Catching Up With (Former) Mayor Bob Buckhorn!
By Gary Nager
by Charmaine George
Former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn (photo) says that being the mayor of the 49th largest city in the U.S. (by population) is, “the only job I ever wanted.”
Buckhorn admits he was sad when term limits took him out of the job six years ago (when Jane Castor, who is coming up on her two-term-limit herself in 2027, took over), but during an exclusive recent interview with the former mayor, Buckhorn said he is seriously considering another run at the office, which he called, “maybe the worst-kept secret in town.”
Buckhorn first got into government work when he served as the special assistant to then-Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman during her two terms (1987-95). During that time, he lost a Democratic primary for the District 60 State House seat to Carol Palomino by 554 votes. Then, in 1995, he was elected to the Tampa City Council, where he served two terms under former Mayor Dick Greco (who served as mayor from 1967-74 and again from 1995-2003).
In 2011, Buckhorn won the first of his two terms as mayor when he succeeded Pam Iorio (who also served two terms, from 2003-11), defeating fellow City Council member Rose Ferlita and Greco.
Photos
Photo by Charmaine George
Presenting: The ‘Neighborhood Newsmakers’ Podcast!
An Editorial by GARY NAGER
My B.S. degree in Broadcast News from the University of Florida never did much for me in terms of jobs in the broadcast field.
Oh, I had my own radio and TV advertising agency before I purchased this publication, and I had my own “The Leisure Man” radio show on two stations in Westchester County, NY, right before I moved to Florida. I even attempted to sell a “Ring Magazine TV Show” with myself and my former editor at Ring Randy Gordon as co-hosts to NBCTV in the mid-1980s. My ultimate goal after college was always to provide programming for radio and TV, but when those opportunities didn’t come for me, I did the next best thing I could to support my family — I bought the Neighborhood News — and the rest, as they say, is history.
But, that itch to do something in the realm of broadcasting never waned for me. Back in 2018, we were one of only 23 U.S. and 86 worldwide news media outlets to receive an investment of capital from Google to expand our online news and we did just that — churning out two videos per week for most of 2019. But, when Google didn’t renew that grant, I never reached my goal at that time of having an ongoing news “channel” on Google-owned YouTube.
So since then, my itch to provide broadcast programming, in addition to what we do every two weeks in print and provide every day online, has continued to go mostly unscratched.
Until now., that is. When North Tampa Bay Chamber president Hope Kennedy invited me to be the first-ever guest on her new “Chamber Chatter” podcast (as we reported a few months ago), I got so broadcast-itchy that I felt like I needed “an ocean of Calamine lotion.” I asked Hope if the amazing Emorys Rock Realty podcast studio at the NTBC’s new office in The Shops at Wiregrass was available for others to produce their own podcasts and when she said it was, the idea for my new “Neighborhood Newsmakers” podcast was born.
My intent with the podcast is to supplement what we do in these pages and online with longer-form interview opportunities with the people making news in and around New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. My goal is to feature elected officials, governmental staffers, developers and anyone else making news in our community.
And yes, we also plan to include some dining segments on the podcast and you can expect more than just one-on-one interviews in every episode of “Neighborhood Newsmakers.”
A case in point is the first episode, which is available on our “Neighborhood News” Facebook page as you’re reading this issue. It features Live Oak Preserve residents Jason and his son Karson Centeno, who were two of the nine locals I selected from around 50 applicants to judge our “Neighborhood News Chicken Tenders Contest,” where PDQ won for Favorite Mild and Chickfil-A won for Favorite Spicy Tenders.
Jason, Karson and I had a few laughs about the format of the contest and about what future taste-test contests the Neighborhood News could sponsor — from tacos to pizza, Cuban sandwiches and more. I’ll keep you posted on all of that.
Upcoming Episodes
As for what to expect on future episodes of “Neighborhood Newsmakers,” the second episode will be an interview with Michael Pultorak, the local Realtor® and “Connected City” resident who has organized the Pasco Connected City Residents Group on Facebook and who has become a strong voice speaking on behalf of those residents at Pasco Board of County Commissioners and Planning Commission meetings.
Michael is a unique, wellprepared guy and there are many people hoping he will run for
elected office in the future.
I also have invited local author and educator Madonna Jervis Wise, whose book Images of America: Wesley Chapel is the definitive history of the fastestgrowing community in Florida.
There also are invitations out to Pasco commissioners Seth Weightman and Ron Oakley, Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, some local developers and a few possible surprises.
If you or someone you know is a local newsmaker, please email me at ads@ ntnneighborhoodnews.com.
New Tampa Neighborhood News
OUR MAILING ADDRESS: 27251 Wesley Chapel Blvd., # 426 Wesley Chapel FL 33544
OFFICE HOURS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY!
Office Phone Number: (813) 910-2575
Advertising E-mail:
Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com
Editorial E-mail:
EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com
Publisher & Editor/Ad Sales Gary Nager
Correspondents
Celeste McLaughlin • Iris Vitelli
Joel Provenzano
Editorial Research by Joel Provenzano
Ad Sales/Marketing Director Jannah Nager
Lead Video Producer/Multimedia Specialist
Charmaine George Graphic Designers
Georgia Carmichael • Valerie Wegener
Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s opinion.
The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 33, Issue 21, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Thursday, October 2, 2025.
New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates.
New Tampa Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials.
New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject any advertising. New Tampa 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.
© 2025 JM2 Communications, Inc.
(L.-r.) Live Oak Preserve residents Jason & Karson Centeno, who helped judge the “Neighborhood News Chicken Tenders Contest,” were editor Gary Nager’s first guests on Gary’s new “Neighborhood Newsmakers” podcast.
“We have opened a PAC (political action committee), but I haven’t officially filed yet, so I’m not yet officially a candidate,” former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn told Jannah and me as we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Lima Peruvian Cuisine on Aug. 29. “I probably won’t file until after the first of the year (2026), but it depends on what happens. We’re still 19 months away, so I’m going to use this time to get around and reconnect with people and identify things that have changed since I left office in 2019 — of which there’s a lot. Let’s just say that the reaction so far has been very positive.”
He says that some of the challenges are, “because of our success. We completely reversed a lot of what the city was facing when I came in.
“I was here when we annexed this — from Day One of cutting the ribbons at Tampa Palms and Hunter’s Green. I knew Ken Good and Jim Apthorp (who developed Tampa Palms), so I know the whole history [of the New Tampa area] and what it took for us to get here. This area has become a vibrant, important part of our city.”
“Gary, you were my rabbi, my sensei that I could call and ask what’s going on up here and you’d always know the inside scoop. We were like brothers in arms.” He remembers “being booed when I cut the ribbon on that New Tampa Gateway Bridge in West Meadows,” even though now the people who live on both sides of that bridge now can’t imagine not having it.
Mayor Bob also remembers the 2019 debate between then-City Council candidate Luis Viera and his opponent, Dr. Jim Davison, when I asked them both, as one of the moderators
of that debate, what they thought about New Tampa de-annexing from the City of Tampa and annexing into its own city. Viera said he was running for City Council and had no interest in de-annexation, while Davison said he would “have to look into it once elected.”
“That’s what got me involved in that race,” Buckhorn recalls. “When he [Davison] started talking de-annexation, I said I’m all in for Luis and will throw whatever support and weight I can to help him get elected.” Viera won by 65 votes.
Buckhorn was in his last year as mayor when the city broke ground on the expansion of the New Tampa Recreation Center. “And then, Luis got the All-Abilities Park funded after he first got elected,” Buckhorn recalls. “That was his baby, but it also was a big deal for the city. Luis is a good man. His heart is always in the right place.”
Part of the reason he decided to try to get his old job back, he says, is because, “Tampa was on such a trajectory as a city when I left office. We completely reversed the out-migration of our young people, where we had become a ‘donor city’ to places like Charlotte (NC) and Austin (TX). Now, Tampa is a magnet for young talent.”
He adds, “Now, when you walk around downtown and see what Water Street has become, what that partnership with [Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff] Vinik has done there — that’s part of getting us to that next level.”
Buckhorn says that connecting Tampa’s “urban core” will hopefully be part of his next administration. “How Water St. Phase 2 will connect to Channelside and then to Gasworx, with what Darryl Shaw is doing in Ybor City. And then finishing the Riverwalk on the west side and connecting Tampa Heights to where Armature
Works is at the Hillsborough River. The completion of the original portion of the Riverwalk already transformed our city in ways that you can’t even imagine. I knew that if we started to focus on the waterfront as our best asset, that other things would follow. If you look at the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been invested, we are becoming a livable, walkable, 18-hour-a-day environment that will stretch from downtown to all the way around the urban areas.”
Buckhorn also notes that, “The good thing is that downtown has largely taken on a life of its own. It doesn’t need me pushing that boulder up the hill like it did before. So now, we have the opportunity to really expand our horizons, our view, throughout the rest of the city and really connect all of the dots.”
He adds, however, that, “We’ve got some challenges as the result of that growth — traf-
fic, obviously, is a big issue and always will be our Achilles heel until we can get a dedicated revenue source. And then, there’s issues of infrastructure, like stormwater, road repairs and potholes. But, you can never lose sight of those basics as mayor, because those basics impact people’s lives on a daily basis.”
And, speaking of those basics, he says, “We have to do something about the permitting process in the city, which is in dire need of help. I fixed that process in 2011 when I first got in, but I guess we’re going to have to come back in and sort of re-do it.”
He also notes that it also will be a priority for him to, “Start driving that narrative again to compete on a global basis for corporate relocations and [bringing] jobs, with technology and keeping our young people from moving away again. So, we’ve got some more chapters
When former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn was serving his second term in office, he visited Chiles Elementary in Tampa Palms. (NN file photo from 2016)
to write. This city’s really only just beginning to realize its full potential.”
He also says he figured he had, “another two tours left in me. They can’t turn my hair any whiter — that’s already happened — and so, all I can say is ‘Let’s go!’”
What About Light Rail?
“Downtown will always be the heart of any city,” Buckhorn says, “but in order to connect the rest of Tampa to it, we do need light rail. Brightline (the privately-owned, eco-friendly intercity rail system now connecting Miami to Orlando) has been a client of mine (in his job working for Shumaker Advisors, a lobbying and public affairs firm) over the last couple of years, so I’m already kind of neck-deep in it. But, once Brightline comes in, you have to find ways to connect the Brightline station to other things in our city. You can’t, in an urban area, rule out light rail or mass transit. I know that some of our friends at the county think [mass transit] is a UN [United Nations] plot, but it’s important to start connecting where people live to where they work — that’s the next iteration of what our city could look like.”
