Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. — Legit Bagels, Delicious Coffee & More

As a native New Yorker raised on bagels and lox (aka smoked salmon) and bacon, egg and cheese bagel sandwiches, but who has been living on the west coast of Florida since 1993, one of the hardest things for me to find in our area has been true, New York-style kettle-boiled-then-baked bagels that tasted anything like those I had been enjoying since I was a child.

Yes, there is a place in North Tampa, another in Clearwater and one in Brandon, but until recently, no such “legit” bagel place has existed in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel.

Daniel Kurland is a New Jersey native who first moved to the east coast of Florida and was living in Vero Beach when he first tried a Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. bagel.

“I grew up on bagels,” Daniel says. “Every town in New Jersey had a couple of bagel places. But, when I moved to Florida, it was hard to find good bagels.”

Daniel says he was a steady customer of the Vero Beach Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. before he moved to near Wesley Chapel three years ago and says, “I was shocked by the lack of not only good bagel places, but of breakfast places in general. Not even a Denny’s or an IHOP.”

So, Daniel, who has had many previous careers, including a “dot com” business that he sold. He owned and operated a bar in Ft. Lauderdale before moving to Vero.

“Owning a bar, I liked being part of the community and I was looking for that feel again,” he says, when he found what he believed to be a perfect location for a Brooklyn Water Bagel Co., on S.R. 54, just west of I-75, in an existing strip center at the front of developer Mark Gold’s fast-developing Grove property.

OK, Let’s Talk Food!

Daniel says that the thing he first liked about Brooklyn water Bagel Co. was the fact that just about everything is made in-house, using water that is “Brooklynized” right in the store.

“We use the water to not only make the bagels, but also our coffee (more on that below) and our desserts (ditto),” he says. “I really think it makes a difference,” and the location’s growing roster of regular customers seems to agree with him.

“Our most popular ‘regular flavors’ of bagels are probably the everything and plain,” he says. “If we ever run out of those, we might as well close our doors.”

And, while my personal favorite Brooklyn Water Bagels are the Black Russian (pumpernickel) with (sesame) seeds and the white sesame and poppy seed varieties, Daniel says that there are a few other flavors he can rotate in and out.

For example, although he always has cinnamon raisin bagels in his bagel bins, he recently has been selling cinnamon crunch bagels that are proving to be pretty popular, and others like blueberry and egg that can be rotated into the selection. “We’ll even do an olive cream cheese in the spring.”

My favorites at Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. are the “Williamsburg,” with authentic Nova Scotia-style smoked salmon, cream cheese and tomato (I hold the onion it comes with) or a bacon, egg & cheese on a double-toasted bagel. But, Daniel says the “not-spicy” chorizo sausage sandwich shown below is among his favorites, as are the made-to-your specifications fluffy omelettes next to the chorizo sandwich above. Photographer Charmaine George added spinach, mushrooms and bacon to that omelette, which was served with two crispy hash brown “cakes.” 

Chorizo sausage sandwich

Also available are the “Brooklyn,” with bacon, sausage and ham, eggs and cheese, and the “Jersey Boy,” with Taylor ham, eggs and cheese. There’s also a “Greenpoint” with scrambled egg whites, spinach, mushroom and Swiss on a scooped, toasted whole wheat bagel. You can even get fresh avocado on a bagel.

Salmon and Cream Cheese Bagel

Lunch, Coffee & Dessert!

The lunch menu is limited to tasty NY-style basics — a corned beef Reuben (with sauerkraut, Swiss and 1000 Island or spicy mustard on rye), a turkey or pastrami Reuben (with the same toppings) called “Rachel,” and tuna and chicken salad melts. I have tried all but the chicken salad and so far, so delicious. 

I’ve also made my own sandwich from the Brooklyn Sandwich Board with corned beef and pastrami, although there’s also house-roasted chicken and even whitefish salad. Charmaine also enjoyed the roasted chicken, bacon & avocado wrap above. 

