900º New York Pizza At The Grove Is A New Wesley Chapel Favorite!

I have known Steve Falabella for more than a decade, since he first co-opened 900º Woodfired Pizza in the Shops at Wiregrass in 2011. Today, not only are Steve and his wife Micaela the sole owners of 900º Woodfired, they also opened (in 2021) two new restaurants, which are located next to each other in The Village at The Grove at Wesley Chapel — Falabella Family Bistro and 900º New York Pizza.

We’ve been telling you about all three of these outstanding eateries, not only in Dining Feature stories but also in our annual Reader Dining Survey and Gary’s Favorites features, where Falabella Bistro finished as the #3 Favorite restaurant with me and #4 Favorite Restaurant with our readers for 2021, and both 900º Woodfired and 900º New York finished in the top-6 for Favorite Pizza with both yours truly and our readers — for good reason.

But, no matter how nice a guy and well-liked Steve, his family and crew may be, if his places were all just so-so, they wouldn’t finish as high in our annual rankings. But, the fact is that this native New Yorker whose family roots can be traced to Italia knows great Italian food and he definitely has brought that knowledge to his Bistro and pizza places. Only quality ingredients are used, and it shows, at all three local Falabella-owned restaurants. 

OK, Let’s Start With The ‘Za

Steve’s 900º Woodfired pizza may also offer traditional Neapolitan-style wood-burning oven pizza as well as New York style, but he only offers the NY-style at his pizzeria at The Grove. 

But, that’s just fine with yours truly, as I have always preferred NY-style, which also has a thin crust, but with a little more crust on the outside ring, made in a traditional pizza oven on what is known in the biz as a pizza “stone.” I also have always enjoyed the thicker-crust, square Sicilian-style pizza, which is another long-time favorite of mine at both of Steve’s pizza places.

Meat lovers pizza

In fact, while I usually order fresh round pies with pepperoni and sweet Italian sausage (or just plain cheese), I also am a big fan of the Meat Lovers pizza shown above. But, Steve says that one of his most popular by-the-slice options is what he calls his Carmine pizza, which is a square pie with a slightly different crust than his Sicilian pizza. The Carmine is covered in “baby” pepperoni and a zingier almost-Grandma’s-style sauce, as the pizza made famous by Carmine Gangone of Carmine & Sons Pizzeria in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, NY.

“Carmine and I are friends from Brooklyn and he showed me how to make his most famous pizza,” Steve says. “That’s why I named it The Carmine. We only sell it by the slice, and it takes two hours to make one pan of it. It always sells out almost right away.”

And of course, 900º NY Pizza also serves a wide variety of other pizzas — from 12” and 18” pies with your choice of toppings to Keto-style; low-carb options made with a cheese crust in 12” or 16” sizes; gluten-free 10” personal pizzas made with a cauliflower crust; and about 20 different Specialty Pizzas, from his version of Grandma’s pizza to barbecue chicken pizza with white sauce, Calabrese (with spicy Calabrese salami, Ortolano (with cherry tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, artichokes and no sauce) and many more. There’s even “Pizza Metro” party pizzas (36” x 18”) that serve 10-12 people, make-it-yourself pizza kits (which were super-popular during Covid) and of course, an always-changing variety of NY- and Sicilian-style pizzas sold by the slice.

Calzones, Appetizers & More!   

But, what if you’re in the mood for something other than pizza? Steve’s got you covered at 900º NY Pizza, too. There are delicious salads, like the grilled chicken Caesar shown on this page, Mediterranea (with romaine, kalamata olives and feta cheese) and more.

Garlic knots

For other starters, 900º NY Pizza also has a great Caprese (with fresh mozzarella and slice tomatoes), bruschetta, mozzarella sticks, fried calamari and delicious oven-baked wings (naked or with your choice of BBQ, Buffalo Hot or garlic parmesan sauce), plus some of the best garlic knots in town. There also are deep fried calzones called panzerotto, fried cheese ravioli and traditional Italian Arancini (rice balls).