But, of course, one of the most difficult challenges for Buckhorn will be to connect New Tampa to everything happening in “old” Tampa.
“We’re going to have to go back to a referendum again at some point, for a dedicated transportation revenue stream, because you can’t do these big public works projects without the ability to issue debt. You can’t pay as you go, because you’re never going to have enough money to be able to do it.”
He calls the Florida Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the county’s transportation tax referendum a “pretty political decision. I just
hope that people will realize that without a similar referendum, we’re never going to be able to fix this transportation problem. But, it’s never really gotten the focus, the full weight of all of the political players, that it needs to be successful.”
As for what’s needed from the city in New Tampa, Buckhorn is still hopeful to work with Pasco County officials once he gets elected, to finally connect Kinnan St. to Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe, get some sort of additional emergency medical service for K-Bar Ranch and get the now-being-designed city park in K-Bar built.
As for why Viera has so far been unable to get that additional EMS service for K-Bar, Buckhorn says he doesn’t know, but he speculates that it may be because Viera has, “consistently sided with the [firefighters] union, which puts him at odds with the chief [Tampa Fire Rescue Chief Barbara Tripp], which at times also has put him at odds with the administration. Hopefully, there will be a different way to skin that cat when we get back in office. There needs to be a less contentious relationship between the fire chief and the union because it’s bad now.”
He also says, “There is nothing but opportunity for us. I thought when I left that I was finished. I went out with sky-high poll numbers. It was the only job I ever wanted and I did what I said I was gonna do, and it was time to go home. But, I still wake up just as excited everyday about what we could do and what Tampa could be.”
Buckhorn also wondered if the Hillsborough County portion of Two Rivers — the massive development just east of New Tampa in Hillsborough and Wesley Chapel in Pasco, could be annexed into the city. “Annexation is why New Tampa is part of the city. Maybe it could help us grow again.”
To be continued.
Stop The Rumor Mill! Here’s What’s Coming To The Hub!
The Hub At Lexington Now Has 13 Confirmed Tenants, With Just A Couple Of Spaces Still Available. Here’s The List!
By Gary Nager
Remember how excited you were when The KRATE at The Grove container park first opened? Get ready for a similar feeling, as The Hub at Lexington — which is being developed by the same group that built The Hub at Bexley off S.R. 54 in Land O’Lakes — is bringing something “far beyond” the usual strip retail plaza, according to Courtney Bissett-Hayes of Center Connect Development.
“We currently have thirteen tenants confirmed for The Hub at Lexington,” Bissett-Hayes says, “and we have just a couple of spaces still available.”
Nine of the confirmed tenants are restaurants and/or beverage providers, along with one golf simulation business called The Clubhouse, a barber shop called Headlines, the Lexington Nail Lab and Suncoast Charging, an Electric Vehicle charging “experience.”
On this page is a collage of the logos of eleven of the 13 tenants, with two of the restaurants (both marked with an [*] in the collage) — La Creacion Bistro and Island Grill — not having logos available at our press time.
“The Hub at Lexington will be a great, upscale place for families to dine and enjoy,” Bissett-Hayes says. “With nine artificial trees providing a large shaded area.”
So yes, the wait is finally almost over. The Hub At Lexington, which we first told you about nearly two years ago, is finally almost ready to unveil this 40,000-sq.-ft. Hub where you can “Sip, Savor & Socialize” on the southwest corner of Wesley Chapel Blvd. and Lexington Oaks Blvd., in front of the Sentosa apartments.
The brother-&-sister partners of Center Connect Development — Paul Bissett and Courtney Bissett-Hayes — expect the first of the 13 announced tenants to begin opening sometime early next year, as the six buildings are now being turned over to the tenants for build-out.
“We don’t like to announce who’s coming to our developments until the tenants are all finalized,” says Bissett-Hayes. “We don’t like having premature announcements or misinformation getting out there until the tenants are committed and we like to keep it fresh in the minds of those in the area since they should be opening within the next several months.”
And, like the super-successful Hub at Bexley, Bissett-Hayes says, “There will be live music Friday and Saturday nights, pop-up markets twice a month and seasonal holiday events that will begin when tenants open for business.”
The Hub at Bexley is anchored by the popular BellaBrava Italian restaurant and will soon add BellaBrava’s sister restaurant, Stillwaters Tavern, on an outparcel of that Hub.
But, despite rumors that either Stillwaters or BellaBrava was coming to The Hub at Lexington, neither one is part of our area’s equally exciting new lineup of food & beverage providers — a couple of which are familiar names to fans of the KRATE at The Grove container park.
The first of those is La Creacion Bistro, which is a sister restaurant to La Creacion Express in the KRATEs, but Bissett-Hayes says the new restaurant will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a completely different menu than what the Express serves at the KRATEs.
The other locally familiar name is the Brew Bar Self Pour, which will share a space with Urban Crunch Creamery Café
The Brew Bar/Urban Crunch combo will offer self-pour beer and wine, similar to what the Brew Bar offers at the KRATEs, plus ice cream, açai, coffee and, perhaps most important of all, frozen drinks like daiquiris.
“It was very important for us to hit this frozen drink category and Urban Crunch was selected over two others in this category.”
Urban Crunch has a sister location in nearby Odessa that also serves breakfast and brunch items, but the Urban Crunch at The Hub will not be serving those items.
Another exciting option, with a sister location in the River Hills Plaza in Valrico, is The Landing Bar & Grill, which is where you’ll want to watch all of your favorite sports. The Landing in Valrico has a huge menu, with
unique appetizer options like Aztec chowder (white bean chicken chili), traditional pierogies, Cajun fish bites and even pizza fries (a large order of fries topped with mozzarella and pepperoni, served with marinara).
Sandwiches include a meatball hoagie, Philly cheesesteak and even a California chicken sandwich. Or, sample entrées like grilled, fried or blackened grouper, salmon or jumbo shrimp dinners, a low-carb grilled chicken dinner with broccoli, plus great salads, wings, pizzas, flatbreads, pastas and much more. Again, we haven’t seen The Landing’s Hub menu yet, but you know that we’ll keep you posted!
Also coming to The Hub at Lexington is The Monk’s Indian Fusion Cuisine, which has a dozen locations in Indiana, Colorado and nine in Texas. This “Desi-Chinese” eatery combines the different flavors of India and China in one location, with a huge variety of samosas, dosas, naan breads and Indian entrées
Logo collage designed by Charmaine George
like paneer or chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, a variety of biryanis and vindaloo options and much more.
Among the Chinese entrées are Sichuan, chilli garlic and Manchurian sauces with gobi (cauliflower), paneer, chicken or shrimp. The other Monk’s locations even have my favorite Indo-Chinese dish — wok-tossed hakka noodles and fried rice with your choice of meat or veggies.
Speaking of Asian cuisine, The Hub at Lexington’s lineup also will include Saigon Pho Wesley Chapel, which has a location called Banh Mi & Boba at The Hub at Bexley. Like Banh Mi, Saigon Pho will feature Vietnamese fare, featuring pho noodle soups, grilled plates and banh mi sandwiches.
Still another interesting option is Farmer’s Milk, which is a café and bakery with a sister location in Hollywood, FL, that sells everything from whole cakes, French croissants and Russian sourdough rye bread called borodinsky, plus breakfast items, including syrniki, which are small, pan-fried pancakes made from mild tvorog (aka “Farmer’s”) cheese that are sweet enough to enjoy as a dessert. There also are eggs Benedict and other options. Farmer’s Milk’s website says its menu is “packed with wholesome dishes emphasizing healthy eating and high-quality products.”
But wait, there’s still more! You cinnamon roll fans will flip for Cinnaholic Gourmet Cinnamon Rolls, which started in California and today has more than 100 locations across the U.S. and Canada, including one on S. Howard Ave. in South Tampa. The 100% plant-based rolls, plus brownies, cookies and
more, are “all made with the highest quality ingredients” and you can custom-design your own rolls with everything from “Old Skool” vanilla frosting to caramel apple pie frosting and one I will have to try — the “Shake, Rattle & Roll,” with peanut butter frosting, pretzels, banana slices and homemade peanut butter cups. Are you kidding me?
The final restaurant on the list is Island Grill, which is billed as a Caribbean fusion restaurant, but we don’t have any additional info or a logo to show you yet.
“They are still finalizing their menu,” Bissett-Hayes says. “But, it will be very authentic because the principal is from the islands.” The hope here is that there will be lots of fresh fish and seafood on that menu.
And then there’s the “golf simulation experience” known as The Clubhouse. Although there are multiple such businesses across the country by the same name — some of which also are restaurants and/or sports bars — Bissett-Hayes says this incarnation of The Clubhouse is a start-up entertainment venue unrelated to any others I found online and will not serve its own food or beverages.
“It will have six golf simulators and a putting green,” she says. “Customers will be able to order food and drink from our restaurants to be delivered or brought in while at The Clubhouse.”
The Clubhouse will have some PGA teaching pros who will be offering lessons. So far, it has commitments from local pros at courses like Lake Jovita and Hunter’s Green Country Clubs.
Bissett-Hayes says that The Clubhouse also will be sampling some small merchandise items like balls, gloves and some branded clothing items like golf polos. These are mainly just for fun and if someone needs some balls (although all of the simulation bays will come with balls). Another possible service would be club fittings with whatever club partner they end up using. But, she says, “that probably will only be once or twice a year and would be more of a partnership with the club maker and the orders would go directly to them.”
The final three tenants already signed up to join The Hub at Lexington are the Lexington Nail Lab and Headlines Barber Shop, both of which have related locations at The Hub At Bexley, and Suncoast Charging. Headlines also has nearby locations on County Line Rd. in New Tampa and in The Pointe at Tampa Palms.
Meanwhile, co-founder Wesley Sima
of Suncoast Charging says, “We’re building more than just an EV charging network — we’re shaping the future of electric mobility to improve the EV charging experience: making it faster, more reliable, and accessible for all drivers. We believe charging should fit seamlessly into your journey and lifestyle. That’s why our stations are designed not only with cutting-edge, high-speed and dependable charging technology, but also with premium amenities that turn every stop into a comfortable and convenient experience. Whether you’re commuting, running errands, road-tripping, or managing a fleet, we’re committed to delivering the gold standard of EV charging.” Suncoast Charging at The Hub will be open 24 hours a day and customers can use a variety of different payment methods including credit card (not just a phone app). Customers also can navigate to the charging station through the Tesla app or through other in-car navigation apps like Google Maps, PlugShare, and many others. For more info about the remaining spaces at The Hub at Lexington, call Courtney Bissett-Hayes at (813) 340-7936.
