WHEN I FIRST MET Venkat Reddy, the owner of Minerva Indian Restaurant (located in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.), I told him up front that Minerva was probably never going to make my list of favorite restaurants in New Tampa because I really wasn’t a big fan of Indian food or even most types of curry.
I also told him, however, that I’ve always been at least a little adventurous when it comes to food and that I would keep coming back to Minerva to sample as many of his (and his customers’) favorite dishes as possible. Nearly three years later, I’ve sampled not only Minerva’s extensive and very reasonably priced buffet but also many of the specialties I probably would never have considered sampling when I was younger.
So, today, whether it’s because my taste buds have “grown up” or because Minerva’s authentic cuisine from every region of India is just that good, I really do enjoy visiting there — and not just because I also enjoy cutting the spice of the food with the truly delicious beers of India, including Taj Mahal, Hunter and others (Minerva also serves some good and popularly priced wines).
I always include an order of naan bread when I visit Minerva and my favorite had been the garlic naan, but on my most recent visit, I loved the savory butter naan (below, left) even more.
As for starters, I really enjoy the vegetable, lamb and chicken varieties of Minerva’s samosas, which are fried, well-spiced triangular-shaped appetizers.
But, my favorite appetizers are the vegetable spring rolls served with mint and tamarind dipping sauces, and the Minerva Special Soup, which is sort of a blend of traditional New York-style Chinese egg drop soup and my mom’s homemade chicken soup. It’s loaded with white meat chicken and a variety of fresh veggies.
Going Off-Buffet
Venkat agrees that most people who like Indian food go for the butter chicken, Masala or Tikka Masala dishes and biryani (rice) dishes (all of which are Specialties of the House at Minerva), but my favorite entrée at Minerva is still the Tandoori lamb shish kabab (above), which is actually ground lamb served with a crispy edge outside and tender inside on a sizzling fajita-style dish, only with better onions and peppers than at any Mexican restaurant. And, even though the lunch buffet is an amazing deal at just $9.95 Mon.-Fri. and $12.95 Sat.-Sun., full orders of the entrées I’ve mentioned all cost just $14.95 or less.
I also really enjoyed the Minerva Special Chicken, which features delicious veggies with boneless chicken pieces in a sweet red curry tomato and basil sauce that has no bite at all. Another new favorite of mine is the goat curry, which is tender goat on the bone, again with a light curry sauce that was excellent when paired with the vegetable biryani (basmati rice) from the buffet.
And yes, for you vegetarians out there, Minerva offers nearly two dozen veggie entrées, plus hand-made dosas (crepes), a South Indian favorite served with sambar, coconut and ginger chutney and a variety of veggie-based fillings. I still haven’t sampled any of the dosas, but Venkat says they are definitely among his most popular dishes.
I’ve also never sampled any of Minerva’s desserts, but they are very popular, too, especially the rice kheer (pudding) and the gulab jamun (milk-based balls in a sugar syrup).
Be adventurous…visit Minerva…and please tell Venkat I sent you!
Minerva Indian Restaurant (19050 BBD Blvd.) is open for lunch every day from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and for dinner from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. For more info, call (813) 978-8586 or visit MinervaTampa.com.
Even though I know many of us are, like me, tired of mainly chain restaurants opening in our area, the fact is that all of the newcomers continue to expand our dining options in New Tampa and, especially, in Wesley Chapel — and that is good news.
Also encouraging is the fact that many of the later newcomers — and many of the chains already announced as still to come — are eateries that we at least haven’t had in our area before.
For example, after my recent visit to Orlando, I am really excited about the Saltgrass Steakhouse (see page 40) that will open, hopefully before 2020, between the Tampa Premium Outlets and I-75, just as I was pretty pumped that both MOD Pizza (which opened n 2018) and Blaze Pizza (which opened earlier this year; again, see pages 40-41) coming to our area, even though there will never be anything better than true New York-style pizza at the top of my Favorite Pizza list. But, I am a fan of the new “fast casual” pizza options — and I also like that MOD and Blaze both also have excellent make-your-own salad options.
There are some surprises on my list for 2018 and please realize that I got to wait until 2019 to make my choices (unlike our readers, who had to submit their surveys by November of last year), but I still have not included any restaurants on this list that were not yet open in 2018.
I will say that all of the new chain options did make it more difficult for me to pick just 50 favorite restaurants — I likely considered at least 100 different eateries between our two markets for this list. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed doing the research for it.
