A CENTURY OF LOVE!

More than 200 people (including her daughter & party organizer, Ellen Fiss, right, and grandson Garrett Fiss, right) were on hand to celebrate Marion Brodarick’s 100th Birthday!

Considering that she has lived in Pebble Creek for almost 42 years and has entered pretty much every contest we’ve ever run in the Neighborhood News the last 29 (and has regularly called our office to tell us about any number of news stories in her neighborhood), I’ve long considered Marion Brodarick to be a cherished member of my newspaper family.

I therefore was thrilled when Florence Bronner, a member of the bridge club Marion has been a part of since she first moved to New Tampa from her native Chicago, called me to invite me to the bridge club’s celebration of Marion’s 100th birthday at Heritage Isles Golf Club (photo, near right, by Charmaine George).

I was even more excited that Jannah and I were then invited to attend Marion’s “real” 100th birthday bash, thrown for her by her daughter (and long-time publicist for Tampa General Hospital and Fox-13 TV before that) Ellen Fiss. The party was held over Labor Day weekend at The Orlo, a 100+-year-old house in downtown Tampa that has been converted into a spectacular event venue.

Marion was transported to the event in her “Birthday Express,” a beautiful 1920s-style car (right), and was escorted into The Orlo by Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin (or, at least, great impersonators of them; there also were Audrey Hepburn and Elvis impersonators on hand). Inside, Ellen had tables of beautiful, signed photos from not only local newscasters, but celebrities such as Julie Andrews, Johnny Depp, Carol Burnett, Jerry Seinfeld and others, as well as commendations from Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Polk Sheriff Grady Judd and the Tampa Bay Bucs, plus many other artifacts of Marion’s life, including photos from her wedding to her husband of 58 years, Urban “Brod” Brodarick, who passed away in 2005 at the age of 86.

During her speech at the party, Ellen said that more than 200 people were in attendance (many of whom wore 1920s-era costumes), including more than 50 relatives, who came from 15 states to be there. Former Tampa Mayor Dick Greco (photo on next page) and his wife, Dr. Linda McClintock, were among those who attended in person, while other dignitaries sent videos, including Santiago Corrada of Visit Tampa Bay (where Marion worked for three decades when it was called the Tampa Convention & Visitors Bureau; she also volunteered for 30+ years at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts), Fox-13 anchors Russell Rhodes and Jen Epstein, News Channel 8’s Stacy Schaible and Josh Benson and others. 

There was dancing to the music of the 12-piece Don Juceam Orchestra, a quartet from Palma Ceia United Methodist Church (where Ellen and her husband Herb Fiss are members) who sang all of the theme songs of the U.S. military, a letter from Marion’s relatives in Croatia that was read by her granddaughter Olivia Fiss, delicious food by private chef Justin Fedin and the most wonderful feeling Jannah and I have ever felt attending a birthday party. 

Congrats, Marion. We love you!

Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar & Rodizio On The Way

If there is one hole in the growing Wesley Chapel dining scene, it might be the lack of a true seafood place.

That hole will be getting partially filled soon.

A Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar is in the process of being built in the same mini-plaza as the recently opened Chicken Salad Chick next to the Costco off S.R. 56 on the extension of Wesley Chapel Blvd.

The 4,162-sq.ft. oyster bar will have a 535-sq.-ft. patio and started the permitting process in July.

Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar has 10 locations in North Carolina and four in South Carolina, as well as single locations in Maryland, Georgia, Illinois and Texas. 

The Wesley Chapel location, which is expected to be casual and no-frills like its other locations, is part of a Florida expansion that will add new restaurants in the Space Coast and Ocala areas.

Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar’s go-to items are the oysters on the half shell, although they also are served steamed and chargrilled. Other seafood items include scallops, ahi tuna, shrimp, snow crab legs and calamari, as well as American bar staples like chicken wings, burgers, fries and macaroni and cheese bites. 

Tacos, po-boy sandwiches and shrimp ‘n grits also are on the menu, and, of course, beer and cocktails.

For more information, visit TheShuckinShack.com.

Also, in the same area, we told you in July but now it’s official — Rodizio Grill, a Brazilian steakhouse, has posted a sign saying “Coming Soon!” in front of the At Home store just south and across the road from Costco.

Rodizio Grill was the first authentic Brazilian steakhouse or “churrascaria” in the U.S. established in 1995 by Ivan Utrera. There is a location in Sarasota.

For more information, visit RodizioGrill.com. — JCC

Florida Cancer Specialists Breaks Ground

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) has big plans to expand its cancer services, breaking ground on Sept. 20 on a new facility at the southwest corner of Hueland Pond Blvd. and S.R. 56, just east of Beach House Assisted Living.

