We continue to shine our spotlight on the local businesses who host North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) ribbon-cutting events — as a no-cost add-on to their Chamber memberships — and this issue is no different. We really hope you’ll tell these businesses that you first read about them in the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News!
Pinellas Vascular’s Tampa Office
On April 16, Board-certified vascular surgeon Avianne Bunnell, MD (at right in photo below, with NTBC president/CEO Hope Kennedy), and her staff at their new location (at 3450 E. Fletcher Ave., Ste. 330, Tampa) of Pinellas Vascular, hosted a great party for their Grand Opening, with food, a wine tasting and tours of the new office.
According to its website, Pinellas Vascular, “provides the most advanced, low-risk treatments available anywhere to help improve your quality of life.” At the ribbon cutting, Dr. Bunnell said, “We are now serving patients with vascular and arterial diseases, diabetic patients…and we also have a wonderful nurse practitioner (Chelsea Hermez, APRN) providing aesthetic services (including cosmetic injections, weight management strategies and vein ablations and sclerotherapy).”
For more info about Pinellas Vascular, visit PinellasVascular.com or call (813) 771-8346.-GN
“Just Pull It” At 54 & Collier Pkwy.
On April 30, periodontist Jeffrey Hameroff, D.D.S. (right), the founder of “Just Pull It,” a unique dental office that specializes in low-cost, same-day tooth extractions, welcomed NTBC members to the ribbon-cutting event celebrating the third anniversary of the Just Pull It location at 1942 Collier Pkwy. in Lutz (across Collier Pkwy. from Pizza Suprema).
Dr. Hameroff opened the first Just Pull It in Spring Hill in 2018 and today has four Tampa Bay-area locations, including one off U.S. Hwy. 301 in Zephyrhills, with two more offices opening soon.
“It’s simple,” Dr. Hameroff told the NTBC members in attendance. “No other dental office does what we do — especially for only $250!”
For more info about the Lutz location, call (813) 738-9490 or visit JustPullIt.dental.
Clean Freak Car Wash-Overpass Rd.
And finally, on May 1, regional director of operations Chris Laurella (left) welcomed NTBC members to the new Clean Freak Car Wash at 32359 Overpass Rd., just east of Curley Rd., behind the coming-soon Chick-fil-A. The ribbon-cutting event also included free tasty coffee beverages from Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck.
Laurella described the differences between Clean Freak — which has 30 locations, mainly in Arizona (Wesley Chapel is the company’s first in Florida) — and other “tunnel” car wash chains.
“There’s not a lot of water in Arizona,” Laurella told the NTBC members who followed him on a tour of the new Clean Freak (the tunnel wash system was turned off for the tour), “so we do everything we can to reduce our environmental footprint, like our water recycling system and using eco-friendly chemicals. Our tunnels also feature the latest car wash technology.” He even showed the tunnel’s unique soft brushes (below) “that won’t damage your vehicle’s paint job.”
Clean Freak’s parent company, True Blue Car Wash, LLC, was acquired by the parent company of Circle K. So, your $19.99 monthly membership also earns you discounts on fuel at participating Circle K locations.
Chris Assefa (photo), the owner and insurance broker for Bleu Sky’s Insurance Solutions, says that although she is licensed by the State of Florida (as well as Georgia and New York) to sell health and life insurance and variable annuities, she believes her primary function is education.
“Health insurance, especially when it comes to Medicare and Medicaid, is incredibly complicated for most people,” Chris says. “At Bleu Sky’s Insurance Solutions, we always say that asking questions is free, so ask away! We want to make sure you understand what your options are and which plan or policy will work best for you and your family.”
Bleu Sky’s is an independent insurance agency, so Chris and her team of professionals have access to a wide variety of companies and policies and they can help you figure out how best to take care of your needs.
Chris is a specialist when it comes to Medicare — the lower-cost health insurance for those ages 65 and older and for those with disabilities. The former Wesley Chapel resident says that even though the Open Enrollment period to choose a Medicare plan for 2025 ended in December and the policies became effective in January, “there are still things you can do now that you might not know about.”
For example, if you decide after Jan. 1 that you’re not happy with your Medicare Advantage plan, there is a special Open Enrollment Period — that just closed for this year (on March 31) — for Medicare Advantage plan holders only.