I’m personally not the biggest fan of calzones, but if you are, people rave about them at 900º NY Pizza. You can choose from a base calzone with shredded mozzarella, to classic (mozzarella, fresh ricotta and ham), Americano (with pepperoni and Italian sausage) and a vegetarian style “Farcito,” with spinach, black olives and tomato. 

And, don’t sleep on the hot subs at 900º NY Pizza, either. Both the chicken and meatball parm subs are served on crisp crust sub rolls with mozzarella and tomato sauce. They’re also delicious.

Pasta, Everyone?   

In addition to the pizzas, my other favorite reasons to visit either of Steve’s 900º locations are the delicious pastas.

From specialty baked pastas, like the lasagne, ricotta or blue crab-filled ravioli, baked ziti or the excellent chicken parm entrée (top right photo on this page) served with a side of spaghetti or penne in tomato sauce, to delicioso create-your-own pastas with your choice of pomodoro (homemade tomato), alla vodka, Bolognese (meat), Alfredo (cream) or Pesto (with basil, pine nuts, grated parmesan and olive oil), you really can’t go wrong. 

I’m not usually the biggest Alfredo fan, but the fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken (pictured) is as good as I’ve had in our area — super-creamy, but not overly heavy.

My favorite pasta is still the pesto “Genovese” style, to which I add not only grilled chicken, but also some sautéed fresh spinach.

There’s also an affordable kids menu with everything from chicken fingers to spaghetti or penne with meatballs, meat sauce, butter or pomodoro, four pieces of fried ravioli or a kids-cut pizza slice (all just $4.95-$5.95).

And, while I don’t usually save room for dessert at 900º NY Pizza, a variety of delicious options is available — from pizza Nutella (a 12” pizza crust covered with Nutella hazelnut spread and dusted with powdered sugar), which also is available topped with strawberries and bananas. There also are Nutella knots (deep-fried dough draped with Nutella and topped with powdered sugar), plus a variety of real Italian ice flavors.

For those who want an adult beverage with their meal, 900º NY Pizza has pinot grigio (white) or cabernet blend (red) wines by the glass, 20-oz. Peroni Italian beer on draft, a variety of other domestic and imported beers, plus White Claw hard seltzers.

900º NY Pizza (6027 Wesley Grove Blvd.) opens every day at 11 a.m. and is open until 9 p.m. Mon.-Thur., 10 p.m. on Sat. & 8 p.m. on Sun. Dine-in, pick-up and delivery (through Uber Eats, Door Dash & ezCater) are available. For info, call (813) 406-4500 or visit 900degreeswoodfirepizza.com, which also has info about 900º Woodfired.

NT/WC’s Favorite Pizza & Burger Places

Cynthia Andujar shows off a delicious 900 Degree Woodfired pepperoni pizza.

When it comes to pizza in our area, we have a lot of great options from which to choose, but it’s hard to argue with the readers’ selection of 900º Woodfired Pizza in the Shops at Wiregrass as their favorite in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel for both 2019 and 2020.

There’s also no doubt that 900º Woodfired owner Steve Falabella (2nd from left in photo) is one of the most beloved restaurant owners in Wesley Chapel. But, the fact that his place serves both authentic wood-fired Neapolitan style, as well as legit New York-style pizza continues to keep 900º Woodfired Pizza among our readers’ favorites (and ours!).

We’re partial to 900º Woodfired’s square, thin-crust Sicilian-style and unique Grandma’s pizza, as well as many of its tasty pasta dishes.  

2 — Pizza Mania is the pizza place that has been open the longest in Wesley Chapel, and it’s always been a top favorite of our readers at its location in the Shoppes of New Tampa at Wesley Chapel for its NY/New Jersey-style pizza and Italian fare.

3 — Amici’s Pizza won this category in 2018 and finished second last year, and it continues to be a top-three favorite of our readers — and for good reason. It features true NY-style pizza and the best linguine & clams in The Chap.  

4 — Via Italia was one of the best places to open in New Tampa in 2020 and while it’s more of a sit-down, authentic Italian “ristorante,” it does serve wood-fired Neapolitan, Roman, “Campione del Mondo” and other unique styles of pizza.

