More New Tampa Dining Openings, Closing & Rumors! 

As we get ready for the 2024 Reader Dining Survey & Contest, the New Tampa dining scene continues to evolve, with more closings, openings and rumors than ever. 

First, for the bad news: In the Palms Connection plaza on Bearss Ave. just west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Bearss Tavern & Tap and Mint Cocktail Club, both owned by Cody Jay, are now both permanently closed. We also heard, although have not yet been able to confirm, that the delicious Woodfired Pizza & Wine Bar in the same plaza was likely closing at the end of June. That would be a tremendous loss for the local Neapolitan-style-pizza-loving community. 

As for new openings, although it isn’t a restaurant at all, Bull Liquors & Cigar recently re-opened in its new space in the Acropolis Greek Taverna-anchored Oak Ramble Plaza on BBD, south of Tampa Palms. The original Bull Liquors was located in the same plaza, in a much smaller space near Papa John’s Pizza and Jersey Mike’s Subs, but the new location — which took close to a year to get open — is in the plaza’s other end cap, where the last business in there was a check-cashing place, but which also has been home to four restaurants — the first being the Louis Pappas Market Café and the last being Takara Sushi & Sake. 

The new Bull Liquors (at 14913 BBD) is a much larger, nicer location with a good selection of fine wines and spirits, as well as a walk-in cigar humidor. For more info, call (813) 513-8941. 

Our next stop is the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza on BBD, just north of New Tampa/Cross Creek Blvd, where a new sign recently went up announcing that Everbowl is planning to open in the plaza’s space just north of Publix. 

Everbowl, a California-based chain of healthy bowl eateries (think Grain & Berry) with about 90 locations in 24 states, has only one other Florida location, near the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, but its Everbowl.com website promises a wide variety of bowls featuring Açai, granola, fresh fruit, peanut butter, chia pudding, blue majik (naturally blue-colored spirulina), Coco Love coconut water, Cacao Wow and other healthy, all-natural flavors. 

I was surprised to not find a “Coming Soon” on the website for the location, but a spokesperson for the UCF Everbowl said that the franchisee for that location didn’t know about or ask for a Tampa location, “so it may be a different franchise owner.” We’ll keep you posted. 

Speaking of healthier eating, two different health-conscious concepts that recently closed in the Winn-Dixie and LA Fitness-anchored The Cypress plaza tucked in off BBD at the corner of County Line Rd. are both in the process of being replaced. 

The one we know for sure is happening is that Coffee Latitudes, which currently has a popular kiosk at the Shops at Wiregrass mall, is planning to open the Coffee Latitudes Coffee & Wine Bar in the former location of Juice Factory (at 6431 E. County Line Rd., Suite 110, next to Max’s Pets). 

But, all we can tell you about the other vacant space, that previously was home to Island Fin Poké Co., is that the replacement could be a popular healthy eatery at the KRATE at The Grove Container Park. Again, we’ll keep you posted. 

Smallcakes in New Tampa is Closed!

We told you in our last issue that Smallcakes Cupcakery & Creamery (in the Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms) was getting ready to close, but until a week or so before our press time, the cupcake chain’s local link was still open, with no formal announcement from owners Marissa and Justin Dewdney as to when it would close. 

Well, that fateful day (for those of us who loved those moist cupcakes and unmatched icing) did finally come and we already know that the Palms Pharmacy, located next to Smallcakes at 17008 Palm Pointe Dr., was planning to take over the bakery’s space. 

“It’s going to take a while,” Palms Pharmacy owner and Doctor of Pharmacy Shahida Choudhry told the Neighborhood News. “We’re looking at several months to build the space out and get it stocked.” Of course, the independent Palms Pharmacy is still open next door during the build-out, with its chain-matching (or beating) prices and unmatched customer service. 

Shahida, never one to take it easy, also recently opened The Primary Care of Wesley Chapel — with an outstanding team of three nurse practitioners, led by Scarlette Owens, APRN, FNP-C (formerly of Florida Medical Clinic in Tampa Palms) — at 2935 Pearson James Pl. (off Wesley Chapel Blvd. in the new Cypress Bend Professional Park in Lutz (photo), next to Wesley Chapel Harley Davidson). 