“Obviously, the average person is either unsure or not even aware about a lot of this,” Chris says. “That’s why you need an expert in the field, like my company, to help guide you.”
She also says there are some new laws on the books for 2025 that Bleu Sky’s insurance professionals can help you understand.
“For 2025, an individual’s out-of-pocket expense for prescription drugs on their Medicare carrier’s formulary is capped at $2,000,” Chris says. “In addition, people who are dual-eligible (for both Medicare and Medicaid; the latter is the joint federal and state program which helps cover medical expenses for people with limited income and resources) are dealing with some changes as to how they can change their plans.”
She adds that there are different levels of dual eligibility, and that those different levels are affected by this year’s new rules.
“I know this can be confusing,” Chris says. “I really hope that if you have any questions about Medicare, Medicaid or the Health Insurance Marketplace (also known as the Affordable Care Act or ‘Obamacare’), we’ll be the company you’ll think to call.”
To reach Chris Assefa of Bleu Sky’s Insurance Solutions, call (813) 360-1884, visit BleuSkysInsurance.com or see the ad below. — GN
“This is a dream come true,” says Cindy Bray, executive director and founder of Hope Services, Life Skills & Vocational Training Center, reflecting on the success of this year’s annual “Dance Your Dream” event.
Dance Your Dream was designed to offer a free prom-type experience for individuals ages 14 and older who live with disabilities, starting four years ago with just 80 attendees, Dance Your Dream has become an annual tradition that now brings together the community in celebration of hope and support. This year, the event saw 300 attendees at Wesley Chapel District Park on Apr. 26, where the gym was filled with music, laughter, and dreams coming to life.
Chick-fil-A provided delicious meals (and the Chick-fil-A cows) that added warmth to the night, and the event featured music, games and a 360-photo booth.
A highlight of the evening was the surprise guest, Raiqwon O’Neal, the offensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneer (#75), whose presence brought joy and excitement, lifting the spirits of everyone in attendance. “His message and meet-and-greet were the perfect way to start the night,” Bray said.
“The smiles and laughter in the room were priceless,” says Cindy Bray. “My heart is full of all the joy we shared that night.”
With 22 years of experience, Cindy founded Hope Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization contracted with the Department of Education/ Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Serving 10 counties within a 50-mile radius from their location at 5426 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Hope Services offers life skills and vocational training to individuals living with disabilities. To support Hope Services, visit HopeGetsJobs.com.
Congratulations to the graduating classes of 2025! For those in our community graduating from college, high school, or even kindergarten or preschool, it’s an exciting time to look forward and chase your dreams. At Wesley Chapel’s four public high schools, hundreds of students are anticipating tossing their caps and moving on to the next phase of life, whether it’s further education or starting their careers. This includes the first-ever graduating class at the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, which opened for the 2022-23 school year with just freshman and sophomores. We salute these top students at each of our Wesley Chapel public high schools and say congratulations to you and all of the graduates!
Cypress Creek High
1. Anastasia Herzek
GPA: 4.7143
Clubs/Activities: National Honor Society (NHS), American Sign Language Honor Society, National Science Honor Society, Clemson Summer Scholars, Game Master at Arcanum Escape Room
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Chemistry
Best thing about high school: Making connections with friends and staff at Cypress Creek.
2. Daniel Garcia
GPA: 4.7000
Clubs/Activities: Science National Honor Society, NHS, Custodial Service with Robotics team, Volunteer at pharmacy, Work at Kohls & Publix
College planning to attend: University of Central Florida
Planned major or future career: Mechanical Engineering
Best thing about high school: Being able to see my friends!
3. Nico Gust
GPA: 4.6780
Clubs/Activities: NHS, McDonald’s, Raising Cane’s, Martial Arts (black belt), Model UN, Crochet Club, National Merit Scholarship Finalist
College planning to attend: University of North Florida
Planned major or future career: Marine Biology
Best thing about high school: Being done!
4. Keira Lefebvre
GPA: 4.6885
Clubs/Activities: Track, Cross Country, NHS, Science National Honor Society, Volunteer at AdventHealth, Insurance Marketing Associate, Crochet Club, Chick-Fil-A Leadership Academy
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Chemistry
Best thing about high school: Hanging out with my friends.
