Raising Cane’s Is Now Open On S.R. 56!

Neighborhood News Publisher & Local RealtorsŸ Donate A Prize To First-In-Line Sisters!

Raising Cane’s, the Baton Rouge, LA-based fast casual fried chicken chain founded by Todd Graves in 1996 that serves only fried chicken fingers (also available on a sandwich), crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast and cole slaw (below right), opened as previously announced in the print editions of the Neighborhood News on Jan. 28 at 25952 S.R. 56, Lutz, next to Rock & Brews. And, based on the crowds that were still filling the parking lot more than a week later, we know people are excited about it!

Jannah, photographer Charmaine George and I were there on opening day and we also attended the restaurant’s soft pre-opening VIP event  on Jan. 27 — and I have to say that we were all pretty impressed. Yes, the menu is simple, but it’s done right — the chicken fingers are lightly seasoned (NOT at all spicy!), super-crispy outside and moist on the inside. The fries also are crispy and tasty (and seemingly not seasoned, other than lightly salted, which I appreciate), the Texas toast is legit and the cole slaw is creamy and has just a hint of sweetness. 

If you only like spicy chicken, this is not the place for you, as even the Thousand Island-style “Cane’s sauce” offers no heat at all. But, if you like your chicken extra crispy and tasty, Raising Cane’s is definitely worth visiting!

As for opening day, 20 of the first 100 people in line (photo) on Jan. 28 received free Raising Cane’s for a year, but yours truly was saddened by the fact that Wesley Chapel residents (and sisters) Scarlett Sponberg and Fallon Fields (photo below), who arrived before 3 a.m. on the 28th in order to be first in line, were not among those “Grand Prize” winners. 

Even though Raising Cane’s marketing rep Stephanie Wielinski (in red in photo below) made it clear to everyone on line that being first didn’t guarantee receiving one of the top prizes, Realtors¼ Chad and April Emory of Emorys Rock Realty (visit EmorysRockRealty.com) and I didn’t think that was fair, so we went ahead and purchased enough gift cards to cover one year of free Raising Cane’s for those dedicated young ladies 

(l.-r. In top photo) Neighborhood News publisher Gary Nager, Scarlett Spongberg, Fallon Fields & RealtorÂź April Emory of Emorys Rock Realty)

Scarlett did receive a nice gift basket for being first in line, but April, Chad and I felt that just wasn’t enough for her and her sister!

Raising Cane’s gets props for providing a check for $1,000 to Wiregrass Ranch High (photo below), which brought along its cheerleading squad and other athletes to celebrate the donation.   

For more info about Raising Cane’s, call (813) 559-3590 or visit RaisingCanes.com — and please tell them I sent you! — GN

Barcelona Wine Bar Is Open In South Tampa!

It’s not every day that the Neighborhood News gets invited to restaurant openings in South Tampa, but when we got invited to the official Grand Opening of the new Barcelona Wine Bar (at 2907 W. Bay to Bay Blvd.), Jannah, Charmaine, Charmaine’s boyfriend Brendan & I decided to go check it out — and what an amazing place it is! 

First of all, this location is one of only 22 Barcelona Wine Bars in eleven states (South Tampa is the only one in Florida) and it has a true South Tampa vibe and crowd and already has been packed every day since it opened. But, Barcelona is definitely worth a visit if you love an authentic, fine-dining Spanish tapas restaurant with a huge variety of options — including more veggie tapas (from charred broccolini & crispy Brussels sprouts to roasted carrots & crispy oyster mushrooms) than I’ve found anywhere else — plus charcuterie and cheese plates, paella and other large plates, an incredible wine list and a full ultra-premium liquor bar. 

Reservations are pretty much a must, but after sampling a large portion of the tapas menu and the Paella Salvaje (Brarcelona’s all-meat paella with sausage, chicken, chorizo, pork belly, short rib & chickpeas), I can assure you that Barcelona will not disappoint! For reservations, call (813) 722-0202 or visit BarcelonaWineBar.com. For a full rundown of our first visit to Barcelona Wine Bar, see the Dec. 24 Wesley Chapel and Jan. 7, 2025, New Tampa editions of Neighborhood News & please tell them we sent you!

