Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, Volume 28, Issue 8, April 10, 2020

WESLEY CHAPEL Inside: How Has Your New Year’s Resolution Been Going?

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Volume 28 Issue 8 April 10, 2020

Scrambling To Stop The Spread STORY: JOHN C. COTEY | PHOTOS: CHARMAINE GEORGE

For years, the Wesley Chapel story has been one of growth and expansion, where new businesses and communities popped up on what seemed like a weekly basis, where roads were crowded, schools were filled to capacity and business was booming.

Appears to be time for a new chapter.

The next one written will be about the recovery from a deadly virus, Covid-19, that has shut almost everything across the country and the world down, stripped people of their jobs and the roads of its automobiles and people of their sense of safety and well-being.

“It came so fast,” says Pasco County commissioner Mike Moore.

“These are unprecedented times and I don’t think anybody, no matter your age, unless you lived through the Great Depression, has gone through anything like this.”

On April 2, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, after weeks of harsh criticism for his inaction, shut the state down for 30 days with a stay-at-home order.

While essential businesses were allowed to stay open, everyone else was encouraged to stay home. Healthcare providers, grocery stores, gas stations, laundry service providers, office supply stores, the media and restaurants

– take-out and delivery only – are all considered essential services.

DeSantis also included religious services at church.

When we went to press with our New Tampa issue on March 20th, the number of positive cases of coronavirus in Florida had just passed 500, and there had been 10 deaths.

Two weeks later as we wrapped up this issue April 3, there were 9,585 cases (including 74 in Pasco County) and 163 deaths (only two here at our press time).

Locally, Moore and other Pasco County officials have been scrambling to prepare the area with countless meetings and teleconferences, as business and schools and families have started full-fledged adjustments to life with coronavirus concerns.

Schools appear unlikely to open again this academic year. There has been no word on whether high school graduation ceremonies, scheduled for June 3-7, will actually take place.

Area schools have transitioned to online teaching/distance learning, and have been praised for the early results of those efforts.

“Saying that the last 2-3 weeks have been anything short of different would be an understatement,” said

Teachers and administrators hand out breakfast and lunch for the week at Quail Hollow Elementary (above); The Tampa Premium Outlets (below) have been temporarily closed since mid-March.

See “Covid-19” on page 4.

In this moment of uncertainty, as the world weathers a global pandemic, we are thinking deeply of all our visitors, employees and communities. We hope each and every one of you stays safe and healthy as we move through these unprecedented times together.

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Why This Issue Is Arriving In Your Mailbox So Late & Other Local Coronavirus News An editorial by Gary Nager Dear Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News Readers: I apologize for the fact that this April 10 issue of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is reaching you so much later than you might have expected, but there is a good reason for it.

Our printer since 2013 — Newspaper Printing Company (NPC), located on Lois Ave in Tampa — has received about a million dollars in paid print bills from the Neighborhood News over the last seven years. Even so, they have decided — in the midst of the worst financial crisis of all of our lifetimes — not to print or distribute our Apr 10 issue, without any prior warning, because (go figure) it is taking me 10-15 days longer than what the management at NPC has decided, as of last week, is acceptable to them, to pay one older print bill.

In other words, rather than make sure you — our readers — receive the important news and information of your community in this issue on a timely basis, we have had to immediately find another printing company to print and distribute this issue. Without being able to print our job elsewhere, we would not have been able to get this issue to you at all, much less a week later than usual, and the Neighborhood News might have to go out of business altogether.

Obviously, nothing that we’ve done before, none of the hundreds of thousands of dollars we’ve paid to NPC over the years, means anything to that company’s management, so maybe hearing from as many of you as possible, by phone call or email, will. The Neighborhood News has never not paid its print bills and has never gone a month without paying off two of those older print bills.

NPC is just deciding now to not be willing to extend any more days of “credit” to a business that has been paying two print bills per month for more than 25 years.

To that end, below is the contact information for NPC. Feel free to call or email ASAP to let them know how you feel about them attempting to shut down your primary source of news and information about your community at this most desperate time.

Newspaper Printing Company — (813) 839-0035; Ryan DeWeese or Brian Harrison

(see page 29 of this issue for a few of them) is still progressing, so we should have a lot of great Grand Opening events to attend whenever the coronavirus curve finally starts to flatten — if attending public events is still a thing post-corona.

Help Us Help You!

As a hyperlocal business that makes most of its money from other local businesses, there’s no doubt we’re already seriously feeling the pinch of this pandemic, too — and have no idea yet how much worse it’s still 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. Even so, I’m more concerned right now than I ever have been about not just my business, but our entire way of life.

My promise to the 50 or so businesses that still saw fit to place an ad in this issue — and the

INSIDE:

Spotlights on local high school class valedictorians.

Pages 10-12

ACCESSIBLE COMMITTED • EXPERIENCED

QVita has a certain couple smiling!

Pages 16-17

Wesley Chapel

(813) 991-6161 The street food vibe at Taco Bus fits right in with the Wesley Chapel area.

Pages 24-25

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News Address: 29157 Chapel Park Dr., Suite B Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor /Ad Sales Gary Nager Managing Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Correspondents Celeste McLaughlin • Mike Camunas Lead Video Producer/Multimedia Specialist Charmaine George Photography & Videography Richard Nasrallah • Benjamin Hobe • Amy Stewart Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael • Valerie Wegener Billing Assistant Jannah Nager

OK, So Not Really ‘Good’ News...

For those of us who live and/or work in or near Wesley Chapel, the only tiny bit of “good” news I can point to at our press time is that all of the weeks we now have had to mainly stay in our homes is at least helping us get through what could have been the worst portion of the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) construction off I-75 at S.R. 56 without making life too much more miserable for us.

In my experience, travel times across I-75 at 56 currently are the shortest they’ve been since...well, probably ever...because so few of us are on the roads at any one time. It’s definitely sad that we aren’t really able to take advantage of the lowest gas prices I can remember since I started driving 1,000 years ago, but at least we’re not usually sitting in the same kind of rush hour (and even off-peak) traffic as we usually would because there’s basically no place for us all to go.

And, although the Covid-19 pandemic now has many of us wearing something to cover our faces anytime we venture out to the grocery or drug store (or a local restaurant for takeout), at least we don’t have to seethe as we sit behind four progressions of the same light...at least not as often as we usually do, to get back home.

And, even though a lot of big-name local businesses have had their openings delayed basically indefinitely, construction on those projects Neighborhood News

similar number of businesses that hopefully will still be able to advertise in our next New Tampa edition — 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 ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com or call (813) 910-2575 for more info.

Nothing that appears in Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisement reservations for Volume 28, Issue 10, of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is Monday, April 27, 2020.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will consider previously nonpublished outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers.

© 2020 JM2 Communications, Inc. @NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 8 • April 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

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Covid-19: Folks in Wesley Chapel are trying to keep their distance Continued from page 1.

Pasco School District superintendent Kurt Browning. “It really has turned the school district on its heels…but a tip of the hat to the teachers and administrators for stepping up and digging in to find out how this works.”

Not only did schools hand out roughly 15,000 devices to accommodate students for distance learning, it also already has distributed more than 110,000 meals for students.

Originally a daily distribution, the district is now providing breakfast and lunch meals for the whole week on Tuesdays. The day of the first Tuesday distribution — on March 31— 80,680 meals were provided to families via drive-through lanes of 25 schools, including New River and Quail Hollow elementary schools.

Tuesday food service will continue through April.

Local businesses, however, are finding survival to be much more difficult, especially those who don’t have a business that can transition to offer its services online.

Social distancing is currently the best defense against coronavirus, according to medical experts, but it’s

“These are unprecedented times and I don’t think anybody, no matter your age, unless you lived through the Great Depression, has gone through anything like this.”

— Mike Moore, Pasco County

also the antithesis to small business success, especially for those in the service industry like hair and nail salons, small stores or studios and restaurants.

“It’s pretty stressful,” said James Serrano, who owns Pinot’s Palette in Wesley Chapel, a small art-and-wine studio that specializes in group painting events.

Those that can’t remain open can only hope that the stay-at-home order expires in 30 days.

However, no business owners we talked believed that 30 days was a

Social distancing is the norm in Wawa and pretty much everywhere. (Photo: Charmaine George)

realistic timeline, and most are readying to hunker down for a month or two longer.

“The best-case scenario from what I understand is May 8,” says Brass Tap owner Jeff Martin. “But, I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Because Wesley Chapel is an area with a high concentration of small businesses — many of which have been experiencing boom times over the past few years due to the area’s tremendous

growth — coronavirus fears are likely to strike a harsher blow.

But, no one really seems to know where this headed, except for uncharted territory.

“There are a lot of unknowns, and that is really the scary part,” says Hope Kennedy, the CEO of the 700-member North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. “I’m not sure we’ve gotten to the (worst) of this. Once we do, we can get into recovery mode.”

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 8 • April 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

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Help For Small Businesses

There are options when it comes to small business recovery, and Comm.

Moore hosted a teleconference on April 1 that he says was listened to by more than 100 local business owners.

Some of your options include: * A Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan (floridajobs. org) of up to $50,000. While it has zero interest and can be issued quickly, it is a short-term loan, and the interest jumps to 12 percent if you don’t pay it off after a year. Also, monthly payments are due immediately ($4,200 a month for a $50,000 loan). * A Small Business Association Economic Injury Disaster Loan (or EIDL; disasterloan.sba.gov), which is long-term (up to 30 years) and lowinterest (2.75-3.75 percent). You don’t have to go through a bank for this type of loan, but you would have to use collateral, like your business or home, for amounts greater than $25,000. * Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), part of the $2-trillion federal CARES Act signed into law by President Trump last month. Small businesses (2500 employees) qualify for an amount that is 2.5 times its average monthly payroll costs from the previous 12 months.

The two-year loan carries only half a percent interest, and can be forgiven if

the business shows that the money was used to maintain payroll costs and full-time employees.

Dineen Pashoukos Wasylik, a Wesley Chapel resident and intellectual property and appeals lawyer for DPW Legal, says there is no one-size- Dineen Pashoukos Wasylik, P.A. fits-all loan.

“Long story short, businesses are going to have to do a calculation to determine which one to take advantage of,” Wasylik says. “Getting the right one of these on your plate is really important.”

She warns, however, that while all of the loans may be tempting, small business owners need to be careful not to make a bad situation worse. She suggests if you do get a loan, to create a separate account for it so it is easier to follow its trail, especially in the case of the PPP loan, which can be forgiven.

“My biggest advice to people is that I hope your books are up to date,” she says.

