Whether or not you’ve ever entered one of our previous Reader Dining Survey & Contests, I hope you’ll consider entering at least once this year.
Yes, while we still have at least three (there could be more) free dining prizes, from $35 to $100 — to the restaurant of your choice, no less — we’re making it easier than ever before for you to enter.
Instead of a full page or more of different dining categories, all we’re asking you for is to answer one or two questions in every issue between now and Thursday, November 16, and you’ll receive one entry into those random prize drawings for each Survey question you answer.
This issue, we’ll start with one question that asks you for FIVE (5) answers — “Name your Five Favorite Restaurants (of any kind) located in Wesley Chapel or near the Tampa Premium Outlets (aka Lutz).”
For your entry to be valid, you must name five different restaurants. If you only name one or two restaurants or fill in the name of the same restaurant in all five spaces, you’ll only have one or two votes counted and your entry will not be eligible for any of our prizes.
Then, in each of the next five issues, we’ll ask you to name only one or two of your favorites — for example, your Favorite Chinese Restaurant, Coffee Shop or Pizza Place — and we’ll give you one additional entry into our random prize drawings for each valid entry you submit. We feel as though this should stimulate more people to enter the contests, because the task won’t be as daunting as having to completely (or nearly completely) fill out an entire page of favorites.
As always, there’s no purchase necessary to enter or win a prize. All we ask is that you follow the following rules:
1. Enter by filling out the entry form in the issue or by filling the form out online by clicking HERE.Â
2. You can drop your filled-out entry form in the mail (send it to “2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest,” 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544) or even email it to us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. *Note-Entries filled out on our website do not need to be mailed or emailed to us.
3. Please check the address and zip codes of the restaurants you choose, as only votes for restaurants in zip codes 33543, 33544 and 33545 (Wesley Chapel) and zip code 33559 (Lutz, within 1-2 miles of the S.R. 56 exit off I-75) will be counted as “Wesley Chapel” votes. When we ask you next issue for your “Five Favorite Restaurants (of any kind) in New Tampa,” only restaurants located in zip code 33647, or in the Oak Ramble Plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (in zip code 33613) and in or near the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave. (zip code 33559) will be counted as “New Tampa” votes.
4. In order to be eligible to win any of our free dining prizes to the restaurant of your choice, your entry form with a response to at least one of our questions over the next five months must include your name, full mailing address (including your zip code), the community you live in (Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, Seven Oaks, etc.), a daytime phone number where you can be reached and your valid email address.
We look forward to seeing how this year’s contest shakes out. Good luck!
Wesley Chapel definitely had one of its biggest years ever, in terms of restaurant openings, in 2020, so my list this year looks very different than last year. Here are short write-ups about my 25 favorite restaurants (new and existing) in Wesley Chapel for 2020, starting with No. 25 and counting down to No. 11. Tomorrow, we’ll show you the Top 10.
25 — FRATELLI’S PIZZA & CAFE 5327 Village Market (813) 991-1118 Even though I didn’t remember the name of their long-time, open-24-hours-a-day original Fratelli’s in the Hunts Point Market in The Bronx, NY, I am so happy that the Fratelli brothers decided to sell that location and bring their tasty NY-style pizza and pastas to Wesley Chapel. I was even happier when I first sampled the truly authentic penne with broccoli rabe, chicken and sausage shown above. You won’t find better broccoli rabe in the Tampa Bay area and the baked pastas and hot subs also rock! Fratelli’s also features Jannah’s favorite garlicky Grandma’s pizza in Wesley Chapel.
25 — AMICI PIZZA 26602 Wesley Chapel Blvd. (813) 973-9734 For anyone who loves authentic NY-style pizza, the new location of Amici’s on Wesley Chapel Blvd (aka S.R. 54) in Lutz has brought me ever closer to the Mannino brothers and their delicious pizza. But, like 900Âş Woodfired, Amici’s makes my list of Wesley Chapel favorites in part because it features a very authentic NY-style version of another one of my favorite pasta dishes — the linguine with white clams shown above. I can’t really call it a sauce, because it’s correctly more of a light broth, but it is loaded with whole clams and garlic and is a definite must-try! And, although I’ve never been a big fan of the garlic knots at most pizza places, try Amici’s garlic bread with marinara dip. Yum!
