New & Old Made For An Eventful 2022 In New Tampaย 

The New Tampa Performing Arts Center took decades to negotiate and build, but the ribbon was finally cut on the new PAC, which is located right across the street from the entrance to the Hunterโ€™s Green community.

Wesley Chapel has always kind of felt like New Tampaโ€™s little brother, who just happened to have a growth spurt and spent a lot of time in the weight room. Wesley Chapel may be stronger and tower over New Tampa these days, but big brother still has a few tricks up his sleeve.

We think this analogy kind of makes sense, but letโ€™s lay it for you.

In 2022, New Tampa celebrated a number of significant milestones, like the 25th anniversary of opening of the New Tampa Regional Library, the 20th anniversary of schools like Liberty Middle School and Freedom High and the 25th anniversary of the opening of both Benito Middle School and Wharton High.

New Tampa truly is all grown up, in many ways. There may not be room to build new malls and hundreds of new homes โ€” unless the vacated Pebble Creek Golf Club golf course is paved over in the next few years to make way for new homes โ€” but the area continues to move forward with some developments that should make locals happy.

Two notable ribbon cuttings were held โ€” one for the long-awaited New Tampa Performing Arts Center (which will begin hosting performances in 2023) and another for a first-of-its-kind All Abilities Park for the City of Tampa in Tampa Palms.

Both were significant. The Performing Arts Center, championed by Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan for more than a decade, will be the cultural center of New Tampa, opening the way for musicians, dancers, actors and more to hone their skills and have a place to perform. And, for the community, the new center is expected to offer a host of performances and shows that will provide various types of entertainment otherwise unavailable in the area.

As for Tampa City Councilman Luis Vieraโ€™s pet project โ€” the New Tampa All Abilities Park โ€” those who suffer from a variety of disabilities now have a place to call their own, and a chance to be included in a number of fun and even educational playground activities that, until now, have been off limits for them. 

Thatโ€™s not all โ€” Hagan also led the groundbreaking of a major renovation of Branchton Park at the corner of Morris Bridge Rd. and Cross Creek Blvd., and also announced that the county hopes to build New Tampaโ€™s first indoor recreation center at Cross Creek Park near Pride Elementary.

Marion Brodarick

And, the long-awaited replacement for the vacated Sweetbay Supermarket, the Asian superstore Lotte Plaza Market, began renovating the old building and expects to open sometime in 2023.

When it comes to other notable moments, New Tampa had its fair share.

Bruhat Soma, now a sixth grader at Turner Bartels K-8, School, qualified for the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., although he couldnโ€™t attend due to Covid-19. He was only the second New Tampa student to ever qualify for the event, joining Benitoโ€™s Nupur Lala, who actually won the title in 1999.

Tommy Tonelli, pretty much the only basketball coach Wharton High has ever known, stepped down after leading the Wildcats to the State semifinals. Tonelli finished as Hillsborough Countyโ€™s all-time- winningest boys basketball coach with a 528-137 record over 23 seasons.

Long-time Pebble Creek resident Marion Brodarick celebrated her 100th birthday, and is still going strong. 

And, remember when gas prices were more than $4 a gallon? That prompted more than 100 cars to line up on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. for a promotional event, as the Marathon station neat I-75 was offering gas for just $2.38 per gallon.

As for New Tampaโ€™s aforementioned little brother, it was another big year for new and cool things. In addition to the announcement of a new hospital (Wesley Chapelโ€™s second), a few groundbreakings for town centers and an upscale Cooperโ€™s Hawk restaurant on S.R. 56, Wesley Chapelโ€™s 2022 highlights also included:

โ€ข The debut of the KRATE at the Grove Container Park in June, probably Wesley Chapelโ€™s No. 1 success story of the year. The grand opening event of what is, at the very least, our areaโ€™s most unique and one-of-a-kind hangout, drew roughly 8,000 people, and its never-ending stream of special events โ€” like โ€˜70s Night, โ€˜80s Night, movie nights and more โ€” routinely draw more than a thousand patrons at a time to The Grove. 

Comprised of converted shipping containers with an Instagrammable flair, KRATE has a little something for almost everyone. It boasts 29 restaurants with a variety of ethnic offerings, as well as 17 retail stores. The KRATEโ€™s stage features some kind of live entertainment almost every week. Even during the recent winter chill, itโ€™s been (and still is) the hot place to be these days.