New Tampa Schools Are Adjusting To The New Electronics Law
By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent
A new Florida law this school year says students can’t use cell phones or any wireless device during the school day, and so far, school administrators say the change has been welcome.
In many cases, especially at the high school level, it doesn’t look much different than last year, when district policy said phones couldn’t be used during school except if allowed by teachers for instructional purposes.
“We really didn’t need to change much,” says Freedom High principal Kevin Stephenson. “The law just gave us teeth to enforce the rules.”
Communication has been key, with both the district and individual schools providing information about the new policies that align with the law, which went into effect July 1. All devices must be powered off or in airplane mode throughout the school day. For elementary and middle school, that starts when students arrive on campus and lasts until they leave campus at the end of the day. High school administrators have discretion to allow phones at lunch and during passing periods, and teachers may authorize the use of personal devices for instructional purposes.
Students, parents, and administrators admit that enforcement may vary from classroom to classroom, depending on how teachers are enforcing the rules.
“I know it is still a struggle for some students in very few classrooms,” says Eva Chen, assistant principal at Freedom, “but when I called home,
the parents were very supportive and aware of the policies in place.”
Sigrun Ragnarsdottir is a New Tampa mom who also teaches middle school robotics at Pierce Middle School, near W. Hillsborough Ave. in Tampa. She says it takes some instructional time away, as students have to get laptops out of the laptop cart, power them up, then shut down and put them away before the bell at the end of class. That sometimes leaves a few minutes at the
end of class if she’s overestimated how long that process will take.
“It does require more work for me to teach bell to bell,” she says.
But, she adds, “There’s an upside to it. Students aren’t distracted on their phone or trying to find ways to hide the phone anymore.”
LaMarr Buggs, principal of Turner/Bartels K-8 School says, “It’s working for us. Parents are supporting us and it’s being looked at as positive.”
He agrees that the biggest difference is that
his students can no longer use electronic devices for instructional purposes. Instead, middle school students at Turner/Bartels start their day by getting a laptop from their homeroom teacher, use it throughout the day for all of their classroom needs, then return it at the end of the day.
He recognizes that parents want their students to have phones, and the law – and school administrators – allow phones to be carried by students, as long as they are put away out of sight in a backpack or purse.
In case of an emergency, those phones are close at hand.
On the day we spoke with him, Turner/ Bartels had been on lockdown for several minutes after a teacher inadvertently pressed a button to trigger the emergency procedures.
“I’m guessing kids were contacting their parents via text during lockdown,” says Buggs, “and that’s okay.”
In fact, he tells students that if they see something dangerous on campus, such as a classmate who brings a weapon, they can use their phones to anonymously report it using the Fortify Florida app provided through the school district.
Of course, they can also report directly to a teacher or administrator, but if they need to use their phone for an emergency, their safety is a priority. And, he says, teachers and administrators are happy for the change.
“They see the difference,” he says. Instead of a school full of kids who have their heads down looking at their devices, “Now, the kid who’s on his phone looks like the odd man out.”
Due to a new state law implemented for the start of the 2025-26 school year, students in grades K-8 can no longer be on their phones during school and high school students can only use their phones at lunch time. (Photo is a stock image not taken at a Hillsborough County School District school)
New F45 New Tampa Owners Celebrate A Grand Reopening!
Congratulations go out to Alexis and Tevin Connors (front row in photo, right), the new owners of the F45 Training studio located at 18035 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., in The Walk at Highwoods Preserve plaza off Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
The Connors, who purchased the studio from former Tampa Bay Rays star Matt Joyce, hosted a crowded Grand Reopening celebration on Aug. 23 which featured free healthy snacks, F45 class demonstra tions and other activities on a drizzly Saturday.
We were told about the event by Bradley Romp, a long-time Tampa Palms resident who has attended more than 1,000 F45 classes over the past three years, after having been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2006 and having served as an ambassador to Bike & Walk MS events for the last twelve years.
“I’m in the best shape of my life now, thanks to F45, which has helped with my strength, balance and vertigo from MS,” Romp says. “Te vin and Alexis told me that I should enter my name into a national and
It’s been a while since I visited The Bay Network, but I was glad to be the featured speaker at the group’s first meeting held in their new meeting location, in an awesome conference room on the second floor of Harley-Davidson of Wesley Chapel (9731 Princess Palm Ave., off Wesley Chapel Blvd.) on Sept. 4.
The Bay Network records manager Rizwan (“Riz”) Hakim invited me to speak at the meeting, which was attended by all 18 Bay Network members and a couple of guests., and group president Rachel Markley of Virtumarc (bottom right) introduced me.
I talked a little about the Neighborhood News, but most of my 25-minute speech revolved around roads, development and yes, restaurants in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. I loved seeing so many of the group’s members flipping through the copies of the paper I brought with me to the meeting (near right).
I know there are a lot of networking groups in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, but I really like the mix of businesses and people represented at The Bay Network, which has room to add more members. For more information about The Bay Network, visit TheBay.biz. — GN
The North Tampa Senior Expo Attracted A Crowd At The Venetian Event Center!
Congratulations to Senior Expo USA, which hosted a super-successful North Tampa Senior Expo at the Venetian Events Center, on the grounds of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church.
About 45 exhibitors — everything from health care and life insurance companies to hospice, funeral and cremation companies welcomed hundreds of mostly senior visitors to the three-hour Expo. Other exhibitors included Trulieve cannabis, the University of Florida Neuromedicine Human Brain & Tissue Bank and Amberlin Senior Living and The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve.
Jannah, photographer Charmaine George and I had quite a few exhibitors and attendees say wonderful things about the Neighborhood News during our visit to the event, which was sponsored by Tampa General Hospital and
Upcoming Events — ‘La Septima,’ ‘Up All Night’ & Viera Visits New Tampa Democrats
Tuesday, September 16, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. –North Tampa Bay Chamber Ribbon Cutting. At The Performance Lab (6920 N Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa). The Performance Lab (TPL), a groundbreaking 25,000 sq. ft. medical and performance center dedicated to musculoskeletal and brain health, is proud to celebrate its official launch. Participate in a fireside chat with our physicians, take a facility tour and meet the team. There will be a light brunch, refreshments and a live DJ. Free to attend, but please RSVP. For more info and to RSVP, email LKing@TPLTampa.com.
Tuesday, September 16, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. –Marvel Comic Workshop. At New River Library (34043 State Rd. 54). Learn how a comic book is made from beginning to end with a live drawing demonstration and workshop for all ages from Marvel artist Jerry DeCaire. Known for illustrating Deadpool, Wolverine, Thor and other famous superheroes, Mr. DeCaire will show how a comic book is made from beginning to end with a live drawing demonstration and workshop for all ages. Free to attend but please pre-register. For more info and to register, call (813) 788-6375 or visit pascolibraries.libnet.info/event/14325622.
Wednesday, September 17, 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. – North Tampa Bay Chamber Coffee Social. At Spinner Law Firm (2418 Cypress Glen Dr.). Wake up and join your fellow chamber members for your morning brew and networking. Free to attend. For more info, call (813)
994-8534 or visit Business.NorthTampaBayChamber.com.events.
Wednesday, September 17, 10 a.m.-11
a.m. – Welcome Back Kidquest. At The Shops At Wiregrass (28211 Paseo Dr., Dillard’s Courtyard). Mr. Tommy & GiGi’s Musical Show will have kids dancing and singing along, while Odd Fellows brings the sweet treats so everyone can jump, skip, hop, and scream for ice cream. A fan favorite, My Gym, returns with energy and activities that are fun to the brim, and our talented face-painting artists will be on hand to add a little extra color to the day. Free to attend. For more info, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.
com/event/30505-kidquest-welcome-back.
Wednesday, September 24, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. – North Tampa Bay Chamber Economic Development Briefing. At Pasco Hernando State College, Porter Campus (2727 Mansfield Blvd., Conference Center, 3rd Floor). Tampa’s Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital has been providing care to the children of the greater Tampa Bay area for almost 100 years. In order to bring expert care closer to home for many children, for the first time, a brand new pediatric acute care hospital will open in Wesley Chapel. Join the Chamber for an intriguing discussion about a myriad of topics with our panel
members: Justin Olsen, COO & Joseph Perno, M.D., VP of Medical Affairs - at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital; Teresa Campbell, architect & principal in charge, HKS Architects; and Bryan Durkin, operations manager, Robins & Morton. The cost to attend this event is $25. For more info or to pre-register, call (813)994-8534 or visit Business.NorthTampaBayChamber.com.events.
Sunday, September 28, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. –Auto & Truck Showcase 2025. At The Shops at Wiregrass (28211 Paseo Dr.). Stroll along palm tree-lined Paseo Dr. to check out the area’s best cars and trucks, while enjoying live DJ music, family activities, shopping, and over thirty eateries to choose from for a quick bite, brunch, or sit-down dining. Free to attend. For more info, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com/event/the-shops-at-wiregrass-autoand-truck-showcase-2025/2145584570.
Monday, September 29, 7 p.m. – New Tampa Democratic Club Monthly Meeting. At New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.). Guest speaker Luis Viera, Tampa City Councilman, District 7. Free to attend. For more info, visit NewTampaDemocrats. com or Facebook.com/NewTampaDemocrats.
Friday, October 3 & Saturday, October 4, 7:30 p.m. — Tampa City Ballet Presents La Septima: A Gatsby Affair In Ybor. At New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). La Septima will whisk you back
The Tampa City Ballet’s unique modern ballet “La Septima: A Gatsby Affair In Ybor,” which is being performed at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center Oct. 3-4, will allow attendees to step into the “Golden Age” of 1920s-era Ybor City. (Photo provided by Tampa City Ballet)
to the roaring 1920s, when cigar smoke curled through the streets of Ybor City, speakeasies pulsed with jazz, and secrets were traded in the shadows of 7th Ave. With daring choreography, jazz rhythms & breathtaking visuals, La Séptima brings the spirit of the Gatsby era to life — right in the heart of Ybor.
Join us for a night where passion burns, secrets smolder, and the dance never stops. Tickets cost $45 -$90. For more info, see the ad, right. For tickets, visit TampaCityBallet.org.
