-Star rating on the practice’s Facebook page.

Dr. Scamard is a local product. He attended Hillsborough High School, did his undergraduate work at the University of South Florida and earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale.

He opened his first private practice in New Tampa in 2002. He sold that business in 2007 and moved into a new location off of S.R. 54 in Lutz, where he operated Eye Care Professionals of Tampa Bay until 2017.

In 2017, the Costco on S.R. 56 opened up, and Dr. Scamard brought his Excellence in Eye Care inside the store. The good news is that you do not have to be a Costco member to walk in to visit or make an appointment with Dr. Dave.

“Doctor Dave is very personable and still professional and caring,” says Michael Mendivil, who works at the adjacent hearing aid center, also inside Costco. “He does an unbelievable job. He is thorough with his eye exams and is just an awesome practitioner. I went through three optometrists before I found him, and I feel like he finally got my prescription right.”

Dr. Scamard’s experience spans almost two decades. Many of his patients from his early years have followed him to his location inside Costco.

“The health of your eyes is very important,” Dr. Scamard says. “You’ve heard the expression, ‘The eyes are the window to the soul?’ Well, your eyes are also a window to your health.”

He notes that diseases like glaucoma can go undetected for years and says the American Optometric Association recommends an eye exam for everyone once a year, but especially diabetics should have their eyes checked every year.

“Your eyes are such sensitive organs, they can manifest signs of systemic disease,” Dr. Scamard says.

Dr. Scamard uses some of the most cutting-edge technology in the industry. For eye exams, he uses an Optos retinal camera in his office. This high-tech tool is a retinal imager that gives the optometrist a view of the internal structures of your eyes.

The old-fashioned way to see into your pupils was to dilate them.

“People don’t always have time to get their pupils dilated,” Dr. Scamard says. “When your pupils are dilated, you are very sensitive to bright light and your near-sightedness is fuzzy — sometimes for up to five hours after dilation. It’s something that compels a lot of people to pass up their annual eye exams.”

Most peoples’ impression of an eye doctor appointment involves looking into that metal mask as the doctor manually flips through different lenses in front of your eyes to achieve the proper prescription. Dr. Dave says that is now officially “old-school.”

One of the other high-tech devices Dr. Scamard uses is a RT-5100 Refractor, a digital refractor with electric motors that change the lenses. Scamard operates the digital refractor from a console on his desk.

“The digital refractor is faster, more accurate and more efficient than the old-style analog devices,” he says. “Our patients appreciate that we have the latest technology available to them.”

Convenience

The entire process from eye exam to putting the glasses on your face or contacts in your eyes can be completed right there in Costco. However, while you do not need to be a Costco member to utilize Dr. Scamard’s services, you do need to be a member to get your glasses and contact lenses from the wholesale giant.

After your exam, the next step is, well, just steps away. Need a prescription filled from Dr. Scamard? It can be filled right there in Costco’s pharmacy. Want to browse glasses and contacts lenses? There is an entire showroom right outside Dr. Scamard’s office.

“Costco even carries some of the high-end lines of frames like Prada, Tiffany, Oakley and Mont Blanc,” he says. “A lot of their frames and lenses are priced at what my cost was when I operated out of my own office. Some of my patients say that they have had savings up to 50 percent. Additionally, Costco has been rated number one by consumer reports for the best value in glasses and contacts, for the last several years.”

Costco carries a sizable line of contact lenses, including newer designs that allow more oxygen into the eyes, helping to prevent dryness. If the store doesn’t have them in stock, they can usually be delivered to the store in a week or less. The customer can even order them online and have them delivered to their home.

Having trouble setting an appointment? Excellence in Eye Care makes that easy as well. Dr. Scamard says that some offices have up to two-week waiting lists, but he even accepts walk-ins.

Excellence in Eye Care does not accept optical insurance but does provide itemized receipts that patients can use for reimbursement from their providers. Insurance can be applied to the lenses and frames sold at Costco, however.

Eyeglass exams start at $79, and contact lens exams start at $99. In the month of October, Excellence in Eye Care is offering a free set of sunglasses with the cutout or mention of the coupon in the Neighborhood News on page 40.

Excellence in Eye Care is located in the Costco Wesley Chapel Warehouse at 2225 Grand Cypress Dr., on the south side of S.R. 56, in Lutz. The office is open Tuesday and Thursday, 1 p.m.-7 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call (813) 279-7038 or visit ExcellenceInEyecare.net.

costco's scamard