โ€ข Saddlebrook Resort โ€” which deserves maybe more credit than anything else for putting Wesley Chapel on the map as far back as the 1980s โ€” was sold in 2022 for $15 million. And, long-time owner Tom Dempsey told us that it was just the first step in an expansion and renovation of the storied golf resort and residential development. Those plans include expanding Saddlebrookโ€™s master-planned unit development (MPUD) by more than 400 acres and converting one of its two Arnold Palmer-designed golf courses and the resortโ€™s driving range into a site that would potentially include commercial/retail, restaurants, apartments, homes and other uses โ€” serving as something of a Saddlebrook town center.

โ€ข If you regularly drive to Wesley Chapel for all the cool stuff, a lot of 2022 traffic improvements should make traveling in the area much more pleasant in 2023.

The diverging diamond interchange (DDI) is now fully open at the S.R. 56 and I-75 interchange and, except for some clean up and road markings. And, the Overpass Rd. interchange at I-75 โ€” between the S.R. 54 and S.R. 52 exits โ€” will be open soon, and the widening of S.R. 54 from east of Curley Rd. to Morris Bridge Rd. should be completed late in 2023.

When you add in the new paving planned for Tampa Palms Blvd., it feels like this year was a win for area commuters.

โ€ข Looking Ahead…In 2023, New Tampa can expect the completion of the Branchton Park improvements and a schedule of events for the New Tampa Performing Arts Center. And, with the ongoing fight over what to do with Pebble Creekโ€™s golf course picking up steam, potential replacements for the Best Buy and Oronzo Honest Italian restaurant in Highwoods Preserve, when Kobe Japanese Steakhouse will open in its new location (see pg. 36) and a surprise or two, New Tampa definitely can expect an eventful 2023.

Meanwhile, Wesley Chapel can look forward to stepped-up growth in Wiregrass Ranch, including the long-awaited town center, and another in downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel and much more.

Kiran Indian Grocery โ€” Treating New Tampa Like Family For 20 Years

Kiranโ€™s son Satvik (left) is a clinical psychiatrist; her younger son Sahit is in medical school.

Kiran Indian Grocery, located on Cross Creek Blvd. in the Cross Creek Center plaza, has been a mainstay at this constantly-changing plaza since 2014. Before that, owner Kiran Vanthenapalli owned a store (from 2003-06; and an Indian restaurant, too) on E. Fowler Ave. and, from 2006-10, her store was in the Pebble Creek Collection on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

That means that some of her beloved customers have known and trusted Kiran and her family and staff to provide their (predominantly) Indian and Pakistani spices, coffees and teas, frozen foods, meats, snacks, sweets and even hair care and other cosmetic products (and so much more) for almost 20 years. 

And of course, Kiran is perhaps best known for her amazing selection of fresh produce, with so many Indian specialty items Iโ€™ve never tasted (or even seen) before at prices that she says she knows, โ€œno one can beat. I do my research โ€” and no one beats my prices on produce.โ€

For example, she can describe the difference between coconuts used for Indian prayers and those that are meant for eating, and of course, stocks both in the store.

But actually, saying that Kiran is best known for her produce isnโ€™t 100-percent accurate. Kiran Indian Grocery is actually best-known for Kiran herself, something that no other store of any kind can boast.

Not only can Kiran tell you where each and every one of her thousands of available items are located, she also can tell you the prices for each โ€” all off the top of her head. Thatโ€™s kind of amazing because she has so many different items and many different brands of the same types of products โ€” e.g., she has as many different โ€œmasalaโ€ seasonings and brands as most grocery stores have beers โ€” crammed into a store that somehow seems both much bigger and much smaller than it actually is because it offers such an amazing variety of products. 

โ€œI canโ€™t do my own inventory on a computer,โ€ Kiran says. โ€œMy computer is right here (pointing to her head).โ€

But, Kiranโ€™s staffers also are knowledgeable. Itโ€™s just pretty much impossible for anyone else to have memorized the prices, sizes and exact location within the store of so many different items โ€” many of which arenโ€™t even marked with prices.

But, if Kiran tells you what the price is on any item, rest assured that when that item is rung up at the check-out counter, the exact price she quoted will pop up.

Also stored in Kiranโ€™s computer brain are the favorite items of every one of her regular customers. She re-orders many items based on when she knows the customers who regularly purchase those items will be back in to buy them.

โ€œI donโ€™t like disappointing anyone,โ€ she says with her usual sweet smile. โ€œIf I am running low on an item you always get, Iโ€™ll hold enough of that item for you,โ€ so you can stay stocked until she gets her next shipment of it. And, โ€œIf I only have three left, and I donโ€™t know how soon Iโ€™ll get more, Iโ€™ll tell you to buy two of them.โ€

And, if Kiran does somehow run out of one of your favorites, sheโ€™ll suggest an alternative that you can try that you might end up liking better. 

