Recapping The Year In Dining 2018 In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!

When Charles Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities in 1859, there’s no way he could have had our distribution areas in mind.

But, for Wesley Chapel’s already-crowded dining scene, it surely is fair to call 2018 “the best of times,” and equally fair to say that for New Tampa, “it was the worst of times” in terms of its restaurant scene.

Among the new eateries that opened in already-dining-rich Wesley Chapel in 2018 were Bahama Breeze (photo), Mellow Mushroom, Chuy’s Tex-Mex, Batter & Dough, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Umu Japanese & Thai, Pomodoro Pizza, Chipotle, Jake’s Pizza, MOD Pizza, the Gallery Restaurant at the new Hyatt Place Hotel, the Garden Grille & Bar at the new Hilton Garden Inn, the Top Shelf Sports Lounge at Florida Hospital Center Ice, plus new locations for temporarily closed local favorites Amici Pizza and O.T.B. Café and a second Wesley Chapel Culver’s location on S.R. 56.

There were others, but you get the idea.

And, even though Woody’s Pizza & Wings closed in the Wesley Chapel Village Market, a new pizzeria called Fratelli’s Pizza & Café recently opened in Woody’s old spot, and we’ve been told it’s a must-try.

Meanwhile, over in New Tampa, the dining scene took an even uglier turn for the worst in 2018, with favorites like Las Palmas Cuban Café, Café Olé, Ruby Tuesday and Casa Ramos all closing their doors. The only New Tampa newcomers to speak of were the Bayscape Bistro at Heritage Isles Country Club (owned and operated by former Wharton High culinary arts teacher Ed Bujarski) and two restaurants in the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave., just west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. — Prost Kitchen & Bar and Don Julio Mexican Restaurant. 

The good news for New Tampa is that the widening of BBD, which for years has dealt a severe blow to many businesses from Bearss Ave. to the Pasco County line, is for all intents and purpose, Bruce B. Done (thank you for that one, John Cotey).

And, although not many new eateries are expected to open in New Tampa in 2019, there are a few supposedly coming soon, including the Humingbird Jerk House in the former Dairy Queen location on BBD in North Palms Village, the Coffee Speaks & Tea Talks CafĂ© in Las Palmas’ former location and hopefully, the return of Las Palmas itself in a new location rumored to be near its old location in Pebble Creek. Also, it appears Chef’s Of Napoli Ristorante Italiano will be opening soon in the old Beef O’Brady’s location in the Cross Creek Commons plaza off Morris Bridge Rd. 

But, there’s even more to look forward to in Wesley Chapel in 2019, from Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar to Lutz favorite Rice & Beans (in the former Cody’s Original Roadhouse locale), as well as the Sweetea Café on S.R. 56 and even the deli at the new Earth Fare, which will open in Feb. or Mar., as well as new locations for Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’ Donuts, Steak ’n Shake and Twistee Treat.

So, here are some of our favorite dining experiences at new restaurants that opened in 2018 in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel:

1. Bahama Breeze — Although my opinion is that an “Island Grille” should have more fresh fish options, Bahama Breeze does have some tasty Jamaican jerk pasta and a great bar.

2. Bayscape Bistro — A great place for excellent burgers, sandwiches, salads and specials.

MOD Pizza

3. Garden Grille at Hilton Garden Inn — Although it’s not open for lunch and I’ve only eaten there once since the hotel’s delicious Grand Opening event, you should check out the Garden Grille for dinner sometime for the ribeye steak and “sticky finger” ribs.

4. Prost Kitchen & Bar — German-style cuisine, including some great schnitzel with broccolini (bottom far right), make this hidden gem on Bearss Ave. a must-try.

5. MOD Pizza — It’s only about 11-inch pizzas and create-your-own salads at MOD Pizza, but the pizzas are great and take only a few minutes to make and serve. Fast casual indeed.

6. Top Shelf Sports Lounge — This is where Jannah and I watch Lightning games, not only because of all the TVs but also for the burgers, dry rub wings and the sautéed veggies.

S.R. 56 Interchange To Begin Building In January

In what could be considered an early Christmas gift to local holiday shoppers, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) decided to hold off on beginning construction of the diverging diamond interchange (DDI) planned for the intersection of S.R. 56 and I-75.