DEMPSEY’S STEAK HOUSE As it has been since it opened, the only problem with Dempsey’s Steak House at Saddlebrook Resort is that the average working guy can’t afford to eat there, other than for a very special occasion. With its $40-$60 steaks and all a la carte pricing, I wouldn’t eat at Dempsey’s at all, other than the fact that everything from the filet mignon to the bone-in ribeye steak (photo above) is as good as anywhere you’ll find in Tampa — including Council Oak, Fleming’s and Charley’s. The fresh seafood is equally impressive and there’s no doubt that the crab cake appetizer and sides for two are unequaled.
STONEWOOD I feel like I’ve known Stonewood’s Tampa Palms proprietor Dave Rathbun forever, but the bottom line is that this mini-chain is known for great food at fair, but certainly not bargain prices, and for outstanding service. Whether for lunch or dinner, dining at Stonewood (or even just enjoying food and beverages at the bar), is an experience, not just a meal. Is it worth $5-$10 more for Stonewood’s aged New York strip or filet mignon than you’d pay at Longhorn or Outback? I’d have to say yes. Recent menu changes, like the southern fried shrimp platter shown below (that I can’t eat because of my accursed shellfish allergy) and reasonably priced bowls (like an excellent tuna poke bowl) for lunch have moved Stonewood up to my favorite restaurant in New Tampa.
3. GRILLSMITH Anytime a restaurant I’ve tried before adds new menu items that are in my dining “wheelhouse” — like the addition of truly fresh “short trip” fish, like the mahi-mahi Mediterranean style pictured above at Grillsmith — I have to give it a try. But, while a lot of places do mahi or grouper, Jannah and I have gotten to enjoy wahoo, cobia and snapper at Grillsmith, which also has the best mashed cauliflower and sautéed spinach in our area. With a little better variety of steaks, Grillsmith could challenge Stonewood for #2.
4. LONGHORN Whenever I’ve compiled my list, I try to think of the places that I have visited the most and what I realize is that Jannah and I have spent a lot of time sharing food at the bar at Longhorn. Yes, it’s only a mile from where we live, but we love sharing Longhorn’s Flo’s filet and I feel the outlaw ribeye is a pretty good value. We also love the recent addition of cheesy baked cauliflower (you can get it that way for broccoli, too), as well as the salad, bread and the outstanding service at the bar.
5. BAHAMA BREEZE Bahama Breeze was fast becoming our favorite new restaurant last year when the Island Grille stopped having any “fresh catch” other than swordfish on the menu. We recently got to enjoy a fresh mahi-mahi at Bahama Breeze, and I do really enjoy the Jamaican specialties, but additional steak (top sirloin or filet) and chicken options would help.
6. CICCIO’S Ciccio Cali continues to please with three yummy tuna “Cali Bowls” on the menu, as well as the chicken and baby broccoli stir-fry, new spicy Brazilian bowl, wrap sandwiches and thin-crust pizzas. Other new menu items include two hummus appetizers, a vegan chopped salad and even the “impossible” burger. Nice wine selection, too.
7. LITTLE ITALY’S Without additional new menu items added in 2018, Little Italy’s dropped a few spots on my list, but it still has the best veal parmigiana and lasagne in our area and their pizzas and calzones are back. A fresh fish special and some veggie sides would be welcome additions.
8. ACROPOLIS Acropolis continues to expand its menu with more authentic Greek and Middle Eastern dishes, but my favorites are still the lamb chops, the Athenian fish and the Greek salad. Acropolis would finish higher on my list if I loved the roasted veggies and other side dishes.
9. NOBLE CRUST When Noble Crust opened, I loved that there was usually a fresh fish special and I do still love the double-cut pork chop, chicken fried chicken parmigiana, pizzas and sides like broccolini, garlicky greens and crispy Brussels sprouts, plus the homemade desserts.
10. SUKHOTHAI Sukhothai’s fresh sushi (especially the tuna tataki) and combination fried rice are still among my favorites in our area and I also love the crispy duck with ginger sauce, the new tuna sashimi poke bowl and the shoes-off, below-floor seating.
11. FORD’S GARAGE Despite another limited menu (unless you really love burgers), Jannah and I do crave the ahi tuna appetizer, chop-chop salad, chicken Henry and petite filet at Ford’s Garage, which also has good veggie side dishes and white cheddar mashed potatoes.