A Love Of Animals

Kiran and her husband Sudeer have always also served not only their community, but people โ€” and even animals โ€” in need around the world. 

She has been involved โ€” at least since opening her store in Cross Creek โ€” with the Tampa Bay chapter of the SPCA (the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and she has donated fresh produce, rice and really anything the local chapter has needed because she is such a strong believer that people need pets and that so many of the pets in shelters can and do help individuals and families who need the kind of companionship and love that only a dog or cat can provide.

โ€œI love the SPCA,โ€ Kiran says. โ€œIt feels good to help them because they help so many people…and animals.โ€

When Covid-19 hit back in March 2020 and I started going through issues with my printer, Kiran was probably the first (but thankfully, not the only) advertiser to call me and say, โ€œWhat do you need? How can I help?

She thought I said that I was going out of business. โ€œI started crying,โ€ she said. โ€œI told (her husband) Sudeer, โ€˜We have to help our brother.โ€™โ€

Even though I thankfully never got to that point and have no Indian heritage whatsoever, Kiran has been calling me her brother for years now. And, even though she seems to treat everyone who stops into the store like a member of her family, I refer to her as my sister, too. You just canโ€™t fake her kind of genuine goodness and compassion for others.

โ€œGary, my brother, Iโ€™m so sorry that Iโ€™m out of your favorite chocolate bars right now,โ€ she said to me on my most recent visit. โ€œI also had to order (my wife) Jannahโ€™s favorite tea. Iโ€™ll let you know when all of that comes in.โ€

But, itโ€™s a big compliment to me because Kiran does also have an amazing family of which she is equally proud. Sudeer is a software engineer and their older son Satvik graduated from medical school at USF and is now a clinical psychiatrist, while younger son Sahit currently is in med school and plans to become a psychiatrist as well.

Another case in point about how Kiran treats everyone is that, when people check out at her store, she or her cashier will put coupons from other local businesses in the customersโ€™ shopping bags. She has helped most of the Indian restaurants (as well as the new Gorkhali Kitchen Nepalese restaurant now located next to her store) and other businesses owned by people from India and Pakistan in our area this way and she says that she would be happy to do it for other businesses, too. 

โ€œWeโ€™re all in this together,โ€ she says.

And of course, whether you like or want to cook Indian food or not, if youโ€™re a fan of delicious chocolate cookies or other sweet and/or salty treats, or you want the best prices in town on a most unique selection of fresh produce items, you owe it to yourself to visit my sister Kiran.    

Kiran Indian Grocery is located at 10042 Cross Creek Blvd. and is open Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. For more information, call (813) 994-6202, search โ€œKiran Indian Groceryโ€ on Facebook or see the ad on pg. 34.

New Tampa Dining Survey Results: The Best Latin Restaurants!

Camila Jaramillo (left), Maria Burbano and Melissa Acosta serving up chips and salsa, the popular chicken fajitas and a steak burrito during lunch at Cantina Mexican Grill & Bar.

1. Cantina
10032 Cross Creek Blvd
(813) 406-4856

Owner Yecid Cardenas opened Cantina Mexican Grill & Bar six years ago with the idea of filling what he saw as a hole in New Tampaโ€™s dining options with a fusion of old Mexican cuisine with what he says is โ€œnew eraโ€ Mexican cuisine. After some mixed results when he first opened, Cardenas now has achieved one of his goals:

Cantina is this yearโ€™s top choice with our readers in the Latin category of our annual survey.

Cantina rose to the top of the charts this year with an improved and packed menu, and the consistency also was much improved. Cardenas also says many more people were exposed to the restaurant (which is tucked away behind a Shell station on the corner of Cross Creek Blvd. and Kinnan St.) due to a pandemic-influenced increase in to-go orders, and more customers equaled more votes.

โ€œWe try to do the same thing every day,โ€  he says. โ€œWe want to be consistent. These are โ€˜Grandmaโ€™ flavors here, with new era fusion.โ€

The menu is extensive and varied. One of the stars of the menu is the 12 oz. ribeye served up a handful of different ways โ€” you can get it topped with ranchero chile sauce or chorizo and fries, for example. The carne asada steak is another of the most popular dishes, along with the fajitas, and of course, the tacos and burritos. There are a host a seafood choices available, as well.