Saturday, October 11, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. –Tampa Palms Community-Wide Yard Sale & Craft Sale. At Compton Park Parking Lot (16101 Compton Dr.). Shop for crafts and treasures. Free to attend. For more info or to reserve your table as a vendor, call Stella at (813)977-2261.
Saturday, October 11, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. –10th Annual Candy Crawl presented by Fun 4 Tampa Kids/Tampa Bay Moms Group. At The Shops At Wiregrass (28211 Paseo Dr.). Local businesses and organizations will give guests a very unscary day of fun, with booths featuring crafts, games, candy and treats. There will be a Not-So-Spooky Haunted Obstacle
Course, a Monster Bouncer and more. Kids get a free trick or treat bag (while supplies last) so arrive early. Costumes are optional but there will be contests. Free to attend but you can register for special giveaways. For more info and to register, visit candycrawl25.eventbrite.com.
Saturday, October 11, 8 p.m. – The Tampa Jazz Club Presents “Up All Night,” Featuring Tenox Saxophonist Jeremy Carter. At the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.) Electrifying tenor saxophonist Jeremy Carter, backed by trumpeter James Suggs & the Jeremy Carter Quintet, will provide an exciting evening of music designed to keep you “Up All Night.” Table seats cost $35 ($30 for Tampa Jazz Club members) or theatre seats for $30 ($25 for members). For tickets & more info, visit TampaJazzClub.com or see the ad on pg. 18.
Tuesday, October 15, 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. -North Tampa Bay Chamber Coffee Social. At BayCare Hospital (4502 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., 1st floor classroom). Wake up and join your fellow Chamber members for your morning brew and networking. Free to attend. For more info or to register, call (813) 994-8534 or visit Business.NorthTampaBayChamber.com.events.
New Tampa Democratic Club
Monthly Meeting
Monday, September 29, 7 p.m. at New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.)
Guest Speaker: Luis Viera, Tampa City Council, District 7 newtampademocrats.com https://www.facebook.com/NewTampaDemocrats
The New Tampa Dance Theatre — Still Enriching Lives & Creating Cherished Memories!
For 31 remarkable years, the New Tampa Dance Theatre (NTDT) on Cross Creek Blvd. (across from the Heritage Isles community) has been a beacon of joy and artistic excellence, nurturing young dancers and helping them discover the transformative power of dance.
Whether their students come with dreams of performing on the world’s grandest stages or simply to experience the joy of movement, NTDT is proud to offer a world-class, profes sional and versatile program experience that is truly unmatched in the Tampa Bay area.
NTDT is the largest professional dance training facility in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. Owner and artistic director Dyane Elkins IronWing is in her 31st season of creating dance memories and futures for her students, many of whom have gone on to study dance in college and/or dance professionally.
“Like any parent, our faculty is beyond proud of each student,” says Elkins IronWing. “Not just as dancers, but as persevering, creative young people who thrive in college and beyond. As we begin our 31st season, we’re excited to keep giving back through our “Pay It Forward” program offering new students $25 monthly tuition per class.”
Growth Was Inevitable
With the bigger location built in 2006, eleven years after NTDT first opened, Elkins IronWing was off and running, offering smaller class sizes and larger, more varied schedules.
She says NTDT has an even larger pool of students today, with the ongoing explosive growth in Wesley Chapel, as well as in New Tampa itself.
“Our name says New Tampa,” she says, “but we’re actually much closer to Wesley Chapel than most people realize. Families are always pleasantly surprised by how quick and easy the drive is to our school.”
Not Just For Future Professionals!
NTDT caters to both the recreational dance lover (even adults) as well as the devoted pre-professional — and every level in between. The school’s leveled curriculum offers multiple art forms for students to explore. Through personalized attention and professional expertise, NTDT’s professional faculty strives to provide
tours and the Walt Disney Company.
Because NTDT students learn to be proficient in multiple art forms, they have an edge in the competitive world of dance and many of them have been accepted into prestigious summer intensive programs, including the School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theater in New York City, The Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, Cincinnati Ballet and the Boston Ballet.
“After 31 years in this community, I’m deeply grateful for the amazing people who’ve been part of our dance program and family,” says Elkins IronWing.
One local former student certainly agrees with that assessment.
“I credit all of my success as a professional dancer to the foundational training I received at NTDT from ages 6-18,” says Victoria DeRenzo, who today is a professional dancer and choreographer who has toured internationally in 28 countries on four continents, most notably with the renowned Pilobolus Dance Theatre in Washington Depot, CT.
“I loved every second of my experience growing up there,” DeRenzo adds, “but I had no idea how spoiled I was until I graduated. Not many people receive a top-notch dance education in multiple artforms during their lifetimes, let alone at the age of 6.”
If
every dancer a positive educational experience.
Children ages 3-4 can participate in the school’s Early Childhood Program, while ages 5-8 can take part in the Children’s Program and ages 9-18 are invited to join NTDT’s Youth Program.
In addition to classical ballet training, NTDT also offers full programs in creative movement, modern, jazz, tap and hip-hop.
Each program has its own directors and specific syllabuses guiding students in a structured manner through their studies.
The facilities at NTDT are as top notch as the instructors, and include maple flooring
for the tap classes, 20-25-ft.-tall mirrored walls, student locker rooms and a large studio space that can accommodate up to 200 people.
Sprung floors provide shock absorption to protect the dancers’ joints and an on-site physical therapist ensures the health of the dancers. NTDT also features a café for a break, meal, or doing homework.
World-Class Credentials
NTDT has developed a reputation for creating strong, professional dancers with alumni who have moved on to highly respected dance companies, Broadway productions, national
The exciting tenor saxophone of Jeremy Carter, Featuring James Suggs on trumpet.
Elkins IronWing says that if a student doesn’t choose to pursue a career in dance after high school, they can still reach a level of artistry to be accepted into many college dance programs. “When students believe in themselves, trust the process, and grow through well-rounded dance training, they gain the confidence and tools to keep discovering new passions for life,” she says.
Participating In Productions
All students have the opportunity to perform in NTDT’s “Spring Production” and — through the studio’s nonprofit partner, the Dance Theatre of Tampa (DTT) — in the winter production of “The Nutcracker (photo at bottom of next page)” as well as the “Summer Concert Series,” held in June in their very own Black Box Theatre.
DTT provides more than 100 free tickets to NTDT’s corporate sponsors, local community supporters, alumni members and students. Wesley Chapel residents Richard and
Be prepared to howl at the moon at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd., Tampa), as the Jeremy Carter Quintet electrifies the evening & keeps you “Up All Night.” Don’t miss it!
Table Seats cost $35 (or $30 for Tampa Jazz Club members) & Theater Seats are $30 ($25 for members).
A full cash bar will be available. For tickets & more info, visit TampaJazzClub.com SPONSORED IN PART BY
your child is interested in professional dance training in everything from ballet to hip-hop, check out the New Tampa Dance Theatre on Cross Creek Blvd. (All photos provided by New Tampa Dance Theatre)
Juliana Gayle enrolled their daughters Madison and Olivia at any early age with NTDT.
“NTDT is much more than a dance studio — it’s family,” Juliana says. “My daughters have been here for more than 18 years. Most of their closest friends are from NTDT, and instructors care deeply about every student. They are positive, fun, and nurturing, as they challenge dancers to not only improve technique, but become considerate, confident, and responsible individuals. My eldest daughter is a professional dancer and teaches at NTDT. She has come full circle and is inspiring the next generation. In fact, she’s teaching children of parents that once attended NTDT. Once you find a home here, you’ll always return.”
Every holiday season, Elkins IronWing says local residents look forward to the community’s largest and Tamp Bay’s longest-running interpretation of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s classic
Prior to the on-stage performances at USF, DTT also will again perform “The Nutcracker Suite” on Saturday & Sunday, December 6-7, at 6, 7 & 8 p.m., at The Shops at Wiregrass.
“At NTDT, it’s always been about the kids — and always will be,” says Elkins IronWing.
“We are a company that enables children to succeed, and we believe in setting high expectations while keeping dance fun and confidencebuilding. As we celebrate our 31st season, we’re grateful to the families and organizations who’ve trusted and supported us in making NTDT the special place it is today.”
The New Tampa Dance Theatre offers year-round free trial classes for prospective dancers of all ages. To tour the facility or to rent it for a meeting, party or function, visit NTDT at 10701 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information and to check out the exciting lineup of Fall 2025 classes, visit NewTam-
Don’t Face Probate Alone — Let Brian Arrighi Of The North Tampa Law Group Help
By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent
Late last year, Tampa Palms resident Chris tine (who asked that we use only her first name) received a letter in the mail she never expected.
Her uncle, who had recently passed away, had named her his “personal representative” (of ten called an “executor” in other states) to handle his affairs, according to his will.
At a loss for what to do, Christine was grateful to find attorney Brian Arrighi, who has been helping people with the process of probate — as well as estate planning and real estate — for two decades.
Christine met with Brian at his North Tampa Law Group office, located in the Cypress Glen Professional Park off S.R. 56 (east of I-75) in Wesley Chapel.
“Brian took care of everything,” Christine says. “He was on top of the creditors and the assets, and he kept me informed along the way. I was impressed.”
She notes that she had no idea what was go ing to happen or what the process would entail, but Brian took care of all of the details and made sure she always understood what was happening and what would come next.
“I’ve heard other people talk about probate and what a nightmare it is,” she says, “but it wasn’t for me. Brian did everything for me. It was a blessing.”
Brian says most of the time, people in Christine’s shoes are required to hire an attorney, so that’s where he comes in.
and making sure that the distributions to beneficiaries are accurate.”
He says that being a personal representative also carries some liability. For example, if a credit card bill didn’t get paid and the money from the estate is gone, the personal representative could be held responsible for paying it.
“We make sure the personal representative doesn’t get in trouble by unknowingly doing something wrong,” Brian explains.
in Mass Communications from the University of Florida in Gainesville. He’s a member of the Real Property, Probate & Trust Law section of the Florida Bar.
He relocated North Tampa Law Group to its current Wesley Chapel location 10 years ago, after originally opening it in the Tampa Palms Professional Center in 2014.
His experience dealing with distribution of property after someone’s death means that he
understands the complicated issues that can arise.
If anyone has experienced the loss of a parent, spouse, or close relative, or has been designated as a personal representative for someone who recently passed away, Brian’s expertise can help you, like he helped Christine, navigate this often complicated process.