24 — RICE-N-BEANS 27405 Wesley Chapel Blvd. (813) 803-7974 Although I never really thought of Puerto Rican food as one of my favorite Latin cuisines until I tried the original location of Rice-n-Beans on S.R. 54 in Lutz, the beautiful new location (in the former Cody’s Roadhouse building) has kept me a fan of Wesley Chapel’s Rice-n-Beans, especially the amazing fried chicken chicharrons shown above. I’m also a fan of the roast pork mofongo, the grilled pork chops and chicken breast in garlic sauce. And yes, the rice and (I prefer the red) beans served with every meal are also delicious and authentic. Rice-n-Beans also has great drink prices at its spacious, full-liquor bar and had added salsa dancing and other entertainment pre-pandemic.
23 — THE GARDEN GRILLE at the Hilton Garden Inn 26640 Silver Maple Pkwy. (813) 591-6900 Please stop me if you’ve heard me say this before, but when the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel first opened in late 2018, it hosted a Grand Opening event, where the food served in the hotel’s Garden Grille restaurant was so good, I thought it must’ve come from an outside caterer. Wrong! The food at the Garden Grille is excellent, from delicious crispy wings, to tasty meatballs, perfect Pan Asian ribs and even a great New York strip steak (photo). I wish the Garden Grille was open for lunch, but it’s also great for “event” food like a unique French toast casserole for brunch and more. The bar is never crowded and has great drink prices.Â
22 — LITTLE ITALY’S 24436 S.R. 54, Lutz (813) 909-2122 Owners Jessica and Carl Meyers’ seemingly hard-to-find location on S.R. 54, a mile or so west of the Tampa Premium Outlets, has been bringing in hungry fans from the moment it opened and the addition of beer, wine and homemade sangria definitely hasn’t hurt business, either. Although I’ve always said that the menu could be more diverse, if you’re looking for huge portions of lasagne, chicken or veal parmigiana (photo, usually offered as a special only)  and, especially the calzones, this is your place. I can’t partake of the “lobsta” ravioli, but I’ve seen and heard many rave about it.
20 — GLORY DAYS GRILL 28812 S.R. 54 (813) 535-7678 I’ve said before that when Glory Days Grill first opened in New Tampa a few years ago, replacing the popular Lee Roy Selmon’s, I wasn’t a big fan. However, when Jannah and I first tried the new Glory Days on S.R. 54, less than a mile from my office, we immediately recognized that the menu had been greatly upgraded. Even though they did away with our favorite appetizer (zucchini fries), the burgers (try the proprietary blend) are excellent and I also enjoy the comeback chicken (with sundried tomatoes and feta cheese in lemon-butter sauce), fried chicken & waffles, the Boston clam “chowda,” the 1988 center-cut sirloin and the house-marinated pork chops shown above. Â
18 — TOP SHELF SPORTS LOUNGE at AdventHealth Center Ice 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd. (813) 953-1032 Based on my experience at other ice rinks when both of my sons played ice hockey, I had no real expectations for good food when what is now called AdventHealth Center Ice first opened. Boy, was I wrong. Not only does Top Shelf have some of the best wings, burgers (photo) and bar food around, it also serves delicious mixed veggies as a side and the craft beers from owner Keelan Cottle’s own 81Bay Brewing are definitely popular with the hockey moms and dads. Top Shelf also is mine and Jannah’s favorite place to watch Lightning games.
17 — THE HUNGRY GREEK 2653 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 345-8526 Now that there are so many new restaurants in Wesley Chapel, it’s easy to forget about The Hungry Greek, but not if you enjoy great Greek specialties (as I do) in a fast-casual environment that never disappoints for quality, service or price. I’ve yet to try the recent addition of Greek bowls (with brown rice, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, feta, olives, pepperoncini and tzatziki sauce, with your choice of chicken, gyro meat, shrimp, falafel or salmon), but the spanakopita and the gyro dinner shown above (I get it without the onions) are always great, especially with a Mythos or other Greek beer.
16 — BONEFISH GRILL 25264 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz (813) 907-8202 When you’re looking for the best seared tuna sashimi appetizer (photo) in Wesley Chapel, there’s no doubt in my mind that the recently relocated Bonefish Grill is still near the top of the list. The thick slices are always fresh, always well-seared but still rare and covered in black and white sesame seeds. Bonefish also features excellent fresh fish, but not as good for my money as Grillsmith’s. The Outback-quality steaks are an added bonus. I can’t eat the bang-bang shrimp because of my accursed shellfish allergy (but they will make it as bang-bang chicken for folks like me) and it’s still among the best you’ll find anywhere. Love the new bar area, too!