Don’t miss the beverages, either. I’m kind of addicted to the Brooklyn Infusion coffee, flavored with vanilla, caramel and Kahlua, although there also are dark and medium roasts, as well as decaf and pumpkin spice varieties. The same flavors are available cold, too, as iced coffee “Cubstas,” and there’s also CinnaBuzz coffee with extra caffeine. There’s even actual coffee-flavored ice cubes at the coffee bar and fans of authentic egg creams will find New York’s beloved Fox’s U-Bet chocolate syrup and soda fountain seltzer.

The decadent dessert options include legit black-&-white and chewy chocolate chunk cookies, plus house-baked muffins, in flavors like cookies & cream and a mixed-nut “stud muffin.” Daniel says the only dessert items not baked in-house are the variety of different rugelach, a rolled Jewish-origin pastry available in chocolate, cinnamon, apricot and other flavors. 

Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. is located at 27835 Wesley Chapel Blvd. (S.R. 54), Suite 101 (next to the new King of the Coop chicken). It is open every day, 6 a.m.-3 p.m. To place an order or for more information, call (813) 775-2275 or visit BrooklynWaterBagel.com.

Taylor Gardner Gutters & Exteriors Is A Tribute To A Great Dad

Brothers Brandon (left) & Taylor Gardner have re-branded Gardner Gutters (run for 20 years by their late father Ed, right) as Taylor Gardner Gutters.

Taylor Gardner never expected to take over the family business, essentially following in his father’s footsteps.

He says he never planned on it, never thought about it — pretty much figured it wasn’t in the cards for him.

“I thought I’d be a career military man,” the former U.S. Marine says. “Now, I can’t see myself anywhere else.”

Taylor Gardner Gutters & Exteriors is the re-branded version of a family business that has been around for 20 years.

Back in 2000, Taylor’s father Ed started Gardner Gutters, a small business in the heart of Lutz, but also servicing communities and residences in the outlying areas such as Land O’ Lakes, New Tampa and at-the-time-fledgling-but-on-the-rise Wesley Chapel. 

Ed Gardner

Ed ran his gutter installation and repair company with poise and charm, honesty and dignity and even a down-to-earth goodness that was evident to every one of his customers, as the small business quickly became a multi-million-dollar operation.

“I don’t know how he did it,” Taylor adds. “He did it all and everyone loved him and always came back to him when they needed new gutters or more work done. It still impresses me to this day.”

Taylor describes his dad as a hard-as-nails tough guy, who was always in great shape. Ed was a hard worker and an even nicer fellow, one that just about everyone would approach to chat with at the local grocery store, as his other son (and Taylor’s business partner) Brandon explains.

“He had a great reputation and just a real knack for people liking him,” Brandon says. “I just remember as a kid, going anywhere, and people would always come up to him and just talk to him. There were so many people at his funeral that wanted to say something about how he was such a great guy.”

Tragedy Strikes

As with many self-made-businessman stories, this one also has its tragic side. Not because Gardner Gutters failed financially but because, 12 years ago, Ed Gardner was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

And, as with just about every cancer diagnosis, Ed’s world, and his family’s, was turned upside down. He started the treatments and lifestyle changes immediately. Taylor returned from his service with the Marines for a time.

“I really thought it was no big deal,” Taylor says, “because prostate cancer runs in our family and both my grandfathers had it and didn’t die from it. Granted, I’ve been tested as much as I can and so have my brothers, but I really thought it was no big deal because I knew my dad and figured he would beat it.”

Well, Ed did, to an extent. For about three years, Ed did all of the usual treatments and was moving along pretty well until 2011, when Taylor had just returned from being deployed in Iraq, and was told Ed had only three to nine months to live. 

No home is too big or too small for the professionals at Taylor Gardner Gutters. When you need exterior services, from gutter cleaning and installation to pressure washing & more, give them a call! 
(Photo from TaylorGardnerGutters.com)

At that time, Ed was told he was beyond Stage 4 cancer — “a dead man walking” is what Taylor said the doctors told his dad — and it was time to say his goodbyes to his family members.

However, Ed being Ed, he wasn’t about to quit. He moved away from traditional treatments and started trying holistic methods, including diets and different supplements and, miraculously, he lived for another 10 years. 