Currently located in a 5,000-sq.-ft. building on Tanic Dr. (off Cypress Ridge Blvd.), FCS’s new center will be two stories and 45,000 square feet. That is even larger than the 28,000-sq.-ft. Moffitt Cancer Center at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, which opened in May 2021.

The new FCS building will offer expanded cancer care patient access of the first floor, plus 27 exam rooms and more than 65 treatment chairs, with both semi-private and private infusion suites for those receiving chemo treatments.

The latest clinical trials also will be available at the new FCS center once it is established.

“We have a rich history in Florida, with almost 38 years of caring for cancer patients, and we are really proud of our mission of world class care close to home,” said chief operating officer Jason Coe (far left in photo). “This is what we do — we bring care close to home so patients don’t have to travel.”

The FCS building is expected to be completed by early 2024. — JCC

AdventHealth Care Pavilion In Hunter’s Green Celebrates One Year

In the year since it opened on Sept. 14 of last year, the AdventHealth Care Pavilion at Hunter’s Green has served many people looking for a modern, convenient way to meet their primary health care needs.

Located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. just south of Cross Creek Blvd. in front of Hunter’s Green, the Care Pavilion offers a reimagined experience to make going to the doctor easier, with a lot less hassle.

The 50,000-sq.-ft. building houses primary care, on-site labs and imaging, and an expanding list of specialties. Patients sign in one time at the concierge Welcome Center and don’t need to go anywhere else. An in-house pharmacy means patients can leave with their prescriptions already in hand.

“Our strategy was two years in the making to really think through what people want,” says John Johannessen, senior executive officer of non-acute care in AdventHealth’s West Florida division. “People don’t like going to doctors. You go because you’re sick and you want to be healthy. But, if people went more often for regular checkups and physicals, things could be addressed early and not become (more) serious conditions.”

So, AdventHealth tried to take away many of the frustrations that are typical of a visit to the doctor’s office, such as scheduling way in advance, crowded waiting rooms with a long wait for the doctor, and filling out pages and pages of forms.

The Care Pavilion is open for early morning appointments, evening hours, and even all day Saturday, for flexibility and convenience.

Johannessen says AdventHealth is adding advanced practitioners and physicians to the location, in order to be sure they can accommodate the number of people who visit.

While appointments are available for patients who prefer them, you can walk right in and expect to be seen in a reasonable amount of time. You may not get to see your favorite doctor — whose schedule might be already filled for the day — but there will be someone available to see you in a timely manner.

“Walk-in doesn’t mean extended wait,” Johannessen explains. “We are monitoring demand and want people to understand that ‘just walk in’ doesn’t mean I’m going to sit and wait three hours.”

Johannessen adds that another perk of the Care Pavilion is that patients won’t be asked to fill out forms over and over again. Online registration and communication through a patient portal and app mean communication when the office and its services are available at your fingertips.

“My personal experience is that I went into the Care Pavilion for lab work and had the results that night,” he says. “Six hours later, I could access all my results in the patient portal.”

He says technology continues to evolve, but the at-your-fingertips convenience of lab results, prescription refills, and other services are appreciated by the Care Pavilion’s patients.

Entering The ‘Kid Zone’

For parents, another inconvenience of going to the doctor can be having to bring children along and keep them entertained. But, the AdventHealth Care Pavilion has a solution for that, too.

The office offers an on-site “Kids Club,” where up to eight children at a time are cared for, while their parent is seeing a doctor in the building.

“We call it our ‘Kid Zone,’” Johannessen says. “It’s not a daycare center, but is equipped with trained staff while people are getting services at the building. You can drop your child off and go get your medical care taken care of.”

He says that the Care Pavilion does not charge any fee for the Kid Zone, which follows strict safety measures, such as procedures for registering and releasing children, and doors are kept locked for security.

“The feedback I’ve gotten is that kids want to come back,” Johannessen says. “It’s a convenience tool that we have, to try to make it a little easier when (a parent needs) care.”

And, while Johannessen says the Care Pavilion is not an urgent care center, it is structured in a way that patients can receive all of the care they would get in an urgent care facility.

Since opening a year ago, the AdventHealth Care Pavilion at Hunter’s Green already has expanded to add dermatology to its available services.

“It’s a challenging need,” Johannessen says. “You live in Florida — the Sunshine State — and it can take such a long time to get in and see a dermatologist.”

Being that it’s a new specialty in the building, the Care Pavilion currently has capacity for people to see a dermatologist fairly quickly. See the contact information at the end of this article to schedule a specialty appointment.

The Care Pavilion still has room to grow, and Johannessen says further expansion is being considered, especially centered around primary care needs.

“We’re having conversations with a dental practice, ophthalmology, and audiology,” he explains, “and (we’re) also considering physical therapy services.”

He says the company’s focus will continue to be on convenience, as well as patient experience and satisfaction.

