Calling All Foodies! It’s Time For the 2022 Reader Survey!

For you oldtimers out there, it doesn’t seem that long ago that the debate over who had the best food in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel came down to the ABC Pizza on S.R. 54 and the gas station in front of Pebble Creek (Spoiler alert: It was the ABC Pizza).

Now, the choices for good food in both of our distribution areas are seemingly endless. CLICK HERE FOR THIS YEAR’S FOOD SURVEY.

In fact, in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa alone, there are close to 200 restaurants, and pretty much everything is covered, except for maybe Vietnamese, although a quality full-on Vietnamese restaurant is going to be opening soon just south of County Line Rd. (scoop alert!).

Otherwise, if you have a hankering for something, there are multiple places to satisfy your cravings.

But, to determine what the best places are (or, at least, your favorite places), we need your help. Any Reader Survey is only as good as, well, its readers. So whattya say? Take a few seconds and fill this out.

There may be a few more categories this year than usual, but we think we’ve actually made it simpler for you — just type in your favorite choices, although we do ask that your rank your favorite three restaurants in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel overall. Of course, if you see this in your copy of the Neighborhood News, and throw it in an envelope and mail it to us.

Heck, if you prefer writing it out, you can take a picture of your ballot once you fill it in and even email it to john@ntneighborhoodnews.com.

We even have prizes for a few of the lucky ones that do!

We — and the local eateries — do truly appreciate your participation. 

So, what’s different this year? 

Well, we’ve added a “Best Dish” category, because sometimes, that’s the reason you’re going to a certain restaurant. Maybe the place isn’t your favorite overall, but the spaghetti and meatballs are simply to die for. Some restaurants just do one thing better than anyone else, so fill us in!

We’ve also added a “Favorite Appetizer” category because it can make or break a dining experience. These days, mozzarella sticks and loaded potato skins simply aren’t enough. Restaurants are really putting some serious effort into their pre-meal offerings. And really, who hasn’t ordered nothing more than an appetizer (or two) as their meal?

We’ve also added a Covid-19-inspired category — “Best Coffee Shop,” because a lot of us work out of a coffee shop these days.

We’ve also added “Best KRATE at The Grove,” because, well, duh! While you can certainly vote for any of the container restaurants in any other category, we decided that the container park really needed its own category. Plus, we’re curious to see how this one will turn out.

We decided to split the dessert categories into “Best Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt (FroYo)/Gelato” and “Best Bakery” sweets, and added a “Best Fried Chicken/Wings” category, given “Best Indian Food” and “Best Latin (Other Than Mexican)” their own categories for the first time, added “Best Breakfast/Brunch” and brought back the “Best Burger” category.

And, with the exception of the KRATEs, any of your favorites can be in New Tampa (zip code 33647, as well as in the Palms Connection plaza on E. Bearss Ave. in 33613) or Wesley Chapel (zip codes 33543, 33544 and 33545, as well as 33559, which is technically Lutz, but it allows you to include picks near the Tampa Premium Outlets, since so many locals love so many of those places to eat). 

We think we have everything covered this time around. While it might be a little more work for you than when we gave you the names of pretty much every restaurant in our distribution areas, our goal was to present enough choices so that this year’s Reader’s Survey would present the most complete and accurate snapshot of your views of the dining experience in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa. 

Now, it’s your turn. Thanks in advance for entering, which, one more time, you can do by CLICKING HERE. — JCC & GN

New Tampa’s Favorite Pizza!

Cappy’s Chicago-style pizza.

Based on results of our annual Reader’s Survey:

1. CAPPY’S PIZZERIA
There is no doubt that Harold Hasselback, the owner of one of the five individually-owned Cappy’s Pizzerias in the Tampa Bay area, has never lost sight of what his City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center location does best.

While some restaurants try to be all things to all people, Cappy’s menu consists mainly of pizza, calzones, salads (like the awesome Greek salad) and beer.

The pizza, which I have described in years past as “thin crust, but not New York-style” and “deep-dish, but not authentic Chicago-style,” has been among our readers’ favorites since Cappy’s first opened in Tampa Palms almost a decade ago, but had never won the title of “Favorite Pizza in New Tampa” — until now.

It’s a credit to Hasselback and his laser focus on what Cappy’s does best — delicious food at great prices — that this long-time favorite (which first opened in South Tampa) has ascended to the top of our readers’ Favorite Pizza list.

But, it’s not a big surprise. The formula of fantastic food (and beer) in a fun, funky, family atmosphere is a proven formula for success — and now, a Neighborhood News Reader Award! — GN 

2. Taste of New York Pizzeria
Taste of New York Pizzeria has been a favorite of yours truly and our readers in New Tampa since it opened, but this true NY-style pizza place has never finished as high in our annual Reader Survey as it has this year. It’s always, in my opinion, had the best NY-style crust and obviously, many of you agree.

3. Marco’s Pizza
Marco’s Pizza is probably the best of the national pizza chains for my money, even though, like Cappy’s, you can’t call it true NY-style pizza. Also like Cappy’s, quality ingredients is the obvious key as to why so many locals love Marco’s, and with new locations still popping up everywhere, our readers aren’t alone. 

4. Full Circle Pizza
Full Circle Pizza has grown in popularity with our readers since new owners Julia and Freddy Nova took over last year, and for good reason. Not only does Full Circle feature authentic Chicago-style thin-crust and deep-dish pizza, it also has delicious Italian specialties like chicken parm and tasty pastas. 

5. Precinct Pizza
Precinct Pizza has only been open at the eastern end of Cross Creek Blvd. for a couple of years, but despite that somewhat remote location, owner Rick Drury has continued to build his following as a NY-style pizza place that also has great hero sandwiches, calzones, rolls, burgers and pastas.

6. Papa John’s
7. Capri Pizza-n-More
8. Westshore Pizza
9. Pizza Hut
10. Domino’s