Nibbles and Bytes!

Orchid Thai Is Now Palm Thai!

If you love great Thai food like I do, check out my new friends Tammy (a Tampa General Hospital Registered Nurse) and her husband Michael (an engineer) at the new Palm Thai, which opened recently in the space previously occupied by Orchid Thai in the same Shoppes at The Pointe plaza as Ciccio Cali and Koizi in Tampa Palms.

Palm Thai’s lunch is one of the best deals in town, as my pork with garlic and black pepper sauce (above, left) came with a delicious spring roll, chicken soup and salad, for less than $10! Palm Thai wasn’t open in time for my 2017 “Gary’s Favorites,” but if its crispy duck measures up, it surely will make my list next year!

For more info about Palm Thai (17022 Palm Pointe Dr.), call (813) 252-3534, visit PalmThaiTampa.com, or see the ad & 10%-off coupon on pg. 40 of our latest New Tampa issue!

Oakley’s Grille Sold!

Those of us who have loved the hamburgers and sandwiches at Oakley’s Grille — located at 17631 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (next to Supercuts) — since it opened in 2011 — will be happy to learn that even though owner Keith Oakley recently sold his popular burger-and-sandwich restaurant, everything about the place is expected to remain the same under its new ownership, at least for the foreseeable future.

Oakley’s Grille, which has received first place burger and/or sandwich honors from yours truly every year since it opened, was purchased by first-time restaurateurs Heather Woodall and Ladesha Stoudemire, who are excited about their new venture.

“We heard Oakley’s was for sale through a business broker, who took us there for lunch,” Heather says. “And, we just loved the quality of the food, the way the staff knew and treated the customers and the entire operation. It was a no-brainer for us.”

Heather and Ladesha agree that while they might try to add menu items in the future — by customer demand — they promise the same amazing burgers (above, center), fries and sandwiches done the same way by the same people.

For more info about Oakley’s Grille (17631 BBD), call (813) 523-5075 or visit OakleysGrille.com.

And, if you mention this write-up when you order, you can buy one ribeye or chicken Philly sandwich with fries and a beverage and receive a second Philly sandwich of equal or lesser value FREE with the purchase of fries and a beverage. And, please tell Heather, Ladesha and their crew that the Neighborhood News sent you.

Prost Kitchen & Bar Opens

In another one of those locations that has seen a progression of restaurants come and go, the German-inspired Prost Kitchen & Bar has opened  in the space most recently occupied by Big Papa’s Pit in the Palms Connection plaza at 2802 E. Bearss Ave., just west of BBD.

The space was first home to Garofalo’s Pizza more than two decades ago and also has been a Beef O’Brady’s and one or two other places I can’t remember.

Prost, with its 20 craft beers on tap and full-liquor bar, already has been packed for Sunday brunch, but I really enjoyed not only the super-crispy, but moist inside Jagerschnitzel pictured above, but also the candied broccolini flambĂŠ and homemade spaetzle it was served with on my first visit.

For more info, visit ProstKitchen.com or call (813) 466-5249 and please tell owner Cody Jay of Jay Hospitality Group and his staff that we sent you!

Top Shelf’s Grand Opening

So, it’s never easy opening a new business, much less a restaurant, but I’m excited to say that the Top Shelf Sports Lounge at Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI) has (finally!) now been for a few weeks and has celebrated with a North Tampa Bay (formerly the Greater Wesley Chapel; see pg. 3) Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 2.

The 2,500-sq.-ft. restaurant, which overlooks three of the five ice surfaces at FHCI, serves a nice variety of burgers, wings, wrap sandwiches, salads and entrĂŠes like beef brisket and potato poutine skillets (a Canadian delicacy).

Best of all, Top Shelf will be participating in this year’s Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel at FHCI on Sunday, March 25, noon-4 p.m. (see pg. 3), after not being able to get open in time for last year’s event.

Co-owner Keenan Cottle, who will be serving beer from his 81Bay Brewing Co. in South Tampa at the Taste, thanked FHCI owners Gordie Zimmermann and George Mitchell of ZMitch, LLC, for opening “this amazing rink” during the ribbon-cutting.