Brian also does quite a bit of work helping his clients ensure that those they leave behind won’t have to deal with the complicated issue of
“The number one misconception is that if someone has a will, they won’t have to go to probate,” Brian explains. “But, if we’re using your will, that’s because we’re in probate.”
He explains that some people only have a will, which is an important document to explain what you want to happen to your assets after your death. But, for many people, Brian says, there definitely is a better option.
“A trust is the tool we use to avoid probate,” he says. “Your estate consists of whatever assets you own in your name upon your death. The goal of estate planning is to avoid ever needing to use your will. If everything you own is in a trust, nothing will go through probate.”
Brian says a trust also is a more expensive document, so some people prefer to just have a will and allow probate after their death. In other cases, a client may add assets, such as buying a house, and forget to update their trust. In these cases, Brian is happy to help families navigate the probate process.
Brian emphasizes that each client’s individual circumstances are unique, so he helps to
arrange documents in whatever way is best for each person’s particular situation.
Even for those who don’t know where to start with an estate plan, North Tampa Law Group can help.
“If someone isn’t sure what they want,” Brian says, “we can sit down, do a consultation, and listen to their objectives — how they want their estate distributed, and what [that distribution] will consist of. Then, we’ll go over their options and give recommendations as to what type of trust or plan would be specific to that individual.”
Other Services
In addition to estate planning and probate, Brian handles real estate law, including title closings, title insurance and organizing and overseeing real estate transactions.
Consultations for real estate, estate planning and probate can all be done in person at North Tampa Law Group’s office, although Brian also offers phone consultations for those who prefer it.
Christine says she has a will, but not a trust. After going through the experience of being her uncle’s personal representative, she plans to head back to North Tampa Law Group for a consultation with Brian about her own assets.
“I don’t want my things to go to probate,” she says, “and I don’t want my loved ones to have to go through that process. Brian does what he has to do, and does it so well. If anyone asks, I recommend him. I absolutely will go back to him, too.”
North Tampa Law Group is located at 26852 Tanic Dr., Suite 102. For more info, visit NorthTampaLawGroup.com, see the ad on pg. 27 or make an appointment for a free initial consultation by calling (813) 518-7411.
Dr. Mark Farina Of Farina Orthodontics — 30 Years Of Making Kids Smile!
By Iris Vitelli Neighborhood News Correspondent
When orthodontist Dr. Mark Farina of Farina Orthodontic Specialists looks back on the 30 years since he opened his first orthodontic office in New Tampa, he says he still feels humbled by how far things have come. He grew up the son of a mechanic, in a family where orthodontic care wasn’t even an option. He says that memory still drives him today.
“I never want finances to stop someone from getting a smile that could change their life,” Dr. Farina says. “That’s why we make treatment affordable and work with families to make it pos sible. Many families may think they can’t afford orthodontics, but when they come in and talk with us, they often realize it’s more within reach than they imagined.”
A testament to Dr. Farina’s words is a recent 5-star Google review from Morgan N., who wrote: “I have had 3 children go in and out of braces at Farina. There are several options to make it affordable for your situation, especially when you have 3 in braces all at once. The results have been amazing on each child! I highly recommend this orthodontic office!”
integrated diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, and has served on research teams at both NYU and Penn to help find new and better ways to solve orthodontic problems. Dr. Farina attends more than 80 hours of professional seminars each year and participates in giving seminars and webinars across the country.
Dr. Farina earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from Boston College in Boston, MA. He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia and did his post-graduate orthodontic training at New York University (NYU) in New York City.
Over the years, he has seen many children who grew up in his chair return with their own kids. He’s even watched dozens of former patients become dentists themselves.
“We know of about 40 patients who chose dentistry as their career after being treated here,” he says. “That’s pretty special when you think about the kind of influence a smile can have.”
three decades since Dr. Farina began transforming smiles locally. But, what hasn’t changed is his philosophy of always moving forward. True to the practice’s tagline, “Live, Love, Smile,” Dr. Farina continues to look for the most advanced ways to serve his patients. He says that one of the biggest changes in recent years is how orthodontics can start much earlier, thanks to technology that can literally shape a child’s future smile.
“Parents still think they need to wait until all the permanent teeth are in, but that’s just not true,” he explains. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends that every child have their first orthodontic check-up no later than age seven. The organization came up with the
term “Seven and Up,” which they have been using in explaining how it is a preventive step.
“Subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth, even while baby teeth are still present, can be identified,” he says. “Early evaluations allow us to guide growth and development before issues become more complicated.”
In some cases, he adds, children who start early may never need braces at all. For others, the time in braces or aligners can be shortened by as much as a year. It can even help avoid extractions and prevent more serious problems such as canine teeth erupting into the wrong place. Dr. Farina recalls a recent case where a nine-year old’s permanent teeth were about to damage her front teeth because there was no space. “But, we caught it on a 3D scan,” he says.
Early treatment improves smiles, and by developing the dental arches properly, airway function also is improved, which can impact everything from sleep to concentration in school.
“If we can get to these kids early, we can make a huge difference not only in their smile but in their health,” explains Dr. Farina. “The dental arches are simply the U-shaped curves of the jaws where teeth grow in. When they form the right way, there’s enough room for straight teeth and for the tongue to sit comfortably, which helps kids breathe through their nose, sleep better and stay more focused.”
If a scan shows the arches are too narrow, Farina Orthodontic Specialists can use expanders to gently widen them, giving the teeth more room to grow and open the airway.
“If we can get to these kids early, we can
Adults, Too!
But, orthodontic technology isn’t just for kids. About 40% of the office’s patients are adults, many of whom choose InvisalignTM for its convenience and nearly invisible appearance.
For patients who cannot always come into the office, technology like ScanBox Pro (photo, right) makes treatment more flexible. With this tool, the patient places their phone into a holder and attaches a small tube that goes into their mouth, while the app guides them through the process. They submit photos of their teeth, which are analyzed with AI and reviewed by the Farina Orthodontic Specialists team.
“It’s a virtual appointment,” he says. “Col lege students can stay on track while away at school. We have military patients who continue their treatment no matter where they’re sta-
as six and seven year olds, he also has patients like Harriet, age 91.
“She told me she had never been able to eat corn on the cob because her teeth didn’t come together,” Dr. Farina recalls. “She heard we do miracles and wanted to see if we could help her. At
fully. It’s never too late to change your smile.”
Dr. Farina loves what he does and says, “I never feel like I’m working. This is my passion — seeing the confidence people gain from a smile, whether they’re seven or 91. It’s what keeps me going.”
Patients also notice the difference in the practice’s culture. On nearly 300 Google reviews, Farina Orthodontic Specialists has a 4.8-star (out of 5) overall rating, with more than 250 5-star reviews, including this one from patient Diana R: “From my kids’ names on the welcome sign to the caring, compassionate staff and doctor. Both my kids, including my neurodivergent son, were completely comfortable and happy to get started.”
Speaking of accolades, Farina Orthodontic Specialists has once again been voted “Best Orthodontist” by Tampa magazine for the fourth year in a row. Dr. Farina credits the passion for creating beautiful smiles that he shares with his team, many of whom have been with him for decades. And, also working with Dr. Farina are two other Board-certified orthodontists, Dr. Pedro Franco and Dr. Undine Davis.
her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Human Biology. She earned her D.M.D. degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry. She also earned a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Dental Sciences and a Specialty Certification in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics from the University of Florida College of Dentistry in Gainesville.
Beyond the office walls, the team at Farina Orthodontic Specialists is deeply committed to the local communities of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. The practice supports many local schools and sports teams and sponsors nonprofit organizations like the Girl Scouts of America and the Race for the Cure, and even provides free orthodontic care for children in need.
“We believe in sharing the smiles,” Dr. Farina says. “This is our community, and we want to give back to the people who make it such a great place to live and work.”
“Only about 25% of all orthodontists are Board certified,” Dr. Farina says. “But all of us have earned that certification.”
Dr. Franco was born in the U.S., but grew up in the Dominican Republic. He’s a graduate of the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, Mexico. and earned his D.M.D. degree (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine in San Juan. He received his Specialty Certificate in Orthodontics from the Georgia School of Orthodontics.
Dr. Davis graduated from Stanford University in Stanford, CA, where she earned
He often reminds his patients that the most powerful five-letter word in the English language is “smile.” It’s a word he has dedicated his career to, and one Dr. Farina hopes will continue to shape lives for years to come. “Your smile is closer than you think,” he says. “And, it really does have the power to change everything.”
To schedule a free virtual consultation with Farina Orthodontic Specialists, see the ad on pg. 43 or visit FarinaSmiles.com. New patients also can call (813) 652-0074, search “FarinaOrthodonticSpecialists” on Facebook and follow @ farina_orthodontics on Instagram. The Tampa Palms office is located at 15303 Amberly Dr., Suite E, and the Wesley Chapel office is located at 2370 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite 100, in the building affectionately known as “The Cube.”
To Look & Feel Your Best, Visit Defining Beauty Wellness & Med Spa
By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent
Watergrass resident Mary Braun had gotten Botox treatments and had tried microneedling at a couple of different med spas in the Tampa Bay area, but when her neighbor introduced her to Advanced Practice Registered Nurse & Family Nurse Practitioner (APRN-FNP) Karma Nguyen, Mary says Karma changed her life.
“I feel better than I ever felt,” says Mary. “I have so much confidence, and my face looks better than it has at any time in my life.”
Mary says that’s thanks to Karma being an amazing listener who is extremely knowledgeable about the many treatments she offers at her Defining Beauty Wellness & Med Spa in the New Tampa Professional Park off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Pebble Creek.
For Karma, helping patients feel their best is every bit as important as how they look.
As an APRN-FNP, Karma offers wellness care such as weight loss and IV therapy, as well as many aesthetic services, including spa and laser treatments, injectables and skin care.
In 2021, Karma opened Defining Beauty to serve her neighbors in New Tampa and surrounding areas, personalized for each individual. The clinic’s medical director is Binu Jacob, M.D., who Karma says is an amazing doctor she has been pleased to work for the past four years.
Karma has been a licensed nurse since 2003. She earned both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in
Nursing (MSN) degrees from Chamberlain University in Chicago, IL.
Karma says she sees many patients who want help losing weight. While she often prescribes the medication Ozempic (semaglutide), she says it doesn’t stop there.