A bar with 12 different Mexican beers and, of course, tasty margaritas, complement your meal, which according to our readers, is the best Latin choice around. โ€” JCC 

2. Las Palmas
6431 E County Line Rd #104
(813) 803-3903
LasPalmasLatinGrill.com

Las Palmas has now had two locations in New Tampa โ€” three if you count the food truck it currently is operating out of after a fire late in late 2021 damaged its County Line Rd. store โ€” and it has always remained something of an under-the-radar local favorite, thanks to its award-winning Cuban sandwiches and a variety of delicious Latin-infused pork and chicken dishes.

The roasted pork entrรฉe is a favorite, and you can try the vaca frita, or crispy beef (although โ€œfried cowโ€ is the literal translation) as an entrรฉe or in a taco. And, while owner/chef Ramses Garcia says the menu at the truck is being expanded, the sides โ€” yellow rice, black beans, plantains, etc. โ€” are still the perfect complements to whatever meaty dish you choose, and donโ€™t forget a Tres Leches dessert.โ€”JCC

3. Tijuana Flats
17501 Preserve Walk Ln #103
(813) 975-0483
TijuanaFlats.com

For a large chain, Tijuana Flats has a pretty simple recipe but is regarded for having some pretty good food. The regular burritos and dos tacos (hard or soft shell) are good, the nachos are enough for two and the chicken tinga burritios and tacos have a little extra kick. 

Speaking of a little kick, one of the fun things about Tijuana Flats is the wide variety of different salsas, which are always worth trying out and comparing.

Locals also are raving about Tijuana Flatsโ€™ new wings, available with red chili rub, โ€œbanginโ€™โ€ sauce, chipotle BBQ and smack jalapeรฑo lime varieties.

Although tucked away off Bruce B. Downs Blvd., just north of I-75 in Highwoods Preserve, Tijuana Flats continues to draw a good local crowd, and is always a fun spot to be on Cinco de Mayo. โ€” JCCย 

The rest of the 2021 Latin Favorites with our readers:
(4) Chipotle
(5) Lima
(6) Don Julio
(7) Moeโ€™s
(8) Chiliโ€™s
(9) Cross Creek Deliย 

New Tampa Dining Survey Results: Top 25!

1. Stonewood Grill
17050 Palm Pointe Dr.
(813) 978-0388
Stonewoodgrill.com

Based on the results of our Annual Reader Dining Survey every year since 2011, it doesnโ€™t matter how many new restaurants โ€” chain or otherwise โ€” open in New Tampa, the nearly unbeaten (it โ€œonlyโ€ finished second once, in 2015) champion is Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Tampa Palms.

After winning by a comfortable margin again this year with its third managing partner in as many years, Stonewood has shown that it doesnโ€™t matter whoโ€™s in charge, its combination of delicious American cuisine, great drinks and outstanding service continue to make it top-of-mind with our readers โ€” despite the fact it always has been one of the most expensive eateries located in zip code 33647. 

Stonewoodโ€™s extensive menu includes everything from fresh seafood to great steaks and chops (photo, right), plus big salads, pasta dishes and more, and it likely has become even more popular with our readers since it began opening for lunch (with a smaller, and less pricey, lunch menu, although the dinner menu also is available at lunch time).

Among the favorite starters at Stonewood are the tasty and ever-popular bruschetta (served with a delicious balsamic dressing) and sesame-seed-seared ahi tuna served with wasabi cream and sesame ginger dressing.

Salad lovers definitely go for the Asian chicken salad (with ginger lime-marinated chicken, chilled sesame noodles and sesame ginger dressing) and the Stonewood salad (with blue cheese crumbles, dried cranberries, blackened walnuts and blue cheese vinaigrette).

Handheld favorites include the oak-grilled cheeseburger, two-hand chicken club and the veggie quesadilla.

And, with great steaks like two sizes of filet mignon and prime rib, a unique sweet tea brined pork chop and blackened chicken pasta. Market Fresh Fish options include ever-changing favorites like Chilean sea bass, grouper and the menu options like Atlantic salmon and yellowfin tuna.

Stonewood also has New Tampaโ€™s second favorite bar with our readers this year and a great Sunday brunch with bottomless bubbles and unique menu items like creme brulรฉe French toast, shrimp and grits and crab cake and prime rib Bennies. โ€” GN

2. Mr. Dunderbakโ€™s
14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
(813) 977-4104
Dunderbaks.com

J.B. Ellis bought Mr. Dunderbakโ€™s with the intention of owning a bar, but over the years, he says the place has shifted from being 66% bar and 33% restaurant to 33% bar and 66% restaurant.