5. Marisa Morales
GPA: 4.6275
Clubs/Activities: Volunteered at Pasco County Animal shelter, Volunteer at Pasco Schools, Clemson summer scholar, NHS, NSHS, HOSA
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Biochemistry
Best thing about high school: My friends
6. Cristina Dima
GPA: 4.6146
Clubs/Activities: Author & illustrator of a children’s book, Elem. school volunteer at library, Bioengineering research program (Clemson Summer Scholars), NHS, HOSA, Hillsborough State Park Halloween Event Volunteer
College planning to Attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Biological Sci.
Best thing about high school: My friends
7. Hannah Hershey
GPA: 4.6019
Clubs/Activities: Student Government, Treasurer of Spirit Club, Chick-Fil-A Leadership Academy, National Honor Society, Volleyball, Job at Chicken Salad Chick & Pack Leader
College planning to attend: Univ. of Central Florida
Planned major or future career: Accounting
Best thing about high school: Meeting new people and making connections.
8. Diana Le
GPA: 4.5673
Clubs/Activities: Lady Coyote Engineering, Vietnamese language tutor, part-time retail job
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Accounting
Best thing about high school: The community.
9. Camryn Paradise
GPA: 4.5600
Clubs/Activities: NHS, National English Honor Society, spirit club, Science NHS, Spanish NHS, Club volleyball, Volleyball
College planning to attend: Clemson University
Planned major or future career: Business; minor in Biology
Best thing about high school: Being involved with clubs and organizations and putting events together especially (my favorite) pep rallies!
10. Jacob Sheldon
GPA: 4.5510
Clubs/Activities: National English Honor Society, Book Club, Art Club, Reading/Writing, Poetry, Volleyball, Soccer, Basketball, Weightlifting
College planning to attend: University of Central Florida
Planned major or future career: Neuroscience
Best thing about high school: The unique personalities and people that I got to know over the years. My friends mean so much to me.
Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation
1. Diana Bisekeeva
GPA: 4.59
Clubs/Activities: GPS Robotics (VEX & FIRST Team), Founder & Pres. of ResuPrep, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer, GPS Connect Outreach Founder & Pres., R:ED Robotics Education Software Engineer Intern, Mediacube UI/UX Designer Intern, The TCK Times Founder & Editor-in-Chief, NHS President, Science NHS, Women of Tomorrow, Math Peer Tutor, Varsity Tennis
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Industrial & Systems Engineering
Best thing about high school: The connections you build with your peers.
2. Sarah Streeter
GPA: 4.34
Clubs/Activities: Editor-in-Chief of yearbook, Officer of FFA, SGA representative, Dual Enrollment Student
College planning to attend: Georgia State University
Planned major or future career: Neurology (pre-med)
Best thing about high school: The opportunity to connect with your peers and enjoy your youth together in one place.
3. Nolan Correa
GPA: 4.46
Clubs/Activities: Volunteer at Star Academy
College planning to attend: Pasco Hernando State College
Planned major or future career: Radiology
Best thing about high school: The overall freedom that you have.
4. Rudra Patel
GPA: 4.40
Clubs/Activities: Chess Club, math tutor, Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation News
College planning to attend: Florida Polytechnic University
Planned major or future career: Computer or Cybersecurity Engineering
Best thing about high school: The people you meet.
5. Giovanni Ventilato
GPA: 4.40
Clubs/Activities: Health & Fitness Club, Church activities
College planning to attend: University of South Florida
Planned major or future career: Aerospace engineering
Best thing about high school: Having a good amount of freedom.
6. Donovan Arteaga
GPA: 4.55
Clubs/Activities: National Honor Society member, Flower power club member
College planning to attend: University of South Florida
Planned major or future career: Chemical engineering
Best thing about high school: The friends you make and the people you meet.
7. Alexi Sanchez
GPA: 4.49
Clubs/Activities: NHS, Volunteer at Marine Corps League & Special Olympics, initiated a program to promote oral health to underprivileged children, participated in World Stride Educational Travel-STEM & Cultural Immersion program, dual enrollment student at Pasco Hernando State College, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Biology (pre-med)
Best thing about high school: Hanging out with friends.
8. Jansen Warren
GPA: 4.34
Clubs/Activities: Volunteering at Kirkland Ranch K-8
College planning to attend: Pasco Hernando State College
Planned major or future career: Computer Science
Best thing about high school: Spending time with friends.
