Owner James Serrano exercises proper social distancing as he “hands” over a painting kit to a Pinot’s Palette customer.
Many local businesses were already way ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis when he declared on April 1 that all nonessential businesses needed to close their doors.
Sensing the bad news was inevitable, some had already begun adapting in order to stay alive.
James Serrano, who owns Pinot’s Palette in the Shoppes at New Tampa, had already temporarily converted his Wesley Chapel studio, which specializes in large group gatherings with wine drinking and painting, into a stay-at-home, do-it-yourself painting “experience” by selling kits that included paint, brushes, a canvas and instructions.
“We basically had to do something,” says Serrano. “We were worried.”
On the first day of selling the take-home kits, he arrived to find a line of cars. Some ended up waiting for more than an hour because Serrano was overwhelmed by the turnout. Most of the cars were occupied by eager parents looking for a way to keep their children occupied.
Serrano also turned to virtual classes and, last week, hosted his first virtual private party for a church group — 13 women painting the same picture who were able to converse with each other online as they did so.
He also has delivered kits to people who request them, and even filled an order to be shipped to Puerto Rico.
Although some adults have asked if he could include Pinot’s usually-present wine with their order (he’s looking into it), he says his No. 1 customers now are kids, as parents have to constantly be entertaining their homebound youngsters.
Because Serrano still has to pay rent on a studio he isn’t using, he isn’t making money right now. However, he is staying afloat and hopeful things can return to normal soon.
“The community support has been so great,” he says. “Thank God people are buying the kits. Thank God.”
While a host of the area’s non-essential businesses will have no choice but to close down for the next month, the ones that can incorporate video conferencing technology like Zoom, or even FaceTime, are finding ways to survive.
Excel; Music in New Tampa Tampa Fine Arts Academy (TFAA) in Wesley Chapel now offering all their lessons online.
John Thrasher, the owner of Excel Music in New Tampa, and Larry Bigel of Tampa Fine Arts Academy (TFAA) in Wesley Chapel, both are able to provide all of their lessons online.
Thrasher said Excel began the transition the first week in March, with some students choosing to go online. Following spring break, everything went online, and students were able to keep their same teachers.
“We did it quickly and on the early side,” Thrasher says. “We beat the governor’s stay-at-home order by a couple of weeks. Anytime you transition, there are going to be some bumps, but for the most part, it’s actually gone pretty smoothly. We’re seeing a lot of smiling faces.”
For Bigel, who says TFAA transitioned 600 students to 100-percent online by March 23, it was all about keeping the students and teachers safe and the business viable.
“Thankfully, you can never catch a disease over the internet,” he says.
At F45 Training at The Grove, the group fitness training facility’s grand opening plans had to be put on hold and the free bootcamps offered to drum up business and market the area’s newest fitness center had to be canceled.
But, F45 at The Grove owners Bob and Kim Balfe are bringing the exercise right to your home instead.
They have posted a video series of home bootcamps on their Facebook page (search: F45 Grove Wesley Chapel), with their trainers doing 45-minute programs in their own driveways that you can follow along to.
All of the workouts are free.
Bob says other F45 studios are now following suit.
“Oh my God, it’s been amazing,” says Bob. “Some of the F45s from all over the world are kind of jealous. When we put these (workouts) out, they are getting hundreds of views in just minutes.”
Bob says his F45 studio just finished receiving its final coat of paint, and will be ready for a soft opening on (or around) Friday, May 8, if Florida’s stay-at-home order is lifted by then.
Teachers and administrators hand out breakfast and lunch for the week at Quail Hollow Elementary. (Photo: Charmaine George)
For years, the Wesley Chapel story has been one of growth and expansion, where new businesses and communities popped up on what seemed like a weekly basis, where roads were crowded, schools were filled to capacity and business was booming.
Appears to be time for a new chapter.
The next one written will be about the recovery from a deadly virus, COVID-19, that has shut almost everything across the country and the world down, stripped people of their jobs and the roads of its automobiles and people of their sense of safety and well-being.
“It came so fast,” says Pasco County commissioner Mike Moore. “These are unprecedented times and I don’t think anybody, no matter your age, unless you lived through the Great Depression, has gone through anything like this.”