Construction of the three-year, nearly $40-million project was originally supposed to kick off in November.

“In my opinion, it was a good idea,” said Ryan Forrestel of American Consulting Engineers (ACE), the design project manager for the project. ACE holds the patent on the diverging diamond design.

Although he adds that he wasn’t involved in the decision to delay the project, “it was a good idea to avoid the holiday.”

The delay may have saved shoppers this month, but in January, the project will begin in earnest and drivers can expect to begin experiencing slowdowns, Forrestel said.

The DDI  was originally slated to begin in 2024 before getting moved up, so the delay is minor by comparison.

With its crossover pattern, switching traffic lanes and timed lights, the DDI is expected to ease congestion at the busy intersection, which is near the Tampa Premium Outlets and a dozen or so restaurants, while also serving as primary gateway for those heading to, or home from, Tampa.

DDIs are growing in popularity nationwide, and last year one opened to great reviews in Sarasota, the first DDI in Florida.

There are also plans to build one at the I-75 and MLK Blvd. interchange in Tampa.

S.R. 54 Commercial Development Is Heating Up, Too!

For the last few years, when people have talked about the growth in Wesley Chapel, they mainly have focused on the S.R. 56 corridor, from west of I-75 all the way east to the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI).

Now, however, it appears that the portion of S.R. 54 from near I-75, east to Morris Bridge Rd./Eiland Blvd., also is heating up, as a flood of new meetings, permits and construction are ready to transform the one-time sleepy road that cuts through the middle of the county from Zephyrhills to New Port Richey.

In Wesley Chapel, the aforementioned segment of the S.R. 54 corridor has been sparsely populated with businesses and restaurants. But, with the widening of the road all the way to Zephyrhills, as well as a house-building boom taking place on the north side of 54 (in addition to the growth of the northern portion of Wiregrass Ranch), Wesley Chapel’s portion of S.R. 54 is taking its turn as a fast-growing area.

“I think it will be the next area where you see some things happening,” said Hope Allen of the North Tampa Chamber of Commerce. “There are a lot of things coming to that corridor.”

And, it’s not just businesses.

On the north side of S.R. 54, Avalon Park West and WaterGrass (on Curley Rd.) are still building hundreds of homes and even smaller communities like Saddleridge Estates are still adding new homes.

In between those soon-to-be larger developments, the massive high-tech Connected City project, which is starting in Epperson, features the first Crystal Lagoons® amenity in the U.S. (which is finally open), and soon in Mirada, which also will be home to a lagoon.

The nearly 8,000 acres of the Connected City are bordered by S.R. 52 to the north and Overpass Rd. to the south, and from I-75 to the west and Curley Rd. to the east.

Combined, Epperson and Mirada will have nearly 6,000 new homes and 1,500 apartments.

“First come the homes, then the     commercial,” says Bill Nye, founder of Century 21 Bill Nye Realty, Inc.

Nye has been in real estate in the area since 1974, long before there was anything on S.R. 54 and when Pasco’s C.R. 581 (now called Bruce B. Downs Blvd., or BBD) was nothing but a dirt road. Over the years, Nye has watched the Porter family ease along the development of Wiregrass Ranch, and seen the Sierra family’s vision for the western portion of S.R. 56 come to fruition.

He says that most of the property on S.R. 54 isn’t owned by a Porter or a Sierra. Instead, a hodgepodge of owners are now cashing in. Nye says the “For Sale” signs along S.R. 54 are snowflakes — “You don’t see any two signs that are from the same owner,” he says.

A majority of the traffic emanating from all those new homes is likely to pass right through the intersection of BBD and S.R. 54, and local drivers will soon have new places to stop for gas, coffee, lunch, dinner, groceries and more.

And there is still a wealth of options coming along S.R. 56 from the Lutz area past the Shops at Wiregrass mall.

“I think everyone is growing together,” says District 2 commissioner Mike Moore, who along with District 1 commissioner Ron Oakley, represents the Wesley Chapel area on the Pasco County Board of Commissioners. “One thing comes, and then more things come.”