12. AMICI PIZZA Our readers’ new favorite pizza place definitely makes my top 5 for favorite New York-style ‘za, but what really helped the new location move up in my rankings were the authentic linguine with white clam sauce and tasty veal and eggplant parmigiana.
13. THAI RUBY The ambiance is second to none and the food never disappoints. I love Thai Ruby’s fresh fish specials and the crispy duck with ginger sauce is still the best in our area. This is a great place to start an intimate date night.
14. LIANG’S BISTRO I haven’t always placed Liang’s this high on my list, but I realize that it does feature my favorite New York-style barbecue spare ribs, great egg rolls and the sautéed green beans are among my favorite veggie dishes in the area. We always order them spicy!
15. OMARI’S BAR & GRILL My favorite non-chain newcomer in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, Omari’s menu will continue to grow as more folks make requests, but with super-fresh, chef-prepared dishes like the flounder almendrine pictured above, it is a definite must-try.
16. KOBE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE Kobe already had the highest-quality hibachi steaks in our area, but Jannah and I also love it for its reasonably priced appetizers at the full-liquor bar.
17. LA PRIMA PIZZA Still my favorite New York-style pizza in our area and the Italian fare, like veal parmigiana and lasagne, also gets high marks.
18. THE FAT RABBIT The best blackened wings I’ve had, amazing salads and great sandwiches in a comfortable setting keep The Fat Rabbit in Tampa Palms high on my list.
19. 900 DEGREES WOODFIRED PIZZA One of my top-five New York-style pizza places, which also has the best penne with pesto Genovese in our area. Try adding fresh spinach and grilled chicken. Yum!
20. THE HUNGRY GREEK If you like getting great value for your money, you’re probably already one of the regulars at Hungry Greek, which features our area’s best gyros and authentic Greek salads.
21. BAYSCAPE BISTRO Another highly-ranked newcomer on my list, I haven’t yet sampled the fresh fish sauté special, but the Fiesta Fridays, wings, burgers and salads are all top-notch.
22. FUSHIA ASIAN BISTRO The menu continues to move towards more authentic Chinese fare, but I love Fushia for the best Chinese combination fried rice and beef with Chinese broccoli in our area.
23. OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE Jannah and I definitely enjoy the Victoria’s filet and the Alice Springs chicken, and I do think the bone-in natural cut ribeye is a good value for the money.
24. SUSHI CAFE Up there with Sukhothai for the best sushi in our area, I also enjoy the soft shell crab appetizer, the kitchen-made hibachi fare and the tempura and ton katsu fried options.
25. OTB CAFE Not only has the new location on BBD in Wesey Chapel added some new menu items, the addition of real bacon for breakfast has upped OTB’s stock with me a lot.
26. FRATELLI’S PIZZA & CAFE This newcomer in the former Woody’s location in the Wesley Chapel Village Market features very good pizza and excellent penne with broccoli rabe and sausage.
27. GINZA Our area has more than its fair share of value Japanese restaurants, but Ginza’s Mongolian beef, sushi and appetizers are all-you-can-eat for $12.95 during the week.
28. VALLARTA’S Although some say the quality of the food isn’t the highest, Jannah and I can’t get enough of Vallarta’s chicken fajitas, which are better than the rest in our area.
29. HILTON GARDEN INN GARDEN GRILLE & BAR It’s still pretty new, so I haven’t sampled all of the menu for breakfast or dinner yet, but the Pan Asian ribs and NY strip steak are both enough to keep me coming back.
30. KOIZI Just a tad below Ginza for my tastes, I do enjoy the fact that the hibachi is cooked tableside and the even-lower-than-Ginza price of $10.95 for weekday lunch.
Rest of Top 50 Alphabetical
Arroy Thai -Great garlic & black pepper sauce!
Bonefish Grill-Two words: tuna sashimi!
Bonsai Sushi-Popular for sushi & Japanese fare
Bosco’s-Try the gator pizza & pasta
Capital Tacos-Tasty fajita salads
Culver’s-Good burgers, amazing frozen custard
FJ Expresss-New value-priced & tasty Japanese fare
Hibachi Express-Best prices for tasty hibachi!
Irish 31-Great salads & upscale pub grub
Lanna Thai-Really good food, great atmosphere
Minerva-Lamb kababs & Chinese-style fried rice
NY NY Pizza-Try the Grandma’s pizza!