“We look at your diet and your exercise, how active you are,” Karma explains. “We want to make sure that you’re not just relying on a medicine to achieve your goal. You have to make changes to maintain the weight loss and to have that healthy lifestyle.”
Karma also sees patients who are concerned
about their skin — people who want to preserve their skin’s texture, function and elasticity and want to prevent damage. She calls that “prejuvenation” – like rejuvenation, but before the damage occurs.
“Many times, once one area is improved,” Karma says, “patients then start focusing on another area.”
That’s what happened with Mary, who originally came to Defining Beauty for laser hair removal. Once Karma heard about Mary’s other concerns, she recommended microneedling for her face.
Mary says the results were so amazing, she wanted to immediately jump into another treatment, this time on her neck, and then moving on to her chest.
“I was ecstatic,” she says. “The results were phenomenal.”
Mary then tried three sessions of Karma’s new CoolPeel CO2 laser on her face and says the results were “incredible.” She says Karma also has given her Botox treatments, and is now helping her to tighten loose skin on her stomach and legs.
“I see the results so clearly,” Mary explains. “She listens to everything I say and she’s very knowledgeable in all the things she offers. She gives me her best advice, and then I choose what I want to do.”
Mary says that Defining Beauty offers better prices and easier scheduling of appointments than other places she’s tried. And, while some other salons follow a trendy aesthetic, Mary feels that Karma is more welcoming.
That’s intentional. Karma says she’s not trying to make every woman who comes into her med spa the same look, which is one reason she calls her business “Defining Beauty.”
“Every woman is beautiful in her own way,” Karma says. “We’re putting definition into what you already have. Every person isn’t supposed to look the same.”
In general, Karma says she sees more female than male patients, but her treatments are appropriate for both women and men.
“Everyone has different wants and needs,” she says. “Defining Beauty is for all people who
Nurse Practitioner Karma Nguyen of Defining Beauty Wellness & Med Spa in Pebble Creek is hosting a great event for new & current patients on Thursday, October 2. (Photos by Charmaine George)
lasers, providing
great results for all skin types, with little to no post-treatment down time.
want to improve the way they look and feel in some way.”
RSVP For The Oct. 2 Event
Defining Beauty Wellness & Med Spa will host an event on Thursday, October 2, with time slots available from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The number of attendees will be limited at each time slot, so each guest who participates in the event can receive personalized attention.
Guests will be introduced to new treatments, such as the CoolPeel CO2 laser that Mary tried. Karma says CO2 lasers have been considered the “gold standard” to help with skin
texture, pigmentation, tightening, and reducing fine lines, wrinkles and skin damage. But treatments with those CO2 lasers used to mean a lot of down time, had an increased risk for infection and scarring, and only worked well on specific skin types.
“But, CoolPeel has little to no down time and can be used on all skin types,” says Karma. “Its advanced technology speeds up the laser so it’s not doing as much damage to the outermost layer of the skin.”
She says she’s excited to offer this treatment to the local community, where there is so much diversity in skin types.
Specials also will be offered on CoolPeel and other treatments at the Oct. 2 event, including Botox for an incredible $9/unit. There also will be raffles and goodie bags, too.
The event is open to current patients and others who are interested. To get on the guest list, call or text Defining Beauty at (813) 955-0408. Let them know you’re interested in the event and provide your name, phone number and email.
Memberships
Memberships are available and Karma says they’re a great way to save money. A “Tox Membership” costs just $25/month. It allows members to regularly buy Botox for only $10/unit, while their $25 monthly fee goes into a “beauty bank” for future treatments.
For $130/month, members get preferred pricing on all treatments, a 10% discount on products, and also get all of the benefits of the Tox Membership. Each month, $120 of that fee goes into the client’s beauty bank.
“I tell people all the time to go to Karma,” says Mary. “Go to her because you’ll love yourself, you’ll have more confidence, and you’ll have brighter days.”
Defining Beauty Wellness & Med Spa is located at 8907 Regents Park Dr., Suite 330. The spa is open by appointment only. For more information, call (813) 955-0408, visit DefiningBeautyMedSpa.com or see the ad on pg. 43. Search “Defining Beauty Wellness and Med Spa” on Facebook or @definingbeautymedspa on Instagram for pictures, tips, special offers and more.
FREE Real Estate Book!
Let Bubbles Up Bin Cleaning Bring A Breath Of Fresh Air To Your Trash Bins!
By Iris Vitelli
Neighborhood News Correspondent
Nick and Julie Nixon say they never imagined that one of the biggest problems in their new Wesley Chapel home would come from something as ordinary as their trash bins. Like so many of their neighbors, they quickly discovered that in hot and humid Florida, garbage cans become unbearable, stinky messes in a matter of days. Since their homeowner’s association required the bins to be stored in the garage, every time they opened the door, the smell would drift into the house. They tried spraying the bins with everything from Lysol to garden hoses, but nothing seemed to work, and they didn’t want to dump bleach into the sewer system.
About a year ago, while doing research for the purpose of cleaning their own bins, Nick and Julie found a business model that was growing in other parts of the country but was still relatively new in the Tampa Bay area. That frustration turned into an idea. “We looked around and thought this was exactly what we needed for our bins,” Julie recalls. “And, if we needed it, our neighbors probably need it as well and [in January of this year] Bubbles Up Bin Cleaning was born.”
What makes Bubbles Up different from cleaning your trash bins yourself? Both the process and the results. The Nixons’ customized trailer system uses pressurized water heated to more than 200 degrees, which is enough to kill 99% of the germs and bacteria that cause odors and attract insects and rodents. Rotating spray heads provide 360-degree coverage inside the bin, blasting away buildup in every nook and cranny. Once the inside is sanitized, the outside is sprayed down, and the finishing touch is an eco-friendly deodorizer. Nick explains that more than 400 types of bacteria can grow inside a trash can. Every time you open the lid, that bacteria can escape into the air and even travel inside your home.
“The heat is the key,” he says. “Trash cans are porous, so germs and odors can sink in. A hose or even a pressure washer will not kill them. You need the heat to sanitize the bins.” All the water used is captured inside the trailer, filtered, and then disposed of properly. Nothing runs into the storm drains, and there is no water waste.
“The water is considered grey water,” Julie says, “much like what an RV would have, since there are no harsh chemicals in it. We dump in a few places around the Wesley Chapel area that are RV dump sites that then treat the water.”
For those interested in signing up, Nick and Julie have made the process very simple. Visit BubblesUpBinCleaning. com and answer a few quick questions, enter your payment information through a secure portal and then pick the plan that will work best for your household. The first service is always offered at half price. After that, customers can choose monthly service for $25, quarterly (every three months) for $40, bi-yearly (every six months) for $65, or a one-time cleaning for $75. Additional bins cost just $5 each. Nick and Julie say they researched rates across the state and listened closely to customer feedback before finalizing those plan tiers. The bi-yearly plan was actually added recently after a customer mentioned twice a year was more than enough for her.
Julie & Nick Nixon of Bubbles Up Bin Cleaning are happy to keep your home’s trash bins looking and smelling clean and fresh with their high-powered super-heated pressure washing & deodorizing system. (Photos
The pair believes their attention to detail is what sets them apart from other similar companies. Julie calls herself the “Quality Control Inspector” and admits she is not shy about making Nick redo a bin if it’s not up to her standards.
“We ask ourselves, would I put this can back in my garage?,” she says. “If the answer is no, we keep working on it until it is.”
From stuck banana peels at the bottom of the bin, to gum hardened on the side, they have seen it all, and they take the time to make sure every can is truly clean. Children from the neighborhood often come outside to watch what they call the “magic” of the process, as steam pours out of the bins and the cans come back smelling fresh.
In just a few short months, Bubbles Up has a perfect 5.0-star rating on eleven Google reviews. Customer David Rubin wrote in his 5-star review, “Nick and Julie of Bubbles Up came by and in fifteen minutes had two cans sparkling clean. Very nice people, very cool rig to get this done without any chemicals. Just 200-degree water that is recycled. They finish up with a deodorizing spray. Very happy with the job.”
As a small, family-owned business, Bubbles Up also has made community involvement a priority from the beginning. A portion of every cleaning goes to causes close to their hearts, including the Pasco County Animal Shelter and
the Purple Heart foundation. “We both come from military families, and we have always loved animals,” Julie explains. “Supporting veterans and helping local animals is just part of who we are.”
The couple, who moved to Riverview, FL, from Georgia in 2017, built their home in Wesley Chapel in 2022.
“We have two grown daughters — the younger one is a crime scene technician in High Point, NC, and the older one works for Racetrac in the Learning & Development Dept. in Atlanta — but our parents and sisters moved down right after we did.”
She adds, “Nick’s family is in Venice and mine is here in Wesley Chapel. And of course,
the other member of the family is our beautiful and loving 10-year-old Lab mix, Libby.”
Currently, Bubbles Up Bin Cleaning serves the areas of Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Tampa Palms, Land O’ Lakes, Lutz, Dade City, San Antonio, Pasadena Hills, Zephyrhills and even Odessa. While the Nixons have no plans to expand outside the region, they do take suggestions from potential customers who may be outside of the zone. If the area doesn’t work with their schedule because of the distance, they recommend another service.
“We have been recommended by other companies who don’t come up to this area, and we have done the same,” Julie says. “We are a
Surgical Alternative
by Charmaine George)
they look forward to growing the number of customers inside the coverage areas. Currently, the couple owns just one truck, but long-term, they hope to get more equipment, hire help, invest in new technology and continue networking with other bin cleaning companies across the country.
This is still a young industry” Nick says. “We are always learning something new from manufacturers, other owners, and sometimes, even our customers.”
When challenges arise, the couple’s commitment to customer service is clear. Equipment maintenance is done preventively on weekends to avoid weekday breakdowns, and automated alerts (usually texts, but also emails) remind customers when to put their bins out. On those rare occasions when a service does not meet a customer’s expectations, they return promptly to
“That’s when I gave myself the title of Quality Control Inspector,” she laughs.
At the heart of it all is the belief that no one should have to deal with maggots, flies, rodents, or the sickly smell of garbage in their garages and homes. As Nick puts it, “Most peo ple don’t want to clean their bins themselves. It is messy, gross and without the right equipment, you can’t kill the germs.”
For families in the Wesley Chapel/New Tampa area, Bubbles Up Bin Cleaning has turned this smelly chore into a simple solution, and in doing so, Nick and Julie Nixon have found a way to give back to their neighbors while keeping our community cleaner and healthier.