For more information about Palms Pharmacy, visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com or call (813) 252-9063. For The Primary Care of Wesley Chapel, visit PrimaryCareWesleyChapel.com or call (813) 991-4243.

Why Are So Many Restaurants In Our Area Shutting Down? 

When popular chains like Red Lobster tart closing, there is definitely cause for some concern. 

When I lived in New York City in the 1980s, I was told by someone I looked up to in the advertising industry that unlike the real estate business — where the three most important words are “Location, Location, Location” — the rule of thumb for doing business with restaurants was “Get your money up front, Get your money up front, Get your money up front.” 

It didn’t take me long to figure out why that was true — at least in Manhattan, where some of my favorite restaurants would get one bad review in any of the major New York media and be out of business in a week. And, this was decades before the advent of online reviews, when anyone with a beef against a restaurant owner could anonymously go online and turn a restaurant’s (especially a new one’s) Google or Yelp rating (or both) to garbage in a heartbeat. 

But, in New York, almost every restaurant on every street was an individually owned mom-&- pop, which has always been more of a gamble than opening another link in a well-funded, regional or national, mass-marketed chain. 

However, as evidenced by the recent rash of restaurant closings in our area, it’s no longer just mom-&-pop, non-chain restaurants that are being affected by everything from rising food costs and salaries, plus ever-increasing rents/interest rates, as well as the cost of things like building materials to even open a new place. 

Case in point: When you see beloved (perhaps not by me, but still by many), well-established chains like Red Lobster (photo), Tijuana Flats and Beef O’Brady’s shuttering multiple locations, that is definitely a cause for concern. 

In Wesley Chapel, it seems like 80% of the eateries are chains — whether national or regional — and almost every new place that is popping up (like Rodizio Grill) is at least a small chain. The only exception seems to be Asian restaurants — from Japanese to Indian — which are more often single-location or just 2-3 total family-owned units. 

In other words, for every solo Via Italia or Falabella Family Bistro hanging in there you have a 201st location of Fazoli’s (see pg. 49) opening. For every one-off Chick’n Fun that attracts an audience, you’re surrounded by one of nearly 200 Slim Chickens and one of 20+ Chicken Guy! (which is coming soon to the north side of S.R. 56) locations. 

Of course, the cost to buy a piece of land and build a new restaurant in Wesley Chapel is becoming prohibitive for anyone other than a chain, but even shuttered fast food places like Wendy’s on S.R. 56 are simply being replaced by another chain — such as Shake Shack, which has nearly 400 locations. 

If you visit local online communities, you’ll always see people bemoaning all of the chain restaurants we have and all of the mom-&-pops we don’t have in our area and yet, every year, hundreds of our readers vote mainly for chains and don’t seem to even know about many of the really good mom-&-pop places available to them. Here are some reasons why: 

Marketing — Even chains with food that I personally refuse to eat — like Taco Bell and Subway — spend millions of dollars every year on ads that magically make their food look absolutely edible. But, while many new local restaurants intend to spend money to promote themselves, the first thing most cut back on when their build-out inevitably takes longer than they ever expected is that advertising money. 

Labor — It seemed like the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated a dangerous new attitude towards work among young people — the very labor source most restaurants have to look at to fill their employee rosters. And, while the height of the pandemic has been in the rear view for at least three years now — and many fewer people are being paid more to not work than if they have a job — that attitude still seems to be pervasive. 

And, since the trend towards higher pandemic-era tipping for waiters and bartenders seemed to settle down somewhat, many restaurants have added service charges (that, unfortunately, aren’t always fairly shared with the employees), charges for using a credit card to pay and other extras that have created higher costs to dine (or take) out and turned off many regular customers. 

Food Quality — I still feel that this is the biggest issue of all. Jannah and I believe that an expensive meal is always still worth it if the portions and prices are fair, the service is good and the quality of the food is high. However, overpaying for lower-quality food and/or bad service is never OK with us and I honestly think that many chains — and some mom-&-pops — have cut back on quality while charging more for the same meals, often with smaller portions for a higher price. 

I see a lot of people warning that many more restaurant closings are still coming, but I, for one, hope that won’t prove to be true. 

Stonewood Grill & Tavern Never Takes Being Our Readers’ Favorite For Granted! 