“You’ve got to understand, at the end of the day, that all of these are loans that have to be paid back. And, to get forgiveness (in the case of the PPP), you’re going to have to show your work.”

For more info, visit IP-Appeals. com, or call (813) 778-5161. — JCC

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 8 • April 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

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Small Businesses Working Hard To Stay Afloat In Tough Times

By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Many local business were already way ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis when he declared on April 1 that all nonessential businesses needed to close their doors.

Sensing the bad news was inevitable, some had already begun adapting in order to stay alive.

James Serrano, who owns Pinot’s Palette in the Shoppes at New Tampa, had already temporarily converted his Wesley Chapel studio, which specializes in large group gatherings with wine drinking and painting, into a stay-athome, do-it-yourself painting “experience” by selling kits that included paint, brushes, a canvas and instructions.

“We basically had to do something,” says Serrano. “We were worried.”

On the first day of selling the take-home kits, he arrived to find a line of cars. Some ended up waiting for more than an hour because Serrano was overwhelmed by the turnout.

Most of the cars were occupied by eager parents looking for a way to keep their children occupied.

Serrano also turned to virtual classes and, last week, hosted his first virtual private party for a church group — 13 women painting the same picture who were able to converse with each other online as they did so.

He also has delivered kits to people who request them, and even filled an order to be shipped to Puerto Rico.

Although some adults have asked if he could include Pinot’s usually-present wine with their order (he’s looking into it), he says his No. 1 customers now are kids, as parents have to constantly be entertaining their homebound youngsters.

Because Serrano still has to pay rent on a studio he isn’t using, he isn’t making money right now. However, he is

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staying afloat and hopeful things can return to normal soon.

“The community support has been so great,” he says.

“Thank God people are buying the kits. Thank God.” While a host of the area’s non-essential businesses will have no choice but to close down for the next month, the ones that can incorporate video conferencing technology like Zoom, or even FaceTime, are finding ways to survive.

John Thrasher, the owner of Excel Music in New Tampa (see ad on pg. 11), and Larry Bigel of Tampa Fine Arts Academy (TFAA) in Wesley Chapel, both are able to provide all of their lessons online.

Thrasher said Excel began the transition the first week in March, with some students choosing to go online. Following spring break, everything went online, and students were able to keep their same teachers.

“We did it quickly and on the early side,” Thrasher says.

“We beat the governor’s stay-at-home order by a couple of weeks. Anytime you transition, there are going to be some bumps, but for the most part, it’s actually gone pretty Owner James Serrano exercises proper social distancing as he smoothly. We’re seeing a lot of smiling faces.” “hands” over a painting kit to a Pinot’s Palette customer.

For Bigel, who says TFAA transitioned 600 students to 100-percent online by March 23, it was all about keeping with their trainers doing 45-minute programs in their own the students and teachers safe and the business viable. driveways that you can follow along to.

“Thankfully, you can never catch a disease over the All of the workouts are free. internet,” he says.

Bob says other F45 studios are now following suit.

At F45 Training at The Grove, the group fitness train“Oh my God, it’s been amazing,” says Bob. “Some of ing facility’s grand opening plans had to be put on hold and the F45s from all over the world are kind of jealous. When the free bootcamps offered to drum up business and market we put these out, (these other F45s) are getting hundreds of the area’s newest fitness center had to be canceled. views in just minutes.”

But, F45 at The Grove owners Bob and Kim Balfe are Bob says his F45 studio just finished receiving its final bringing the exercise right to your home instead. coat of paint, and will be ready for a soft opening on (or They have posted a video series of home bootcamps around) Friday, May 8, if Florida’s stay-at-home order is on their Facebook page (search: F45 Grove Wesley Chapel), lifted by then.

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Restaurants Feeling The Pinch

By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Businesses all across the country are feeling the heat from the coronavirus, but few are getting cooked quite like restaurants (pun intended).

According to BusinessInsider.com, more than 110,000 restaurants across the country are expected to permanently shutter in the coming weeks, and the restaurant industry lost more than $25 billion in sales in March alone.

Many local restaurants are hoping to survive the coronavirus pandemic by pivoting to takeout. Others, like Noble Crust at the Shops of Wiregrass, have elected to (hopefully) temporarily close.

Bars that don’t primarily serve food also are being hit hard. Brass Tap owner Jeff Martin says business is down 90 percent, and while you can stop by from noon-6 p.m. and get a growler filled or buy a cocktail drink kit, at our press time, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could stay open.

“We’re pretty much selling things at cost, just to throw some money into the bank,” Martin says.

Food provides options, though.

Most places that serve it are fighting a tough battle they hope the can win with robust takeout and delivery strategies and smart marketing.

Eateries that already were built around takeout are losing money, just not as much of it.

At Island Fin Poke Co. (see ad on pg.

26), which opened in late 2019 just south of County Line Rd., 75 percent of its business was already takeout, so not being allowed to have people sit in the restaurant wasn’t as big a blow as it was to others.

In fact, customers can still come in, choose the items for their poke bowl and take it to go if they want.

But, that hasn’t stopped owner Jeff Sproat from getting creative. Since his business also sells a popular Dole Whip frozen dessert to go along with its healthy poke bowls, Sproat recently offered a “Buy a Bowl and a Dole and Get a Free Roll (of toilet paper)” special.

If anything, he says it provided a moment of levity in these tough times for his hungry customers, who were, by the way, happy to take advantage of the free toilet paper.

“Business is down overall, but we’re doing okay and we’re still open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.,” Sproat says.

“It was an easy transition for us. And we haven’t had to lay off any of our team.”

Steve Falabella, the owner of 900º Woodfired Pizza, was one of the earliest adopters of Uber Eats (he added it at least two years ago) in Wesley Chapel, in response to already-shrinking (back then) 8

Some area restaurants are not only selling takeout meals, but also take-home meals you can cook at home, like Bubba’s 33 off S.R. 56.

foot traffic at the Shops of Wiregrass.

So, when the time came to prohibit inside seating, the blow was cushioned.

“We didn’t have to turn to delivery and takeout, we were already there,” he says. “We’re still down a lot from last year, though, but we’re staying above water.”

Falabella also has been helped by an idea to sell pizza kits — complete with a hearty ball of dough, sauce, cheese and cooking directions — he saw in an article a friend sent him from a New Jersey newspaper.

He tested the concept, put it on sale and says he sold 200-300 kits in the first 4-5 days. “It’s giving people something to do while they’re stuck at home, and they could still get good pizza,” Falabella says.

That same idea — cooking restaurant food at home — also has been part of the new marketing strategy for Bubba’s 33.

Bubba’s 33, like most sit-down restaurants (and unlike 900 Woodfired on Island Fin), normally relies primarily on table service. Because people weren’t already inclined to think of it as a takeout place, Bubba’s 33 general manager Crista Dean says marketing during the Covid-19 crisis has been key.

In addition to offering its usual menu items for takeout or delivery, Bubba’s 33 has organized pizza giveaways to the first 33 vehicles that order takeout on specific days. The Texas Roadhouseaffiliated sports bar also sells its products through what is basically an in-house bodega — dubbed Bubba’s 33 Fresh Market — for you to prepare at home.

For example, you can take out a “Burger Bundle” (four 1/4-lb Angus beef burgers, a big house salad & choice of fries, sweet potato fries or tots) for just $19.99. For some of the other available Bubba’s 33 bundles, see the ad on pg. 26.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 8 • April 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

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Wesley Chapel Native Provides Info About Covid-19 From South Korea

Wesley Chapel native Ciara Cotey, a University of South Florida graduate and the daughter of Neighborhood News managing editor John C. Cotey, has lived and worked in Seoul, South Korea, since 2012. She shares with us what it has been like working to flatten the curve.

I first heard about Covid-19 (which Koreans just call “corona”) around the end of January, when it was becoming more widespread in China.

It was the weekend of the Lunar New Year, so lots of people were traveling abroad and gathering with their families.

I wasn’t too worried about it, and it didn’t stop any of my Korean friends or coworkers from taking a weekend trip to Hong Kong or Shanghai over the vacation. I took a short trip to Daegu, which would become the epicenter of the spread in Korea, and we casually chatted about how we hoped the coronavirus would stay in China.

I teach English to some of the board members of the Central Bank of Korea, and one day when I arrived, they had a thermal camera set up outside the elevators. They informed me that I couldn’t get into the building without wearing a mask. Luckily, I had a few at home to deal with the fine dust, but when I went to buy some later, I learned that masks were sold out everywhere — both in stores and online.

No one here was taking it too seriously until the last week of February, when infections quadrupled in a matter of days, due to one patient who refused a test and attended several “church” events while she was sick. This led to the entire city of Daegu shutting down, and the rapid spread of the virus north into the South Korean capital of Seoul caused people to take it more seriously.

Soon, masks and hand sanitizer were quickly bought up, and the government started the warning system.

Detailed Warnings

The Korean government sends

out detailed national warning messages (see picture) every time a new patient is discovered, and you can see the list of all the places they had been while infected.

If anyone receiving the messages had been near any of those places, there is a hotline phone number and the health department will tell you to self-quarantine. And, if you show symptoms, they will come to your house to test you.

Korea did a really good job of containing the virus when it was only China that had most of the cases. Daegu got pretty much shut down. After that, cases started popping up all over Seoul, but most of the cases still remain related to this “church.”

All of the registered members were tested and, after that, coronavirus testing became mandatory for people who might have come in contact with infected people.

Healthcare, Not Fear

I’m not really scared of catching the virus, because I’m healthy and the healthcare system in Korea is excellent, so I know I would recover. The testing and treatment of Covid-19 is paid for by the government, so I also didn’t have any fear of going broke if I caught it. However, I would be worried about spreading it to other people, like my adult students and their families, or my boyfriend and his parents.

Lots of working moms have had to take unpaid leave to take care of their children, as the school year continues to be postponed, currently until mid-April.

It’s surprising to me that any American can now treat this as a vacation, when the health system and response to the virus has been so abysmal. On Facebook last month, I saw my friends back home going to the beach, going to concerts and taking advantage of the cheap flights to take a trip, and I can’t imagine that happening here.

The South Korean government sends out very detailed alerts when someone is discovered to have contracted Covid-19.

Social distancing is so important when there’s no way to even follow the trail of infections. Americans here are all glad we stayed here because if we had gone home out of fear, we wouldn’t have had the same access to the health care and testing we have here.

As for the whole toilet paper thing, Koreans are literally laughing at Americans because they don’t understand why toilet paper is sold out.

