Nibbles & Bites: Johnny C’s Italian Kitchen To Open By May 1!

Will offer takeout, delivery and banquet catering, in addition to dine-in seating and will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. For more information, call (813) 278-8020. — Gary Nager; photos by Charmaine George

Former Saddlebrook Resort owner Thomas Dempsey, general manager Pat Ciaccio (photo, top right) and Erik and Seth Ravenna (all of whom were at Saddlebrook together before it was sold last year) have again joined forces to bring casual, contemporary Italian dining to the New Tampa area.

Johnny C’s Italian Eatery (located at 10970 Cross Creek Blvd., in the space previously occupied by Precinct Pizza; photo, top left), which is expected to open by Monday, May 1, will proudly serve New York-style pizza and authentic Italian pasta dishes and other specialties.

Featuring both indoor and covered outdoor seating, Johnny C’s, which was named for Ciaccio’s father, “Who spent his entire life (working) in restaurants,” 

New Tampa Dining Updates On Zio’s, Kobe & The New Mpanitas 

Here are some updates on some restaurants we told you a couple of issues ago were getting ready to open in New Tampa. Unfortunately, none of them are open yet, but all three should open sooner than later.

We did mention before that Macaw Latin Provision on Cross Creek Blvd. (in the same plaza as Saffron) was now not going to open at all. However, what we didn’t know at that time was that the second Tampa location (the other is on Palm River Rd.) of Mpanitas was getting ready to open in its place. Owners Genesis and Julio say the Venezuelan eatery will specialize in homemade mini-empanadas, plus mandocas (fried dough rings), tequenos (cheese sticks) and other Venezuelan specialties.

For more info, visit Mpanitas on Facebook or Instagram.

Also still not open yet is Zio’s New York Bagel & Deli Co., but owner Jeff Cofini says his NY-style bagel place and deli should be open for breakfast and lunch every day very soon — hopefully only a week or two after this issue reaches you. Email Jeff at ZiosNYBagels@gmail.com if you want to work for Zio’s. 

And finally, the new location of Kobé Japanese Steakhouse (photo) still isn’t open, but at least the sign has finally gone up on the building. The last update we had a couple of weeks ago was that it would be at least 3-6 more months before Kobe would reopen, but we’ll keep you posted. — GN

‘Fast & Furious’ Actor Sung Kang Visits Zukku-San!

Sung Kang, who appeared in “Fast & Furious” films (beginning with “Tokyo Drift”), was in Tampa for the 16th annual Gasparilla Film Festival to promote his directorial film debut, “Shaky Shivers.” While in town, he visited the Wesley Chapel Zukku-San. Here (l.-r.) he poses with Zukku-San’s Kathy Nguyen & co-owner Ferdian Jap.—GN

Nibbles & Bytes: Hot, Cold and Warmed Up!

Super Hot Asian & BBQ Is Open In Former Fushia Location!

For those who have been waiting for something to open where Fushia Asian Bistro closed in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms, your wait is over.

The new restaurant is called Super Hot Asian & BBQ, and it also is Chinese/Asian fusion. We’ve only gotten to try a few menu items so far, but we definitely enjoyed the pan-fried gyoza dumplings (served by an actual robot server), as well as the Yangzhou (aka “Young Chow”) combo fried rice. 

For more info about Super Hot (15317 Amberly Dr.), call (813) 680-4124 or visit https://superhot.kwickmenu.com/index.php. — GN 

Kobé Re-Opening Delayed By Supply Chain Issues!

For those who have been waiting patiently for Kobé Japanese Steakhouse to re-open in its new location a mile or so south on BBD (in the former location of Vuelo and Señor T’s Mexican restaurants, and Romano’s Macaroni Grill before that), well, we’re sorry, but you’ll have to wait just a little bit longer. 

According to Kobé spokesperson Hien Nguyen, the original hoped-for opening of as early as Dec. 2021 has had to be extended by several months.

“Unfortunately, construction is slower than expected, as supply chain delays for large equipment are stalling our progression.” says Nguyen. “We can’t move forward until some of these items are delivered. Unfortunately, we do not have an exact date, but hopefully in a few months if some of these items can be delivered soon.”

If you’ve driven by the site of the future Kobé, you’ve probably noticed that a tremendous amount of exterior work has been done, but that it definitely has stalled in recent weeks.

We know our readers are excited about the re-opening of Kobé, so be sure to keep checking these pages for further updates.

Unfortunately, we also haven’t received, seen or heard any updates about when Hungry Crab Juicy Seafood & Bar is expected to open in the former Kobé location in front of the Pebble Creek Collection, also on BBD. 

In fact, unlike Kobé, which has had the monument sign in the picture up for several weeks, we haven’t even seen a banner sign yet for Hungry Crab, which has six other locations already open, the closest of which is in Largo and the furthest of which is in Brunswick, GA. The New Tampa Hungry Crab is one of three additional locations opening soon. — GN    

Las Palmas Food Truck — Same Great Food, All-New Look!

When last we checked in with our friend Ramses Garcia, the owner of Las Palmas Latin Grill (which was shuttered by a fire in its storefront location on Oct. 11), he had just recently opened the Las Palmas Food Truck, which was just a plain white truck Ramses had renovated so he could continue serving his authentic Cuban cuisine in the same parking lot while rebuilding his popular eatery.

