Retro Dogs Co-Owners (l-r) Gisella Latorre, Gisella Troncozo, Luis Latorre and Samantha Latorre (Photo by Charmaine George)
As you’re receiving this issue, the KRATE at The Grove Container Park recently finished celebrating its two-year anniversary on June 8, but the lineup of restaurants and shops at the KRATEs continues to evolve.
One of the biggest changes is that The Chicken Boss, the fried chicken concept opened last year by The Bacon Boss HQ owners Josh and Christy Norland, has closed. The Norlands’ announcement on The Chicken Boss’ Facebook page said, however, that “select menu items from The Chicken Boss will find a new home at The Bacon Boss HQ.”
Meanwhile, the Chicken Boss will be replaced at the KRATEs by Indian Street Kitchen, the faster-food concept from owner Harry Patel at Persis Indian Grill, the instant hit that opened earlier this year next to Double Branch Brewing & Bites in the Village at The Grove.
“We’ll be serving every type of Indian street food at the new location,” Harry told me. “Come see and taste what we have to offer.” Although he wouldn’t give me any hints as to what the menu will include (“It’s not finished yet,” he said), a quick Google search revealed that samosas, those crispy, delicately spiced potato-filled pastries that are amazing at Persis, are the most popular type of Indian street food. Harry did say that Indian Street Kitchen should be open soon., although it weas not yet open at our press time.
Meanwhile, the Sausage King, located in the second space occupied by TJ’s Hot Dogs (TJ’s was the original tenant in the Chicken Boss space at the KRATEs), has closed just a few months after opening and has now been replaced by Retro Dogs. Retro Dogs is owned by Seven Oaks residents Gisella Troncozo and Luis Latorre, and their daughters, Gisella Latorre and Samantha Latorre (photo, above), and features a make your own hot dog station, a new hotdog being added every week, French fries, milkshakes and beer.
The hot dogs at both TJ’s and Sausage King were great, but hopefully, Retro Dogs will hang around a little longer.
Although not located in the KRATEs, Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings is expected to open in the former location of King of the Coop at the front of The Grove, next to Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
Like King of the Coop, Hangry Joe’s specializes in Nashville hot chicken sandwiches (photo, left), plus wings, shakes and waffle fries. With 21 franchise locations (including the nearest to us at 5347 Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills, photo below), and restaurants in Korea and Dubai, Korean corporate owners Derek Cha and Mike Kim have a simple premise — “to deliver the finest chicken sandwich in town.” For more information, visit HangryJoes.com.
And finally, congratulations to new TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant (6034 Wesley Grove Blvd.) owner Jason Scott, who recently took over from original owners Jamie and Joe Hess and Lee Bevan.
Jason is an accomplished pianist who both played and booked the dueling pianists at TrebleMakers, and he is working hard to revamp the service and experience at the restaurant before trying to figure out what changes to make to the menu. He has started with new $8 lunch specials offered Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Even though his new place isn’t located in Wesley Chapel or New Tampa, a heartfelt congratulations goes out to Mark Birkin, the owner of the new Birkin’s Steakhouse & Sushi Bar on N. Florida Ave./U.S. Hwy. 41 in Lutz, in the former location of the once-popular L.A. Hangout (and a couple of other restaurants since then).
Until I saw Mark the day his new steakhouse opened (May 29), I couldn’t remember how I knew his name. But, when we shook hands after Jannah, photographer Charmaine George, her boyfriend Brendan and I enjoyed an outstanding meal at Birkin’s, Mark and I immediately recognized each other. He’s the long-time owner of The Wexford Irish Pub & Grille (previously known as PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub).
But, while his other local restaurants have had pretty good food, if you haven’t yet tried Birkin’s, you really need to go check it out ASAP.
First of all, L.A. Hangout’s former live entertainment side is now a beautiful sushi bar with outstanding, beautifully presented, fresh sushi, like the tasty volcano roll shown here (top left photo).
But, the real star of the show is the steakhouse side, serving everything from the fresh, sesame-seed encrusted seared tuna steak (top right photo) to escargots and a fried lobster bites appetizer (top middle photo).