The only shortages I have seen have been hand sanitizer, thermometers and face masks, which are rationed by the National Health Insurance. You can get two masks on the designated days. On Thursdays, for example, if your birth year ends with 5 or 9, you can stand in line at the pharmacy to get your masks. Luckily, my boyfriend had the foresight to order

200 masks in January, just in case.

If anything, this pandemic has created a huge demand for ordering groceries online, and people aren’t stocking up or going to the grocery store because they can get whatever they want delivered whenever they want.

In general, people are still pretty worried, but some people are still living their lives the way they did before.

My friends still go out and drink with their friends on the weekends, I still see restaurants packed with people.

But, everyone wears a mask in the subway and if you cough, all heads turn towards you. At the start of the issue, several foreigners here just up and left on the soonest flight to get away from the virus, I guess not knowing that it would eventually spread to their home countries as well. My close friends in Daegu are all confined to their homes because the situation in Daegu is much more stressful than it is here in Seoul.

“My whole family communicates by calling and video chatting now,” my friend Eunyoung Kim tells me. “None of the restaurants in the neighborhood are open except for delivery, and they just leave it outside your door after you pay electronically so there’s no physical contact. It’s hard not being able to share a meal with your family members for fear of getting sick.”

In a family-oriented culture like Korea, people are feeling very isolated compared to before.

At our press time, Korea was still only showing about 75 or so new cases per day, with recovery rates surpassing the new cases, so it looks like it’s slowing down so far here. People coming in from Europe are now forced into quarantine, so if this method works, Korea should have it fully contained within the next few months.

Stay safe, everyone. Hopefully, the U.S. response to the pandemic will continue to get better over time.

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9

Wiregrass Ranch Valedictorian Excels Outside Classroom As Well

By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneightborhoodnews.com Aidan “A.J.” Persaud never really gave much thought to his class rank, and neither did his buddy Kelvin Ng. However, when the two Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) students and longtime friends discovered after their freshman year they were tied for No. 1 in their graduating class, they decided to make a friendly competition out of it.

“The race is on,” A.J. says he jokingly told Kelvin.

A.J. would cross the finish line first.

A National Merit Scholar and boasting a 4.68 weighted grade-point-average, A.J. has been named the WRH Class of 2020 valedictorian.

Although school is out and it’s unclear if it will return in time for the usual annual graduation ceremony, A.J. was honored at a school breakfast for finishing at the top of his class, along with the other Top-20 students at WRH, before spring break.

A.J. gives some of the credit to Kelvin, who will graduate fourth in their class.

“I think the whole (competition) added to our education,” A.J. says. “It wasn’t all about the grades, though. We were helping each other, working with

each other to get us to the top.”

Kelvin played the trumpet in the WRH band, and band doesn’t count as much towards one’s GPA, but he did get a State band championship out of it last fall, the first-ever for the Bulls’ vaunted program.

The two friends have known each other since they attended third grade together at Wesley Chapel Elementary.

They were usually the two smartest kids in the class.

Kelvin says challenging A.J. was less of a competition, and more of a contest for both of them to conquer the hardest courses they could. Both were determined students, and sometimes, that can be the difference between good and great.

“I think we both have the same mentality that at some point, you have to take it into your own hands, sit down and do the work,” Kelvin says. “When people don’t feel like it, they go do something else, like their phone or play video games.

What separates people (like us) apart is we just sit down and don’t give up. You have a research paper due tomorrow, but you figure you’ll just go to bed instead? Stay up and do it.”

A.J.’s parents — Andy and Sylvia — couldn’t be more thrilled. They say that A.J. was a natural, driven more by being

WRH valedictorian A.J. Persaud, with his parents Andy and Sylvia, the day he won the honors.

the best version of himself than by satisfying anyone else’s expectations.

“As parents, we wanted Aidan to be a happy child, have friends and get good grades,” Sylvia says. “We did not put pressure on him to get the best grades or to over-achieve. We believe that was a product of self-motivation derived from his excellent teachers throughout his academic career, along with the friends/ classmates he has that constantly challenged him to be better.”

A.J. loaded up his class schedule beginning sophomore year by only taking

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Advanced Placement (AP) and dual enrollment (at Pasco Hernando State College) classes. He maximized his GPA with a challenging course load, and scored a perfect score of 5 in each of his 11 AP classes.

He still has three more to take, whenever and however that will be. A.J. says the College Board made big changes to the tests to deal with online learning brought on by the Covid-19 crisis, including eliminating multiple choice questions and requiring all answers be written out.

“The teachers still aren’t sure how that’s going to work,” A.J. says. “This is

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A.J. with his National Honor Society classmates after cleaning up trash on S.R. 56.

all unprecedented. It’s pretty crazy what it is happening.”

He also is unsure whether or not the coronavirus also will delay his college entry. He is considering Georgia Tech, Duke and Florida. Given his druthers, he’d like to study electrical engineering as a Yellow Jacket in Atlanta, but will have to see how the finances shake out. He says the school has great classes for his future major, as well as the opportunity to work at semester-long co-ops.

A.J. originally thought he might

study computer science in college, because he says he enjoys logical and analytical problem-solving concepts. He attended a few computer science camps with Kelvin — who has a 1950 chess rating by the way, just shy of the expert rating of 2000 — and in 2019, they placed third together at the annual Lockheed Martin Code Quest competition in Orlando.

The computer programming competition has teams of 2-3 students working together for 2.5 hours at 23 Lockheed Martin sites around the world to solve

various programming problems.

They were given what is known as an Arduino starter kit — a box of computer components to make various projects, sparking A.J.’s transition to electrical engineering.

He says his favorite class in high school was AP Calculus. His least favorite was AP Human History.

“That was the hardest course I have ever taken,” A.J. says. “My thing is, I like solving problems. If X happens, then Y will happen. Causation. In history, humans don’t follow that pattern. AP Calculus is the polar opposite. It’s logical.”

Outside the classroom, A.J. also made an impact. As the Secretary of WRH’s National Honor Society, he began the club’s partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation’s Adopt-A-Highway Program, and led three roadside cleanups on a 1.5-mile stretch of S.R. 56, collecting more than 400 lbs of trash.

A.J., an only child, was born in New York, but his parents moved to Wesley Chapel when he was just two. Andy is an accountant, while Sylvia works at the Moffitt Cancer Center.

Their son didn’t play sports growing up, but A.J. loved being a Boy Scout, joining in the sixth grade.

He achieved the prestigious Eagle Scout rank last summer.

“I came into Boy Scouts not really

knowing what a tree was, and grew into someone capable of surviving in the outdoors for a week. I learned a lot about leadership. That was a huge part of my life.”

He went on a week-long, 50-mile backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail, went whitewater river rafting on the Ocoee (Tennessee) and Nantahala (North Carolina) rivers, and is just as comfortable setting up a tent at a campsite as he is bunking in the trees with a hammock.

For his Eagle Scout project, A.J. recruited 20 of his friends to help put up eight bluebird boxes in his Westbrook Estates neighborhood off S.R. 54. Bluebirds, he says, are dying quickly, due to human development and invasive species — “they had no place to lay their eggs,” A.J. says, but last summer in his neighborhood, 40 baby bluebirds were born.

“The point is to make an impact,” A.J. says. “We provided a nice service.”

Teamwork, leadership and determination in and outside the classroom are characteristics that will serve A.J. well, his parents say.

“We are proud of what Aidan has accomplished thus far: Valedictorian at Wiregrass Ranch, Eagle Scout, National Merit Finalist and Project Mickey Tampa ambassador,” they say, “but we take the most pride in Aidan being a well-rounded kid, one who is sociable, empathetic and humble.”

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11

Marco Svolinsky Named Cypress Creek High’s Valedictorian Last year, Cypress Creek Middle High School named its first ever valedictorian.

The 2019-20 school year that is supposed to finish in May will be the school’s last before the middle school moves to its new, separate campus next door in the fall, and the high school will stand alone.

The class of 2020 Cypress Creek High (CCH)’s valedictorian is Marco Svolinski, who will graduate with a weighted GPA of 4.55.

“It’s a real privilege to receive that honor,” Marco says.

Marco is among the students around the country who are mourning the loss of many of their senior year traditions and celebrations, wondering if even their graduation ceremonies will even happen because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

“Everything’s at a standstill,” he says. “I used to work on weekends, but now restaurants are closed. I play soccer, but that’s frozen. Everyone talks about not liking school, but when you’re not there, you miss it.”

For now, his graduation speech remains unwritten, as he focuses on his transition to e-learning.

With uncertainty everywhere, students returning to CCH this spring seems to be nothing more than a remote possibility.

The time Marco did spend on campus made quite an impression at the school,

to be valedictorian of the class.

He says his favorite classes have included science and math, including participating in the school’s Engineering Academy, which gave him hands-on experience using computer coding and metal construction kits, mixing the theories of engineering with physical elements for hands-on, realworld experience.

He says he plans to study mechanical or aerospace engineering in college.

Marco been accepted into the University of Central Florida in Orlando and University of Florida in Gainesville, as well Marco Svolinsky as to Rochester Institute of Technology and Syracuse University in New York.

Carin Hetzler-Nettles.

At this point, he hasn’t completely de“Marco is more than an exceptional academic student,” says Hetzler-Nettles. “He cided where he’ll attend school in the fall.

He says he is leaning toward Syracuse, is truly an amazing human being. He has been a leader since moving onto our campus and plans seem to be aligning for him to attend there. The school has a strong in the creation of CCMHS. He is kind, aerospace engineering program and he was humble, dedicated, caring, and relentless in impressed with its facilities when he took a all his pursuits.” road trip there.

“I’ve always reached for the top,” He also knows that being that far away Marco says. “I’ve always tried to keep my from home, he’ll truly be on his own. grades up and be the best in whatever I’m “I’ll have to be pushing myself because doing. That’s who I am.”

I’ll only have me supporting me,” he says.

He says in high school, valedictorian “That’s daunting, as well as inspiring and wasn’t necessarily his goal, but he continmotivating.” ued always doing his best. This included He hopes to continue playing soccer taking 11 Advanced Placement classes over in college and was supposed to have an ofhis four years of high school. ficial visit to Syracuse this spring. However, It wasn’t until his senior year that he now that trip is cancelled, marking another realized his hard work put him in position though. His sophomore year, he was part of the first class of students at the school.

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disappointment where an exciting senior ritual should be.

Marco, a goalkeeper, played varsity soccer all four years of high school, and was captain for three of those years. The Coyotes finished 11-6-1, as Marco was part of the program’s first-ever Class 4A, District 6 championship (beating Nature Coast 1-0), and its first-ever Class 4A Regional playoff win when it knocked off Lakewood 5-4 on penalty kicks. Marco was in the net for both shutouts, his fifth and sixth of the year. The season ended with a 3-1 loss to Nature Coast in the District title rematch.