Ellis has only himself to blame. A combination of old-time classics (the sandwich board has barely changed in 50 years) to derivations of old family recipes Ellis has tweaked just a little keeps the crowds coming back for seconds. The food (like the Venison sausage platter pictured) must be getting better every year. After a No. 4 finish in 2019, and No. 3 in 2020, Mr. Dunderbakโ€™s inches up another spot in our 2021 Reader Survey., its highest-ever finish.ย 

Mr. Dunderbakโ€™s is an experience. It also boasts this yearโ€™s No. 1 bar with our readers, featuring a seemingly unlimited variety of beer, a gift shop, a deli, and atmosphere that is pure Oktoberfest, with the best German dishes around. Choose from authentic favorites like schnitzel, Spaetzle, Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes) and Sauerbraten, to name a few, and wash it all down with a delicious Hefeweizen. โ€” JCC

3. Liangโ€™s Bistro
17515 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
(813) 978-1225
LiangsBistroTampa.com

Like Stonewood and Mr. Dunderbakโ€™s, Liangโ€™s Bistro is another perennial favorite with our readers.

Although it is more of an Asian fusion restaurant โ€” which also includes Japanese- and Thai-style options โ€” than a classic New York-style Chinese place, Liangโ€™s has been the favorite Chinese or Asian (depending upon which of those options have been offered in the Survey each year) place in New Tampa pretty much every year itโ€™s been open and has never finished lower than sixth Favorite Restaurant overall.

Although I love it for menu items like the crispy pork egg rolls, Liangโ€™s BBQ ribs, sautรฉed string beans (I order them spicy) and sizzling Shanghai steak, our readers always mention Liangโ€™s signature dishes โ€” like General Tsoโ€™s, sesame, orange, pineapple or tropical chicken โ€” as their favorites.

Liangโ€™s also offers lunch specials and currently is the only sit-down Chinese place in New Tampa, where you can enjoy a variety of wines and bottled beers. โ€” GN

4. VIA ITALIA
Outstanding pizzas and pasta, and the charcuterie is a treat.

5. ACROPOLIS
New Tampaโ€™s favorite Mediterranean returns to the top-5.

6. FIRST WATCH
New location, same old results for bougie breakfast fans.

7. CALI
Tampa Palms staple drops after 4 straight years at No. 2.

8. SUSHI CAFE
The best sushi in New Tampa, according to our readers.ย 

9. GLORY DAYS
The place to go for good food, football & beer. Nice patio, too.

10. FRESH KITCHEN
Another newcomer bowls into our Top 10, for good reason.

11. FAT RABBIT
Tampa Palms hangout has all the ingredients of a perfect bar.ย 

T12. KOBE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE
New Tampaโ€™s only teppanyaki tables moves south on BBD

T12. LAS PALMAS
Fabulous pork and Cubans sold from a food truck, for now.

14. BRUNCHERY
Super specials for breakfast & lunch, tasty skillets and more.

T15. CANTINA REAL MEXICAN RESTAURANT
Has built a loyal following on Cross Creek Blvd.

T15. CRACKER BARREL
Still attracting attention & votes despite more competition.

T17. BURGER 21
The last to finish No. 1 ahead of Stonewood, back in 2015.ย 

T17. FRAMMI
Area is flush with delish Italian food, donโ€™t sleep on Frammi.ย 

T19. CAPPYโ€™s
The Chicago- and New York-style pizzas are reader favorites.ย 

T19. RED LOBSTER
In an area lacking seafood, Red Lobster remains popular.

21. PANERA
Fast & healthy breakfast & lunch options. Pastries, too!

T22. CHIPOTLE
Hit or miss, but folks like their big bowls & big burritos.ย 

T22. LITTLE GREEK
Falafel pita, hummus, gyros & Greek salad popular choices.

T24. OLIVE GARDEN
The Garden is always packed & not just for the breadsticks.

T24. CHILIโ€™S
Not a great location, but folks like what they like.

25. MICHI RAMEN
New Tampaโ€™s first ramen place also has great appetizers.

Mahana Fresh To Offer Free Bowls On June 12 โ€” Donโ€™t Miss It!

The fact that restaurants serving a variety of bowls have taken over the collective consciousness (and appetites) of the local community hasnโ€™t been lost on Ryan Mortti, now the co-owner of Mahana Fresh, located just north of I-75 off Doรฑa Michelle Dr. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa.