Here’s what is under construction, in permitting or proposed for the area along S.R. 54:

1. Nye Commons:

This little strip center recently hosted a ribbon cutting for its six businesses, including the popular O.T.B. (“Only the Best”) Café, which has moved right up the road from its previous location across BBD from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

For more about the tenants at Nye Commons, see “Nibbles & Bytes” on pg. 42 our our current issue.

2. Twistee Treat

3. This will be Wesley Chapel’s third Wawa, joining two locations on S.R. 56. After a seemingly endless stay in permitting, the new store is going up quickly.

4. Chick-fil-A gained final approval in July. Ground should be breaking soon.

5. Dunkin’ Donuts is still under construction, and Dental Care at Quail Hollow is all but complete, and there may be additional retail coming to what is called the Scherer Center.

6. The Publix at Hollybrook Plaza (on the corner of BBD and S.R. 54) is escaping the traffic and moving closer to the new Wal-Mart. Publix closed on the land for its new location in October.

7.  Parks Ford of Wesley Chapel is in the middle of a major expansion that is expected to be completed by early spring 2019.

8. As part of the development of the northernmost portion of Wiregrass Ranch, a new strip center is going up that could be home to two new restaurants. They’re not named in the county filings, but the 5,610- and 6,995-sq.-ft. spaces are both labeled for retail/restaurant.

9. Already under construction, the RaceTrac will give local travelers four options for gas and snacks. Also under construction immediately to the west of RaceTrac is Bay Breeze Car Wash’s 10th location in Tampa Bay, and first in Wesley Chapel.

10. The Pasco C-Center: According to a conceptual plan filed with the county, this center is proposing a fast food restaurant with a drive-through, a 14,698-sq.-ft. pharmacy with a 4,000-sq-ft. retail building divided for three businesses, and a 5,500-sq.-ft. retail building divided for four occupants.

Creativity Unpinned Offers Unique Gifts, Artisan-Created Crafts & More!

Bracelets made from recycled t-shirts.

Moving, metal art made from nuts and bolts that look just like a dog, a scuba diver and even a Minion from “Despicable Me.”

There also are margarita glasses that seem to belong in a chemistry lab.

There’s something special about the kinds of hand-made, artisan-created treasures you can find at a weekend craft fair.

At Creativity Unpinned, you don’t have to wait for the weekend or take a long drive to find unique gifts. Owner Wendy O’Neill says that it’s like the craft fair comes to you, all in one convenient place, available whenever the mall is open.

Creativity Unpinned is one of the newer stores at the Shops at Wiregrass, and is located in the space that was formerly occupied by the Gymboree store.

It opened in April, and since then, Wendy says more and more customers are discovering her many one-of-a-kind items that are either the perfect gift — or even the perfect find for themselves.

At Creativity Unpinned, 56 different artisans currently rent space to share their hand-crafted treasures.
“Everybody’s stuff is different,” Wendy explains, saying that all but three of her artisans are local.

She also explains that 80 percent of what’s in the store is hand-made, while the other 20 percent is a collection of unique lines of items, such as Mozi rings, or their glow-in-the-dark counterparts, Glozi rings.

“They are crazy fun,” Wendy says, showing off the unique contraption that is somewhat reminiscent of the old Slinky, but instead rolls up and down your arms and can be passed from person to person.

“We like to be interactive,” she says, so she hands the toy to anyone who wants to try it in the store.
Creativity Unpinned is filled with handmade items so that everyone can find something special, such as tooth fairy pillows, hand-drawn artwork and cards, stunning photography, doll outfits and hand-painted glassware.

There’s a Christmas section with the eye-catching and fun Deb’s Tacky Sweaters.

“They are hilarious,” Wendy says, showing off sweaters, sweater vests — even a dress — decorated with outrageously tacky ornaments, sure to be the talk of any Christmas party.

Many other Christmas-themed gifts are available, too, such as dish towels and “Santa Cam” ornaments.
Wendy also says that items throughout the store reflect popular themes, such as unicorns or mermaids, which are hot sellers right now.

Book pillows are a popular item, she says, with a pocket sewn into the pillow that you can tuck a book into. The vendor who makes the book pillows even provides a free book of the customer’s choice with the purchase of a pillow.