“We set a goal of playing on our home field,” he says. “We moved on to Regionals and won our quarterfinals on our home field.”

In college, Marco says he hopes to continue playing soccer, whether in the NCAA or even on a club team. “I love the sport and I really want to keep playing,” he says.

Marco is a natural leader. He says he likes to bring people together, which he did both on and off the pitch.

“Marco has been a tremendous student and an asset to Cypress Creek High School,” says Jena Ferry, the school’s assistant principal responsible for seniors.

“His drive and abilities are truly deserving of this high honor and we could not be more proud of his achievements.”

“He is going to make a big impact in this world,” adds Hetzler-Nettles.

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15

The QVita Health & Wellness Weight-Loss Program Really Works!

By GARY NAGER So, even though the novel coronavirus pandemic has stopped us from being able to officially weigh in every week, in the 10 weeks since Jannah and I first started visiting QVita Health & Wellness here in Wesley Chapel, I’ve lost 38 lbs. and Jannah (who had a lot less to lose) has lost 23.

By my new math, that’s more than 60 lbs. between us and the best news of all is that it really wasn’t nearly as tough to do as either of us expected.

QVita Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Board-Certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP-BC) Peggy Demetriou says that her weight-loss program is one that she’s been on pretty much her entire life, based on the Mediterranean or Dash Diet program, which she says has been shown to be among the healthiest food regimens in the business.

“The Dash Diet is much healthier than the Keto programs,” Peggy says. “It is still a low-fat program, whereas Keto diets want you to eat foods high in fats. Like Keto, our diet starts you out with very few carbs but allows you to slowly add good carbs, so it’s the kind of program that more people find easier to stay on longer-term.”

I wouldn’t argue with Peggy on which programs are the healthiest — she is of Greek descent and says that most Mediterranean people eat less (and healthier) food

16

Publisher Gary Nager and his wife Jannah together have lost more than 60 lbs. in 10 weeks on a medically-supervised weight-loss plan from QVita Health & Wellness off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. before they stopped being able to weigh in every week because of the Covid-19 pandemic. than the average American, but still get to enjoy the foods they love. All I can tell you for sure is that the program works.

Getting Started

Before you begin a weight-loss program at QVita, Peggy and her staff will take some blood and some measurements and discuss your medical history to set your baseline.

Since Peggy is a medical professional, you don’t have to go to your family doctor before starting on a QVita program, but she

certainly has no problem with it if you want to visit your doctor first.

When your blood tests come back and Peggy says it’s OK to proceed, the QVita staff will give you a shot of Vitamin B6 and B12, as well as a QVita-exclusive, natural appetite-supressing supplement (that is basically caffeine and some nutrients), a food journal and a copy of the first two weeks of the diet.

You start out basically eating very little — between 1,000 to no more than 1,500 calories per day — and little more than lean

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meats (included limited amounts of eggs), low-fat cheese and unlimited veggies. You can have things like artificially sweetened Jello, and maybe some nuts as snacks (I did drink a lot of coffee after meals, but I had to measure the amount of creamer I used), but I warned Peggy that I might blow the whole diet from the beginning without any bread, pasta or pizza for two weeks.

But somehow — maybe because I was so overweight to begin with, or because of the supplement, or because it started to work immediately without us dying of starvation — we were able to survive those first two weeks without killing each other.

Peggy says another reason it worked so well for us from the start is because we were in it together. We started eating as many meals together as possible and whenever we couldn’t, we tried to basically eat the same things. Jannah did a better job of keeping an exact journal of what we ate but considering that our numbers kept going down every week and we kept telling the QVita staffers (photo on next page; Peggy is third from the left) about the different recipes we kept coming up with, they said we didn’t have to keep journaling unless we hit a plateau we couldn’t beat or started gaining weight. Trust me, that never happened to us.

What did happen is that we basically re-set our bodies. After those first two weeks, the first piece of fruit I had as we started adding good carbs tasted as good to me in

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my head as a chewy brownie or an order of crispy French fries usually did.

And, not only did we come up with some great recipes — like the spicy grilled chicken with assorted veggies in the photo below (made with a bag of Pero vegetable medley and no-skin Costco rotisserie chicken) — we also made sure to select the healthiest options we could find, especially our carbs.

Living basically next door to Earth Fare, when it was still open, definitely helped, but one of the things we found there were breads and other delicious baked goods (like Jannah’s favorite low-car almond cookies)

from Sami’s Bakery, which is located on E. Busch Blvd. in nearby Temple Terrace.

Sami’s has two different kinds of surprisingly tasty bread with only 2 and 3 net grams of carbs per slice. Compare that with most Keto or even Ezekiel bread (12 net grams) and to us, it tastes even better.

Another key is definitely learning portion control. For example, the only kind of nuts I really like are pistachios and Costco has already-shelled pistachios that are 170 calories and 14 g of good fats for 49 pieces as a serving. But, I limited my intake of them as a daily snack to only 15 shelled pieces the first two weeks and only increased to 25 shelled pieces after that (or 85 calories and only 7 g of fat).

Another example is breakfast, which I absolutely need to have every day whether dieting or not. Yes, it took some getting used to only have one egg fried in Pam and one slice of the Sami’s bread (plus a side of raw

cherry tomatoes), but at least I love everything I do get to eat.

The bottom line is that Jannah has reduced by two dress sizes and I’m wearing pants that are two sizes smaller than what I wore in the “before” picture on the previous page — and we never felt that starvation feeling I’ve always felt on previous programs — even with prescription medication.

I now weigh the least I’ve weighed since 2006 and best of all (at least for me), I am now able to replace my Sami’s bread for breakfast with half a scooped-out, toasted real New York-style bagel from Bagels Plus on E. Fletcher Ave. and add 1-1/2 slices of real bacon. On the weekends, I’ve even been known to top it with one slice of Ultra-Thin Sargento cheddar or Colby Jack cheese!

Another great thing about this program is getting to work with Peggy and her amazing staff. Until Covid-19 shut us down, we’d weigh in every week, have our temperature, blood pressure and measurements taken, receive our B6/B12 injections and get to talk about our week of eating and exercising.

And, even though both Jannah and I were working out at least 2-3 days per week when we started the program on January 5, I had to stop for several weeks because I had two cataract eye surgeries and wasn’t allowed to do any strenuous exercise or lift more than 20 lbs. — and I still continued to lose.

Obviously, your results may vary, and you won’t be able to start a program at QVita until after Florida’s stay-at-home order is lifted, but I promise you it works, as evidenced by the photos on the previous page.

Telemedicine, Too!

In addition to those awesome weightloss programs starting at just $299 per person (plus a weekly office visit fee), QVita also usually offers a variety of cosmetic services, too, such as Botox, facial fillers, lip and cheek augmentations, skin tightening, facials, body contouring and fat dissolving and a whole laundry list of additional services (see the ad on pg. 28 of this issue).

In addition, Peggy also provides the full gamut of primary care services, although those services right now are only being offered through Telemedicine following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ stay-at-home order for Florida. “But, there are many medical issues we can take care of by looking at a patient through a computer,” says Peggy, who earned her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Nursing (BSN) degree in 1998 from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She says to please call the office number below if you have any questions.

Committed to promoting good health and fitness from a holistic perspective, Peggy also teams up with her physician husband Nektarios Demetriou, D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy), to offer patients QVita’s own line of physician-formulated natural nutritional supplements, such as QVita Premium Activated B-Complex, Premier Multi-Vitamin and Ultimate Joint Support.

Qvita Health & Wellness is located at 2734 Windguard Cir., Suite 101.

For more information, visit qvitahealthandwellness.com or call (813) 501-4130. Or, see the ad on page 28.

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17

The Specialists At AllergyTampa.com Can Help Alleviate Allergy Issues

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN It’s the height of the allergy season, and even amidst the coronavirus scare, Drs. Lockey, Ledford, Glaum, Cho and Pepper continue to see patients, while following all of the recommendations of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) & Prevention and taking precautions to protect both patients and staff.

“We have patients with severe asthma,” says Richard Lockey, M.D. “Without us, they would be in the hospital, where they would be at much greater risk.”

Keeping his patients healthy and out of the hospital is what medicine is all about, he adds.

The five doctors are a team of Board-certified allergists and immunologists found online at AllergyTampa. com. They all treat patients in private practice and also conduct research at the University of South Florida (USF) Division of Allergy & Immunology Clinical Research Unit (CRU). The private practice office and CRU make up the top floor of a medical building near the corner of E. Fletcher Ave. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

In addition to that main office, the practice also has offices in South Tampa (on Platt St.) and Citrus Park (on Gunn Hwy.). The physicians manage a variety

of disorders related to allergies, asthma and immunology, including food allergies, rhinitis (inflammation and swelling of the mucous membranes of the nose, often referred to as hay fever), cough, laryngitis, headaches and immune disorders. These specialists also treat allergic reactions and immune responses resulting in rashes and dermatitis.

Keeping people with asthma out of the hospital during the coronavirus scare is one thing, but Dr. Lockey emphasizes that in the many decades he has been practicing medicine, there has been a complete revolution in Dr. Richard Lockey of AllergyTampa.com, says that with the the way that people can revolutionary medical advances and medicines available today, no one should have to suffer from asthma. (Photo: Charmaine be treated.

In fact, he says, the medications that “Asthma is now are available today makes it so that no the most treatable of all chronic diseases known to humankind,” says Dr. Lockey. asthmatic should never have to suffer.

“That’s revolutionary in my life“If a patient today is getting appropriate time,” Dr. Lockey says. care, they should never end up in the He adds that he often sees patients ER for an asthma attack.”

who have suffered for years because they didn’t get appropriate or adequate care and they didn’t know better.

“That’s not necessary anymore,” Dr. Lockey says. “You might need different care, you might need to see someone who specializes in asthma, or you might need a different medication.”

He adds, “Many drugs that are currently used by asthmatics, we helped develop at USF in our clinical research unit.”

For some patients, like Dr. Lockey’s patient Scott Mercer, it’s a fairly new medication that helps them finally live life normally.

While Mercer says he spent most of his life taking steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine to control his asthma, Dr. Lockey put him on a newer medication more than 10 years ago.

“For years, I was in and out of the hospital, tried every study there was,” Mercer says. “But now, it’s like I can do just about anything anybody else does.”

Mercer says the way Dr. Lockey has treated his asthma has given him complete confidence in his physician.

“I trust him a lot,” Scott says.

“He’s the best doctor around.”