15 — UMU JAPANESE & THAI 2653 Bruce B Downs Blvd. (813) 591-6121 Many locals rave about the sushi at Umu Japanese & Thai and you can count me among them, but when you take a deeper dive into the menu (as I finally have), you find out that there’s even more to love than the huge selection of sushi rolls and the best variety of white meat fish nigiri (on rice) and sashimi in our area. I have enjoyed the crispy soy-marinated Kara-Age chicken appetizer (from Umu’s “Hot Tasting” starters menu), the deep-fried chicken and pork (Umu-ton) katsu, the “Wafu-style” Japanese NY strip steak and especially, the miso-marinated Chilean sea bass shown here.Â
13 — PASTA DI GUY 4839 Bruce B Downs Blvd (813) 994-1294 Owner/chef Guy Carmeli continues to add items to his still-smallish menu, but it’s hard to argue with the quality served up at the 2020 addition to our local dining scene. Our favorites at Pasta di Guy (see ad on pg. 42) are the made-from-scratch strozzapreti and spaghetti pastas, topped with any of the six different freshly made sauces (Alfredo, beef Bolognese, marinara, creamy pesto, vodka or aglio e olio (garlic and oil), and what may be the best house-cut zucchini noodles (above) in our area. Yes, it costs extra to add grilled chicken, house-made Italian sausage and veggies like broccoli and cauliflower, but it’s worth it. And, the recent addition of design-your-own, house-made pizzas is a step in the right direction, too.
11 — OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE 5710 Oakley Blvd. (813) 973-7717 The steak quality at the Outback Steakhouse has never been in question. The Victoria’s filet is very similar in quality and price to Longhorn’s Flo’s filet and the bone-in New York strip shown here is, as the menu claims, full of flavor. In addition to the great variety of steaks, Outback also is famous for its shrimp on the barbie and bloomin’ onion appetizers, Alice Springs chicken and surf & turf options that I sadly can’t enjoy, but rewards members (like me!) get $20 off at Outback or Bonefish or $40 off at Fleming’s every third visit. Jannah and I still won’t wait for a table, but whether we sit at the bar or use the easy takeout system, we’re rarely disappointed.
The months of Oct. & Nov. will be among the busiest times yet for new restaurants in the Wesley Chapel area.
Here are some of the highlights:
Florida Avenue Brewing Co. (2029 Arrowgrass Dr.) — With its opening as we went to press, I think our readers will be really excited about Florida Ave., which has a great menu and lots of room for social distancing (even at the spacious indoor and outdoor bars), in the former location of Sports + Field off S.R. 56.
Florida Ave., which has its original location in Seminole Heights, isn’t yet brewing its awesome variety of microbrews at its new location — its original Florida Ave. location will still provide the beer — but it has a full-liquor bar, video games for the kids and delicious, food items, including both standard bar fare and unique options like the Chinese-style sticky ribs shown above (photo by Charmaine George), bibimbap bowls, crispy cauliflower tacos and many more. Please tell the Derby family I sent you!
Rock & Brews (26000 S.R. 56, Lutz) — Our Rock & Brews will be the 18th link in this chain of rock-themed restaurants owned in part (and inspired) by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the rock band Kiss. In order to preview Rock & Brews in this issue,
I visited the aptly-named “Kiss”-immee location, and I definitely came away impressed with the look of the place (with images of rock icons from Kiss to Prince and from Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen adorning the walls) to the food, including the blackened redfish shown above (which comes with a Louisiana-style crawfish cream sauce that I couldn’t eat because of my shellfish allergy) to a semi-spicy bruschetta. Rock & Brews (visit RockandBrews.com) should open by mid-October.
Bonefish Grill (Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz) — Although Wesley Chapel has had a Bonefish Grill for years, that location on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. is expected to close when the new Bonefish opens next to Aussie Grill — which could be in October as well. Although we weren’t able to get an opening date from parent company Bloomin’ Brands, there is a “Now Hiring” sign at the new location.
Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill & Crumbl Cookies (25916 & 25922 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz) — Of these two new options, located in the same building as the Woof Gang Bakery and the new Charles Schwab office (east of Bahama Breeze on the north side of S.R. 56), Zukku-San looks closer to opening, although both places have “Now Hiring” signs out in front. The guess here is that neither will open much before the end of October. For more info, visit ZukkuSushi.com or CrumblCookies.com.