See something you like but it’s not exactly right? Because most of the store’s items are handmade, nearly anything at Creativity Unpinned can be custom-made, such as a book pillow customized to complement your child, grandchild, niece or nephew’s favorite bedtime story.

Wendy says her customers love their pets, and items throughout the store with pet themes also are popular. Plus, you can order a personalized caricature of your pet, or pick out handmade clothes for your pooch — anything from a leather jacket to a bathrobe.

Creativity Unpinned also features a wide variety of price points, since vendors set their own prices. There’s even a line of kids’ items that is priced intentionally so kids can choose something they can buy with their own allowance money.

Wendy says there is room for about 75 vendors in the store, but that there is a waiting list for several types of artisans, such as those who create jewelry.

“We want a nice variety of jewelry,” says Wendy, which she says she now has with different artistic influences from countries such as Venezuela and Mexico, a variety of materials from natural items such as flowers and leaves to Italian glass. “But, we don’t want to become a jewelry store.”

She says she looks for high quality, and she has turned vendors away whose quality wasn’t up to her standards.

“We give creative entrepreneurs the opportunity to own a business,” Wendy says. “It amazes me what our artisans come up with. They really blow me away.”

Creativity Unpinned sometimes does classes and special events, such as the class on making shadowboxes that was taught after hours one Sunday evening.

Fund Raisers, Too!
A recent fundraiser allowed each vendor at Creativity Unpinned to choose a charity they would like to support. Shoppers voted for their favorite one, and the winning charity – Trinity Outreach – will receive $500, the proceeds of a special sale of items donated for the event. “It raised awareness for charities,” explains Wendy, “and people had fun with it.”

Creativity Unpinned has three employees, and like Wendy, they are all dedicated to top-notch customer service.

“We’ll point out things to you and tell you the backstory that makes an item even more interesting,” Wendy says. “We can do that because these items aren’t mass produced.”

She emphasizes that she wants customers to come in and touch and smell and feel the products, which is something her vendors appreciate.

For example, there is Rhonda McDaniel’s line of artisan soaps, called A Caring Touch Skin Therapy.

“I love being a vendor at Creativity Unpinned because my products are available to customers at the mall,” Rhonda says. “I like shopping there myself.”

While she mostly sells her products online, she likes that her website now tells people they can visit Creativity Unpinned to see her products in person.

Rhonda says she loves interacting with the customers who are interested in her artisan soaps. “When I go in the store, I can see their excitement about the product and answer their questions,” she says.

Creativity Unpinned is located at 28163 Paseo Dr., #180. For more information, search “Creativity Unpinned” on Facebook, or call (813) 575-9605.

BG Tennis Focuses on Teaching Young Players With Low-Compression Balls

Occasionally, a younger tennis player will come along with the natural ability to accurately and correctly hit a regulation yellow tennis ball.

Most often, however, that is not the case. Newer tennis players, especially those that are younger, struggle with the bounciness of the tennis ball, the weight of it, and lack the ability to control it.

They resort to using any means necessary to strike the ball, which usually leads to hurried, out-of-sync and technically-flawed swings of desperation.

Tennis professional Bobby Gillespie, who runs BG Tennis at The Ridge and Estancia communities in Wiregrass Ranch, as well as at Live Oak Preserve in New Tampa and at Lake Jovita in Dade City, says he has seen young, overmatched beginners just trying to survive against the yellow balls too often, which is why he emphatically extols the virtues of using low-compression balls, and shorter courts, to properly teach them the game.

Most parents who get their children into tennis only know one kind of tennis ball, but Gillespie is quick to introduce them to red-, orange- and green-dot low-compression balls, which he calls revolutionary teaching tools.

The red-dot ball has 75 percent less ball speed than a regular yellow tennis ball, while the orange-dot ball is 50 percent slower and the green-dot ball is 25 percent slower.

The allows younger players to focus on technique, footwork and properly addressing each shot, not just hitting a ball back over a net. They can take full swings, as the ball is designed not to bounce as high or travel as far. Gillespie says that a beginner’s full swing at a yellow ball is likely to send it into the nearest fence.