Patients Benefit From Research

What sets the practice apart from other groups is the relationship the

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doctors all have with USF. All of the doctors are not only researchers, but also USF professors who teach medical school residents and fellows. The group’s work is on the leading edge of new science in the field.

This partnership allows the doctors to provide the convenience of neighborhood medicine, combined with the experience of the academic setting.

“I love what I do,” says Dr. Lockey. “I love seeing patients and teaching and doing research — and we do all of those things.”

If a study is being conducted that could help a specific patient, the doctors can send that patient right down the hall to USF’s Clinical Research Unit to participate.

One study just recently led to FDA-approval of Palforzia. Palforzia is an oral immunotherapy that helps to mitigate allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, which may occur with accidental exposure to peanuts.

For someone who has a life-threatening allergy to peanuts, to be able to tolerate small amounts can relieve the constant fear of accidental contact with peanuts.

About The Doctors

Dr. Lockey founded the practice in 1984 as Academic Associates in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He earned his

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Doctor of Medicine degree from the Temple University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Lockey served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, then subsequently joined the faculty of the USF (now the Morsani) College of Medicine as a Professor of Medicine. He currently is the director of USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology. He also volunteers at the James A. Haley Veterans (VA) Hospital, where he was previously Chief of Allergy & Immunology.

Dr. Lockey also has served as president of the World Allergy Organization and is a past president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), of which all of the practice’s specialists are members.

Roger Fox, M.D., also had been with the group since its founding, but he recently retired.

Dennis Ledford, M.D., received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.

Like Dr. Lockey, he also is a past president of AAAAI. Dr. Ledford is the director of the Section of Allergy & Immunology at the James A. Haley VA Hospital. His published writings focus on immunology and autoimmune disorders and he has won many awards, including being installed to the Gold Humanism Honor Society for Medicine at USF. Mark Glaum, M.D., Ph.D., earned his

@NTWCNews

medical degree at the Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He completed a fellowship in allergy and clinical immunology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, also in Philadelphia. His areas of interest include how the body responds to substances that cause allergic reactions and advancing diagnostic techniques, such as rhinoscopies (examining nasal passages with specialized instruments).

Seong Cho, M.D., received his medical degree as an otolaryngologist — an ear, nose and throat specialist — from Kyung Hee University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea. His allergy and immunology training was completed at the

Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago, IL. Amber Pepper, M.D., joined the practice in 2018. Dr. Pepper earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from USF in 2013, then completed her residency in internal medicine in 2016 at USF, where she was in a once-weekly rotation at the practice. She then completed a fellowship at the practice through USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology.

To learn more about Drs. Lockey, Ledford, Glaum, Cho and Pepper, visit AllergyTampa.com or call (813) 971-9743. The main office is located at 13801 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite 502.

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19

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Neighborhood News

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Last issue, I ran down my Top-25 dining favorites in Wesley Chapel for you, so this issue, I’m going to give you my Top-25 dining favorites in nearby New Tampa, where this isn’t quite the proliferation of chain eateries as there are here, so I hope that whenever this Covid-19 situation improves, you’ll give some of these a shot.

But, having waited until after the coronavirus outbreak hit home here in Florida to give you my list of favorites for 2019 surely didn’t help matters any — other than you now have some interesting restaurants to read about while we’re sheltering in place — as several of the eateries listed on pages 22-25 of this issue had closed, at least temporarily, rather than be open for takeout and delivery only, per Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ order on Mar. 20.

Sadly, there’s noPARK doubt that some on this list may not be able to AVALON WEST weather this storm and may close permanently, although I certainly hope that won’t prove to be true. Until we get to the other side of this situation, however, please support as many of the still-open eateries on my list as you can. I know Jannah and I will.

I’m glad I got to sit down to a perfectly seared ahi tuna appetizer, a tender medium-rare filet, and a flavorful grouper piccata at my (and Why when you can have a beautifully updated 2014 home a serene premium ourbuildreaders’) favorite restaurant inonNew Tampa — Stonewood Grill & conservation lot located in the tranquil village of Avalon Park West. This 2,181 SF 4/2/2 plusTavern flex room hasin an open great room floor plan that is just what you are looking DeSantis for. The Tampa Palms — shortly before gave his order. kitchen provides for ample granite counter workspace, 42” cabinets, upgraded stainless steel appliances, walk-in pantry and an island with counter seating, all of which is open Asroom forto allow theforrest of my The New top-25, please read on! — GN to the great easy entertaining. masterTampa is spacious with an up to

GARY’S FAVES IN NEW TAMPA

date bath featuring granite counter, dual sinks, a walk-in shower and a huge 7x10 closet.

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STONEWOOD GRILL & TAVERN 17050 Palm Pointe Dr., Tampa Palms (813) 978-0388

E

ven though it hasn’t always been my #1 favorite restaurant in New Tampa, there’s no doubt that Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Tampa Palms has been near the top of my list since the day it opened nearly two decades ago.

Stonewood continues to serve the best (and best variety of) steaks (like the 9-oz. filet mignon pictured below) in New Tampa and it also offers a daily “market catch” (like the fresh grouper piccata, with sauce on the side and perfectly sautéed spinach, right) and other specials (like lollipop rib lamb chops...mmm) that have kept it a favorite of mine year after year.

New GM Matt Passardi — who previously ran the Grillsmith in the Shops at Wiregrass — and his staff usually also keep their guests happy at New Tampa’s most-happening bar scene, but of course, Covid-19 has shut down the bar and Stonewood’s elegant dine-in experience, at least for now. My suggestion? Get it to go while you can!

THE FAT RABBIT 16029 Tampa Palms Blvd.

City Plaza at Tampa Palms (813) 252-3004

T

*- Notes - Mahana Fresh & Lima both didn’t open until 2020, or they would have made this list. ** - Sukhothai, Vallarta’s (Tampa Palms), and Regina Margherita (previously called Chefs of Napoli) were all on this list before they all closed (with Regina Margherita closing two weeks before we went to press with this issue). And, El Pescador, which previously occupied Lima’s location in the New Tampa Center plaza, was in my top-50 before it closed.

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ACROPOLIS GREEK TAVERNA 14947 Bruce B Downs Blvd.

Oak Ramble Plaza (813) 971-1787

Although I spend a lot less time these days south of Tampa Palms on BBD, it never takes much to convince Jannah to go to (or take out from) Acropolis. Part of another successful Bay-area mini-chain, Acropolis features authentic saganaki cheese flambé and artichoke and spinach dip appetizers, a tender shish (filet) and chicken kabob duo, savory loin lamb chops and our favorite entrée — the thin, crisp, lightly fried Athenian fish pictured above. And, even though Acropolis doesn’t have a true Greek dressing, the Greek salad also is outstanding with its creamy Acropolis Greek dressing.

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he day The Fat Rabbit opened a few very short years ago, I was impressed with the look and feel of the place as a bar hangout, but I was thrilled when I sampled the food the first several times. Even though I’m not so much a wing aficionado as I am a foodie, many in our area agree that The Fat Rabbit has the best wings anywhere ­— blackened with a side of the Fat Rabbit cilantro sauce are my faves — as well as great burgers, “taters” (try the garlic sweet potato) and “grown up” grilled cheese. But, adding a Catch of the Week (blackened mahi-mahi above) moved the Rabbit way up on my list.

CICCIO CALI

T

17004 Palm Pointe Dr. Shoppes at The Pointe (813) 975-1222

he Ciccio Restaurant Group has created one of the most successful slates of local eateries in the entire Tampa Bay area, with concepts like Green Lemon, Daily Eats, Ciccio Water and Better Byrd (look them all up), but Ciccio Cali has been the only one in our area since Lodge closed in the former Ciccio & Tony’s location in City Plaza. I have always credited Ciccio Cali as the first to bring “bowl culture” to New Tampa. The menu has been simplified, with multiple “bowl style” options (the “Lean & Clean” with tuna is my fave), plus crisp-crust pizza and famous wrap sandwiches (the Cali Club is #1 with me).

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LAS PALMAS LATIN GRILL

BAYSCAPE BISTRO

FUSHIA ASIAN BISTRO

6431 E. County Line Rd. (813) 803-3903

Speaking of amazing fish, owner/chef Ramses Garcia serves our area’s flakiest, tastiest merluza (like snapper) a la Rusa, as well as award-winning Cuban sandwiches and traditional specialties like ropa vieja (shredded beef), picadillo (ground beef) and arroz con pollo (chicken & yellow rice), and I really love the steaks — palomillo (in sour mojo sauce, with onions), churrasco (skirt steak with chimichurri sauce) and sautéed vaca frita (crispy beef). But, the lechon asado (tender roasted pork), masitas (pork chunks) and special pork chops (above) are my faves. You can’t go wrong with Ramses’ wife Ana’s award-winning tres leches dessert, either!

at Heritage Isles Golf Club 10630 Plantation Bay Dr. (813) 994-3445

Former Wharton High culinary teachers Eddie and Lourdes Bujarski have created an impressive restaurant inside the Heritage Isles GC clubhouse. With a more extensive menu, Bayscape would finish even higher on my list, because it’s hard to beat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. There are great wings, burgers, salads and sandwiches, but my faves are the dinner “signatures” like country fried chicken and slowroasted, top round roast beef with brown gravy pictured above. It’s been a while since Jannah and I stopped in for dinner and Friday night karaoke, but the last time we were there during the week, the chef-made pasta bar was incredible.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 8 • April 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

Shoppes at Amberly, Tampa Palms 15317 Amberly Dr. (813) 903-6705

If you still haven’t tried Fushia, you’ve been missing one of New Tampa’s best-kept secrets. Fushia may not serve traditional New York-style Chinese food, but it features many dishes I love you won’t find anywhere else in our distribution areas. I’m partial to the pan-fried pork dumplings, but Fushia has a large menu of dim sum (served 11 a.m.-3 p.m. only) appetizers, plus all-you-can-eat Chinese hot pot and Korean BBQ, but my faves are the yang chow fried rice, the spicy yan jian pork, dry pot chicken and the beef with Chinese broccoli shown above. @NTWCNews

m a c g r c t s ( b w i “

-

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THAI RUBY

Shoppes at Amberly, Tampa Palms 15319 Amberly Dr. (813) 558-0570

As Thai restaurants go, Thai Ruby is the most beautiful Thai place in New Tampa and also has the best food, especially since Sukhothai closed a couple of months ago. The spring rolls, ginger chicken, the spicy Thai combination fried rice (with chicken, beef and pork), the Siam chicken, filet of grouper and soft shell crab are all top-notch and Thai Ruby may have the largest selection of veggie dishes you’ll find anywhere (I love the steamed broccoli with carrots, green beans and snow peas). But, this is the place I go when I have a craving for crispy duck, whether it’s the tender roast duckling shown above or the “fancy” duck with sweet & sour sauce.