“We hope that people would start to accept the Care Pavilion as a first choice for primary needs,” he says. “If you have any primary care need, this center has all of the tools to get everything you need in one place.”

The AdventHealth Care Pavilion at Hunter’s Green is located at 8702 Hunter’s Lake Dr. It’s open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call (813) 467-4700 or visit AdventHealthCarePavilion.com.

The Lucky Dill Deli — A True NY Deli, But So Much More!

When Alex Mitow, the son of Kim Mitow, who first opened The Lucky Dill Deli in Palm Harbor way back in 1991, emailed to ask for advertising rates in the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, I’ll admit I was a little confused.

Why would a deli restaurant located in Palm Harbor (that I personally had visited many times over the past 31 years because it is a true New York-style deli) want to advertise itself to two communities located at least 45 minutes away?

During my most recent visit, Lucky Dill general manager Ron Garcia explained it this way to me:

“We know that pretty much everyone in  Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs and even New Port Richey and Clearwater pretty much already knows who and where we are and what we serve,” Ron said. “But, our goal is to bring in and introduce a whole new group of customers to our ‘destination restaurant’ because we know that if they give us a try, they’ll keep coming back — and tell their friends about us.”

Ron, who has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality business himself, has been the GM at The Lucky Dill since 2020. He told me that it was important to him to maintain the family feel Kim and her family created with delicious, top-quality food and outstanding service. 

Kim and her children Jason, Tanya, and Alex, worked hard to bring the New York way of life, along with its commitment to top-notch food and great value, to Lucky Dill Palm Harbor. Over the years (according to its website), “Lucky Dill has been heralded as not only one of the best restaurants in Palms Harbor (it’s nominated again for that honor by Creative Loafing), but one of the top NYC delis in Florida. A loyal following of New York transplants…have grown to call Lucky Dill their home away from home.”

And, for good reason. It had been a couple of years since I had visited The Lucky Dill, but I was excited to give it another try, because it offers a few of my favorite New York deli items you really can’t find anywhere else near here, including real matzo ball soup and savory Jewish-style brisket of beef (not to be confused with BBQ brisket) with real au jus for dipping.

“We use real steamer trays and collect the brisket drippings to make the au jus,” Brian, the head bartender at Lucky Dill’s full liquor bar (with great craft cocktails) told me. We don’t use any of that canned or powdered crap other places use for their au jus.”

The menu at The Lucky Dill is huge, but the variety of deli sandwiches — with favorites like corned beef, pastrami, roast beef, turkey and even chopped liver — is definitely the star of the show. Those who like their sandwiches as big as their heads definitely should try one of the “skyscraper” options, like the Empire State Stacker (shown above, a nearly 9-inch-tall combo of corned beef, pastrami, turkey and roast beef with Swiss and provolone cheeses on marble rye). Lucky Dill even offers “old school” NY Deli Delights like tongue, silky smoked whitefish salad and “Nibbles & Noshes” like Gabila’s Coney Island knishes, Lower East latkes (potato pancakes) with sour cream and chunky applesauce and Hebrew National hot dogs.

But, in addition to those deli classics, The Lucky Dill also offers “A Taste Of Little Italy,” with favorites like clams casino pasta, chicken Alfredo and Vinny’s mozzarella stack. 

Breakfast, Bakery & More!

Breakfast at The Lucky Dill includes The Bagel Noshery, with classics like The New Yorker with Nova Scotia salmon, the BEC (Bacon, Egg & Cheese) deluxe, with thick-cut bacon, cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs and chipotle apple aioli. 

There’s also a variety of bowls and toasts, like Awesome Avo + Egg toast and an Aussie Brekkie Bowl with poached egg, farro grains, fresh veggies, avocado, grilled halloumi cheese and pickled onions, as well as a variety of traditional egg and omelette dishes and “Bennies,” including the Brighton Beach Benny with smoked Nova Scotia salmon, wilted spinach, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce on an English muffin with a side of home fries. I’ve had the Bananas Foster French toast, which is literally to die for.

The Lucky Dill’s Brooklyn Bakery has a huge variety of cakes, pies (the peanut butter pie is decadent), cookies (including the best black & white cookies I’ve had outside of NYC) and a cannoli bar, where you can custom-design your cannolis with a variety of fillings and toppings. The Bakery counter also serves as The Lucky Dill’s to-go area.

The Lucky Dill also features The Ditch Plains Surf Bar, the first-of-its-kind in the Tampa Bay area. Serving up a slice of Hamptons sophistication in Palm Harbor, this new bar celebrates laid-back beach life with its own beachy menu and refined takes on fresh summery cocktails, quenching frosés and craft beers from New York breweries.

The Lucky Dill Deli (33180 US Hwy. 19, Palm Harbor) is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. For more info, call (727) 789-5574, visit LuckyDillDeli.com and join the email list and receive a $15 gift card emailed to you on your birthday.