Cafe Zorba — The Newest Dining KRATE Serves Delicious Greek Cuisine! 

The last of the 29 restaurants to open at the KRATE Container Park at The Grove in Wesley Chapel is Cafe Zorba, which serves delicious Greek and Mediterranean cuisine from the former owners of Acropolis Greek Taverna in New Tampa.

Cafe Zorba owners Stacy Esposito and her husband Eddie Nasr are proud to bring you authentic recipes with unique flavor touches that Eddie says are mainly his recipes from his childhood in the Republic of Cyprus, which is an independent nation on the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea between Greece, Turkey and Syria. Although his parents were Lebanese, Eddie says his Cypriot recipes have been strongly influenced by the cuisine of Greece. 

Delicious Starters & Entrées!

On these pages, you’ll find some of our favorite dishes at Cafe Zorba, a name inspired by the novel Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis that earned Anthony Quinn an Oscar nomination for the 1964 movie of the same name.

The top left photo, of course, is the delicious Greek-style calamari, which is delicately crispy and served with a side of marinara sauce and kalamata olives. 

“If you visit Greece and you don’t have the calamari,” Eddie says, “it’s like you never visited Greece. There is tons of calamari in the Mediterranean.”

Other starters at Cafe Zorba include tzatziki (Greek yogurt with freshly grated cucumbers, garlic and herbs with olive oil, served with pita), hummus (fresh chickpea spread with garlic and tahini, topped with virgin olive oil and tomatoes), dolmades (grapevine leaves stuffed with rice, lemon juice, olive oil and herbs, topped with crumbled feta) and the crispy and delicious Greek fries with aioli, feta and a side of tzatziki. 

The photo to the left is the traditional Cypriot fried halloumi cheese, which is made from a semi-soft brined cheese with a high melting point, so it’s perfect for deep-frying. The halloumi rectangles are served with pita bread, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.

The bottom photo on this page is, of course, the crispy spanakopita, or light and flaky phyllo pastry dough, stuffed with spinach and feta, served with a side Greek salad. Speaking of Cafe Zorba’s Greek salad, it is served with a similarly zesty, creamy Greek dressing to what you might remember from Acropolis.  

My favorite entrees at Cafe Zorba are the lamb gyro wrap (also available with chicken — and the daily lunch special from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. gives you a gyro, fries and drink for only $15) and the chicken, pork or beef souvlaki platters, which are served with what may be the best, most savory orzo rice I’ve had in this area (or those crispy fries), as well as a Greek salad. The photo above is the chicken souvlaki platter.

Other entrées include the Zeus burger (topped with sautéed mushrooms, onions and feta); the tasty fish sliders (lightly breaded, pan-fried fish filet, topped with vegetable slaw, garlic aioli, onion and tomato on slider buns), the fried kibbeh platter (kibbeh are cracked wheat dough shells stuffed with seasoned beef, sautéed onions and pine nuts, served with fries, hummus and pita), and shrimp skewers. The shrimp are sauteed in lemon, garlic and butter sauce and served with pita. 

All of the entrées are just $12-$18 and Stacy says, “We’re proud to be the only dining KRATE with all five-star reviews on Google. The reviews say our food is delicious and our portions are huge!”

Dessert, Beverages & More

Save room for dessert, as the options include regular baklava, baklava cheesecake, chocolate-covered baklava, tiramisu, Eddie’s homemade rice pudding and my favorite — the Zorba chocolate bombe filled with creamy milk and white chocolate mousse.

Cafe Zorba also sells a variety of beers, including Mythos from Greece, Almaza from Lebanon and many other imported and domestic options, as well as Greek and other delicious wines, plus coffee, soft drinks and Frazil shaved ice beverages.

And, the fun doesn’t end when you walk outside of Cafe Zorba, as there are nearly 50 flavors to enjoy with hookah pipes. Gypsi (photo, right), an exotic belly dancer, performs on Friday evenings, beginning at 7 p.m.

Even though it was only open for a couple of weeks when the voting ended, our readers named Cafe Zorba their fourth favorite Greek or Mediterranean Restaurant in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel and I placed it in my top-5 Favorite KRATEs.

  Cafe Zorba is located at 5804 Grand Oro Lane, at the southern end of the KRATE container park. It is open Mon.-Thur., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Fri. and Sat.; and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sun. For more info, call (813) 388-5987 or visit Cafe-Zorba.com.

We Are Family, Say Teachers & Principals Celebrating Benito’s 25th!