“Those things (treatments), they’ll make you look like you’re wacky, but he lived another decade after a death sentence,” Taylor says. “So, it’s hard to argue with (those results).”

Even so, Ed did pass away in August.

The holistic treatments, however, were not cheap. They drained Ed of a lot of what he made building up Gardner Gutters. He did still run it, with help from his family, because he could be gone for weeks at a time getting some “controversial” treatment in Mexico.

The business took a back seat to Ed’s survival. He worked hard to keep it alive, with help from Taylor.

Taylor had been around the business most of his childhood, even helping out as “free labor” as a teenager and such, until joining the Marines, which included that deployment in Iraq. But, he always found himself returning home. 

In 2015, Ed’s health deteriorated even more and once his uncle Rusty, who had been helping run it, retired, Taylor began taking over the business. 

In 2018 the transition from Ed to Taylor began, but it was 2019 when they re-branded it Taylor Gardner Gutters, for liability reasons, from the original Gardner Gutters, even though Taylor and his crew were doing the same work, for basically the same customers, as Ed.

“Just like dad, we don’t talk to customers like customers here,” Taylor says. “We talk to them like we know them personally because we usually do, so we take pride in that’s how dad did it and that’s how we plan to continue to do it.”

Never Forgotten

In addition to custom gutter installations and repairs, Taylor Gardner Gutters also provides gutter cleaning and leaf protection, pressure washing services, screen enclosure installations, soffit and fascia repairs and window replacements and is proud to be veteran-owned-and-operated. 

As partners in the business, Taylor handles sales and the day-to-day operations behind the scenes and off-site. Brandon is the project and sites manager, usually checking on the work about to be done, being done or that has been done, up to a couple of times a day.

“And, I’m just fine with that,” says Taylor, who has a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, which he earned after completing his military service. 

“I help clean out gutters in a pinch, but my days of climbing on roofs are over,” Taylor says. “Brandon is the real gutter installation expert, where he can eyeball a house from the road while driving by and tell it was done all wrong (laughs).”

Meanwhile, Brandon says he’s revelling in the fact that the Gardner boys have truly come full circle. 

“It’s a great sense of pride now taking on the family business after dad is gone,” Brandon says, “and it’s neat for me because I was helping at the start of it and now I’m back here, getting it back up to what it used to be.”

Ed’s fingerprints will forever be on the business he started when his sons were just boys. He taught them not only how to install gutters, but also how to treat the customers. As Taylor and Brandon move forward in growing the business back to its previous level, they are adding more crews, new equipment and maybe even a new office. 

Brandon says the business is primarily focused on installing gutters — which divert rainwater rolling off your roof from accumulating next to your home’s foundation and damaging it — as well as gutter repairs and installing outdoor screen enclosures.

And, Taylor says he takes to heart all that he either directly or indirectly learned watching his father become a local celebrity business owner, one who will always be sorely missed by his family and his extended family members — the customers he treated with respect and kindness until his last day.

“Anyone can learn to install gutters,” Taylor says. “What my dad taught me was how to treat people. That was the biggest thing. I think when I was younger, I would listen to my dad talk to people and when someone would yell at him, my dad would still be nice to them. As a testosterone-filled kid, I would wonder, ‘How can you take that from anyone?’ But now, I get it.”

Taylor Gardner Gutters & Exteriors is located at 19007 North U.S. Hwy. 41 in Lutz. Its business hours are Monday- Friday, 7:30 am.-5:30 p.m. For more information, call (813) 486-2730, or visit TaylorGardnerGutters.com. 

Noire Nail Bar Offers Peaceful Luxury & Safe Services

Walking into Noire Nail Bar, located just across S.R. 56 from Tampa Premium Outlets (near Mellow Mushroom), you immediately notice the quiet and relaxing ambiance and the lack of bustle. The serene, upscale décor (photo) is impressive.

John Nguyen, who owns Noire Nail Bar with his wife Vanessa, says the salon’s look and feel are intentional to cultivate a calm atmosphere.