9. Camden Chase
GPA: 4.42
Clubs/Activities: Soccer, Student Government Vice President, NHS Officer, Health and Fitness Club Member, Dual Enrollment Student
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Finance
Best thing about high school: Figuring out what you want to do in the future.
College planning to attend: Pasco Hernando State College
Planned major or future career: Business
Best thing about high school: The ability to branch off and learn more about yourself.
11. Dalyn Brown
GPA: 4.54
Clubs/Activities: Dual Enrollment Student at Pasco Hernando State College, earned Associate of Arts, Track & Field Athlete, Volunteer: AdventHealth, Employed Student, National Future Medical Leaders Conference, National Society of High Scholars
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Pre-Med/ Biomedical Sciences
Best thing about high school: The friendships and company you keep, along with the memories you make, define your journey through these four years.
College planning to attend: University of South Florida
Planned major or future career: Biomedical science/neuroscience Pre-Health USF
Best thing about high school: All the friends I made and the labs I participated in at KRAI’s Biomedical Science program.
13. Tessa Mast
GPA: 3.92 (unweighted)
Clubs/Activities: Bowling
College planning to attend: University of Central Florida
Planned major or future career: Business (pre-accounting)
Best thing about high school: Getting real-world experiences and skills through the programs at Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation.
Wesley Chapel High School
Wesley Chapel High’s Top-10 Graduating Seniors are (l.-r.) Caique Santos-Silva, Sean Donahue, Luiza Guryeva, Maya Almodovar, Pierre-Etienne Boisvert, Erin McDermott, Filipp Ramsey, Nikki Watson and Ming Yang. Not pictured here: Luanna Mineiro De Souza. (Group photo provided by Wesley Chapel High)
1. Sean Donahue, Valedictorian
GPA: 4.7213
Clubs/Activities: Eagle Scout, Debate Club Co-founder, IPPF Policy Debate, Lacrosse, SAT & Elementary Tutor, NHS Vice President, AP Capstone Diploma
College planning to attend: Yale University
Planned major or future career: Computer Sci.
Best thing about high school: Away games with the lacrosse team
2. Pierre-Etienne Boisvert, Salutatorian
GPA: 4.71
Clubs/Activities: Taught myself how to program and make video games, AP Capstone Diploma
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Physics
Best thing about high school: How much I was able to test my own skills and limits, pushing myself further and further every day to accomplish goals.
3. Luanna Mineiro De Souza
GPA: 4.68
Clubs/Activities: Associate of Arts degree at PHSC through Dual Enrollment
College planning to attend: Pasco Hernando State College’s Nursing Program
Planned major/future career: Nurse Anesthetist
Best thing about high school: Going to volleyball and football games with my friends and enjoying the school spirit!
4. Filipp Ramsey
GPA: 4.67
Clubs/Activities: Programming/Game development, AP Capstone Diploma
College planning to attend: USF
Planned major or future career: Computer sci.
Best thing about high school: Opportunity to learn alongside some of the smartest and hardest-working students I have met.
5. Caique Santos-Silva
GPA: 4.65
Clubs/Activities: VP of WCHS Business & Finance Club, Secretary of NHS, Secretary of Science NHS, FCA Member, Varsity Lacrosse, AP Capstone Diploma, Associate of Arts degree at PHSC through Dual Enrollment
College planning to attend: University of Florida Honors
Planned major or future career: Business Administration or Accounting
Best thing about high school: Meeting all my friends and the staff. I continuously grew as a person, and so did those around me. I found people who pushed me to improve and held me accountable in all the things I do. I doubt that I would be who I am now without all those who kept me laughing, smiling and working hard.
6. Maya Almodovar
GPA: 4.63
Clubs/Activities: Dance teacher, tutor, receptionist, barista, Rho Kappa (president), NEHS (vice president) & NEHS (member), Earned my Associate of Arts degree at PHSC through Dual Enrollment
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Civil Rights Lawyer
Best thing about high school: Having the opportunity to attend USF my senior year.