Ryan, who also owns his own construction company, recognized the need to do more to capture more customers, especially with multiple new bowl-oriented restaurants either having opened recently or getting ready to open within a couple of miles of his Mahana Fresh location โ€” which is one of three in the Bradenton-based mini-chain.

To that end, Ryan has brought in an experienced partner, Chris Courtney-James, who was responsible the last several years for making sure that Dunkinโ€™ Donuts locations that hadnโ€™t been meeting company expectations were brought up to speed. More important, however, is that Chris also spent years in the kitchens of restaurants across the Tampa Bay area and, in his words, โ€œisnโ€™t afraid to spend a lot of time cooking at a hot grill.โ€

In addition, Ryan and Chris have a special offer that they hope will bring in plenty of locals โ€” two hours of free Mahana-sized bowls on Saturday, June 12, from noon-1 p.m. and from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. You can pick a bowl, any bowl โ€” one per person, for dine-in only.

Photographer Charmaine George and I spent some time recently at the local Mahana Fresh and even though both of us already loved the food, we were impressed with the incredible precision with which the bowl-oriented eatery prepared for a large catering order โ€” as well as with the delicious aromas that emanated from those grills while tender steaks and marinated chicken breasts and thighs were cooked over the open flame.

An Amazing Selection!ย 

For those who have never tried Mahana Fresh, you shouldnโ€™t wait until June 12 to check it out. Hereโ€™s how it works. You choose from three sizes โ€” Kids (with 1 base, 1 veggie, 1 protein & your choice of sauce), Mahana (1 base, 2 veggies, 1 protein & sauce) and the Big Mahana (2 bases, 2 veggies, 2 proteins & sauce).

The bases include coconut or cauliflower rice, a basmati rice blend, sesame noodles, spinach or my favorite, the kale crunch salad.

Your proteins include marinated ahi tuna, plus Key West, BBQ or (Jannahโ€™s favorite) teriyaki chicken, plus spicy grilled tofu and tender, grilled-to-order steak (my favorite). 

The incredible veggies (above photo) include roasted mushrooms, roasted sweet potatoes, Buffalo cauliflower, garlicky cilantro green beans and my two favorites, the sesame ginger broccoli and the honey sriracha Brussels sprouts.ย 

Available sauces include coconut sweet potato, creamy wasabi and mine and Jannahโ€™s two favorites, the cilantro vinaigrette and the citrus ginger.

For a small extra charge, add roasted almonds, avocado smash, parmesan cheese, Jannahโ€™s favorite feta cheese and my fave, the Mediterranean tomatoes. 

Honestly, you really canโ€™t go wrong with any of them, but if you have any trouble deciding, Mahana Fresh has now introduced โ€œSignature Bowls,โ€ including everything from a โ€œKeto Surfer Bowlโ€ (cauliflower rice, sesame ginger broccoli, roasted mush-rooms, grilled steak & cilantro vinaigrette) to a โ€œVeggie Vacay Bowlโ€ (coconut rice, sesame ginger broccoli, roasted mushrooms, sesame garlic tofu and coconut sweet potato sauce) and The Big Kahuna Bowl (basmati rice blend, spinach, Buffalo cauliflower, garlicky cilantro green beans, BBQ chicken, grilled steak and cilantro lime vinaigrette). 

And, all of Mahana Freshโ€™s house-made desserts are pretty tasty, especially for gluten-free โ€” and include chocolate chip cookies, zucchini brownies and snickerdoodle cookies. 

As for beverages, Mahana Fresh has done away with its unique beer taps, but still has  fountain sodas, Pure Leaf sweet and unsweet tea, regular and strawberry lemonade, a variety of Bubly flavored sparkling waters and Bai flavored antioxidant infusion drinks.

Mahana Fresh is located at 17512 Doรฑa Michelle Dr. and is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. every day. For more information, call (727) 238-9967 or visit MahanaFresh.com.

Bringing Mini-Golf To The Grove!

As mentioned earlier, Ryan also owns his own construction company and has been busy working on not only completing many of the repurposed shipping containers at the KRATE container park at The Grove, but also on bringing a cool mini-golf course to the area near The Grove theater, with his brother Matt Mortti and his sister Melissa Schachtner and her husband Andrew Schachtner.ย 

โ€œIt wonโ€™t have windmills but it will have a mountain with waterfalls and fire, plus cool trick shots,โ€ Ryan says, adding that the tropical-themed course also will have a tiki hut restaurant that serves beer and wine.