“People come here to relax, because it’s very quiet,” John says. “Most salons are noisy and crowded, but Noire is peaceful and still.”

John and Vanessa opened Noire in 2018 and will celebrate three years in business later this year.

He says while Noire had to close temporarily during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic (as did every salon), when it re-opened in May, clients eagerly returned. 

“They feel safe here,” he says. “We wear masks, wash our hands and keep our salon nice and clean.”

While cleanliness has always been a priority at Noire Nail Bar, John says the staff is now even more detailed and spends even more time on cleaning and making sure everything is completely sanitized for each client.

To serve clients safely, Noire asks that the following requirements are met: First, always wear a face cover, wash your hands when you arrive, and try to limit touching surfaces or objects as much as possible. They ask that all guests try to schedule their services during low-volume times, such as weekdays, whenever possible, and that you don’t bring any guests with you who are not receiving services. Finally,John says, please do not come in to Noire Nail Bar if you’re not feeling well.

“Especially with Covid, people want to avoid crowds,” John says. “If we get too busy, we ask people to come back at another time.”

Noire encourages appointments to be sure you’re not turned away.

Once you arrive, John says you will always be thrilled with the services you receive, which may include manicures, pedicures, massages, full sets, dipping powder, nail enhancements, eyelash extensions and waxing services for your face and body.

“We have a good team,” says John. “Our technicians make sure the customers are happy when they leave and they spend time taking care of them. We never rush.”

Lorraine Wiggins lives in Tampa Palms, where she says, “there’s a nail salon on every corner.”

But, she drives past all of them to get to Noire Nail Bar, often bringing her mom and/or her daughters along with her. “Noire has more space, and if we come in together, we can be in a little pod together,” Lorraine explains.

She’s referring to Noire Nail Bar’s separate area for pedicures, where chairs are grouped together. So, if you come in with friends or family, you can enjoy conversations with each other and you’re not spread out in a long line of salon chairs facing manicure stations.

This setup allows small groups privacy and intimacy in their time together.

“I loved finding this place,” Lorraine says. “It’s always so clean. I always get good service, and I love it aesthetically. It’s nice that there are separations between the pedicure chairs and the manicure stations.”

Lorraine owns a travel agency and says she has visited many spas all around the world.

“I recognize the level of luxury that’s offered here,” she says. “You can go to any strip mall and find a nail salon, but I come here because of the sense of calm and relaxation.”

She says that Noire’s prices also are comparable, especially because there are different levels of service to fit virtually every budget.

John explains that the range of different services includes everything from basic manicures and pedicures to Noire Nail Bar’s Signature Spa Pedicure and its unique Special Care Spa.

John says that the Signature Spa Pedicure is the “ultimate treat for your feet,” with a therapeutic lavender rub that exfoliates dry skin while citrus sugar relieves and moisturizes your tired feet. That is followed by an extensive moisturizing lotion massage and a hot towel wrap.

Meeting Your Special Needs

Noire’s Special Care Spa is designed to cater to clients with special needs, such as the elderly and those with diabetes who may have cracked heels, thick calluses, extra thick or ingrown toenails — anything that requires extra time, attention or precautions.

There also are additional services offered, such as hot stone and hot candle wax massages and special prices on manicure and pedicure combos. Prince and Princess manicures and pedicures are available for kids ages 12 and under.

And, Noire Nail Bar always offers its clients a glass of wine, soft drink or water with all services. 

“We have a great selection of colors, and top gel and dipping powder brands like OPI, SNS, DND and Chisel,” John says. 

Noire Nail Bar also offers all of its services for birthday parties, bridal showers and other events. Be sure to call ahead to reserve your time and services in a space just for you and your guests.

Noire Nail Bar offers 10% off all services every Monday through Wednesday, if you use the coupon from the ad on pg. 26 of this issue. A 10% discount also is offered on your birthday, with proper identification proving that it’s your birthday.