Well, since then, Ramses has added a custom exterior wrap to the truck, complete with a caricature of Al Pacino’s character and his famous line from “Scarface” — “Say Hello To My Little Friend.”

Yes, the revamped truck looks great, but it’s still the food Ramses and his wife Ana serve inside that’s the most important thing. Whether you crave award-winning Cubans, amazing roasted pork, grilled chicken breast, deviled crab or Ana’s Tres Leches dessert, visit LasPalmasLatinGrill.com to order  your favorites today — and please tell Ana and Ramses I sent you! — GN

New Tampa Asian Restaurants That Are Coming & Going

Hana Sushi & Grill is the latest Asian restaurant to open in New Tampa.

Unlike all of the (mostly) chain restaurants that continue to enter Wesley Chapel’s restaurant scene, New Tampa continues to be a hub for great locally-owned Asian eateries, with more on the way.

We told you in October that Kobé Japanese Steakhouse was moving from in front of the Pebble Creek Collection to the former location of Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Señor T’s and Vuelo at 17641 Bruce B Downs (BBD) Blvd., and it did indeed close the old location on Nov. 22, in anticipation of its move. We don’t yet have word as to when the new Kobé will open, but it could be before the end of this year, or early next year, at the latest.

Meanwhile, Aroi Thai-Tsuyu, which had been located at 20685 BBD in the Live Oak Preserve area for a couple of years (the same restaurant also has had other names), has closed and been replaced by Hana Sushi & Grill. You can check out the menu at HanaSushiGrillTampa.com.

And finally, Gu Wei Noodles & Grill, which opened in 2020 in the former location of Sukkho-thai on Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. (across from the AMC Highwoods 20 movie theater), is “temporarily closed for updating the concept.” — GN

Kobé Steakhouse Moving Down The Road

Kobé Japanese Steak House’s move to its new location at the former Vuelo’s Mexican Grill on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (above) is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Kobé Japanese Steak House, which has been located at the corner of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and Pebble Creek Dr. since 2011, is moving down the road to the old Vuelo’s/Señor T’s/Romano’s Macaroni Grill site in front of New Tampa’s Home Depot.

According to Hien Nguyen, a spokesperson for the family-owned mini-chain, as soon as remodeling is completed on the former Vuelo’s, Kobé “will transition from our current location.”

Nguyen says the new location, “will be larger to accommodate our growing team and business. We aim to transition by the end of this year.”

The new site for Kobé is 7,000 square feet — giving the restaurant roughly 1,000 more square feet to accommodate a larger kitchen for it’s growing to-go business —and offers more parking.

The successful and highly-rated Japanese steak house, one of 12 located in Florida, is now going to try to succeed where others have not when it moves into the former Vuelo’s Mexican Restaurant location, which was previously Señor T’s and before that Macaroni Grill, which closed in 2013.

Señor T’s opened in November 2015 but was poorly received and scathingly reviewed by many. It failed to make it through even a year, closing its doors for good in July 2016.

The Mexican eatery was rebranded, redesigned and opened with a new, but still Mexican-based, menu as Vuelo’s a few months later, in November. But, whether it was the food or the location, Vuelo’s died out just over a year later and the restaurant has been empty since 2018.

Can another restaurant succeed in that seemingly cursed location, which can be difficult to get in and out of from BBD?

Probably, considering that Chili’s has had staying power right next door. Plus, Kobé has an established reputation and is popular in New Tampa (at least according to our annual Reader Surveys, which always give the restaurant high marks). And, according to 2,756 Google ratings, Kobé has a 4.7 out of 5 rating. Yelp reviewers give Kobé 4 out of 5 stars.

In addition, Kobé has been the most successful/longest lasting of all of the restaurants to have come and gone from its location in front of the Pebble Creek Collection. 

The saga began when Tampa Bay media personality Jack Harris leant his name to (and co-owned) Harris & Co., the original restaurant in Kobé’s location, which opened to rave reviews in 1997 but closed in 2000. But, Harris & Co. would just be the first of five restaurants in the building, which also has been home to Durango Steak House (2000-02, 2003), the Durango-owned Sammy Frogs (2004) and Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse (2006-11) prior to Wasabi selling its spot to Kobé.

Reader’s Dining Survey: Japanese/Sushi

In our 2016 Reader Dining Survey & Contest, more than 500 readers submitted surveys ranking their favorite restaurants in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa, category by category.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to fill out an entry form. Look for my restaurant favorites in our next issue and for some of these listings to appear on future episodes of WCNT-tv.

Your Favorite Japanese/Sushi Restaurants In NT & WC

Kobe Japanese Steak House is No. 1 in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.

1. Kobe Japanese Steakhouse

2. Yamato Japanese Steakhouse

3. Bonsai Sushi

4. Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi

5. Sushi Café

6. Hibachi Express

7. Sukhothai

8. Asian Buffet

9. Ginza Endless Sushi

10. Fong’s Sushi (formerly Sushi Raw)

*-Takara Sushi & sake finished 8th, but has since gone out of business