To schedule your first 50% discounted cleaning, visit BubblesUpBinCleaning.com, call (813) 652-0443 or see the ad on pg. 37.
Nutrition Smart To Host Another Great Customer Appreciation Event Oct. 25!
By Gary Nager
Although I was there 17 years ago, when Nutrition Smart (then “S’mart”) first opened on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, I’m not sure I ever really fully appreciated it until recently, as Jannah and I have tried more and more to eat healthier.
And obviously, we’re not alone, as it seems more people are now eating vegan, vegetarian and organic foods and supplementing their healthier diets with a variety of vitamins and supplements.
That, of course, is great news for Nutrition Smart manager Fausto Soriano, who says that in the years since the Covid-19 pandemic, business at his store has shown modest increases year-overyear every year.
“We were the first ‘green’ grocery store in the area,” Fausto says, “and people tell us we have the best selection of organic (only) produce, supplements — and that our prices are definitely fair for the quality we sell.”
And of course, Fausto is quick to point out that of all the marketing the store does, “The coupons in our ads in every issue of the Neighborhood News consistently bring in more redemptions than any other.” We’re also aware of how popular those coupons (see pg. 33) are, because people call our office anytime they somehow don’t receive their copy of the paper in the mail and when they want an additional coupon. “It’s a great partnership,” Fausto says. And we agree.
“A lot of times, when people are new to the area, they’ll bring in the ad one time and see raw milk or something else and they’re hooked,” Fausto says. “We just have to get them in through the door, and then, hopefully, the products and service will keep them coming back.”
He also notes that our area, “is a totally different demographic. People here read the Neighborhood News. In South Florida, articles like these don’t really bring in a lot of new people.”
Among the items that are currently selling like gangbusters at our Nutrition Smart are Celtic sea salt, ube yams (aka purple sweet potatoes), soy-free and regenerative pasture-raised eggs, Bio coffee, Moringa hot chocolate, a variety of bulk foods, from pumpkin seeds to popcorn, raw milk, raw honey, True Story “room to roam” uncured bacon with no added nitrites or nitrates, Sami’s Bakery breads and rolls (baked in nearby Temple Terrace) and the greatest selection of organic Hu, Beyond Good and other hard-to-find brands of healthier dark chocolate. The store’s expanded
And yes, Nutrition Smart also is your sup plement specialist, and there are always helpful, knowledgeable employees on hand to help you find the best supplements for you, including harder-to-find items like Omega 3, 6 & 9 fish oils, collagen and sea moss. You’ll also find CBD and Delta-8 THC products, as well as supple ments to help with weight loss, blood sugar, joint and brain health, energy, natural inflammatory pain remedies and so many more.
At the back of the Vitamins & Supplements area is Divine Leaf Vegan, the only all-vegan restaurant in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. When photographer Charmaine George and I were in the store, Divine Leaf was serving veggie burgers, organic mac & cheese and BBQ tofu.
“I love the way the store smells when they make the BBQ tofu,” Fausto says. He adds that Divine Leaf sells an imitation bacon BLT sand wich and the bacon, “comes out crispy and really tastes like bacon. It’s been really popular.”
The New Smart Rewards Program
“We now have our own in-house loyalty program called ‘Smart Rewards,’” Fausto says. “The program has exclusive members-only offers, integrated with our Point of Sale (POS) system. So now, we know what they buy when they come in and we can send them coupons via text, email, whatever way they want. We’re enrolling new people in the program every single day.”
Smart Rewards members get 10% off their next purchase after signing up. Spend $200 in 45 days to get a $5 off coupon on a purchase of $50 or more. And, if you spend $250 in 30 days, you receive 20% off one item on your next purchase. Please note that Smart Rewards can not be com bined with the Neighborhood News coupons.
Customer Appreciation Oct. 25.!
On Saturday, October 25, Nutrition Smart’s Customer Appreciation event will feature raffles, goodie bags to the first 200 customers who show up, music and demos of different protein powders, and some food and produce items.
“We usually get a really good turnout, a lot of new faces, at these events,” Fausto says. “It’s been growing year after year, and the way this area is still growing, we keep attracting a lot of new people in and these events are a great way to get them here.”
Nutrition Smart is located at 1821 Bruce B.Downs Blvd., Wesley Chapel. The store is open Mon.-Sat., 8 a.m.-9 p.m., and 10 a.m.-7
(Clockwise from top left) Nutrition Smart has the greatest selection of top-quality dark chocolate and soy-free and regenerative pasture-raised eggs you’ll find anywhere. Divine Leaf Vegan inside the store is the only allvegan restaurant in our area. Every grocery store carries sweet potatoes , but how many also carry purple ube
Enter Our 2025 Reader Dining Survey & Contest & To Win $200 In FREE Dining!
Every year, when I tweak the format of our annual Reader Dining Survey & Contest, I always think beforehand that I finally came up with the best way to find our readers’ favorite restaurants in Wesley Chapel & New Tampa.
But, as the entries start to come in, I always feel like I screwed it up again.
Undaunted, on the next page is the 2025 Reader Dining Survey & Contest entry form, which is significantly different than last year’s entry form, even though the “look” of the page is exactly the same as in 2024.
Here is what you need to know to enter this year’s Survey & Contest:
(I hope) every brick-&-mortar restaurant that serves food and is located in & near New Tampa (NT) that is either a true mom & pop or part of a “chain” — whether regional or national — that has fewer than ten (10) total locations is listed in alphabetical order. At the top of the NT & WC lists are five spaces for you to write (or type) the names of your five favorite restaurants located in & near zip code 33647 (NT) & zip codes 33543, 33544 and 33545 (WC). We also include restaurants in Lutz’s 33559 zip code that are no further west on S.R. 54 than the traffic signal at Oak Grove Blvd.).
Although the restaurant lists don’t include any chain eateries with 10 or more locations, you can still write the names of your favorite chains in any or all of the five spaces.
But, whether you choose five places from the NT list of nearly 60+ or the WC list of 100 restaurants, five chains that don’t appear on the list or some combination thereof, in order to be considered to win any of this year’s five dining prizes,
you must write the names of FIVE (5) NT-area restaurants in the five NT spaces at the top of the first column.
The same goes for the five WC spaces. However, if you don’t eat at or order food from any restaurants in or near WC’s three zip codes, don’t fill in those five spaces at all. But, if you do also enjoy at least some restaurants in WC, feel free to write up to five names in the five spaces provided.
I also have 10 spaces this year for everything from your Favorite PIZZA to your Favorite COFFEE, but you don’t have to fill in any of these spaces for your votes to count or to win a prize.
HERE ARE OUR OTHER RULES!
1) DO NOT write the name of your one favorite place in more than one Top-5 space. Only its first-place vote will count. If the restaurant is in NT, only write its name in a NT space, unless it also has a WC location (or it also has your Favorite Pizza, Steak, etc.). If you’re not sure where a restaurant is located, look it up!
2) In order for your votes to count and help your favorite restaurants, you must include your real first AND last name, the community you live in (K-Bar Ranch, West Meadows, etc.), your daytime phone number where I can reach you (which I will only do if your name is selected to win a prize) and your valid email address.
3) This year’s prizes are again for FREE dining at any restaurant YOU choose anywhere in the Tampa Bay area, from the Grand Prize of $200, as well as prizes of $100, $75, $50 & $25.
4) See the Entry Form to find out how to have your votes counted & win prizes! — GN
NEW TAMPA (NT)
My Five Favorite (Overall)
Restaurants in NT (Only):
5)__________________________________
Acropolis Greek Taverna
Al-Sham Palace
Bayscape Bistro
Box of Cubans
Cali Tampa Palms
Cantina Mexican Grill
Cappy’s Pizzeria
Capri Pizza-N-More
China City
China One
Coffee Latitudes Café
Cross Creek Gourmet
Don Julio’s Authentic Mexican
Dosa Hut
Dummy Crabby
EggTown Breakfast & Lunch
Fat Rabbit Pub
Fire Up Halal Grill
Frammi American Grille &
Italian Food
Gorkhali Kitchen (Nepalese)
Ha Long Bay
Ho King
Hummingbird Jamaican Cuisine
Hungry Crab Juicy Seafood
Hunter’s Green Country Club
Ice Spice Indian Street Food Café
Johnny C’s Italian Eatery
Kabob Café & Grill
Kay’s Kitchen
Kobe Japanese Steakhouse
Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi Eatery
Las Palmas Latin Grille
Liang’s Bistro Asian Cuisine
Lima Peruvian Cuisine
Little Greek Fresh Grill
Michi Ramen
Minerva Indian Restaurant
Mpanitas Restaurant
Mr. Dunderbak’s
Namaste Express
New China King
NY Pizza Express (Livingston Ave.)
Palm Thai
Peabody’s Grill & Bar
Poké Island Plus
Provisions Coffee & Kitchen
Rain Bistro
Sorimmara New Tampa
Stonewood Grill & Tavern
Subs & Such (Livingston Ave.)
Sushi Avenue
Sushi Café
Sushi Masa Premium
Sushi Raw
Sushi Time
Taaza Mart Café
Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club
Taste of NY Pizza
The Bean Bar Co.
Thai Lanna & Sushi
Thai Ruby
The Grill at Morris Bridge
Via Italia
Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli Co.
WESLEY CHAPEL
My Five Favorite (Overall)
Restaurants in WC (Only):
El Prince Mediterranean
Falabella Family Bistro
Flipn’ Fries Factory
Florida Ave. Brewing Co.
Fratelli’s Pizza & Café
Garden Mediterranean Grill
Gonna China
Green Market Café
Grillsmith
Grilltopia
Grove Mini-Golf
Happy Hangar Café
Hangry Joe’s
Hot Wok 88
Ho Wok
La Creacion Xpress
Latin Twist Café
Los Chapos Tacos
Los Perritos Factory
Los Vallartas
Macondo Coffee Roasters
Mac’s Custom Meats & Deli
Mama B’s Pizzeria
Please remember that you do not have to choose restaurants that appear on the lists that follow. You can write in the name of your favorite places in Wesley Chapel & New Tampa that don’t appear on the lists of non-chain eateries that follow.