Top Shelf co-owner Joe Boyd said that the partners are excited to be part of the Wesley Chapel area and are looking forward to more great events at Top Shelf.

The Top Shelf Sports Lounge is located on the second floor of FHCI (3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd.). For more info, stop in or call (813) 953-1032 or visit TopShelfTampa.com.

Nibbles & Bytes

Casa Ramos Closes

Those of us who have been in New Tampa for the last 20 or more years recognize that certain restaurant locations just can’t seem to find a successful concept to stick around long-term. And, while Kobe Steakhouse seems to have finally stabilized the freestanding space in front of the Pebble Creek Collection that first opened as Harris & Co., there’s little doubt that the space first occupied by Good Fellas in the plaza now known as the Shoppes of Amberly still has not found a long-term winner.

Since Good Fellas, the space has been Crabby Bill’s, a New Tampa Oyster House and Sushi Tsu Japanese Steakhouse, all of which had some success but didn’t stick around as long as some of us had hoped (especially Sushi Tsu), but now, the most recent eatery at 15363 Amberly Dr. — Casa Ramos Mexican Restaurant — which opened in 2013, also has gone the way of the dinosaur.

The family-run chain of more than 20 upscale Casa Ramos and Azteca restaurants at one time had 40 locations in Oregon, Washington state and Orlando, although we were not able to get in touch with anyone about why Casa Ramos closed sometime around the first week in January.

Mellow Mushroom Opens On SR 56

Even though I’ve never been the biggest chain restaurant fan, I am really enjoying the new Mellow Mushroom that opened last month as the anchor tenant of a new plaza on S.R. 56, across from the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO).

Only open a few days at our press time — Aspen Dental, T-Mobile and Mattress 1 all opened a week or two earlier (with Men’s Wearhouse, Great Clips and Noire Nail Bar all set to open shortly) — Mellow Mushroom (25662 Sierra Center Blvd.) already is attracting crowds with its thin- and crisp original (thicker) crust pizzas, delicious meatballs, salads, oven-baked wings and the most spacious bar area near TPO this side of Ford’s Garage.

For more info, stop in, call Mellow Mushroom at (813) 948-7337 or visit MellowMushroom.com.

Congrats Go Out To…

The Dimmitt Automotive Group and its new Audi Wesley Chapel dealership on S.R. 56 in the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI) on S.R. 56 (at 2500 Lajuana Blvd.).

The Dimmitt family hosted an awesome VIP event on Jan. 18 which included the dignitaries shown to the right: (l.-r.) Pete Hamilton, the southern region president of Audi of America, Dimmitt Auto co-president Peter Dimmitt, Cian O’Brian, the executive VP and COO of Audi of America and Audi Wesley Chapel GM Allen Majewski. Not pictured is Dimmitt CEO Scott Larguier, who hosted the event.

For more info about Audi Wesley Chapel, visit AudiWesleyChapel.com or call (813) 607-3100.

We also congratulate the expanding Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCC) for its move to its new office at 1868 Highland Oaks Blvd, Suite A-1, in Lutz (not a misprint!).

For membership and upcoming event info, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com or call (813) 994-8534. — GN

Nibbles and Bytes: Woof!

Pet Paradise Is A Great Reason To Get A Dog!

I’m currently between dogs in my life, but after attending both the VIP pre-opening and the Grand Opening and Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) ribbon cutting of the new Pet Paradise Wesley Chapel, located off S.R. 56 behind the Gate gas station, I’m almost tempted to go out and get me a new puppy, just so I can watch him or her play at the coolest pet resort ever.

For those who wonder if their dog or cat will be comfortable at a “resort” with indoor-outdoor “condos,” a dog bone-shaped pool, 24-7 video monitoring and lots of other dogs (and yes, cats, too), all I can tell you is that, while I’ve never owned a cat, I’ve yet to see a dog unhappy, sitting off by itself or not engaging in the seemingly-all-day, all-out play sessions with other dogs of all breeds and sizes at this amazing new boarding and doggie daycare facility. I mean, I haven’t seen even one snarl or “warning snap,” even from multiple “alpha” dogs.