Noire Nail Bar is located at 25682 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz, and is open Mon.-Sat., 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sun. For appointments or for more information, call (813) 536-0161. The ad, with coupon for 10% off every Mon.-Wed., is on page 26 of our upcoming New Tampa issue.

Despite Covid, Berkshire Hathaway Flourishes In Hot Market

As market president and managing Broker for the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills offices of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, Veronica Davidson leads 115 agents to serve all of your real estate needs.

While 2020 was a difficult year for many industries, real estate in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas experienced an unexpected boom that is continuing to flourish.

Nearly a year ago, as Florida shut down non-essential businesses, the then-80 agents of the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills offices of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group, located east of I-75 on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, left work and headed for their own homes.

“We were bracing for a downturn,” says Veronica Davidson, market president and managing Broker, explaining that the company acted quickly to set up video conferences and provide resources to its agents, such as prospecting tools. “But the opposite happened. Who would have thought it?”

In fact, the company has since grown to 115 agents.

While some of the new agents have come from other professions, Veronica says most are from other brokerages. “They are looking for more support,” she says, “and we provide that.”

The local Berkshire Hathaway office’s success can be measured in dollars, too. Veronica says that last year was record-breaking, with $23 million in sales closed in December 2020 alone — an increase of about $10 million over 2019.

“It’s wild,” Veronica says. “Most people’s homes are selling for at least 100% of the list price — or higher —within hours.”

She says local inventory is incredibly low, with less than one month of supply available.

With 16 years of selling real estate under her belt before she took on her current role in 2019, Veronica remembers the last time real estate was this hot. However, she says she does not expect this bubble to burst.

“It’s different because it’s people coming from out of state or wanting more space because they’re spending so much time in their homes,” she explains. “These are real people looking to move into the homes, not investors (like when the last bubble burst in 2008).”

She says the mortgage side is different, too, with more regulations than in 2008. With interest rates low, it’s a great time to buy, and there are a lot of buyers out there.

“Some of our agents are getting really creative to get an offer accepted,” says Veronica, noting that she’s been impressed with her agents’ tactics and the way they are working for their clients. “Buyers want the homes so bad and competition is so crazy.”

Veronica hopes to see the market balance out, which she expects will happen if more inventory were to become available. “More people selling will level out the demand,” she explains.

In fact, this is a crucial opportunity for people who may have experienced a job loss because of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Most people have equity in their homes right now,” she explains. “Don’t let your home go into foreclosure if you’ve lost your job.”

Anyone with questions about the amount of equity they have in their home can call the agents at her office, who can help you understand your options for selling your home, and what it might be worth.

“Our agents have the experience in this incredibly competitive market to help market your home and get the highest price,” she explains. “And, for buyers, we can help you get your offers accepted.”

Alison Ward now lives in Country Walk in Wesley Chapel. When she previously lived in Meadow Pointe, she wanted to downsize, so she reached out to a friend of a friend to help her sell her current home and buy a new one.

That acquaintance was Kendra Wilson, an agent with Berkshire Hathaway, and Alison says working with her was an incredible experience.

“She came in and told me everything I needed to do to pretty my house up to sell it,” Alison explains. “When we went live, I had three or four offers within a day or two, then closed just a few weeks later.”

Alison appreciated how prepared Kendra was, understanding the market, and backed with research.

“She was knowledgeable,” says Alison. “She was also easy to contact, always available, and made me feel like no question was dumb.”

Alison says a house in her former neighborhood had the same layout as hers and had been on the market a few months when she listed her home.

“I was in and out in a week and they were still on the market,” Alison says. “It could have been any number of reasons why that home didn’t sell, but I think mine did because I listened to Kendra’s advice, even about things like if there are too many pictures on the wall sand how the home smells.”

She adds that Kendra made the process incredibly easy. “I was super stressed, and she helped with every facet, from financing to finding people to do work around the house, such as flooring,” said Alison. “She was able to provide resources to get done what we needed to get done.”

Name Recognition

If the name Berkshire Hathaway seems familiar beyond the real estate business, it’s because it is derived from the holding company Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., which is chaired by billionaire financier and company CEO Warren Buffett.