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KOBE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE

LIANG’S BISTRO ASIAN CUISINE

FULL CIRCLE PIZZA

Pebble Creek Collection 19601 Bruce B Downs Blvd.

(813) 994-6600

For those who crave the teppanyaki (hiba-

chi) table experience in our area, you won’t find a better choice than Kobe. And, even though Jannah and I usually sit at the bar rather than share a table with families with young children, you get the same great meal, just without the show. Kobe definitely has the best-quality filet mignon, sirloin steak and chicken of any Japanese restaurant in our area, and you can even get pepper-crusted tuna tataki hibachi, as well as beautiful-looking surf-&-turf combos with lobster, shrimp and scallops that I (sadly) am not able to enjoy. The sushi is really good, too.

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SUSHI CAFE

GINZA

The Walk at Highwoods Preserve 18015 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy.

(813) 977-7800

6417 E County Line Rd. (813) 907-1688

@NTWCNews

Even though I prefer many of the entrées at Fushia a little more than the main dishes at Liang’s, there’s no doubt that this is a very nice, upscale Chinese (with other Asian options) restaurant with very good food. My favorite entrées are the steamed (with mixed veggies) or Liang’s crispy fish, the sizzling Shanghai steak and Sichuan chicken, but I love Liang’s for its New York-style BBQ spareribs, the teriyaki wontons and especially, the crispy egg rolls shown above.

The item Jannah and I take out most often, though, are Liang’s awesome sautéed string beans, but I order them in a spicy chili sauce, rather than the usual oyster sauce. So good.

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When you’re looking for the best value for your money in our area, I believe that Ginza For anyone who’s asking, for my money, has to be in that conversation, especially for Sushi Café has the best sushi in New Tampa or lunch Monday-Friday, which costs only $12.95 Wesley Chapel. With a huge assortment of sushi for adults ($6.95-$8.95 for kids 4-14) for all of rolls, including some truly unique options like the sushi, appetizers and entrées you care to eat. a Pacific fusion roll with spicy tuna, crunch, cu- Even at $21.95 for adults and $8.95-$12.95 for cumber and avocado on top, plus a wide variety kids for dinner, it’s a great value, especially when of sashimi, Sushi Café also has one of the best you consider the quality of the unlimited egg spicy tuna tataki appetizers in our area (photo). I and spring rolls, pan-fried pork dumplings and also really enjoy the “hibachi from kitchen” en- dishes like the spicy Mongolian chicken shown trées, like the filet mignon and chicken options, above (the Mongolian beef also is top-notch). even though (especially because?) there are no And, while Ginza’s sushi may not be quite as teppanyaki tables. I also recommend the crispy good as Sushi Café’s, I do enjoy Ginza’s white chicken katsu and chicken and veggie tempura. meat fish sashimi, California roll and others.

Neighborhood News

17515 Bruce B Downs Blvd.

(813) 978-1225

KOIZI ENDLESS HIBACHI & SUSHI Shoppes at The Pointe 17012 Palm Pointe Dr. (813) 971-1919

Anytime you get into a discussion with a

local about which endless hibachi and sushi restaurant they prefer — Koizi or Ginza — things can get a little heated. Koizi is $1 less for adults for lunch ($11.95) and dinner ($18.95) and it actually does have teppanyaki tables (above), I just have long felt that the quality of most items, especially the appetizers, is better at Ginza. Even so, the hibachi filet mignon, New York strip steak and chicken are all pretty good at Koizi and there is a great variety of sushi and sashimi available. The teriyaki and black pepper chicken are also pretty good options.

Pebble Creek Collection 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

(813) 994-3700

Don’t get me wrong...even though I find Full Circle Pizza’s deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza shown above very tasty, I’ll never say I like it as much as the New York-style pizza I grew up with. And, even though I know that deep-dish and thin-crust Chicago pizza is a big reason why many locals love Full Circle, I’m actually a much bigger fan of the other delicious menu items owner/chef Freddy Nova and his wife Julia have added since taking over the place in 2017. My favorites are the chicken and broccoli in garlic and oil and the meatball and chicken parmigiana subs.

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WOODFIRED PIZZA Palms Connection 2822 E. Bearss Ave. (813) 341-2900

The first woodfired pizza place to open in (or near) either of our distribution areas is known for its high-quality pizza ingredients, as well as owner Peter Taylor’s unique pizza names — like my favorite Pizza Raquel, which features house-made fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, grana padano cheese and olive oil, to which I usually add either pepperoni, fire-roasted sausage or Italian-style meatballs (Peter’s “carnivore” pizza has all three) and fresh spinach. The wood-fired meatball appetizer and wings also are delicious, and I’ve yet to sample the wood oven petite (4oz.) filet mignon, but the classic Caesar, Greek and iceberg wedge salads are excellent, too.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 8 • April 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

23

GARY’S FAVORITES (Cont.)

16

LITTLE GREEK

17

SAKE HOUSE

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OAKLEY’S GRILLE ISLAND FIN POKE CO.

New Tampa Center 19022 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

(813) 972-0707

Shoppes at Amberly, Tampa Palms 15311 Amberly Dr. (813) 977-3838

of eatery than Acropolis, Little Greek also has really good Greek food, as evidenced by the crowds that usually are on line (but always moving; great service!) during lunchtime. In addition to the only true gyro sandwiches (photo) and platters in New Tampa, this still-growing small chain (with around 30 locations in Florida and 50 total in six states), also features excellent steak, chicken, salmon and even lamb skewers, spanakopita, falafel, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and hummus and the only true Greek salad dressing in zip code 33647.

Japanese restaurant has previously been called Fong’s Sushi and Sushi Raw, but one thing has remained consistent through all of its incarnations — really good sushi (photo) and specialties like gyoza (pan-fried dumplings) filled with your choice of pork, chicken or shrimp, tempura (shrimp, chicken, beef, scallops, salmon, veggie or even tofu), and beef and chicken teriyaki. The seared tuna tataki appetizer is outstanding, and among my favorite rolls are the tuna trio (spicy tuna inside, red and white tuna on top) and the OZ roll, with fried grouper and spicy crabmeat.

owned by anyone with the last name Oakley in a few years, current owner Luca Ammirati is a native Italian who has added a number of specialties from his homeland, starting with authentic fried meatballs served with the tomato sauce on the side. The last time I was in Oakley’s, Ammirati had not yet added penne carbonara, lasagna or penne al ragu (meat sauce), but all three are now listed on his website, so I definitely need to stop in to try them. And of course, Oakley’s still has my favorite bacon cheeseburger (photo) and crisp fries (sadly not pictured) in New Tampa.

This newcomer (see ad on pg. 26), which was opened by former New Tampa residents Brenda and Jeff Sproat in late 2019, has established itself as the first Hawaiian-style createyour-own poke bowl place in New Tampa. I love the regular and spicy ahi tuna as my protein (I usually do two scoops of spicy and one scoop of regular), and there are unique options like spam, octopus, shrimp and tofu, plus veggie choices (like regular and spicy pickled veggies, edamame and corn), but as the Sproats say, the thing that sets Island Fin apart are the sauces. I really only need the OG and Island Fire marinating sauces... and an occasional Dole whip dessert.

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MR. DUNDERBAK’S

PETRA

GLORY DAYS GRILL

Although it’s a completely different kind

THAI LANNA & SUSHI Cross Creek Center 10022 Cross Creek Blvd.

(813) 991-0108

For those of you who don’t live off of

Cross Creek Blvd., Thai Lanna is another excellent (and pretty) Thai place that offers really good appetizers like the Thai spring rolls, panfried dumplings (bottom right in the photo) fried calamari and even fried eggplant. There are three kinds of crispy duck, with the volcano duck (with mixed veggies and sweet chili sauce) being my favorite. Try the crab fried rice! Thai Lanna also has really fresh sushi (cooked shrimp sushi and California roll are shown above), too.

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This unassuming little sushi bar and

Oak Ramble Plaza 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

(813) 977-4104

When the original Mr. Dunderbak’s was

in the University Mall, I thought it was a cool place for German food, even though I really only had roast beef and pastrami sandwiches there. The location on BBD (which has been around the last 15-20 of its 45 years in business) has a much more diverse menu, and I really enjoy German dishes like the crispy jagerschnitzel (available in veal or pork, both are great) shown above, and the kassler rippchen (pork chops).

I’m not a big beer drinker, but Mr. D’s biergarten has a huge selection and is always packed.

Great European chocolate selection, too.

17631 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

(813) 523-5075

Even though the restaurant hasn’t been

MEDITERRANEAN 17503 Preserve Walk Ln. (813) 898-8991

If you’ve ever had a hankerin’ (as I

sometimes do) for authentic beef shawarma hand-sliced off a rotating spit (photo), Petra is the place for you. Petra’s Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern menu includes a great sampler platter, which consists of fried kibbe, falafel, hummus, babaganoush and grape leaves, served with a side of tahini sauce. I also really enjoy the nabulsi fried cheese appetizer, the tabouli, fattoush and Greek salads, as well as the chicken shawarma and chicken and shish (cubed lamb) kebab sandwiches and the Petra mixed grill with shish, kufta (ground lamb) and chicken kebabs.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 8 • April 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

6417 E. County Line Rd. (813) 575-8002

17508 Doña Michelle Dr. (813) 513-7550

I told you last issue that when this, our distribution area’s first Glory Days Grill, opened a few years ago, replacing the popular Lee Roy Selmon’s, I wasn’t a big fan. However, after Jannah and I tried the new Glory Days on S.R. 54, we recognized that the menu had been greatly upgraded and we have visited both locations quite a bit since then. We love the zucchini fries appetizer shown above, as well as the steak rice bowl, the grilled and comeback chicken entrées, Boston chowda and the 1/2-lb. proprietary blend burgers. Glory Days also has two sizes (7-oz. & 10-oz.) of its tasty “1988” sirloin steak and a great sports bar atmosphere. @NTWCNews

L

GARY’S NEXT 25 FAVES

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THE BRUNCHERY

TAMPA PALMS GOLF & CC (TPGCC)

17507 Preserve Walk Ln. (813) 533-7271

For those of us who had been begging for a great breakfast place in New Tampa, owner Stanley Athan’s The Brunchery filled that void.