On April 2, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, after weeks of harsh criticism for his inaction, shut the state down for 30 days with a stay-at-home order.
While essential businesses were allowed to stay open, everyone else was encouraged to stay home. Healthcare providers, grocery stores, gas stations, laundry service providers, office supply stores, the media and restaurants – take-out and delivery only – are all considered essential services.
DeSantis also included religious services at church.
When we went to press with our New Tampa issue on March 20th, the number of positive cases of coronavirus in Florida had just passed 500, and there had been 10 deaths.
Two weeks later as we wrapped up our current issue on April 3, there were 9,585 cases (including 74 in Pasco County) and 163 deaths (only two here at our press time).
While there have been glimmers of hope as the number of cases slows down and the flattening of the curve begins, local officials are still hard at work prepping for whatever the future holds.
Locally, Moore and other Pasco County officials have been scrambling to prepare the area with countless meetings and teleconferences, as business and schools and families have started full-fledged adjustments to life with coronavirus concerns.
Schools appear unlikely to open again this academic year. There has been no word on whether high school graduation ceremonies in Pasco County, scheduled for June 3-7, will actually take place.
Area schools have transitioned to online teaching/distance learning, and have been praised for the early results of those efforts.
“Saying that the last 2-3 weeks have been anything short of different would be an understatement,” said Pasco School District superintendent Kurt Browning. “It really has turned the school district on its heels…but a tip of the hat to the teachers and administrators for stepping up and digging in to find out how this works.”
Not only did schools hand out roughly 15,000 devices to accommodate students for distance learning, it also already has distributed more than 110,000 meals for students.
Originally a daily distribution, the district is now providing breakfast and lunch meals for the whole week on Tuesdays. The day of the first Tuesday distribution — on March 31— 80,680 meals were provided to families via drive-through lanes of 25 schools, including New River and Quail Hollow elementary schools.
Tuesday food service will continue through April.
The Tampa Premium Outlets have been temporarily closed since mid-March.
Local businesses, however, are finding survival to be much more difficult, especially those who don’t have a business that can transition to offer its services online.
Social distancing is currently the best defense against coronavirus, according to medical experts, but it’s also the antithesis to small business success, especially for those in the service industry like hair and nail salons, small stores or studios and restaurants.
“It’s pretty stressful,” said James Serrano, who owns Pinot’s Palette in Wesley Chapel, a small art-and-wine studio that specializes in group painting events.
Those that can’t remain open can only hope that the stay-at-home order expires in 30 days.
However, no business owners we talked believed that 30 days was a realistic timeline, and most are readying to hunker down for a month or two longer.
“The best-case scenario from what I understand is May 8,” says Brass Tap owner Jeff Martin. “But, I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Social distancing is the norm in Wawa and pretty much everywhere. (Photo: Charmaine George)
Because Wesley Chapel is an area with a high concentration of small businesses — many of which have been experiencing boom times over the past few years due to the area’s tremendous growth — coronavirus fears are likely to strike a harsher blow.
But, no one really seems to know where this headed, except for uncharted territory.
“There are a lot of unknowns, and that is really the scary part,” says Hope Kennedy, the CEO of the 700-member North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. “I’m not sure we’ve gotten to the (worst) of this. Once we do, we can get into recovery mode.”
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 “corona”) 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.
I wasn’t too worried about it, and it didn’t 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 couldn’t 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 — 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 “church” 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 “church.”
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.
I’m not really scared of catching the virus, because I’m 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 didn’t 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.
It’s 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 can’t imagine that happening here.
Social distancing is so important when there’s 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 wouldn’t 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 don’t 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 aren’t 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.
“My whole family communicates by calling and video chatting now,” my friend Eunyoung Kim tells me. “None of the restaurants in the neighborhood are open except for delivery, and they just leave it outside your door after you pay electronically so there’s no physical contact. It’s hard not being able to share a meal with your family members for fear of getting sick.”
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 it’s 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 didn’t 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 Santis’ order on Mar. 20.
Sadly, there’s 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.
I’m 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 readers’) favorite restaurant in New Tampa — Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Tampa Palms — shortly before DeSantis gave his order.