When I’ve had dogs, boarding them did sometimes make me a little anxious, but Pet Paradise WC manager Zandra Straple, who has a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Animal Science from the University of Florida in Gainesville, and her awesome staff definitely have a winner on their hands here in “The Chap.”

And more great news, my friends at Seven Oaks Pet Hospital, located less than a half-mile from Pet Paradise on 56, provide on-call veterinarian services for the resort.

Don’t forget to mention to Zandra and assistant manager Brianna Bermudez that you read about Pet Paradise in the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News! Pet Paradise is located at 2270 Cypress Ridge Blvd.

For more info, visit PetParadiseResort.com or call (813) 778-0337.

The Drs. Ambay Open Their Transformations Center!

Congratulations to Dr. Aparna Ambay of 360 Dermatology and her husband, Dr. Raj Ambay of Ambay Plastic Surgery, on the opening on Oct. 19 of their amazing, new Transformation Aesthetics & Surgery Center (located a 1/4-mile north on Cypress Ridge Blvd. in Wesley Chapel from Pet Paradise).

The state-of-the-art, free-standing building offers not only the dermatology and skin care services of 360 Dermatology, but also the cosmetic plastic surgery of Ambay Plastic Surgery. Best of all, Dr. Raj can perform his plastic surgery magic and Dr. Aparna (both have been named among “America’s Top Doctors” by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.) can do skin cancer surgeries in the Transformations Aesthetics Center’s on-site surgery center.

The opening and WCCC ribbon cutting on Oct. 19 attracted hundreds of locals, including several other local health care professionals, as well as WCCC members and many of the current and former patients of these Top Docs.

Dr. Raj, who has served as a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army and Special Operations (Green Beret) in both Afghanistan and Iraq, also is trained in trauma surgery, oral surgery and dentistry. During the Grand Opening event, you could see the joy on his face and hear it in his voice as he called the ribbon-cutting at this unique medical and aesthetic facility, “the fulfillment of a long-time dream.”

For info about the Transformations Center (2441 Oak Myrtle Ln.), visit TampaBayTransformations.com, call (813) 563-1144 or see the ad on pg. 15.

True Inspiration!

A $2.8-million dollar women’s health center, called “Inspiration Place,” opened in the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Wellness Plaza on Oct. 23, offering comprehensive care for women at every stage of life.

The next day, FHWC hosted a VIP event attended by hundreds of locals at Inspiration Place. The hospital’s president & CEO Denyse Bales-Chubb (photo below) was excited to unveil this unique, 12,000-sq.-ft. center created, she said, “To do something truly special for the women of Wesley Chapel.”

Services available for women at the beautiful new Inspiration Place include gynecology, obstetrics and prenatal care, along with primary medical care and wellness services and more.

Inspiration Place also includes a spa, for services such as massages and skin care treatments. There’s even a coffee bar.

All I can tell you is that I heard lots of “oohs” and “aahs” during the VIP event tours of Inspiration Place, and quite a few women who were booking appointments.

Appointments can be booked now at FHInspirationPlace.org. — GN

Nibbles and Bytes: WC Rotary’s Casino Night Raises $18,000!

Congratulations to my friends from the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (noon), which meets Wednesdays at noon at Lexington Oaks Golf Club, for putting on a smash hit “Casino Night” fund raiser to help the family of Clayton Mahler with their medical bills.

The Rotary Cub was prompted to action by Pasco’s Clerk & Comptroller Dr. Paula O’Neil, who knows the family personally and was the emcee for the event, which was held August 25 — the same day Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas — at Wesley Chapel Nissan on S.R. 54. The dealership took all of the vehicles out of its showroom and replaced them with gaming tables for the event.

Dr. O’Neil, a breast cancer survivor herself, talked to her friend and Wesley Chapel (WC) Nissan public relations rep Troy Stevenson about doing something to help.

Stevenson got the approval of the dealership’s general manager Joey Falcon to host the Casino Night, which was attended by more than 300 people and which raised about $18,000, according to event chair and club Board member Chris Casella.