Lewis Brinson, the first principal at Benito Middle School.

Lewis Brinson had no idea where “New Tampa” was, but when he was handed the keys to Louis Benito Middle School 25 years ago, he couldn’t wait to find out. So, he decided to leave his West Tampa home and take a drive.

“I was driving and driving…and driving,” Brinson said, smiling. “When I got here, I said “Where’s the school?” All that was here was a trailer.”

Brinson, Benito’s first principal, shared the story in the school’s media center, at a celebration of Benito’s 25th anniversary, drawing plenty of head nods and laughter.

Every one of the school’s past principals attended — Barbara Hancock, Scott Fritz, Bobby Smith (who slipped in a “Benito Pride, Hard to Hide” slogan at the end of his speech) and John Sanders, who held the job the longest before retiring last year after 14 years at the school. Current principal Brent Williams, a host of teachers past and current, some Hillsborough County Schools administrators and three current School Board members joined in to mark the occasion in a small but upbeat ceremony.

(Above) Current Benito Middle School Principal Brent Williams (far left) with (l.-r.) bookkeeper Phyllis Thurman and teachers Michelle Nolan, Charmaine Jones and Barbara Lind, the staffers who have all been at the school all 25+ years it has been open, and assistant principal Kathleen LeClaire at the celebration of the school’s opening for the 1997-98 school year. (Photos by Charmaine George)

Included in the crowd and honored by Williams were Michelle Nolan, Charmaine Jones, Barbara Lind and bookkeeper Phyllis Thurman, all of whom have been at the school since Day One.

Nolan, a 6th grade math teacher, gave a heartfelt and tear-filled speech as she looked back at her 25 years.

“It’s been a joy to come to work,” Nolan said. “I’ve put my heart and soul into Benito. Tim (her husband) and I couldn’t have kids, so this became my baby.”

Jones, a 7th grade civics teacher, has worked in education for 40 years and Benito was her third job. 

“I never felt the need to leave this place,” she said.

Lind, who followed Brinson from Eisenhower Middle School to Benito, said when she started, the principal gave her one piece of advice that may have saved her a few bucks: when you get to Cross Creek Blvd., set your cruise control for 30 mph or you will get a ticket (although, technically, the speed limit on Cross Creek Blvd. was, and still is, 45 mph).

Williams promised Thurman, the school’s forever bookkeeper, she wouldn’t have to give a speech, so he gave one for her, telling the crowd, “One thing I learned as an administrator is if you don’t have a good bookkeeper, you’re going to jail…well, I’m not going to jail.”

What’s In A Name?

All five of Benito Middle School’s principals since it opened were on hand for the celebration. (L.-r.) Lewis Brinson, Barbara Hancock, Scott Fritz, Bobby Smith and John Sanders.

Benito opened in August 1997 for the 1997-98 school year, as New Tampa was beginning to explode. Although many locals had petitioned to have the new school be named New Tampa Middle School, it ended up being named after well-known Tampa advertising executive Louis Benito, who played a big role in establishing the University of South Florida (USF).

Brinson’s first year was a tough one, with problems still familiar to New Tampa residents. There were major traffic issues, an abundance of construction trucks on the roads and an overflowing student population. In fact, making use of some of its 29 portables, Benito actually housed the 5th graders from the adjacent Hunter’s Green Elementary due to that school’s overcrowding issues.

Benito was a blend of teachers from all over the county, neighborhood kids and those who took buses in from the USF area.

“It was just a matter of putting everyone together, and making them feel welcome,” Brinson said. “We tried to build a culture where everybody felt appreciated and, once we did that, everything fell into place.”

As for traffic, it was predictably a mess. 

According to a St. Petersburg Times story, one parent stood at the corner of Kinnan St. and Cross Creek Blvd. for 25 minutes one morning and counted 79 heavy construction vehicles — like dump trucks, concrete mixers and semitrailer trucks — as well as 26 school buses, along with all of the cars that were dropping kids off.

Because there were no crossing guards provided for secondary schools, Brinson took on the job himself. Eventually, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, as a temporary measure and until the construction in the area was completed, supplied a guard.

The wildlife in the area also turned out to be a big surprise to Brinson and his staff, which included then-assistant principal and future principal Scott Fritz.

“When I interviewed, Mr. Brinson went through a list of things (asking if I could handle) lockers, schedules, working with parents,” Fritz said. “What he didn’t tell me was that I was going to catch two alligators on campus. He didn’t tell me I’d have to catch a host of walking catfish. He didn’t tell me about all the snakes…but I will tell you what, it was absolutely the defining leadership experience I had working here at Benito.”