What really impressed me was Birkin’s 12-oz. filet mignon, grilled to medium rare perfection and, to quote my fellow New Yawkas, “like buttah” tender. No one else even has a 12-oz. filet in our area. Also on the menu are lollipop lamb chops, a tomahawk ribeye and much more. “Steak and sushi are my two favorite things to eat,” Mark says. “I wanted us to serve the best of both worlds.”
Birkin’s also has tasty Italian specialties, like zesty meatballs, mushroom ravioli, chicken parmesan and more. Add to that great family-style side dishes like homemade mac & cheese, sautéed vegetable medley and creamed spinach. Birkin’s also has a full premium liquor bar with great craft cocktails (ask about the exclusive wine lockers, too) and decadent desserts like the cinnamon-y apple crumble with ice cream (above left photo) and Bailey’s Irish cream cheesecake.
Birkin’s Steakhouse & Sushi Bar is located at 16411 N. Florida Ave. It is open Wed.-Sun. for dinner only (reservations are suggested, but not required, beginning at 3 p.m. For more information, call (813) 374-8002 or visit BirkinsSteakhouse.com.
PRICE CORRECTION FROM OUR DUMMY CRABBY STORY IN OUR JUNE 11 WESLEY CHAPEL ISSUE!
Silly name, but really fresh, tasty seafood. That’s how I can sum up the new Dummy Crabby II, which recently opened in the space previously occupied by Medilish Mediterranean (next to Fratelli’s Pizza Café) at 5325 Village Market (Bruce B Downs Blvd., south of S.R. 54).
Dummy Crabby, which is a much smaller restaurant than the similar Hungry Crab Juicy Seafood on BBD in New Tampa, also serves its clams, mussels, crawfish, shrimp, scallops, lobster tail and dungeness, king and snow crab legs in Seafood Boils, covered in a variety of spices and sauces, inside those boil-in-bags . I’m still not sure I understand why people love making already messy food even messier, but I will say that if you love truly delicious snow crab legs, get The Grand Opening special at Dummy Crabby.
You’ll receive one lb. of snow crab free when you buy one lb. for what is still a super-low price of just $30.95! The amount mistakenly put in the June 11 edition of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News was $19.95, but that is NOT the correct price and was due to a misunderstanding on MY part. All I can do is apologize to the owners and employees of Dummy Crabby and to any customers who saw the price and have visited Dummy Crabby anytime since the June 11 hit their mailboxes. Believe me, the snow crab is worth every bit of $30.95 per lb., much less that price for TWO lbs., so I hope anyone else who shows up thinking that the price is $19.95 will understand that the mistake was entirely mine and NOT the fault of the owners or employees of Dummy Crabby!
And, as the co-owner Kevin promised, the crab legs are just so fresh & delicious! Like the original Dummy Crabby on W. Hillsborough Ave. in Tampa, the Wesley Chapel location also has a Special Noodle seafood dish, raw or steamed oysters, wings, beer and more.
When popular chains like Red Lobster tart closing, there is definitely cause for some concern.
When I lived in New York City in the 1980s, I was told by someone I looked up to in the advertising industry that unlike the real estate business — where the three most important words are “Location, Location, Location” — the rule of thumb for doing business with restaurants was “Get your money up front, Get your money up front, Get your money up front.”
It didn’t take me long to figure out why that was true — at least in Manhattan, where some of my favorite restaurants would get one bad review in any of the major New York media and be out of business in a week. And, this was decades before the advent of online reviews, when anyone with a beef against a restaurant owner could anonymously go online and turn a restaurant’s (especially a new one’s) Google or Yelp rating (or both) to garbage in a heartbeat.
But, in New York, almost every restaurant on every street was an individually owned mom-&- pop, which has always been more of a gamble than opening another link in a well-funded, regional or national, mass-marketed chain.
However, as evidenced by the recent rash of restaurant closings in our area, it’s no longer just mom-&-pop, non-chain restaurants that are being affected by everything from rising food costs and salaries, plus ever-increasing rents/interest rates, as well as the cost of things like building materials to even open a new place.
Case in point: When you see beloved (perhaps not by me, but still by many), well-established chains like Red Lobster (photo), Tijuana Flats and Beef O’Brady’s shuttering multiple locations, that is definitely a cause for concern.