The local Berkshire Hathaway office is part of HomeServices of America, Inc., which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.

The Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group makes it a priority to serve the community. At this year’s “Be The Sunshine” event, agents supported The Thomas Promise Foundation, creating and stuffing backpacks with nonperishable food and school supplies for Pasco County children.

In fact, what is now called Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group was originally founded in 1959 as Tropical Realty. Dewey Mitchell and Allen Crumbley acquired the business in 1984, then aligned with the Prudential Real Estate Network in 1988. In 2012, Berkshire Hathaway purchased that group, including the local Prudential Tropical Realty office on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) at S.R. 56.

The current Berkshire Hathaway office opened in March of 2018. 

The New Tampa/Wesley Chapel office is one of 20 offices under the Florida Properties Group umbrella. Veronica says the agents are committed to an exceptional culture, where they practice the company’s mission statement of teamwork, integrity, passion and excellence.

They know the area and the market, and Veronica says all of her agents share sincerity and a true desire to help people. They do so using all of the resources of their global company.

“We are solution providers for all of people’s real estate needs,” Veronica explains, “including every aspect of property management, commercial real estate, insurance and title.”

Serving The Community

The agents of the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel Berkshire Hathaway office also are committed to serving the community around them. They hold a food and toy drive for Metropolitan Ministries during the holiday season, which collected more than 7,000 pounds of food last year, and they also support the Berkshire Hathaway Florida Property Group charity, called Sunshine Kids, which gives children who have terminal diseases a week in Orlando to go to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.

At the office’s annual “Be The Sunshine” event, agents take the day off to serve a charitable organization. This year, the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel agents chose to support the Thomas Promise Foundation in Zephyrhills, creating and stuffing bags with nonperishable food and school supplies for Pasco County children in late February. 

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group is located at 26771 S.R. 56, in the same shopping plaza as Buffalo Wild Wings. For more info, visit BHHSFloridaProperties.com or call (813) 907-8200. To browse properties available for rent or learn about property management services, visit the Berkshire Hathaway online portal at RentAHomeWithUs.com.

Estancia Day Coming To SVB

If you live in Estancia and haven’t had a chance to check out the new Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in nearby Zephyrhills — or even if you have — Saturday might be for you.

SVB will hoist Estancia Residents Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The event will feature a free brunch and allow residents to try pickleball, tennis and padel, a free hour of yoga on the lawn and a free hour of fitness with former NFL player Melvin Williams, free promotional tent space for Estancia residents and a goody bag and raffle.

“We want everyone to see the new facility,” says SVB CEO Pascal Collard, an Estancia resident himself. “This is an event we hope to repeat with other communities, like Hunter’s Green, Tampa Palms, Seven Oaks and others.”

The event is limited to the first 75 families. To attend, email marketing@svbtenniscenter.com with your name, phone number, address and age of children attending. RSVPs are required for each guest attending, including children.

First Tennis Tourney Goes Off Well For SVB

Matthew Segura and Anastasia Nefedova waited out the rain and took home the men’s and women’s singles titles at the first SVB Open, held Feb. 11-14 at SVB.

The event featured $10,000 in total prize money and was sponsored by the CELSISU fitness drinks and world-famous tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, who was on hand and provided some tips and instruction for those who attended.

The event was the first of many Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) and Internationals Tennis Federation (ITF) events hoped for in 2021 at SVB, which opened in 2020.

Segura, the great-nephew of Tennis Hall of Fame legend Pancho Segura and the Open’s top seed, had to survive three-set matches in the first two rounds before taking out Benjamin Kittay, who only lost six total games on his way to the final of the 64-player field.

“He was hurting me a lot with his serve and volley; he started out pretty crisp and sharp,” said Segura. “But then, in the second set, I was starting to find my game and figure him out. All around, I had a great time.”

Nefedova, 22, and ranked No. 532 in the world by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), steamrolled Sarasota teenager Sofia Rojas 6-3, 6-0 in the women’s final.

“I felt good, I was just trying to work on my game throughout the tournament,” said Nefedova. “It feels pretty good getting the win.”