Among the menu staples that have made Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Tampa Palms the “Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa” with Neighborhood News readers for eight years in a row are the prime rib (above), the French onion soup (below, left), the ahi tuna appetizer (below, right) & (bottom, l.-r.) Asian chicken salad, B.L.A.S.T. Stack and peach bourbon pork chop. (Photos by Charmaine George)

If you ask operating partner Dennis Diaz or executive chef Danny Manzur how Stonewood Grill & Tavern, located for more than 20 years at The Pointe at Tampa Palms, has been named the Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa the last eight years, both will tell you that it’s about “Our commitment to quality.” 

Danny has been with the company for almost 24 years and has been at the Tampa Palms location of the eight-unit mini-chain the last ten — he also has served as the executive chef of Stonewood Holdings (the restaurant’s parent company) since 2018, “but that position didn’t become ‘official’ until 2020,” he says, adding that, across the brand, “We have great management, outstanding chefs and employees who buy into the company’s commitment to quality.” 

(L.-r.) Sous chef Jason Price, executive chef Danny Manzur, operating partner Dennis Diaz and kitchen manager Gary Zimmerman provide the outstanding food and service New Tampa residents have come to expect from Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Tampa Palms. 

He adds, “Here in New Tampa, I don’t think there’s another restaurant that has consistently been as committed to freshness, quality, having a scratch kitchen and an innovative menu as we have. We always buy the highest-quality meats, fish and produce possible from our vendors. That’s something we’ve never wavered from.” 

Meanwhile, Dennis has only been with the Stonewood for four years, starting as a sous chef at the Tampa Palms location in Feb. of 2020, or just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, when the restaurant closed for two months beginning on St. Patrick’s Day. He has been the operating partner the last two. 

“I am very fortunate to have the staff I do,” Dennis says. “People didn’t know me when I first got here, so I did get some pushback. But, I work shoulder-to-shoulder with our entire staff and our staff and our guests can see that.” 

He adds, “It’s all about passion here, from how we train our staff to the quality food we serve, always with beautiful presentation. People know as they are coming into the restaurant that we cook on wood, because of that aroma you can smell every single day.” 

Tastes For Every Season 

Although all of the dishes shown on these pages are from Stonewood’s “core” menu, Chef Danny actually comes up with unique seasonal dishes that are changed every three months company-wide, with input from the chefs at each location. 

“We always want the limited time menu to offer unique dishes,” Danny says, “or dishes we’ve done well before that we bring back with a different, elevated presentation, since everybody eats with their eyes first.” 

He gave the example of my favorite Stonewood steak — then hand-cut Manhattan strip, as well as the herb-encrusted grouper. “We changed the presentation on the grouper so it brought the visual, the aroma and the bite to a different level.” 

The spring limited menu will continue to be offered until mid-June, when Danny says he will unveil five or six new dishes, including, “a salmon burger, a chicken skewer and a scampi surf & turf.” 

One of the former limited menu items that made it onto the core menu is the tasty center-cut, bone-in peach bourbon pork chop with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed baby kale shown below left — one of my new favorites. 

Jannah, Charmaine, Charmaine’s boyfriend Brendan and I visited Stonewood two days in a row to take the pictures on these pages and the really cool thing is that most of what we sampled isn’t usually what we order when we visit. For example, Jannah and I almost always share the Stonewood bruschetta (vine ripe tomatoes, basil, garlic, aged parmesan, griddled garlic bread and balsamic dressing) and either the simply grilled fresh catch (the grouper is always excellent) or the 8-oz. filet mignon. My favorite appetizer is the seared ahi tuna (sushi-grade ahi rolled in spices and sesame seeds, seared rare, with mixed greens, wasabi, ginger and a zesty sesame ginger dressing) and my other favorite steak is probably the herb-crusted prime rib. Jannah’s favorite entrée when we’re not sharing is the Southwest chicken bowl (Santa Fe-style chicken breast, turmeric rice, black bean & corn salsa, pico de gallo, tortilla strips, basil avocado aioli and jalapeños). 

But, Dennis had us sampling a variety of other dishes for this visit, including the excellent Asian chicken salad (oak-grilled & chilled, ginger lime-marinated chicken breast, crispy wontons, chilled sesame noodles, fresh mixed greens, sesame ginger dressing & Asian slaw), and the B.L.A.S.T. Stack (hardwood-smoked Bacon strips, field-fresh Lettuce, diced Hass Avocado, signature smoked Salmon and vine-ripened Tomatoes, with lemon-infused olive oil, basil avocado aioli). Both were outstanding with a one-of-a-kind taste. 