Oakley’s Grille-Best burgers & now great meatballs
FROM THE FIRST TIME I tried the true New York-style pizza at my friend Willie Lopez’s La Prima Pizza (it was called by another name at that time), I felt it was the closest thing to the pizza places I grew up with in Long Island and Manhattan, NY.
Since then, in addition to a few first-place finishes in our annual Reader Dining Survey & Contest, La Prima has been named my Favorite Pizza Place in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel all 16 years it has been in business. It also has been one of my favorite restaurants in Wesley Chapel and one of my favorite Italian restaurants in either of our distribution areas.
It therefore isn’t easy for me to say — or even think — that Willie would even consider selling his place, but the former executive at Salomon Bros. and his wife Lucretia say they are tired and want to be able to retire, so Willie can concentrate on his thriving baseball memorabilia business. The lifelong New York Mets fan has adopted the Tampa Bay Rays as his American League team and he has had Rays season tickets for as long as I’ve known him.
Here’s The Skinny
Established in 2003, La Prima Pizza has been family owned and operated and a staple in the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa communities for the past 16 years.
Willie and Lucretia also say they are prepared to provide an “opportunity of a lifetime” to any individual/family dreaming of owning and operating their own business. This turn-key establishment offers a huge existing customer base and tremendous future growth opportunities for the appropriate fit.
La Prima Pizza only uses the best ingredients on the market. The pizza dough is made fresh daily and offerings include chicken and veal entrées (like the tender veal parmigiana in the photo above right; I order it with extra sauce) made eight different quality ways, as well as many seafood dishes. There’s also homemade lasagna and dozens of other menu items — and all sauces are made from scratch, including Alfredo, vodka, pink and red or white clam sauce. Appetizers include great calamari, fresh mozzarella and tomato and Buffalo wings, amongst many other choices.
And, just because there are really so many very good pizza places in our area, I felt I owed it to myself and my staff to order the amazing meat lovers pizza (left) before writing this story. Senior video producer Gavin Olsen also raved about his pepperoni calzone and sales/office assistant Janet Levins loved her cheesesteak.
In other words, if you’re not going to buy La Prima Pizza (1211 BBD Blvd., next to Super Target), you should stop in, call (813) 907-2878 or visit ThatsGoodPizza.com and place an order today. But, Willie says if you are interested, you should call him at the restaurant — whether or not you have any prior restaurant experience. Willie says he will help in the transition of the business and transfer all of his knowledge to any qualified party. But, do it soon so Willie and Lucretia can retire and I can continue to enjoy the pizza I love!
Spicy chicken pasta with fresh veggies at Omari’s Bar & Grill.
Have You Tried Omari’s Grill At Lexington Oaks Golf Club?
Although I didn’t include the all-new Omari’s Bar & Grill at the recently revamped Lexington Oaks Golf Club inside the Lexington Oaks community on my list of favorite new local dining experiences for 2018, that’s probably only because all I’ve sampled at owner/chef Anass El Omari’s new eatery was the delicious spicy chicken pasta with fresh veggies shown above and a couple of buffet-style items when I’ve visited the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon, which meets every Wednesday at noon at Lexington Oaks. But, so far, so good. And yes, the fully redecorated dining area at Omari’s Grille is available for catering and private parties.
Look for a full-length dining review of Omari’s Bar & Grill (26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd.) in a future issue.
For more info visit LexingtonOaksGolf.com or call (813) 907-2440. And please, tell Anass and his wife Susana I sent you!
Fratelli’s Opens In Woody’s Village Market Space!
So, while we’re on the subject of delicious pasta, please check out the new Fratelli’s Pizza & Café, which very quietly took over the space previously occupied by Woody’s Pizza & Wings in the plaza on S.R. 54 at BBD Blvd. last month.
Fratelli’s Pizza & Café’s broccoli rabe.
The Fratelli family owned a famous Fratelli’s pizza place and Italian restaurant in the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx, NY, for more than 30 years, but sold it a few years ago. It was renowned not only for being open 24/7/365 to accommodate the huge crowds of workers responsible for bringing fresh seafood and produce into all of New York City, but also for its broccoli rabe sandwiches, broccoli rabe on pizza and yes, the best broccoli rabe with grilled chicken and/or sweet sausage in garlic & oil over al denté penne pasta (photo above right) in our area.
The NYC Fratelli’s was featured on the Food Network, the Travel Channel and other TV stations in New York many times and was named one of NYC’s best several times.