A slide show at the 25th anniversary celebration highlighted some of the school’s notable graduates, like 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion Nupur Lala, all-Ivy League volleyball player and Yale graduate Kathryn Attar, former University of Pennsylvania running back and current Team USA bobsledder Kyle Wilcox, Canadian Football League quarterback Chase Litton (who also has spent time on NFL team practice squads) and Michael O’Rourke, the founder and CEO of Tampa blockchain services startup Pocket Network, now valued at $1.5 billion.

However, those who spoke at the Benito gathering were quick to credit the teachers and administrators for creating a family-type atmosphere and making the middle school one of the best in Hillsborough County. This year was the 21st straight year Benito received an “A” grade from the Florida Department of Education.

That’s a big part of the reason Williams calls Benito a “destination” for county educators.

“You can definitely feel the sense of school community and it’s evident in the way they carry themselves in their conversations,” he said of his teachers. “They love being here and they love the kids. You can definitely feel the family vibe.”

After the speeches, folks mingled and shared stories and hugs while eating cake. Laughter filled the room. Fritz said it was like a family, and that made the celebration feel more like a family reunion.

“I knew that this community wouldn’t let this school fail,” Brinson said. “It felt good knowing that, and being able to come back and see that it is (still) thriving makes you feel proud. Sometimes you go to a place and you don’t want people to know that you used to be there. That’s not the case here.”

Mayor Castor Talks Tampa At Local Coffee Shop

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor speaks to a packed house at Coffee Speaks & Tea Talks on Jan. 27.

The night before Tampa Mayor Jane Castor had to fight off a band of pirates looking to take over the city during the annual Gasparilla invasion, she decided to relax at a New Tampa coffee shop.

At the appropriately named Coffee Speaks & Tea Talks coffee shop in the Pebble Creek Collection, Castor told a standing-room- only crowd of 50-60 people that despite the impending invasion, all was well in Tampa.

She touted some of her achievements during her nearly four years in office, and assured the crowd that she was charging forward on improving two of the city’s most pressing issues — transportation woes and the lack of affordable housing in the city.

“We aren’t going to stop,” Castor said. “We are going to find a solution.”

(LThe crowd included Clark Elementary 4th grader Makenna Reel (with microphone) who asked the mayor if she’d join her club at school and help pick up trash in the local neighborhoods. (Photos: Charmaine George)

The Jan. 27 appearance wasn’t as New Tampa-centric as some of her other appearances in the area, but the audience did touch on some HART busing issues, and Castor did say the repaving of Tampa Palms Blvd. is set to begin in the next week or so.

The event lasted just over an hour. Along the way, Castor even committed to helping clean up New Tampa, thanks to the youngest questioner at the event.

Makenna Reel, a 4th grader at Clark Elementary, asked Castor — who told the audience that litter is one of her pet peeves –— that she had started a club at her school dedicated to picking up trash in the local neighborhoods. 

Reel asked if Castor would like to join her later this month when her club gets together to pick up trash along Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. — and the mayor agreed.

The New Tampa stop was part of the “Coffee With Castor” tour, with the mayor dropping in on small local businesses for some good old campaigning, even though the event was held in the unincorporated part of New Tampa (which doesn’t vote in the city’s upcoming election, which will be held on Tuesday, March 7). 

Castor is running for a second term against long-time New Tampa resident and write-in candidate Dr. Belinda Noah (see story on previous page).

Noah, 68, most recently ran in Aug. 2022 for a seat on Florida’s 13th Circuit Court, losing to Wesley Tibbals, despite garnering nearly 88,000 votes countywide.

Speaking Of Elections…

In other city election news, Hunter’s Green resident and District 7 City Council member Luis Viera has already secured a third term after no one stepped up to run against him.

Viera was one of seven Council members up for re-election this year, but was the only incumbent who didn’t draw an opponent. He originally won the District 7 seat by just 65 votes (out of 5,120 cast) over fellow New Tampa resident Dr. Jim Davison in 2016, but beat Quentin Robinson 76%-24% in 2019. 

Districts 3 and 6 each have five candidates running for the seats, Districts 1 and 2 have four, District 5 has three and District 4 has two. Districts 1-3 are elected citywide.