Stonewood’s authentic French onion soup features a rich beef, onion broth, topped with toasted Holland rusk, finished with melted Swiss, gouda, gruyere and fontina cheeses. 

Don’t Forget About Brunch! 

Perhaps the best thing about brunch at Stonewood is that it is served on both Saturday and Sunday. Or, maybe it’s the fact that there are special non-brunch items on the brunch menu. Or, maybe it’s because you can create your own bottomless mimosas from the mimosa cart. Or, maybe it’s the Stonewood beignets (flaky, buttery puff pastry topped powder sugar, served with a decadent chocolate and caramel sauce and Julius Meinl espresso dipping sauce). “Our coffee is Julius Meinl premium coffee, too,” Dennis says. 

Finish off your weekend brunch with these house-made Stonewood beignets.

Among the brunch menu items we sampled were the chicken & waffles (super-crispy chicken breast tenders, pearl sugar, Belgian waffles, Four Roses Old Fashion maple syrup, honey butter & choice of side); the prime rib “Benny” (slow-roasted, shaved prime rib, poached egg, chipotle hollandaise, griddled garlic bread & choice of side) and the crème brûlée French toast (custard French sourdough toast, Four Roses Old Fashion maple syrup, brûléed banana, fresh berries & choice of side) — and all were so satisfying. Charmaine also loved the shrimp & grits (creamy white cheddar grits, sautéed white shrimp, andouille sausage, red and green bell peppers, Créole beurre blanc & blistered tomato). 

Stonewood’s Saturday & Sunday brunch features entrées like shrimp & grits.

We also sampled the tasty steak bowl (garlic-marinated steak tips, flash-seared, crispy seasoned potatoes, fresh arugula, fire roasted red & green bell pepper, caramelized onions, black bean & corn salsa, with a horseradish cream drizzle) and the Nashville hot chicken sandwich (Jannah’s new favorite). 

Dennis also wants everyone to know that not only does Stonewood do on-site catering, “We also have a private dining room for up to 24 people.” 

And of course, Stonewood’s bar also is among the most popular hangouts in New Tampa. “We definitely could use a bigger bar,“ Dennis says. “It’s always packed.” 

Stonewood Grill & Tavern (17050 Palm Pointe Dr.) is open every day for dinner & for brunch (opening at 11 a.m.) on Sat. & Sun. only. Happy Hour is every day from opening until 7 p.m. For info call (813) 978-0388 or visit StonewoodGrill.com. 

The mimosa cart lets you customize your endless weekend brunch bubbles with a variety of fresh fruit flavors.

Congratulations To New Tampa’s Top Of The Class Of 2024! 

It’s that time of year where parents and students count down to all kinds of graduations, from pre-kindergarten to college. At local high schools, hundreds of graduates are moving on to a new phase of life, whether it’s starting a career, joining the military, going to a faraway university, attending a local college, or taking some time to find themselves. The students on these pages are the top-10 graduating seniors of the Class of 2024 at both of New Tampa’s public high schools by grade point average (GPA). Congratulations to everyone listed on these pages for their extraordinary achievement – and to all of their peers and classmates who are graduating alongside them. Note – We apologize that we have significantly more information about one school’s top-10 students than the other, but we can only show here what we were provided. Please also note that while it seems that the last two Wharton GPAs are out of order, a Wharton official told us that the class ranks were frozen prior to the final GPAs shown here. 

Freedom High 

1. Ishitha Panguluri, Valedictorian 

GPA: 8.6591 

College planning to attend: University of Chicago or Univ. of Florida 

Planned Major or Future Career: Neuroscience 

2. Kayla Le, Salutatorian 

GPA: 7.9495 

College planning to attend: University of Florida or University of South Florida 

Planned Major or Future Career: Business 

3. Jaclyn Rachel Alejandro 

GPA: 7.4377 

College planning to attend: University of South Florida Honors 

Planned major or future career: Biomedical Sciences, pre-med 

4. Yadiel Narvaez Hernandez 

GPA: 7.2153 

College planning to attend: Georgia Tech 

Planned major or future career: Industrial Engineering 

5. Mrinalini Bose 

GPA: 7.2113 

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Planned Major or future career: Applied Math 