Clayton was diagnosed with Stage 3 rhabdomyosarcoma after a July 4th visit to the emergency room for a growth in his nose that was obstructing his airway. He is receiving 42 weeks of chemotherapy, followed by radiation, after 95 percent of the mass was removed.

The Mahlers’ medical bills are piling up and you could feel the love and appreciation flowing in every direction during Casino Night, which was attended by a Who’s Who of local politicos, including Congressman Gus Bilirakis, State Representatives Danny Burgess and Amber Mariano and four of the five members of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, as well as by numerous Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce members, many of whom served as volunteers.

The food was donated by Latin Twist CafĂŠ on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., although Chick-fil-A on BBD in New Tampa donated the food for the second floor VIP room, where Clayton and his family spent most of the evening. Wine was donated by our friends Charles and Cheryl Visalli of Time for Wine and the delicious Taino Light and Boricua beer was donated by WC Nissan owner Jay Rosario, who also is an owner of the beer company, which is based in Altamonte Springs.

“We’re proud to be able to help this wonderful family,” Casella said. “We really want to thank Dr. O’Neil, the family and especially Wesley Chapel Nissan for hosting us.”

Unfortunately, the club’s planned Sept. 11 American flag giveaway and breakfast for local first responders had to be scrapped because of Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in Florida on Sept 10. The club has since rescheduled the flag giveaway at both the Shops at Wiregrass and Tampa Premium Outlets malls for this weekend — Saturday-Sunday, September 23-24, noon-4 p.m., at both locations.

For more information, visit WCRotary.com or attend one of the club’s meetings at Lexington Oaks Golf Club.

Starbucks, Chick-fil-A & CubeSmart Getting Closer

If it’s been a while since you ventured out on S.R. 54 east of I-75, you may not have noticed all the progress that’s been made on both the new Starbucks, located just east of the new Walmart on 54 or the new CubeSmart self-storage facility located just west of the intersection of 54 and Curley Rd.

Prior to Hurricane Irma, we also saw some progress on the planned Chick-fil-A that is just beginning construction on 54, just west of the Walgreens at BBD.

We will have updates on all three businesses in a future issue.

Sorry that we didn’t have room for a list of WCCC events in this issue, but there are always great events — many of which are free — available for current and future Chamber members to attend and this month is no different.

For all the latest events, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com. — GN

Nibbles and Bytes!

Chamber Ribbon Cuttings

I’m so glad that our outstanding new sales and marketing rep Tom Damico (email him at Tom@NTNeighborhoodNews.com) is now going to many of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) ribbon cuttings these days because, quite honestly, I just can’t go to as many of them as I once did (which was pretty much all of them).

The Chamber, fresh off its second acquisition of/merger with another Chamber (the Greater Pasco Chamber, as we reported in our last issue), continues to cut ribbons all over New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. Among the recent free events either myself or Tom attended were:

• July 12 for Mosquito Hunters

• July 15 at The Goddard School for Early Childhood Development of Wesley Chapel

• July 20 at The Learning Experience of New Tampa

• July 27, VIP Travel

• Aug. 2 at Cry-X

• Aug. 5 at KidsPark of Tampa, celebrating its one-year anniversary

 

For more info (including all start times for its events), call (813) 994-8534 or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com. — GN

Have You Tried Fat Rabbit & Precinct Pizza?

Although S.R. 56 and the Shops at Wiregrass get the most attention, the New Tampa area has had two pretty good restaurants open since our last issue reached you. The Fat Rabbit Pub, located near Vallarta’s & Cappy’s Pizza in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center, has a great menu with outstanding blackened wings, great burgers and a premium liquor bar with great drink prices and a more upscale atmosphere than you might expect. 

For info, stop in or visit FatRabbitPub.com.

• I also really like the new Precinct Pizza, located in the space formerly occupied by Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill on Cross Creek Blvd. at Morris Bridge Rd.

Featuring a huge menu of Italian favorites, in addition to very good NY-style ‘za and décor, owner Rick Drury and his family are proud to bring the 2nd location of this Channelside favorite to New Tampa.

Visit PrecinctPizza.com.— GN