In Wesley Chapel, it seems like 80% of the eateries are chains — whether national or regional — and almost every new place that is popping up (like Rodizio Grill) is at least a small chain. The only exception seems to be Asian restaurants — from Japanese to Indian — which are more often single-location or just 2-3 total family-owned units.
In other words, for every solo Via Italia or Falabella Family Bistro hanging in there you have a 201st location of Fazoli’s (see pg. 49) opening. For every one-off Chick’n Fun that attracts an audience, you’re surrounded by one of nearly 200 Slim Chickens and one of 20+ Chicken Guy! (which is coming soon to the north side of S.R. 56) locations.
Of course, the cost to buy a piece of land and build a new restaurant in Wesley Chapel is becoming prohibitive for anyone other than a chain, but even shuttered fast food places like Wendy’s on S.R. 56 are simply being replaced by another chain — such as Shake Shack, which has nearly 400 locations.
If you visit local online communities, you’ll always see people bemoaning all of the chain restaurants we have and all of the mom-&-pops we don’t have in our area and yet, every year, hundreds of our readers vote mainly for chains and don’t seem to even know about many of the really good mom-&-pop places available to them. Here are some reasons why:
Marketing — Even chains with food that I personally refuse to eat — like Taco Bell and Subway — spend millions of dollars every year on ads that magically make their food look absolutely edible. But, while many new local restaurants intend to spend money to promote themselves, the first thing most cut back on when their build-out inevitably takes longer than they ever expected is that advertising money.
Labor — It seemed like the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated a dangerous new attitude towards work among young people — the very labor source most restaurants have to look at to fill their employee rosters. And, while the height of the pandemic has been in the rear view for at least three years now — and many fewer people are being paid more to not work than if they have a job — that attitude still seems to be pervasive.
And, since the trend towards higher pandemic-era tipping for waiters and bartenders seemed to settle down somewhat, many restaurants have added service charges (that, unfortunately, aren’t always fairly shared with the employees), charges for using a credit card to pay and other extras that have created higher costs to dine (or take) out and turned off many regular customers.
Food Quality — I still feel that this is the biggest issue of all. Jannah and I believe that an expensive meal is always still worth it if the portions and prices are fair, the service is good and the quality of the food is high. However, overpaying for lower-quality food and/or bad service is never OK with us and I honestly think that many chains — and some mom-&-pops — have cut back on quality while charging more for the same meals, often with smaller portions for a higher price.
I see a lot of people warning that many more restaurant closings are still coming, but I, for one, hope that won’t prove to be true.
The May 14 groundbreaking for the local Rodizio Grill. (Groundbreaking photos by Charmaine George, food pics by GN & exterior rendering (below) from Ashlee Hille of Rodizio Grill).
When the new Rodizio Grill® — America’s First Brazilian Steakhouse® — broke ground on May 14, I’m pretty sure I was the only member of the local media — and perhaps the only one of the nearly 100 people who waited on line for a coupon for a free meal at the new location when it is expected to open in about nine months (or sometime in early 2025) — who had already dined at the Rodizio Grill location on Fruitville Rd. in Sarasota. More on my experience at that location appears below.
Rodizio Grill founder and president, Ivan Utrera, and local owner Charlie Haney invited the community to join the groundbreaking celebration (next to the At Home store off S.R. 56, behind Costco) on May 14.
Local franchise owner Charlie Haney at the groundbreaking event.
Established in 1995, Rodizio Grill was the first Brazilian “churrasco” steakhouse in the United States. Since then, Rodizio Grill has grown into an esteemed national franchise, with nearly 25 locations across the country.
The Wesley Chapel location will mark the brand’s sixth in Florida. At the groundbreaking, Haney echoed the sentiments of Utrera, who said in a news release, “I am beyond thrilled to break ground on our newest Florida location. Wesley Chapel is experiencing tremendous growth and is a coveted destination for residents and tourists alike. We are thrilled to become part of this thriving community.”