6. Mallory Marsland Pettit 

GPA: 7.1104 

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Planned major or future career: Psychology 

7. Sanduni Karalliyadde 

GPA: 6.9993 

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Planned major or future career: Political Science, Pre-Law 

8. Sharianne Sampson 

GPA: 6.9438 

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Planned major or future career: Biology, pre-med 

9. Pouria Yazdankhah Kenary 

GPA: 6.829 

College planning to attend: University of South Florida 

Planned major or future career: Mechanical Engineering 

10. Mohammed Alfatlawi 

GPA: 6.76 

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Planned major or future career: Computer Engineering 

Wharton High 

1. Heer Patel, Valedictorian 

GPA: 9.9639 

Clubs/Activities: President BETA club, President/founder Wistem (Women in STEM club), member of NHS (National Honor Society), SNHS (Science National Honor Society), NEHS (National English Honor Society), Spanish National Honor Society, Tri M music honor society, Key Club, FBLA, Orchestra, dancer, volunteer at Moffitt Cancer Center and Metropolitan Ministries

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Planned major or future career: Business & Biology 

Best thing about high school: High school taught me what it means to have real friends. These past few years, I’ve developed some of the closest bonds, which I know will carry forward as I move on to the next chapter of my life. High school taught me how to grow and nurture friendships, and how to value people for who they truly are. 

2. Sarah Gangaram, Salutatorian 

GPA: 8.08 

Clubs/Activities: Team Captain Speech and Debate, Vice President NEHS, Co-founder Book Club, Vice President BETA, Social Media Manager, Newspaper: Education Editor, Member of SNHS, NHS 

College planning to attend: University of South Florida 

Planned major or future career: Biology on a pre-med path, neurosurgeon 

Best thing about High School: Definitely the people. I enjoyed coming to school every day and socializing with my friends and peers, as well as my teachers. Overall, they really made my high school experience incredible. For example, when I’d go to football games and other school events, the spirit we all have is incredible, and just being in that environment was amazing – it’s something I will never forget. 

3. Mahdi Aziz 

GPA: 7.4787 

Clubs/Activities: Treasury secretary NEHS, member of SNHS, NHS, volunteer at AdventHealth, working for my dad at Bagels Plus, tennis 

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Planned major or future career: Anthropology and history, international lawyer 

Best thing about High School: All the great teachers and friends that I met all through my four years, and the times I spent with them. 

4. Cooper Priest

GPA: 7.28 

Clubs/Activities: Chess Club, NHS, SNHS, swim team 

College planning to attend: Michigan State University 

Planned major or future career: Chemical engineering 

Best thing about High School: Making friends 

5. Athira Umshankar 

GPA: 7.24 

Clubs/Activities: NHS, NEHS, SNHS, art club, film club 

College planning to attend: University of South Florida Honors 

Planned major or future career: Psychology 

Best thing about High School: People and friends I met. 

6. Reese Prieto 

GPA: 7.22 

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Planned major or future career: Biology 

Best thing about High School: Meeting new people and making new friends 

7. Emily Toso 

GPA: 7.12 

Clubs/Activities: Newspaper Editor-in-chief, President SNHS, NEHS, speech and debate, dancer (Tampa Gymnastics and Dance) for 14 years 

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Planned major or future career: Environmental engineering 

Best thing about High School: Being able to explore different interests and really find what you’re good at and enjoy. 

8. Avi Amin 

GPA: 7.08 

Clubs/Activities: Scuba diving, soccer, SCC 

College planning to attend: New York University 

Planned major or future career: Finance 

Best thing about High School: Getting to meet new people and make new friends 

9. Eva Lebas 

GPA: 7.0 

Clubs/Activities: All-County and All-State Honors Orchestras, play viola, swim team 

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Planned major or future career: Biomedical Engineering 

Best thing about High School: Definitely prom and the senior events 

10. Jariel Garriga 

GPA: 7.06 

Clubs/Activities: Wharton Baseball Captain, Beta Club Vice President, SCC Unity Officer 

College planning to attend: Florida State University 

Planned major or future career: Biochemistry, orthopedic surgeon 

Best thing about High School: Playing baseball with my friends