Tell Us Your Favorite Bar In New Tampa or Wesley Chapel!

Enter Our 2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest!

We are giving you another chance to win a FREE dining prize of $100, $60 or $35! One entry per person, per question. Please name your Favorite Bar in New Tampa OR Wesley Chapel! Mail your entry to “2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest” at 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel 33544. Or, enter by clicking HERE or email the entry form to Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. Even if you already answered any previous questions, you can still enter again by clicking HERE!

We’re just looking for your favorite place to enjoy a few cocktails, beer or wine, whether your favorite Bar or Tavern also serves food or not. 

Each time you answer a different Dining Survey question, you’ll receive an additional chance to win one of our FREE dining prizes — to the restaurant of your choice located anywhere in the Tampa Bay area! You all love free dining, right? 

Note — Please don’t forget that we include restaurants (and bars) located in Lutz (either on Wesley Chapel Blvd., S.R. 56 or S.R. 54, within two miles of I-75) as Wesley Chapel eateries; and those located in the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave. and the Oak Ramble Plaza on BBD Blvd. (both are located in zip code 33613) as acceptable places to vote for in New Tampa. 

Please also be sure to completely fill out the entry forms, whether from our print publications, on our website or by email, because we have had a few people — out of more than 1,200 total entries so far — try to enter with just their first name only, and two others who took the time to send us an entry without naming any restaurants. 

Despite those issues, it definitely appears (as we expected) that more of you like this year’s format — with individual questions for you to answer in each issue — than in the recent past, when we asked you to answer a full page of questions across multiple issues all at once. 

Remember, whether you enter by mail, email or on our website, there is never any purchase necessary to enter and win, but we do need your first AND last name, the community you live in, your daytime telephone number and a valid email address to be eligible to win any of our FREE dining prizes — and please enter all of your Survey entries by no later than November 1 to be eligible to win prizes! All winners will be announced in our December issues! 

If you haven’t yet answered ALL of this year’s previous Survey questions, they are all available again by clicking on their titles below.

 Five Favorite Restaurants in Wesley Chapel

Five Favorite Restaurants in New Tampa

Favorite Pizza Place

Favorite Sushi Place

Favorite Latin (NOT Mexican) Restaurant

Favorite Burger Place

Favorite Asian Restaurant

Tell Us Your Favorite Burger Places In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel! 

We are giving you another chance to win a FREE dining prize of $100, $60 or $35 to the restaurant of your choice! One entry per person, per question. Please vote for your Favorite Burger Place in (or near) New Tampa & Wesley Chapel by clicking HERE! This is always one of the toughest categories because so many restaurants serve burgers that people like — and we only ask you to name one as your favorite. 

Whether or not you already answered any of our other dining questions, you’re still eligible to have a second chance to enter and win free dining by also telling us your Favorite Latin Restaurant in New Tampa OR Wesley Chapel.

Each time you answer a different Dining Survey question, you’ll receive an additional chance to win one of our FREE dining prizes — to the restaurant of your choice located anywhere in the Tampa Bay area! 

All we’ve been asking you to do is to please check the zip codes of the restaurants you choose, but that has still been something of a problem for several of the people who have entered so far. 

Please don’t forget that we include restaurants located in Lutz (either on Wesley Chapel Blvd., S.R. 56 or S.R. 54, within two miles of I-75) as Wesley Chapel eateries; and those located in the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave. and the Oak Ramble Plaza on BBD Blvd. (both are located in zip code 33613) as acceptable places to vote for in New Tampa. 

Please also be sure to completely fill out the entry forms, whether from our print publications, on our website or by email, because we have had a few people — out of almost 900 total entries so far — try to enter with just their first name only, and others who took the time to send us an entry without naming any restaurants. 