And, even though I prefer fried eggs over easy with crispy bacon to the scrambled egg breakfast shown above, this was such a pretty picture we decided to use it instead. The Brunchery also serves a selection of “Benedict” (poached egg) breakfasts, avocado toast, a lox (smoked salmon) platter, ultimate omelettes and an incredible variety of French toast options. I’m embarrassed to say Jannah and I haven’t sampled it for lunch yet, but it offers burgers, sandwiches (including tuna and grilled chicken melts) and salads.

(in alphabetical order)

All of these restaurants are very good, just not good enough (in my opinion) to make my Top-25 in New Tampa. I’m even admitting to liking some “fast food” places.-GN Al-Sham Palace Juice Factory Aroy Thai Minerva Indian Restaurant Bearss Tavern & Tap Mulligans Irish Pub (at PCGC) Burger 21 Olive Garden Cantina Mexican Grill Palm Thai PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub Cappy’s Pizza Deano’s Pizza & Pasta Saffron Indian Cuisine Don Julio’s Authentic Mexican Snowrolls Five Guys Burgers & Fries Steak n’ Shake Ho King Sushi Avenue Hummingbird Jerk House Taste of NY Pizza Hunter’s Green Country Club Westshore Pizza Jersey Mike’s Subs

5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.

(813) 972-1991

There was a time, like when I first purchased the Neighborhood News 26 years ago, when this beautiful club, Boston Cooker and Hunter’s Green Country Club were the only “real” restaurants open for dinner in New Tampa. But of course, you usually had to be a member to dine at TPGCC, so I really only got to eat there when I attended New Tampa Rotary Club breakfast meetings on Friday mornings — and that club still meets there every week! However, I will say that the times when I’ve gotten to have dinner at TPGCC, the food has always been pretty good, like the filet shown above.

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25

Taco Bus: Good Vibes, Good Food

By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com When Jillian and Chris Bruckner were looking for a small restaurant to add to their Tailgate Mart on the north side of S.R. 56, they wanted something new for the area, something unique and maybe something a little funky and cool.

Taco Bus fit the bill.

Three years later, the Bruckners are still happy with their choice. They say the Taco Bus, located just west of the Tampa Premium Outlets in the Shell gas station between Wawa and Walgreens, has been a hit as it has established itself in the Wesley Chapel-area community, going as far as to offer discounts to certain communities and neighborhoods on random days.

Like most Taco Buses, you can’t miss it — it looks like someone backed a school bus right through the wall and into the Tailgate Mart (photo), a signature look for the franchise’s locations.

“There’s always a risk when you’re opening a new business,” Jillian says.

“We kept our fingers crossed and so far, it has worked out.”

Jillian says the secret is the freshness and quality of the authentic Mexican food served by Taco Bus, which far exceeds what you might expect when you stop in at a gas station to pick up some

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tacos and empanadas.

At the time the location opened in 2018, there were few options touting themselves as authentic Mexican in the Wesley Chapel area.

The Taco Bus does typically offer limited indoor seating, which is obviously not available at this time although Jillian says the location’s takeout business has still been brisk, with its full menu and everything made in house right down to marinating the meat and cooking up the tortilla shells.

“Everything is made fresh,” Jillian says. “There is nothing we bring in that is already made. We cut up our vegetables daily, the pico de gallo and guacamole are all made daily and the meat is grilled fresh each day. Everything is done in house to give you a better product.”

Jillian says the recipes used for the tacos, burritos, quesadillas and other

Mexican delights are the same ones brought from Monterey, Mexico, by Chef Rene Valenzuela 25 years ago when he opened the original and most famous Taco Bus on E. Hillsborough Ave. in Tampa, in an actual converted school bus. The mini-chain now has 15 locations in Tampa Bay, including the Bruckner’s Clearwater location, and last month opened its first location in Sarasota.

Taco Bus’ street vendor taco vibe was featured on a special edition of the Food Channel’s “Man v. Food” in 2011, and also appeared that same year on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

Fieri had a chilorio torta (Mexican sandwich) and a butternut squash tortilla.

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It’s the same thing Chris ate when he met about buying a franchise. A telera roll, cut in half and warmed before getting slathered with refried beans, shredded pork (or whatever your choice of protein is), cabbage, pico de gallo, jalapeno strips, mayonnaise and cheese.

“He ate that, and decided he was signing on,” Jillian says.

The Food

What sold my brood were the empanadas (far right photo on next page), which my 14-year-old empanada aficionado said were the best he’s had (ending a bad run of empanada taste-testing at a variety of places). He preferred the

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ground beef, which had a flaky crust and just the right amount of filling, but he gave the portobello ranchero empanada a thumbs-up as well.

The steak quesadilla (above) was a hit with the 17-year-old. He likes it plain, so there was no hiding the taste of the meat with all kinds of toppings. Taco Bus passed the test — the steak-loving kid was the first one finished, praising the meat for its tenderness.

The twin grande tacos were, well, grande. In fact, we thought we had been given burritos instead, but no sir. Extralarge meant extra-large, and we filled one with marinated pork, which was my favorite protein of the ones we gorged on, and one with chicken (photo on previous page).

OFFERING TELEDERM

We also tried a bean and cheese burrito, which wasn’t our favorite but we probably should have gone with black beans instead of the refried ones. We ate all of it anyway.

The quesadillas, tacos and burritos (and every other menu item) can be stuffed with a number of different proteins. Taco Bus offers a wide variety — four different kinds of chicken (grilled, shredded, spicy and chipotle), two different kinds of pork (marinated and shredded), ground beef, steak, fish and shrimp.

The fish tacos, in fact, are made with beer-battered grouper and come highly recommended. Jillian says they are “ridiculously good” and one of the restaurant’s most underrated items. My wife is still mad at me for forgetting to order one.

Taco Tuesday (with Taco Bus’ $2 tacos), here we come.

And, for the vegans, Jillian says Taco Bus has a “humongous” following of meatless Mexican food lovers. There are plenty of options, like grilled portobello mushrooms with poblano peppers, onions and tomatoes in a spicy red salsa, butternut squash grilled with sweet red peppers and topped with queso cotija, textured soy protein seasoned and grilled and a Plant Fare, or grilled plant protein marinated with smokey chipotle.

We also tried one of Taco Bus’ newer items, the Elote Mexican Street

Corn. To be fair, grilled corn on the cob with just butter and salt already is pretty much the perfect food, but Taco Bus tops it with smoky chipotle sauce, Cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. If you enjoy smoky chipotle, you’ll like this.

Taco Bus has specials every day of the week, and since we ordered on a Monday, we were able to cop an order of Papos — a plate of chips loaded with Mexican rice, a protein of your choice (we went with the marinated pork; it was delicious), cabbage, tomatoes and queso — for $2 off the regular price.

Does that sound like a lot of food? I did mention the two teenage boys, right?

So, for dessert, we had to try the sopapillas — puffed pillows of fried dough topped with cinnamon sugar and a bit of honey. It was a sweet beginning to our daily quarantine food coma.

Though business is down due to the coronavirus, Taco Bus is still doing takeout.

In fact, we ordered our food from the parking lot after shopping at Costco, and when general manager Pedro Ramos told us it would be ready in five minutes, my wife and I looked at each other and just smirked.

But sure enough, after driving directly across S.R. 56 and parking, Ramos had our order ready to go.

That kind of service extends beyond the Taco Bus kitchen. Jillian and Chris offer 20-percent-off orders from first responders and active military, and last week

helped feed the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The week before that, they fed the emergency room at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz, as well as at Morton Plant near their Clearwater location.

“We like to get out in the community,” Jillian says. “They have been giving us a lot of support, and we like to do the same. We love the fact that we are able to give back.”

For a list of the daily specials at the Taco Bus located at 25195 S.R. 54, make sure you follow the location’s Instagram page @tacobuslutz. For takeout orders, call (813) 949-4012, order online at Taco-Bus. com/stores/tacobus-lutz/ or call Uber Eats or Door Dash for delivery. Also, see the ad on pg. 28 of this issue for some great Taco Bus specials.

Aparna Ambay, MD

Board Certified Dermatologist

Jennifer Harb, MD

Board Certified Dermatologist

Transformations Building 2441 Oak Myrtle Ln #101, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544

Neighborhood News

Wilderness Commons 7040 Land O' Lakes Blvd #101, Land O Lakes, FL 34638

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27

N

Nibbles&BusinessBytes The Latest & Not-So-Great News In Dining, Shopping & Business In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!

Coronavirus Delays Openings

As if the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic wasn’t already wreaking havoc with our lives, what with schools, restaurants, businesses and beaches closing in Florida (and almost all U.S. states now on lockdown), here’s a little more sand being kicked in our faces: All of the businesses shown on this page are located in or adjacent to Wesley Chapel and all are still under construction. Some were expected to open by the time this issue reached your mailbox, while others were weeks or months away, even before the coronavirus hit the U.S. But now, who knows when any of these great, highly anticipated businesses will open?

(Moving clockwise from the top left photo) Wesley Chapel’s Aldi supermarket might even be open by now if not for the outbreak. Equally close-looking to opening (even going so far, at one point, as to start looking for employees to train) is Main Event Entertainment, located east of the Tampa Premium Outlets on the south side of 56. Perhaps not quite as close to being completed, but not too far behind, is Rock & Brews Restaurant (owned in part by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the rock group KISS), which is located in front of Main Event with frontage on 56. Meanwhile, directly across 56 from those two is a new plaza that will someday be home to Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill (as well as the Woof Gang Bakery for dogs and the European Wax Center).

North of 56, the Krate Container Park at The Grove (above) and Mainsail Development’s Marriott-branded Residence Inn both received approval from the Pasco Board of Commissioners to begin construction.

Yes, the Wesley Chapel area has a lot to look forward to. Now, we all just need to stay healthy waiting for it all. — GN

W S e r r e L f

D C n d w F Y t

D b w c E C

T y s y c f m

A m Y B w u P t

R S c w c e N w

Only at the Lutz location.

Cannot be combined with any other coupons or offers.

C p a s E c a p

Vegan, Vegetarian, & Gluten Free Options Taco Bus proudly delivers a healthy, fresh authentic Mexican taste experience to our Florida fans. Just one bite of a burrito, tostada or quesadilla and your taste buds will be singing traditional Mexican folk songs.

25195 State Rd 54, Lutz, FL 33559 • 813-949-4012 (Inside the Shell gas station)

www.Taco-Bus.com

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New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HOME IMPROVEMENT

WESLEYCHAPELPRESSUREWASHING.COM Soft pressure exterior house cleaning, screen enclosures, pool decks, driveways, sidewalks, fences, roofs, paver sealing and deck staining. We clean everything. No job too big or small. Experience the difference when you hire a pressure cleaning professional.

Licensed and insured. Owner operated. Call for a free estimate or visit our website. 813-433-6015.

DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURE CLEANING Complete exterior cleaning of your home or business with a professional & personal touch. - Pool decks and screen enclosures - All fencing/ driveways and walkways/roofs - Gutter and downspouts.

Find your happiness in a fresh, bright clean home.

Your neighbors will love you for it! All work guaranteed. Licensed and insured. Call 813-215-1177.

DRY WALL SPECIALIST. Not a handyman. Affordable Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings and walls, retexturing, popcorn removal, room additions, cracks, holes, plaster and stucco repair. 26 Years Experience. Wesley Chapel resident. State Certified.

Call Ron for free estimate: 813-784-5999.

TJ’S PRESSURE WASHING LLC. Did your HOA send you a letter ordering you to clean your driveway, house, screened enclosure, fence or even your roof? However, you’re too busy or too tired to clean it. Call or Text TJ, a current 20-year Sheriff’s Department veteran and a professional exterior home cleaning expert. You can trust me with your investment. Call or Text: 727-808-7775.

AMBLER ENTERPRISES Home Improvement. Call James at 813-385-6402. 30 Years Experience. Specialist in Kitchens & Bathrooms. Referrals upon request. All interior work: Drywall, Texture Paining, Doors, etc. Use us once & you won’t need to look elsewhere.

Please Google us if you would like to see pictures: Wesley Chapel Ambler Enterprises.

RAYMOND PAINTING. Exterior & Interior Services. Exterior: Painting, pressure washing, clean & seal pavers, stucco, roofing, leaks & wood rot repair. Interior: Painting, plastering, ceiling & wall repairs & tiles. Licensed & Bonded. References available. Free estimates. Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call 813-994-5124.

CHARLES POPPE ELECTRIC. Electric of all kinds pools, spas, service changes, new circuts, low voltage, repairs, upgrades, changes to existing, trouble shooting, GFCI performance testing, generators.

Expert in the field - over 40 years experience. Discount 50% off labor for senior citizens! Licensed and Insured Master Electrician EC 13002399 - free phone estimates. Call 813-477-9068.

Classifieds

HOME IMPROVEMENT

DALE’S HOME MAINTENANCE Pressure washing, screen repairs, garage cleaning & organizing, shelving, re-grout tile and caulking, and more. Call: 813-727-2582.

CLEANING SERVICES

B CLEANING SERVICES: Over 18 years experience!

Commercial and Residential; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house and post-construction clean-up; Window cleaning; Move-in or move-out cleanings; Pressure washing; FREE estimates; References available. Call today: 813-531-0154 or e-mail: bcleanings@hotmail.com D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE We have our own supplies and more than 400 clients in New Tampa!

For more info, Call 813-758-9710.

MISCELLANEOUS

CARING HEART, LLC. Private duty nursing care.

Personal caregiver, personal assistant, post hospital/rehab care, helping hand; medical appointments, shopping, light cooking/cleaning, moving assistance packing/unpacking/ organizing, pet care. For info, call or text 813-361-6439.

ELITE RIDES. Private Rides in a 2020 Tesla!

Plus, Concierge Services. Airport, School, Medical Appointments, Shopping. Courteous, Reliable, Professional. New Tampa to Tampa Airport: $35.00 One-Way. 24/7. Call/Text: 813765-2037. Cory Lake Isles Resident.

GET $500 TOWARDS CLOSING COSTS... when you buy a NEW CONSTRUCTION HOME with Florida Homes with Geri at Epperson OR Mirada.

Schedule a PRIVATE TOUR of both Communities by a Resident Realtor. Join @LifeAtTheLagoon with @RealtorGeri Call/Text 813-609-0966. Connect with me on Instagram & Facebook.

TREE SERVICE

FITZPATRICK’s TREE SERVICE. 25-years of Professional Service. Licensed & Insured. Free Estimates. Tree Trimming & Tree Removal. Stump Grinding. Dead-Wood Removal. Affordable Rates.

24-Hour Emergency Storm Service. Free Mulch.

Call 813-495-9541 or 813-788-TREE.

COMMERCIAL SPACE AVAILABLE

1,850 sq.ft. Commercial/Medical Space Available to Lease. Address: 24420 SR 54, Lutz (in the MediWeightloss Building). For more info, call 813-293-4377 or email: gwillett@mediweightlossclinics.com.

HELP WANTED

Plastic surgery practice in Wesley Chapel/New Tampa area is seeking a motivated, friendly Medical Assistant to work full time in both front office and back office capacities.

Candidate must be professional, reliable, and familiar with computer software. Please send your resume and a cover letter with your qualifications for the position to TampaPS@gmail.com.

LAWN & LANDSCAPING

_

NTLC Property Maintenance. Residential & Commerical lawn maintenance for New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. Sprinkler repairs, tree trimming, mulching, landscaping & clean-ups also available.

Licensed & Insured. CALLBILL @ (813) 973-3825.

A.T.B. Landscaping & Lawn Service. Licensed and insured serving the Tampa Bay area over 20 years. Family owned and operated. Quality work at affordable prices. We provide services in gutter clean-out, screen repair, pressure washing and sprinkler repair. Landscaping and property maintenance including: sodding, trimming trees and hedges, and clean ups. Other services are available. CALL 813-907-LAWN (5296).

Jasmine Landscaping, Inc. Complete lawn maintenance: Tree, palm & hedge trimming, planting, mulching, stones, sod replacement. Gutter cleaning, leaf removal & more. Cited by your HOA? Ask about our HOA Compliance Special, our Fall/Spring Special & FREE ESTIMATE! Licensed & insured.

Accepting new residential & commercial accounts.

We accept Visa, MC, PayPal, Zelle, AmExp. Call or text 813-420-4465. Now hiring full-time workers.

HEAVY HITTER LAWN CARE: Veteran owned and operated lawn care maintenance service, focused on lawn mowing, trimming, edging and blowing (flexible with extra services). Well maintained and professional laborer ensuring customer satisfaction and on-time cuts. Rain or shine, the quality and schedule will be kept. Licensed and Insured. Call or text 678-673-7856 for your FREE ESTIMATE.

COMPUTER/BUSINESS SERVICES

PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT in your home or small business. A+, Certified computer tech with 20 years exp. Maintenance and Repairs, Upgrades and Tutoring. More affordable than large chains!

Friendly, personalized service. Technical jargon explained. Remote assistance available. References available. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate.

DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, Installation, Networking & Virus Removal. WE COME TO YOU! Residences & Businesses, more than 25-Years Experience. Contact Jeffrey Blank at 813-973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or email Wsica@wsica.com.

POOL SERVICES

ALLSTARPOOLSOFTAMPABAY.COM. Pool cleanups, & acid washing of old pool finishes. Marcite, quartz & pebble finishes from $3K. We offer cool decking, Eurocrete & paver decking options. Paver, river rock sealing, leak detection & in-ground vinyl liner replacements avail. We sell quality salt & ozone generators, pumps, motors & filters.

Mention this ad for a $79 pool service (restrctions apply).

Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel since 1990. Call or text 813-244-7077 or visit AllStarPoolsofTampaBay. com. Also, see our display ad below for more info.

TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE. New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!! Call or Text Chris today @ 813-8575400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com. New customers get ONE MONTH FREE!

NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS Wesley Chapel owned & operated since 1999. Weekly service. No long term contracts. Mention this AD for one-month Free service. Call 813-907-7322 for details or text Joe at 813-758-7608.

AQUATEC POOL SERVICE has been keeping pools clear & swim-safe since 1994. WE DO POOLS RIGHT! Commercial & Residential. CPO #33-303052 Licensed & Insured. Service guarantee. Call 813-312-5694 TODAY and get ONE MONTH OF QUALITY SERVICE FREE. www.aquatecpool.com.

FITNESS & WELL BEING

Break It Down Productions. Customized Private Yoga Sessions with Susanna Jones. Develop strength and flexibility, while learning how to breathe and relax.

I specialize in working with beginners and those requiring a more gentle approach than most group Yoga classes. I explain everything, and provide variations so that you actually feel good in the stretch instead of strained. Gift certificates available. www.breakitdownproductions.com or Call (813) 802-8393.

Have a Ball! (or, get down to business)

PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHER AVAILABLE Retired Professional Photographer (45+ years experience) in the Tampa Bay area. Corporate Events, Personal Occasions, Portraiture, Pets, Commercial Photography & Real Estate.

Reasonable rates. Ask me about “Front Porch Portraits,” taken from the safety of your front porch, FREE OF CHARGE! Great for Families, Children, Pets & more! Call or Text (813) 748-3901 or Visit: russellleprephotography.com.

Tampa-Wesley Chapel

26640 Silver Maple Pkwy Wesley Chapel, FL 33544 TampaWesleyChapel.HGI.com

CLEANING SERVICES

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Still smoker friendly!

• Full Liquor Bar! • Watch all the games here!

• Karaoke & Entertainment

(813) 973-8336 27429 County Rd 54 Wesley Chapel, FL 33544

Protect your children and pets with Tampa Bay’s only organic monthly fertilization and pest control • Courteous, friendly customer service • Monthly service from $40 per month • State licensed spray technicians • Organic/natural fertilizers • On-time service • Amazing results • No contracts • Special discounts on irrigation repairs and inspections

Organic Safe Lawns COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL

813.393.9665

WWW.ORGANICSAFELAWNS.COM

......iaila

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Direct-Mailed to 25,000+ Homes in Zip Codes 33543, 33544 & 33545

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Northwood Palm Cove Pinewalk Pine Ridge Quail Hollow Saddlebrook Saddleridge Estates Saddlewood Estates Neighborhood News

Seven Oaks The Ridge Watergrass Williamsburg The Lakes at Northwood Villages ofWesley Chapel Wesley Pointe Westbrook Estates @NTWCNews

Your Trusted Source for Coronavirus Care Nothing is more important to us than you.

We’re here to care for you, ease your mind and lift your spirits. Our medical expertise and network of care can help you meet your health challenges, hurdles and hardships.

With hope. With courage. With confidence.

Today, tomorrow and in the future, we are here when you need us the most.

For the latest information, visit CoronavirusResourceHub.com.

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No matter what you may have heard... the Real Estate Market is still going strong in our area.

Demand is still HIGH. Interest Rates are still LOW.

SELLING or BUYING...there may never be a better time.

To learn more about how real estate will be impacted visit

www.ChrisHenryRealty.com/WC

SCAN WITH YOUR MOBILE DEVICE

Stability in Uncertain Times CHRIS HENRY Realtor, Senior Sales Associate

(813) 917-1523 / Chris@ChrisHenryRealty.com 32

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