5 — NY NY Pizza repeats its finish as our readers’ fifth favorite pizza place in our distribution areas, another choice that’s hard to argue. We love it for its garlicky Grandma’s pizza, but try this mainly takeout place by the slice or by the pie.

The Next 10, in order of votes: Mellow Mushroom, Cappy’s, Marco’s, Best NY Pizza, Fratelli’s, Noble Crust, Little Italy’s, Capri, Pomodoro, MOD Pizza.

FAVORITE BURGER: BURGER 21

The Outlaw Burger and a Wild Blueberry shake.

A burger is often just a burger, and when cooked right, that can be enough.

But, at Burger 21 on BBD Blvd. in New Tampa, which opened its first location in 2010 with 21 menu items, a burger is rarely just a burger. It is, as the restaurant says, reinvented, which helps explain why it is this year’s readers’ choice for the best burger in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel.

Burger 21 offers a variety of different burgers, all served on brioche buns, ranging from beef to chicken to veggie and there’s even a seafood burger, featuring a  spicy Thai shrimp patty.

 The regular beef burgers come in double-stacked (the “OMG”), blackened or even BBQ-style. 

You can even get your burger on a gluten-free bun, and the fries (including the sweet potato version) are a tasty side. The menu has salads for non-carnivores, and don’t leave without having one of Burger 21’s creamy, hand-spun shakes. — JCC

2 — Five Guys is the delicious bridge between fast-food and restaurant hamburgers and has been a fan favorite everywhere it’s opened, including locations in both New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. And of course, the unique fries are addictive, too.

3 — Burger Monger received a recent makeover, so maybe that was part of the reason why it had its best-ever finish in our Reader Survey this year. Of course, its tasty burgers, hot dogs, shakes and new salads probably had something to do with it, too. 

4 — Red Robin is another burger-oriented eatery which had its best finish in our Reader Survey this year. Red Robin features a large selection of “gourmet burgers and brews” and the bottomless fries are always a welcome treat (except for dieters).

5 — Culver’s is a cooked-to-order, fast-casual place that started in the Midwest but has continued to grow here in Florida with its delicious burgers and other sandwiches. The ultra-creamy frozen custard is really hard to resist, too.

The Next 6, in order of votes: Ford’s Garage, Glory Days, Bubba’s 33, Fat Rabbit, BJs Brewhouse, Mulligans.

Wesley Chapel’s 2020 Favorites!

With the possible exception of the hotel/tourism industry, there’s little doubt that the restaurant business was among the most Covid-affected industry sectors in Florida in 2020.

And, although many of the new eateries that opened in Wesley Chapel in 2020 were delayed by the pandemic, the past year was still one of the busiest for new restaurant openings in Wesley Chapel.

Among the new eateries that opened in 2020 in (and adjacent to) Wesley Chapel were the following:

Main Event — Yes, we realize that the bowling and entertainment center is more than “just” a restaurant, Main Event did host one of the first North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting events following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ pandemic-caused shutdown of just about everything here in the Sunshine State.

Double Branch Artisanal Ales — Again, Double Branch, located in The Village at The Grove of Wesley Chapel (above), doesn’t yet qualify as a “restaurant” — at least not until its kitchen opens — but it has offered pizzas from a food truck outside the craft beer brewery and should open a kitchen inside in 2021. Even so, enough of Wesley Chapel’s craft beer-crazed residents voted for it as their Favorite Bar in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel for it to finish in this year’s top-5 in that category.

Treble Makers— Another entertainment venue that opened in The Grove at Wesley Chapel during the early stages of Florida’s restaurant re-openings, Treble Makers was one of the few newcomers to register more than a blip with our readers, finishing as the 4th Favorite restaurant in Wesley Chapel (see list, right) and Favorite American Restaurant in both of our distribution areas. if you haven’t tasted the  coconut curry grouper, fried calamari or grilled filet mignon, you owe it to yourself to check out Treble Makers for a dueling piano show on Friday or Saturday night ‚ or anytime!