“Whenever I have the opportunity, I try to sell the concept of these low-compression balls. It is something I am very passionate about,” says Gillespie, a former junior champion where he grew up in Shropshire, a county in England, and later a national university champion at Loughborough University in Loughborough, England, where he also earned a degree in sports management.

While Gillespie says he didn’t need low-compression balls as a youngster himself because he was naturally gifted, very few beginners can claim that.

“I’ve been here since 2005, and when I got here, no one was using them,” he says of the low-compression balls. “All the tennis coaches were using just the yellow balls, and you had to just deal with it. I was a bit confused why we were doing that.”

Gillespie was the head tennis pro at Cheval Country Club and later at Lake Jovita Country Club before starting BG Tennis in 2008 and developing what he says is a proven teaching formula to develop the proper tennis strokes in beginners while also making it fun.

Mixing a career of tennis knowledge with likability and a sense of humor, Gillespie teaches roughly 120 kids every week, as well as 80 or so adults. His progressive clinics are once a week, and affordable by tennis standards at just $65 a month – which is the price a one-hour lesson will cost you at most country clubs.

Get Them Started Early

Ideally, Gillespie says, kids in first through fifth grade are at the best ages to begin learning tennis.

Joe Caswell, who is nine years old, and his brother, six-year-old Max, have been with BG Tennis since August. They competed against each other on a recent Tuesday night at The Ridge, as their younger brother Luke, who is five, helped pick up balls.

“I feel like they have made a ton of progress since we’ve been here,” says their mother, Amanda, who lives in Meadow Pointe III and has tried other coaches in the area. “I’ve seen a huge difference in their play. I just think they are so much more consistent, and (coach) stays on them about the little things.”

Amanda says she is a fan of the low- compression balls. They allow her sons to move to the ball, position their feet, set up and deliver the proper stroke. In the past, it was easier to develop bad habits adapting their swings to the harder-to-handle yellow balls.

More important, she says, is that the low-compression balls also stay on the court, which is marked off to a shorter length of 60 feet, and allow her boys an opportunity to rally and play out points.

“It’s more of playing the actual game for them than before,” Amanda says. “They can hit it back and forth to each other and play points (instead of just chasing balls around).”

That’s what Nikki Lang, who is eight, enjoys most. She teamed up with Gillespie during a mini-game at The Ridge, earning a high-five from her coach after they beat the Caswell boys and 11-year-old Sloane Guinn.

“I like being able to hit the balls,” she says. “It is easier, and makes it fun to play tennis.”

Gillespie holds local tournaments with the low-compression balls, and starts each point by feeding the ball to one of the players as opposed to having them serve to one another. Serving is a skill that Gillespie says is generally too advanced for younger players to learn right away and slows play down.

He says that his last tournament in October drew 80 players, and he also produces local rankings for his players to use to measure their improvement.

“The goal is to get them to a rallying situation as soon as possible, because as soon as they start rallying, then the game becomes far more dynamic for them,” Gillespie says.

Gillespie, rated an Elite Professional with the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA), says he is choosy about who he hires to help him coach at BG Tennis.

He recently hired Bill Zeedyk, a former college player who was helping run the youth program at the Sports Club at Hunter’s Green Country Club, and Matt Holsopple, who also has coached at Hunter’s Green, Saddlebrook and at the high school level, and is highly regarded for his work with younger tennis players.

“We have a formula for how to teach kids,” Gillespie says. “No one is doing their own thing. It’s a template, and it’s progressive and fun. If you are not learning and having fun, then you are not going to stay in the game.”

Gillespie thinks that using lower compression balls with beginners also keeps them in the game longer. He thinks out of every 100 kids who start learning with a yellow ball, only five will survive and keep playing the game after awhile.

But, take 100 kids and teach them with low-compression balls, however, and Gillespie guesses that 95 of them will successfully learn the game and stick with it.

“Tennis is a game for life,” Gillespie says. “But you have to teach the kids the right way. My dream is to introduce as many people in the area to these balls. If we can get them on the court to start with, we can keep them.”

BG Tennis has new groups starting all the time, and will often allow first-timers to try it out first before signing up. For more information, visit BGTennis.net, email BGTennis@ymail.com or text Gillespie at (813) 476-5787.