7. Nikki Watson
GPA: 4.62
Clubs/Activities: Golf (First Tee team and players club), Band, including marching band as drum major and playing flute, wind ensemble playing flute and piccolo, and concert band playing trumpet, NHS, Associate of Arts degree at PHSC through Dual Enrollment
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Biology with a specialization in Biotechnology
Best thing about high school: Finding a ‘family’ in the band and also finding who I really am through all of my experiences. Making it as drum major in my senior year, and making friends with everyone. Everyone is growing in life just like you, so you can always find people that you connect with.
8. Ming Yang
GPA: 4.62
Clubs/Activities: Clean Earth Club, National Honors Society, Tennis AP Capstone Diploma
College planning to attend: University of Pennsylvania or Brown University
Planned major or future career: Physics
Best Thing About High School: The amazing people I met, both peers and teachers, that made school enjoyable.
9. Erin McDermott
GPA: 4.608
Clubs/Activities: Club Gymnastics, NHS, Wesley Chapel Dance Program, AP Capstone Diploma, Anne Frank Humanitarian Award
College planning to attend: United States Air Force Academy
Planned major or future career: Biology/Pre- Health Professions. I plan to become a Flight Surgeon.
Best thing about high school: Meeting all of my best friends.
10. Luiza Guryeva
GPA: UW: 3.98/ W: 4.56
Clubs/Activities: ResuPrep Startup Founder & CEO, Florida Founder & Executive of Active Hearts Association, GPS Robotics Business Lead for FIRST Competition, author of Comparative Case Study on Immigrant Entrepreneurship, Market Research Website & Analysis Report Creator, Founder and President of Business & Finance Club, Team Leader & Strategy Coordinator for Wharton Global Investment Competition, Calaton Systems Business Development Manager Trainee, Varsity Tennis, AP Capstone Diploma
College planning to attend: Georgetown University
Planned major or future career: Finance
Best thing about high school: Hospital visits with the Active Hearts Association club.
Wiregrass Ranch High School
Wiregrass Ranch High’s High’s Top-16 Graduating Seniors are (l.-r.) L to R: Vedanti Patel, Sydney Ficks, Nicholas Kovacs, Vishnu Araveeti, Daniel Cheng, Rohit Naras, Tristan Pasquale, Ian Kim, Austin McCallister, Jack Flanary, Aubrey McKeon, Nicollette Watson, Brenden Brewer, Vera Zheng, Darren Lin & Hunter Paladio. (Group photo provided by Wiregrass Ranch
1. Austin McCallister, Valedictorian
GPA: 4.75
Clubs/Activities: Science Olympiad
College planning to attend: Georgia Institute of Technology
Planned major or future career: Computer Engineering
Best thing about high school: Mr. Cuviello’s and Mr. Cordero’s science labs.
2. Nicholas Kovacs, Salutatorian
GPA: 4.7302
Clubs/Activities: Studying, focusing on academics
College planning to attend: USF
Planned major or future career: Mechanical Engineering
Best thing about high school: Meeting people. If I hadn’t attended high school, I wouldn’t have met all these other bright students. I am hoping we can all stay in contact.
3. Ian Kim
GPA: 4.69
Clubs/Activities: Science Fair, Science Olympiad, Orchestra, Mu Alpha Theta, FBLA, Tri-M, Science National Honor Society
College planning to attend: California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Planned major or future career: Electrical Engineering
Best thing about high school: Hanging out with friends and Mr. Cordero in AP Physics every day.
4. Daniel Cheng
GPA: 4.6897
Clubs/Activities: Future Business Leaders of America, Cybersecurity Club, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Piano, Volunteer at MD Oriental Market
College Planning to Attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Computer Science or Computer Engineering
Best Thing about High School: Collecting memories, not just homework.
5. Vishnu Araveeti
GPA: 4.6639
Clubs/Activities: FBLA, Science Olympiad; I also ran a commerce business.
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Data science/ Computer Science
Best thing about high school: Having great teachers to learn from and creating many friends.
6. Aubrey McKeon
GPA: 4.6591
Clubs/Activities: Tutored for math & science honors societies, leadership in music honors society, 9 years of choir, FMEA’s All-State Chorus, member of the Science Olympiad team
College planning to attend: University of Central Florida
Planned major or future career: Aerospace Engineering
Best thing about high school: Friends and relationships you create along the way.