“Citywide, about two dozen candidates qualified for Tampa City Council in a very politically acute time,” Viera said. “The fact that I was re-elected without an opponent in this environment is something I am proud of. I thank my constituents for the opportunity to serve.” — JCC

PopStroke Ready To Open!

Video screen grab (PopStroke)

Tiger Woods has made it official — PopStroke Wesley Chapel/Tampa is opening at noon on Friday, Feb. 17.

The golf legend announced the opening via his Twitter account Thursday morning.

Located just north and east of the intersection of S.R. 56 and Wesley Chapel Blvd., PopStroke is co-owned by Woods and Craig Bartoli. TGR Design, which is Woods’ golf course design company.

The Wesley Chapel location will feature two 18-hole courses — one will be harder than the other — featuring synthetic turf greens designed to mimic putting on real golf courses. The courses lack the usual mini-golf obstacles, instead focusing on a more realistic experience with undulated greens designed to challenge golfers of all ages, as well as fairways and sand traps.

The mini-golf is complemented by a 10,000-sq.-ft. restaurant and kid’s playground. The restaurant will feature premium food and drinks, as well as 24 different flavors of ice cream. Golfers can see their scores displayed on a large scoreboard, and even order drinks, via an app, that will be delivered to them on the course. 

“It’s one of the only concepts I know of anywhere in world, really, where you can find a 3-, 8-. 27- and 80-year-old enjoying it to the same extent,” Bartoli said at the February 2022 groundbreaking.

New Tampa Teen Is Area’s First Stars & Stripes Award Recipient

Jenna McLaughlin, a senior at Wharton High, is the 43rd recipient of the Stars & Stripes award in the state of Florida, and the 980th overall recipient in the 27-year history of the American Heritage Girls organization. (Photos: Karl Greeson)

Jenna McLaughlin recently became the first girl in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area to earn the highest award that can be achieved from American Heritage Girls (AHG), a faith-based, scouting type organization.

Jenna is an 18-year-old senior who will graduate from Wharton High this spring. She also attends dual enrollment classes full time at Hillsborough Community College.

She is just the 43rd recipient in the state of Florida, and the 980th recipient in the 27-year history of the organization, to win the Stars & Stripes award. To qualify for the award, girls are required to earn 16 specific life skills badges in categories such as outdoor skills, science and technology and personal well being. They also must hold a leadership position in their troop for a minimum of six months, write a resume and essay about their personal spiritual journey, present at least three letters of reference, pass a Board of Review, and plan, develop and lead others in a service project that requires a minimum of 100 hours and makes a lasting impact on the community.

For Jenna’s project, she built a large stone fire pit (see photo) at St. James United Methodist Church in Tampa Palms, which hosts her AHG troop. The fire pit was completed last fall and has already been used by different ministries both in and outside of the church for outdoor gatherings.

“I’m so grateful for all the support I received from my troop members, leaders and other volunteers,” says Jenna. “It was really rewarding to see it go from an idea in my head to an actual fire pit people can enjoy.”

Jenna’s mother Celeste is a troop coordinator and little sister Rylie is also in American Heritage Girls.

While the project represents one of the final steps to earn the award, Stars & Stripes is about much more than just the project. It is the pinnacle of the journey that aims to teach girls life skills, leadership, and a heart for service.

“I have had so many experiences that I wouldn’t have had if it wasn’t for AHG,” Jenna says. She recalls going on a trip to earn the snow skiing badge, and spending a week living on a sailboat off the coast of Maine, learning about sailing and helping with many of the on-board tasks, from steering the boat to pulling up the anchor and preparing meals.

American Heritage Girls was founded in 1995 by parents looking for an organization that would embrace Christian values and encourage family involvement.

Founder Patti Garibay today serves as the executive director of the organization, which currently has troops in all 50 states and more than 50,000 girl members.

“Jenna, you joined AHG in 2013 as a Tenderheart and now you have achieved the highest accomplishment in this program, the Stars & Stripes Award,” said Garibay in a congratulatory video that was shared with the audience at Jenna’s award ceremony on Jan. 23. “All of us at American Heritage Girls — the staff, the board, and the volunteers — are so very proud of you.”

Jenna is one of 40 girls in her troop, which was founded five years ago by a leadership team that includes her mom Celeste, who is a writer for the Neighborhood News. Girls range in age from six to 18.

For more information about  American Heritage Girls, go to AmericanHeritageGirls.org. To connect with the New Tampa or Wesley Chapel AHG troops, use the “Find A Troop” button on that website.