Haney added, “I was drawn to the Wesley Chapel area for a multitude of reasons. The area is the perfect fusion of suburban serenity and urban accessibility. However, what captivated me was the community: the people are warm and welcoming, neighborly, and joyful. As ambassadors of Brazil, we aim to welcome the community into Rodizio Grill — our home — and celebrate the ‘alegria,’ or joy, that is the Rodizio Grill experience. I believe our concept and the community will be a natural fit for one another.”
Locally and nationally, Rodizio Grill is known for its playful Brazilian spirit, authentic menu offerings and family-friendly atmosphere. The unique concept features rotisserie-grilled meats, expertly seasoned and carved tableside by traditionally dressed Gauchos. While the meats are the main attraction, they are complemented with an award-winning gourmet salad bar, authentic hot side dishes, fresh-pressed juices, homemade Brazilian limeades, signature (full-liquor) cocktails and a selection of exclusive, homemade Brazilian desserts. The whole experience comes at a competitive, affordable price so the whole family can celebrate together.
Brazil native Thiago Navarro will be the general manager of Rodizio Grill’s newest location, bringing with him close to a decade of experience with the brand.
“Having grown up in Brazil, many of my cherished childhood memories took place at our local “churrascaria” — whether it was celebrating a special occasion or simply spending quality time with my loved ones,” said Navarro. “Rodizio Grill is truly the embodiment of these memories — the traditional fare, the experience with the Gauchos and the fun atmosphere. I am thrilled to represent Brazil here in Wesley Chapel and am excited to share my passion for our culture and our signature Rodizio Grill experience with the community.”
Our area’s Rodizio Grill will be located at 2082 Grand Cypress Drive in Lutz. The 9,250-square-foot restaurant — with room for about 300 diners — will feature several private and semi-private event spaces. The restaurant also will create upwards of 60 jobs.
About My First-Visit Experience
Knowing that the groundbreaking was coming up, I decided to bring my mom to the Rodizio Grill location in Sarasota on Mother’s Day. There was a $10-per-person upcharge for the event, but there also were additional food items included for that higher price: a beef tenderloin carving station, plus two items I couldn’t sample because of my accursed shellfish allergy — large shrimp in garlic sauce (which my mom enjoyed) and a creamy lobster bisque.
We also sampled a number of items from the clearly fresh, 30-item salad bar, as well as a few of the hot side dishes, including the seasoned white rice and feijoada (black bean stew), plus pasta Alfredo, a savory shredded roast pork dish that I somehow didn’t take pictures of and the creamy Estrogonofe de Frango (or chicken stroganoff), which was probably my favorite of the hot sides. Trying to save room for the “main event,” we didn’t sample the couve (sautéed collared greens and bacon), the creamy whipped potatoes or the Pao de Queijo (homemade Brazilian cheese bread), but they all looked really good — and different from anything you’ll find anywhere in our area.
Speaking of the main event, my mom and I agreed that the Maminha (tri-tip steak; photo of it being sliced left) was our favorite of the steak options sliced at our table, although we also enjoyed the Picanha (top sirloin) and Bife com Alho (steak basted with Rodizio’s traditional house garlic rub).
My personal favorite of all of the tableside options was the Presunto (ham grilled and basted in a raw sugar glaze), although I did also enjoy the Pernil (roast pork) served with fresh lime wedges.
We definitely didn’t save anywhere near enough room, so we only sampled two chicken dishes — the Coraçao de Franco (chicken hearts) Temperado and the Frango Agri-Doce (white meat chicken with a sweet and spicy sauce, like a slightly spicier version of Chinese orange chicken).
We filled up pretty quickly on all of these options — I hope, the next time I visit, I will do a better job of pacing myself — so we didn’t try the two different kinds of sausages available, nor did we see any lamb or fresh fish options before we were ready for dessert.
Rodizio Grill offers a nice selection of five Brazilian desserts, of which we sampled the Romeo e Julieta-style cheesecake and the Torta Brigadeiro (a rich chocolate mousse torte served with sliced bananas and fresh whipped cream). Please note, because we didn’t, that the desserts cost extra — they are not included with your fixed-price meal.
Overall, my mom and I enjoyed our first experience at Rodizio Grill and I am definitely looking forward to the opening of the Wesley Chapel/Lutz location. For more info, visit Rodizio.com.