As for the rest of my New Tampa top-25, please read on! — GN
1 — STONEWOOD 17050 Palm Pointe Dr., Tampa Palms | (813) 978-0388 Even though it hasn’t always been my #1 favorite restaurant in New Tampa, there’s 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.
Stonewood continues to serve the best (and best variety of) steaks (like the 9-oz. filet mignon pictured below) in New Tampa and it also offers a daily “market catch” (like the fresh grouper piccata, with sauce on the side and perfectly sautéed spinach, right) and other specials (like lollipop rib lamb chops…mmm) that have kept it near the top of my list every year.
New GM Matt Passardi — who previously ran the Grillsmith in the Shops at Wiregrass — and his staff usually also keep their guests happy at New Tampa’s most-happening bar scene, but of course, covid-19 has shut down the bar and Stonewood’s 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 I’m 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 — blackened with a side of the Fat Rabbit cilantro sauce are my faves — as well as great burgers, “taters” (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 & Tony’s location in City Plaza. But, I have always credited Ciccio Cali as the first to bring “bowl culture” to New Tampa. The menu has been simplified, with multiple “bowl style” options (the “Lean & Clean” with tuna is my fave), plus crisp-crust pizza and famous wrap sandwiches (the Cali Club is my fave).
4 — ACROPOLIS GREEK TAVERNA Oak Ramble Plaza 14947 Bruce B Downs Blvd. | (813) 971-1787 Although I spend a lot less time these days south of Tampa Palms on BBD, it never takes much to convince Jannah to go to (or take out from) Acropolis. Part of another successful Bay-area mini-chain, Acropolis features authentic saganaki cheese flambé and artichoke and spinach dip appetizers, a tender shish (filet) and chicken kabob duo, savory loin lamb chops and our favorite entrée — the thin, crisp, lightly fried Athenian fish pictured above. And, even though Acropolis doesn’t have a true Greek dressing, the Greek salad also is outstanding with its creamy Acropolis Greek dressing.
5 — LAS PALMAS LATIN GRILL 6431 E. County Line Rd. | (813) 803-3903 Speaking of amazing fish, owner/chef Ramses Garcia serves our area’s flakiest, tastiest merluza (like snapper) a la Rusa, as well as award-winning Cuban sandwiches and traditional specialties like ropa vieja (shredded beef), picadillo (ground beef) and arroz con pollo (chicken & yellow rice), and I really love the steaks — palomillo (in sour mojo sauce, with onions), churrasco (skirt steak with chimichurri sauce) and sautéed vaca frita (crispy beef). But, the lechon asado (tender roasted pork), masitas (pork chunks) and special pork chops (above) are my faves. You can’t go wrong with Ramses’ wife Ana’s award-winning tres leches dessert, either!
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 it’s hard to beat for breakfast, lunch and dinner,. There are great wings, burgers, salads and sandwiches, but my faves are the dinner “signatures” like country fried chicken and slow-roasted, top round roast beef with brown gravy pictured above. It’s 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 haven’t tried Fushia, you’ve been missing one of New Tampa’s best-kept secrets. Fushia may not serve traditional New York-style Chinese food, but it features many dishes I love you won’t find anywhere else in our distribution areas. I’m 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 you’ll 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 “fancy” duck with sweet & sour sauce.
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 won’t 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 I (sadly) am not able to enjoy. The sushi is really good, too.
10 — LIANG’S BISTRO ASIAN CUSINE 17515 Bruce B Downs Blvd. | (813) 978-1225 Even though I prefer many of the entrées at Fushia a little more than the main dishes at Liang’s, there’s no doubt that this is a very nice, upscale Chinese (with other Asian options) restaurant with very good food. My favorite entrées are the steamed (with mixed veggies) or Liang’s crispy fish, the sizzling Shanghai steak and Sichuan chicken, but I love Liang’s for its New York-style BBQ spareribs, the teriyaki wontons and especially, the crispy egg rolls shown above. The item Jannah and I take out most often, though, are Liang’s awesome sautéed string beans, but I order them in a spicy chili sauce, rather than the usual oyster sauce. So good.
11 — FULL CIRCLE PIZZA Pebble Creek Collection 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. | (813) 994-3700 Don’t get me wrong…even though I find the deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza shown above very tasty, I’ll 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, I’m 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.