I haven’t been able to order a whole pizza from Fratelli’s yet, but based on how delicious the pasta was, I look forward to bringing my staff there soon.
For more info about Fratelli’s (5327 Village Market), visit FratellisPizzaPasco.com or call (813) 991-1118.
But Wait, There’s More!
F.J Express Sushi & Hibachi Grill’s hibachi chicken is a must-try.
• I like the new F.J Express Sushi & Hibachi Grill (1832 BBD), which is located in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza on S.R. 56 at BBD, between Bealls and Publix.
Similar in concept to (but smaller than) Hibachi Express in the Village Market, I haven’t yet sampled the sushi, but the hibachi chicken is a must-try. For more info or take-out orders, call (813) 991-1500.
• I was saddened when the Wok Chi restaurant in the Shops at Wiregrass closed on Dec. 10. I will miss the freshly made Chinese fare, especially the fresh, crisp veggies, Sichuan sauce and especially, general manager Robin Scovotti and her friendly, outstanding crew. I hope that whatever opens in the space will keep those great folks around.
• Congratulations to our local Culver’s franchise owners, Marty and Ann Roeske, on the opening of their second location (the first is near the Tampa Premium Outlets) on S.R. 56 in the Wiregrass Ranch area (near Audi Wesley Chapel). — GN
And, it seems, never ending. Already this year tentative plans have been revealed to build a Rock & Brews Restaurant on the south side of S.R. 56 just east of the Tampa Premium Outlets, right next to a proposed Saltgrass Steak House.
Both are part of the Cypress Creek Town Center Development of Regional Impact (DRI).
Nothing seems to get our readers more excited than news about the Cypress Creek Town Center.
In January of 2018, we broke the news about Earth Fare, HomeGoods, Chipotle, Walk-Ons Bistreaux and Blaze Pizza coming to the already burgeoning commercial and retail development on S.R. 56. It was the most popular story on our website all year, with twice the traffic as the story that was second — an update on the diverging diamond interchange (DDI) that should begin construction at I-75 and S.R. 56 any day now.
Chuy’s was one of 2018’s popular restaurant openings.
In fact, Cypress Creek-related stories and maps (2) — touting the arrival of restaurants like Chuy’s and Mellow Mushroom as well as many others — held the Nos. 3 and 6 spots on our 2018 web traffic rankings.
Wesley Chapel was gripped by Cypress Creek Fever in 2018, and there’s still so more to come. Earth Fare, HomeGoods, Walk-Ons and Blaze should all open in the first quarter of 2019, Chipotle just recently opened, and vertical construction has begun on Hobby Lobby, Burlington, Five Below and others.
The list of new places being built all across Wesley Chapel is seemingly endless. In addition to Mellow Mushroom, Chuy’s, Bahama Breeze and the Hyatt Place Hotel on the north side of S.R. 56, there was MOD Pizza and Nationwide Vision At Home on the south side near the Tampa Premium Outlets.
A little to the east of I-75 on 56, the Hilton Garden Inn hotel on the south side opened and in the Wiregrass Ranch DRI a few more miles to the east, the even newer Fairfield Inn on the north side of 56 did as well, as did Nothing Bundt Cakes highlighting a slew of new stores at the Shops at Wiregrass.
Main Event could be open by the end of the year.
Main Event Entertainment is building an entertainment center offering bowling, laser tag, adventure courses and food and drink, between the outlet mall and I-75 (in the same area as the Rock & Brew and Saltgrass Steak House proposals).
Along with the new Wiregrass Sports Complex, which broke ground in 2018, and an indoor athletic facility at Wesley Chapel District Park, those complaining about there being nothing to do in The Chap should hopefully find some peace.
And, the development wasn’t limited to places to shop and eat — houses are going up at near-record levels, and Wesley Chapel broke ground on one fire station (No. 38) while revamping another (No. 13 on Old Pasco Rd.)
Getting to those places might be an issue in 2019 (early frontrunner for Story of the Year!), as the DDI at S.R. 56 and I-75 is just one of a number of major roadway projects being built in Wesley Chapel.
While the S.R. 56 extension from Meadow Pointe Blvd. to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills made great progress basically out of view in 2018, the DDI will begin work smack dab in the middle of it all. Combined with the widening of S.R. 54 from Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. to Zephyrhills that started in 2018, driving in our area should be interesting in 2019.