7. Rohit Naras
GPA: 4.6604
Clubs/Activities: FBLA, Science Olympiad, Varsity Tennis, Research
College planning to attend: Georgia Institute of Technology
Planned major or future career: Computer engineering, hopes to start my own tech company
Best thing about high school: Having genuine fun with my friends inside & outside of the classroom.
8. Darren Lin
GPA: 4.6346
Clubs/Activities: Mu Alpha Theta, Key Club, FBLA, Asian Association &Allies, Amnesty Int’l.
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Mechanical Engineering
Best thing about high school: It’s a great place to meet good people who share your values
9. Vera Zheng
GPA: 4.6296
Clubs/Activities: Mu Alpha Theta, Key Club, FBLA, Asian Association & Allies, Amnesty Int’l.
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Computer Science
Best thing about high school: Getting to find new friends and hanging out with them.
10. Krish Patel
GPA: 4.6207
Clubs/Activities: SHNS tutoring, FBLA, HOSA & Key Club, Passion project to showcase the benefits of vegetarianism for the body & the environment, helped coordinate the first-ever fire ritual for youths to honor the largest Hindu temple outside of India.
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Microbiology and Cell Science (Medical Career)
Best thing about high school: All the friends and memories that you can make before heading to college.
Editor’s Note – We appreciate that all four local high schools provided us with the photos and information you see on these pages. We have no idea why some schools provided more than their top-10 graduating seniors, why some of the students’ photos were not provided nor why the students’ GPAs at Kirkland Ranch appear to be out of order. All we’ve done is provide an outlet for each school to provide their photos & information.
Frank Geivelis (far left), Sabani Ferhatovic & Sabani’s wife Ferzeta Omerovic & Sabani and Ferzeta’s grandsons Beno & Anthony Ferhatovic of Café Zorba.
The day I drove up to and found out that the Tutti Frutti Café in the KRATE at The Grove container park had closed, a gentleman sitting in front of the nearby Café Zorba (5804 Grand Oro Ln. #102) told me that he and his friend sitting with him were now the new management team at Café Zorba, which previously was only a Greek/Mediterranean restaurant but now also is serving traditional Bosnian/Balkan food, in addition to the usual gyros, Greek salads, stuffed grape leaves (dolmades) and souvlakis (below left).
The two men — Fotios (he goes by Frank) Geivelis and Sabani Ferhatovic — invited me to attend the Grand Reopening of Café Zorba, which was held on May 3 and was going to feature an almost-40-lb. lamb roasted outside on a rotating spit grill.
Well, as a true lamb lover who had never sampled Bosnian food before, I brought along photographer Charmaine George to sample and take pictures of some of Café Zorba’s new traditional Bosnian/Balkan cuisine.
We started with an order of cevapi — small sausages made of lamb and beef served with ajvar (red pepper sauce) inside a tasty flatbread. Cevapi is a popular Balkan street food that tasted a little like lamb-infused, well-grilled breakfast sausages.
We also saw Sabani’s wife Ferzeta Omerovic take the foil wrap off a pot of the most beautiful-looking stuffed peppers (called punjene paprike; far right photo), so we asked her for a sample. Now, I honestly have never even liked stuffed peppers, but the mild red bell peppers were cooked to soft perfection and stuffed with ground beef, rice, tomato sauce and a variety of spices so tasty that Charmaine and I were both hooked.
We also got a sample of Ferzeta’s Bosnian stuffed “sour” cabbage rolls known as sarma, which are fermented (pickled in some kind of vinegar base) cabbage leaves stuffed with ground meat (I forgot to ask if it was veal, lamb or beef), minced onion, beef stock and paprika. Sour is correct. Charmaine actually preferred the sarma to the punjene paprike.
I then returned alone four hours later to check out the roast lamb, which Sabani was busy getting properly spiced when Charmaine and I first arrived. He definitely loved cooking the lamb, as he was handing out freshly carved samples of the most tender, garlicky delicious sliced lamb I had ever tasted — better than the lamb chops at most high-level restaurants! And, Ferzeta’s creamy tomato and cucumber salad served with it also was outstanding!
But, if you missed out on the Grand Reopening lamb, don’t be sad — Frank promise me that they will be roasting a whole lamb “at least once or maybe twice a month. Follow us on Instagram to find out when we’ll have it next!” For more info, call (813) 388-5987 or order online from DoorDash or Uber Eats.— GN