12 — SUSHI CAFE The Walk at Highwoods Preserve 18015 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. | (813) 977-7800 For anyone who’s asking, for my money, Sushi Café has the best sushi in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel. With a huge assortment of sushi rolls, including some truly unique options like a Pacific fusion roll with spicy tuna, crunch, cucumber and avocado on top, plus a wide variety of sashimi, Sushi Café also has one of the best spicy tuna tataki appetizers in our area (photo). I also really enjoy the “hibachi from kitchen” entrées, like the filet mignon and chicken options, even though (especially because?) there are no teppanyaki tables. I also recommend the crispy chicken katsu and chicken and veggie tempura.
13 — GINZA 6417 E County Line Rd. | (813) 907-1688 When you’re looking for the best value for your money in our area, I believe that Ginza has to be in that conversation, especially for lunch Monday-Friday, which costs only $12.95 for adults ($6.95-$8.95 for kids 4-14) for all of the sushi, appetizers and entrées you care to eat. Even at $21.95 for adults and $8.95-$12.95 for kids for dinner, it’s a great value, especially when you consider the quality of the unlimited egg and spring rolls, pan-fried pork dumplings and dishes like the spicy Mongolian chicken shown above (the Mongolian beef also is top-notch). And, while Ginza’s sushi may not be quite as good as Sushi Café’s, I do enjoy Ginza’s white meat fish sashimi, California roll and others.
14 — KOIZI ENDLESS HIBACHI & SUSHI 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 — Koizi or Ginza — 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 Taylor’s unique pizza names — 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 (Peter’s “carnivore” pizza has all three) and fresh spinach. The wood-fired meatball appetizer and wings also are delicious, and I’ve 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 it’s 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 Fong’s Sushi and Sushi Raw, but one thing has remained consistent through all of its incarnations — 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 hasn’t 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 Oakley’s, 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, Oakley’s 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 don’t 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. DUNDERBAK’S Oak Ramble Plaza 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. | (813) 977-4104 When the original Mr. Dunderbak’s 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). I’m not a big beer drinker, but Mr. D’s 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 you’ve ever had a hankerin’ (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.
23 — GLORY DAYS GRILL 17508 Doña Michelle Dr. | (813) 513-7550 When this, our distribution area’s first Glory Days Grill, opened a few years ago, replacing the popular Lee Roy Selmon’s, I will say I wasn’t a big fan. However, when Jannah and I first tried the new Glory Days on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, we recognized that the menu had been greatly upgraded and we have visited both locations quite a bit since then. We love the zucchini fries appetizer shown above, as well as the steak rice bowl, the grilled and comeback chicken entrées, Boston chowda and the 1/2-lb. proprietary blend burgers. Glory Days also has two sizes (7-oz. & 10-oz.) of its tasty “1988” sirloin steak and a great sports bar atmosphere.
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 Athan’s 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 “Benedict” (poached egg) breakfasts, avocado toast, a lox (smoked salmon) platter, ultimate omelets and an incredible variety of French toast options. I’m embarrassed to say Jannah and I haven’t 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 Hunter’s Green Country Club were the only “real” 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 — and that club still meets there every week! However, I will say that the times when I’ve gotten to have dinner at TPGCC, the food has always been pretty good, like the filet shown above.
GARY’S 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. I’m even admitting to liking some “fast food” places.-GN
Al-Sham Palace Aroy Thai Bearss Tavern & Tap Burger 21 Cantina Mexican Grill Cappy’s Pizza Deano’s Pizza & Pasta Don Julio’s Authentic Mexican Five Guys Burgers & Fries Ho King Hummingbird Jerk House Hunter’s Green Country Club Jersey Mike’s Subs Juice Factory Minerva Indian Restaurant Mulligans Irish Pub (at PCGC) Olive Garden Palm Thai PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub Saffron Indian Cuisine Snowrolls Steak n’ Shake Sushi Avenue Taste of NY Pizza Westshore Pizza
*- Notes – Mahana Fresh & Lima both didn’t open until 2020, or they would have made this list.
** – Sukhothai, Vallarta’s (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 Lima’s location in the New Tampa Center plaza, made my top-50 before it closed.