Moschella’s Italian Eatery & Market (5648 Post Oak Blvd.) — Owner Billy Moschella says Moschella’s should be open by the end of October and will feature a deli, pizza, fresh pastas, a butcher shop, hot prepared foods and much more. He’s also hiring cooks, pizza makers, deli workers and cashiers. To apply or for more info, visit Moschellas.com.
Chuck Lager America’s Tavern (2001 Piazza Ave., Suite 175) — So, according to the restaurant’s website, Chuck Lager is a worldwide archeological adventurer who decided to venture into opening made-from-scratch restaurants that exemplify his love of great cuisine. Lager met “Top Chef” fan favorite Fabio Viviani in Viviani’s grandmother’s Italian kitchen and a concept was born.
With locations in Pike Creek, DE, and Barrington, NJ, the Lager team came to “The Chap” to take over the never-good-enough former Primebar location at the Shops at Wiregrass. It doesn’t look like it will make it to an October opening, but hopefully, we’ll see this tomato bacon grilled cheese with tomato bisque (above), homemade meatballs and chicken parm sooner than later. (Visit ChuckLager.com.)
With the novel coronavirus pandemic cutting a swath of destruction through virtually every country on Earth, what was once the fear of the complete unknown has been replaced by the fear of not knowing how long we’re all going to have to deal with it.
Publisher Gary Nager
And of course, the virus itself is scary, because it’s been affecting and killing more than just the elderly and the immune-compromised. Its level of contagiousness seems to be far beyond any flu during my lifetime, including the swine flu that was labeled a pandemic back in 2009 or so, even though that virus never shut down life as we know it here the way Covid-19 has already.
One of the things that has this editor additionally concerned about its effects here in the Sunshine State was that the Pinellas County beaches were allowed to remain open by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (who I voted for) — despite warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump and his Coronavirus Task Force (headed by VP Mike Pence), the World Health Organization and other experts across the globe saying that there should be no gatherings larger than ten people, at least until the virus leveled out.
It was hard to blame Pinellas County officials for not wanting to close the beaches at the height of the all-important Spring Break season, but how many more new cases of the virus could we have prevented going forward by closing them as soon as the social distancing recommendations for gatherings got below even 1,000 people a week or so before those Pinellas officials finally decided to take action? What effect will those potential additional cases have on our economy’s long-term attempts to crawl out from under this rock?
No one loves St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Madeira and the other area beaches more than Jannah and I do. We try to stay there as many nights as we can because they’re 1) an hour or less away (and have much easier access than Clearwater Beach), 2) they’re beautiful, 3) have great restaurants and nightlife and 4) we can’t afford the time off work or the expense of going away for more than a few days at a time. Why go anywhere else?
The only time we didn’t consider heading that way was once this virus started to affect people here, especially once we saw — every day — how devastating the effects have been on China, Italy and other countries that didn’t act quickly enough to curtail the kind of casual contact with others we all usually take for granted.
This is particularly upsetting for the foodie in me — seeing our local restaurants closing at least to dine-in customers or altogether — and not knowing which ones won’t be able to return, even after the spectre of Covid-19 isn’t as terrifying. I know it was unfortunate timing that we finally released my “Gary’s Faves” the week after this thing really hit us here, but most of the eateries listed were at least still doing the takeout and/or delivery-only thing at our press time. Please call the restaurants to see what they’re doing and please support them if they are still open.
And Finally…Help Us Help You!
Obviously, restaurants aren’t the only ones hurting right now and, as a local business that makes most of its money from hyperlocal businesses, there’s no doubt we’re already feeling the pinch of this pandemic, too — and have no idea yet how much worse it’s going to get.
But, after 26 years of serving only the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel communities, I have had to respond to many problems beyond my control in years past, but never anything that has me as concerned as this does right now.
My promise to the 70+ businesses that still saw fit to place an ad in our latest New Tampa issue — and the similar number of businesses that advertise in our Wesley Chapel editions — is that we are going to try to do as much as we can to continue to support you not only in print, but on our Facebook page, our website and our YouTube channel — at no additional charge, of course.
If you already are or see fit to become a Neighborhood News advertiser at this grim hour, anytime your hours change, or you have a special offer to help keep your business as solvent as possible, and anytime you make a Facebook post or send out an email explaining what you are doing (even if it changes more than once), we will share it on our website and social media. We want…no, make that we need…to try to help you make it through this crisis and yes, we still need the business, too.
Email me at ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com or call our office at (813) 910-2575 for more information.
Stay safe and stay healthy, both physically and fiscally. Godspeed! Â