Despite those issues, it definitely appears (as we expected) that more of you like this year’s format — with no more than two questions for you to answer in each issue — than in the recent past, when we asked a full page of questions for you to answer in multiple issues. 

Remember, whether you enter by mail, email or on our website, there is never any purchase necessary to enter and win, but we do need your first AND last name, the community you live in, your daytime telephone number and a valid email address to be eligible to win any of our FREE dining prizes — and please enter all of your Survey entries by no later than November 1 to be eligible to win prizes! 

As always, there’s no purchase necessary to enter or win a prize. All we ask is that you follow the following rules: 

1. Enter by filling out the entry form in the issue or HERE.

2. You can mail us your filled-out entry form (send it to “2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest,” 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544) or email it to us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. *Note-Entries filled out on our website do not need to be mailed or emailed to us. 

3. Please check the addresses and zip codes of the restaurants you choose, as we will only consider votes for restaurants in zip code 33543, 33544 and 33545 (Wesley Chapel), 33647, the portion of zip code 33559 (Lutz) and in the Oak Ramble Plaza (33613) as valid votes.

4. In order to be eligible to win any of our free dining prizes to the restaurant of your choice, your entry form with a response to at least one of our questions over the next five months must include your full name, the community you live in (Hunter’s Green, Grand Hampton, etc.), a daytime phone number where you can be reached and your valid email address.

We look forward to seeing how this year’s contest shakes out. Good luck! â€” GN

2023 Neighborhood News Dining Survey & Contest (Wesley Chapel)

Whether or not you’ve ever entered one of our previous Reader Dining Survey & Contests, I hope you’ll consider entering at least once this year.

Yes, while we still have at least three (there could be more) free dining prizes, from $35 to $100 — to the restaurant of your choice, no less — we’re making it easier than ever before for you to enter.

Instead of a full page or more of different dining categories, all we’re asking you for is to answer one or two questions in every issue between now and Thursday, November 16, and you’ll receive one entry into those random prize drawings for each Survey question you answer.

This issue, we’ll start with one question that asks you for FIVE (5) answers — “Name your Five Favorite Restaurants (of any kind) located in Wesley Chapel or near the Tampa Premium Outlets (aka Lutz).” 

For your entry to be valid, you must name five different restaurants. If you only name one or two restaurants or fill in the name of the same restaurant in all five spaces, you’ll only have one or two votes counted and your entry will not be eligible for any of our prizes.

Then, in each of the next five issues, we’ll ask you to name only one or two of your  favorites — for example, your Favorite Chinese Restaurant, Coffee Shop or Pizza Place — and we’ll give you one additional entry into our random prize drawings for each valid entry you submit. We feel as though this should stimulate more people to enter the contests, because the task won’t be as daunting as having to completely (or nearly completely) fill out an entire page of favorites.

As always, there’s no purchase necessary to enter or win a prize. All we ask is that you follow the following rules:

1. Enter by filling out the entry form in the issue or by filling the form out online by clicking HERE. 

2. You can drop your filled-out entry form in the mail (send it to “2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest,” 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544) or even email it to us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. *Note-Entries filled out on our website do not need to be mailed or emailed to us.

3. Please check the address and zip codes of the restaurants you choose, as only votes for restaurants in zip codes 33543, 33544 and 33545 (Wesley Chapel) and zip code 33559 (Lutz, within 1-2 miles of the S.R. 56 exit off I-75) will be counted as “Wesley Chapel” votes. When we ask you next issue for your “Five Favorite Restaurants (of any kind) in New Tampa,” only restaurants located in zip code 33647, or in the Oak Ramble Plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (in zip code 33613) and in or near the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave. (zip code 33559) will be counted as “New Tampa” votes.

4. In order to be eligible to win any of our free dining prizes to the restaurant of your choice, your entry form with a response to at least one of our questions over the next five months must include your name, full mailing address (including your zip code), the community you live in (Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, Seven Oaks, etc.), a daytime phone number where you can be reached and your valid email address.

We look forward to seeing how this year’s contest shakes out. Good luck!