Rock & Brews — Considering how packed the place has been (even with social distancing) inside and out since the moment it opened, we were a little surprised that the first Tampa Bay link in this small chain (on S.R. 56) — inspired and owned in part by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of the rock group KISS — didn’t get any votes at all from our readers, until we realized that it didn’t open until a week before we shut down the voting. With great live music on the weekends and everything from unique bruschetta to sweet heat fried chicken on the menu, Rock & Brews will likely make our 2021 top-10 — and look for it to finish at least that high when I reveal my 2020 favorites in our next issue.

Florida Ave. Brewing Co. — Another hotly-anticipated entry that opened too late to receive reader votes this year, the former location of Sports & Field on S.R. 56 has a unique menu, with items like bibimbap bowls, Chinese sticky ribs and smoked gouda lobster mac & cheese, to go with more typical sports bar fare, an amazing craft beer selection, full liquor bar and private tasting rooms.

Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill — Again, Zukku-San opened too late to get any reader votes this year, but it is a beautiful new restaurant with a full liquor bar, great sushi and Japanese specialties (including the best tempura and chicken teriyaki we’ve had in years) and a true South Tampa vibe. Look for Zukku-San to register with our readers in 2021 and to finish very high in my list of faves this year.

Chuck Lager America’s Tavern — After years of failed attempts to improve the former PrimeBar location in the Shops at Wiregrass, the third location of Chuck Lager’s in the U.S. (and only one in Florida) brought in great food from the mind and kitchen of celebrity TV chef Fabio Viviani and a beautiful-looking new place for lunch and dinner that also opened too late to register with our readers (above) this year but will still make my list of Wesley Chapel favorites and will surely do just as well with our readers next year.

Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. — As a transplanted native New Yorker, I appreciate the “legit” kettle-boiled-then-baked bagels and “Brooklynized” water used for the bagels and coffee at this new favorite on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, which could contend for “Favorite Breakfast” in our distribution areas with our readers next year. 

Crumbl Cookie — Although it also opened too late to make a splash in this year’s Reader Survey, not since Nothing Bundt Cakes opened in the Shops at Wiregrass has any new dessert-only place created such a stir in our community. The decadent churro and s’mores cookies are our favorites of Crumbl Cookie’s rotating flavors so far.

Moschella’s Italian Eatery & Market — See story here.

As for the favorites in our Reader Survey:

GrillSmith’s offering of fresh fish dishes helped make it Wesley Chapel’s favorite.

1 — GrillSmith has been among the favorite restaurants in Wesley Chapel with our readers since the day it opened in the Shops at Wiregrass, but it was a little surprising for it to regain its top spot as the #1 in Wesley Chapel from 2018 (after finishing second to Bahama Breeze last year) with all the new places that opened.

Even so, it’s hard to argue with our readers on this one, as GrillSmith does have a great menu with a lot of variety that has been added over the years — including an increased choice of steaks, flatbreads, pastas and more.

I also believe that the fact that GrillSmith has added truly fresh “short trip” Florida fish and is one of the few local places that can surprise you with cobia, corvina or even amberjack, in addition to the more common grouper, snapper and mahi-mahi.

Plus, throw in its bottomless bubbles for weekend brunch, its expanded lunch menu and socially distanced bar area and prime location in the Shops and you’ll understand why GrillSmith’s return to the top spot isn’t that surprising at all.  

2 — 900º Woodfired Pizza is more than just a “regular old pizza place,” although few do pizza any better. But its delicious tortellini della casa, pesto di Genovese and other pasta dishes make it so much more. 

3 — Bonefish Grill is one of the few other choices for truly fresh fish in our area and there’s no doubt its now-open new location on S.R. 56 (with plenty of parking!) will help make it even more popular with our readers in 2021. 

4 — Treble Makers was one of the first new restaurants to open in “The Chap” early enough in 2020 to register with our readers and its outstanding steaks, fresh fish and tuna (above) and dueling pianos entertainment will likely keep it high on this list for years to come.

5 — Bahama Breeze dropped a few slots this year when compared with last, but this island-themed eatery’s popular Jamaican, Cajun and American specialties, live music and indoor/outdoor bar areas featuring tropical drinks (above) are appreciated by our readers.