2&2 Restaurant
365 Caffé Italiano
365 NY & Woodfired Pizza
3 Natives
900º New York Pizza
900º Woodfired Pizza
Amici Pizza
Arroy Thai
Asian Buffet
Ato Sushi
Azteca D’Oro
Bagelicious & More (out of business)
Bakery X
Bebo’s Cheesesteaks
Best NY Pizza
Bluefin Sushi
Blush Wine Room
Boba Mac’s
Bodega Deli
Bonsai Sushi
Bosco’s Italian-to-Go
Brunchies
Burger Monger
Cafe Zorba
Caprese Pizza House
Chamo Bites
Chick’n Fun
China Gourmet
China Wok
Chuck Lager America’s Tavern (oob)
Crazy Sushi
Curry Club
Dempsey’s Too (Saddlebrook)
Dummy Crabby
EggTown Breakfast & Lunch
El Pasta & More
Mangomix
Mojo Grill
Moschella’s Italian Eatery & Market
New York New York Pizza
Noble Crust
O’Brien’s Irish Pub
Omari’s Bar & Grill (Lex. Oaks GC)
Palani’s Hawai’i Noodles
Papichy’s
Pasta di Guy
PeppaJak
Persis Indian Grill
Pisco Express
PizzaMania
Poké Lulu
PopStroke
Provisions Coffee & Kitchen
Rhythm Pon de Grille
Rice N Beans Express
Rice N Beans Puerto Rico
Roong Aroon Thai Café
Rudraksh Indian Cuisine
Señor Tequila
Shake-A-Salad
Shang Hai
Skybox Rooftop Bar (Residence Inn)
Sweet Krunch Korean Fried Chicken
Tacos el Patron
Tallo American/Caribbean Restaurant
Tasty Ramen
The Alley
The Living Room
The Reef Café (Epperson Lagoon)
The Secret Lounge
Tokyo Grill & Sushi
Top Shelf Sports Grille (AH Center Ice)
TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar
Umu Japanese & Thai
Yamato Japanese Steak House
Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill
My Favorite PIZZA in NT/WC
My Favorite BURGER in NT/WC
My Favorite CHICKEN in NT/WC
My Favorite STEAK in NT/WC
My Favorite ASIAN FOOD in NT/WC
My Favorite BAR in NT/WC
My Favorite BREAKFAST in NT/WC
My Favorite ICE CREAM in NT/WC
My Favorite BAKERY in NT/WC
My Favorite COFFEE in NT/WC
What A Life! Che Vita Italian Restaurant Opens At The Downtown Tampa Hilton!
Here at the Neighborhood News, like many of you, we often travel outside of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel to enjoy a great meal. On the next several pages, we tell you about two restaurants in Tampa that we think you should try — one that is brand new downtown, called Che Vita, and the other is arguably the most famous restaurant in the Tampa Bay area — Bern’s Steak House on S. Howard Ave. in South Tampa. These are two totally different experiences, but both come highly recommended, so give ‘em a try, whenever you can! — GN
By Gary Nager
“I began this journey to create a new brand for Hilton, a year-and-a-half ago,” says James King, the Executive Chef at Che Vita, the new Italian restaurant in the Hilton Tampa Downtown. “Che (pronounced “Kay”) Vita means ‘What a Life!’ in Italian and we want everyone who eats here to say ‘Che Vita!’ when they finish their meal!”
King, who spent the last four years at the Hilton by Logan Airport in Boston, running Connolly’s Publik House, an Irish pub, also earned certifications in French cuisine, at Le Cordon Bleu, and multiple Master certifications in Italian cooking — including pizzas and pastas — during his training in Naples, Florence and Rome.
“But I’m a New York kid,” he says. “I grew up in Brooklyn on New York-style pizza and Italian cooking, but I went to a wedding in Puerto Rico and got bit by the palm tree ‘bug,’ because I was tired of snow. So, when this opportunity came up in Tampa, I said, ‘I never heard of Tampa, I’ve only heard of Miami.’ But, I came down here and this restaurant was an American fusion place with a big buffet. But, after the pandemic, buffets weren’t as popular anymore. So, I came up with a small, seasonal menu that we will change maybe six times per year.”
That menu, designed by Chef King (at left in top right photo) and his amazing sous chef Fabio Zaniboni (at right in same picture) has a mix of Italian favorites and local seafood, with Antipasti (appetizers) like arancini (risotto balls with a cacio e pepe sauce fried inside and served with a lemon pesto aioli; photo below), zucchini & artichoke fritti, calamari and polpette (beef, pork & veal meatballs), as well as my favorite starter of the evening, the ahi tuna crudo (middle right photo), which is thick slices of raw sushi-grade tuna with a chili aioli, saba (or sweet grape must) and soy glaze, caperberries, bottarga (a Mediterranean roe) and microgarden herbs. It was slightly
the crudo will give you an experience like a great Japanese restaurant,” Chef King says.
The polpettes (above) and arancini were no slouches, either, especially the meatballs, which were tender, delicately spiced and had just the right amount of tomato sugo (similar to marinara) on creamy burrata.
“I needed a sous chef like Fabio, who is from Italy, but came here from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands after one of the hurricanes last year closed the yacht club where he was working,” Chef King says. “He told me, ‘I’m your Italian chef, but I don’t want to cook Italian. I love sushi, I love fish. I love Latin.’ I said, ‘You’re hired,’ without even tasting his food, because we shared the same vision for Che Vita. He’s like my brother from another mother when it comes to Italian cuisine.”
Jannah and I didn’t sample any of the “Zuppe & Insalata,” but they include a baby kale Caesar, a tomato & mozzarella salad and a cannellini bean and Tuscan kale soup with garlic fennel sausage, ditalini pasta, sofrito and herb brodo (broth), as well as a tomato freddo soup.
It was super-hard to decide on our “Primi” or pasta dish, but we wanted something different, so we tried the agnolotti blue crab (below right), which is a delicious stuffed pasta (different from ravioli) from the Piedmont region of Italy. It was stuffed with blue crab, lemon-basil artisan ricotta and served with crispy parmesan in a Tampa citrus gremolata (a green sauce made with chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic). The pasta was al dente and the crab and ricotta combined with the lemon and garlic perfectly.
Other pastas on the menu include rigatoni salsiccia (with spicy sausage and broccoli rabe), which I will definitely try on my next visit, shrimp scampi, a tagliatelle tre pomodori, which is served with three different kinds of tomato sauce, a primavera and, of course, spaghetti & meatballs.
Chef King insisted that we try one of his Neapolitan-style pizzas, because he says he uses the same Italian wheat that you can’t get at most places serving Neapolitan (wood-fired) pizzas here. “If you love a Margherita pizza (photo on next page), we use that beautiful dough, San Marzano tomatoes, authentic mozzarella di Buffala and basil. Italians don’t eat pizza by folding it. They eat it with a knife and fork. The crust blisters and is crisp on the outside, but is fluffy soft on the inside.”
The Margeherita pizza was excellent and there are plenty of other pizza options
to try, including the Rossa Moderna, with San Marzano tomatoes, Calabrian chili oil, oregano and beekeeper’s honey that Chef King says he produces in his own bee hives. There’s also Romana style (with ricotta, mozzarella, cracked peppercorns, lemon and arugula); Capricciosa (with pomodoro, artichoke hearts, olives, exotic mushrooms and Parma ham); and Diavola (house-made spicy Italian sausage, Calabrese salami, crushed tomato sauce, Fior di Latte cheese, chili oil and oregano) pizzas on the menu.
Despite already being full, Chef King said we also had to try at least one of the “Secondi” (or main course) dishes on the menu. We had steak the night before, so we stayed away from
both the Steak Tagliata (grilled & shaved Ocala Ranch tenderloin with crispy rosemary potato spears, arugula, parmigiana, lemon and aged balsamic) and the NYC-Style Strip Steak. If we weren’t so stuffed, we probably would have ordered the chicken parmesan, but instead, we opted for the one fish entrée — the Acqua Pazza, although Chef King modified it for use because it is supposed to be a spicy fumetto di pesce served with gulf shrimp, mussels and clams, as well as the local catch of the day, with Calabrian chili oil, crisp fingerling potatoes, blistered tomatoes, Tuscan kale and house-made biga focaccia bread. But, because (as you readers know) I’m allergic
See “Che Vita” on page 34.
to the shrimp and mussels, Chef King had Fabio prepare the dish with just the fresh catch — a huge filet of grouper — sitting atop just those yummy side dishes in that delectable broth (right). The Acqua Pazza was a perfectly grilled piece of fish and a spectacular dish. The biga focaccia was crispy, with an authentically airy interior, and was perfect for mopping up the broth. Now, we thought for sure we were done.
“But of course, you must also have dessert,” Fabio said as he poured Jannah an Aperol spritz, and it’s really hard to say no to him or Chef King, so we each ordered a dessert — just to sample, of course. Yeah, right.
Jannah got a scoop of raspberry sorbet (one of her favorites) and I got the house-made
tiramisu semifreddo (below). It fills a huge cup wih espresso martini-soaked ladyfingers with rich marscarpone cream and is topped with powdered chocolate and chocolate-covered coffee beans. I love a good tiramisu and this was a great one.
Of course, it was hard to not also sample the triple (dark, white & milk) chocolate mousse layered over Genoise sponge cake with chocolate fudge and biscotti crostini, or the cannolo with Nutella & ricotta mousse, luxardo cherries, pistachio crumbs and Chantilly cream. There’s also an olive oil cake, lemon thyme sorbetto (house-crafted lemon-thyme sorbet served in a frosted lemon cup with a shot of Limoncello liqueur), multiple other sorbets and four different gelato flavors (chocolate, vanilla bean, pistachio and salted caramel). Decadence.
Che Vita also features a full premium liquor cocktail list, with two Negroni cocktails, a Limoncello martini and three kinds of spritzes, including the Naples spritz Jannah started her meal with (which is Riondo prosecco, with Limoncello and St. Germain liqueurs, plus club soda).
There also is a nice selection of red, white, rosé and sparkling wines by the glass and bottle, including the Maggiolo Lamole di Lamole Chianti Classico Sangiovese I started my meal with a glass of, as well as Italian and other imported, domestic and craft beers, hard seltzers and more.
And, although Che Vita is open for breakfast (there’s even a breakfast buffet), Chef King says
the breakfast crew is separate from his dinner line cooks, because, “Che Vita isn’t a hotel restaurant,” he says, “it’s its own thing. It’s Che Vita!”
The lunch menu has many of the same Antipasti, Zuppe & Insalata and Pizzas as the dinner menu, but also offers a nice variety of panini sandwiches, including a grilled chicken pesto, a parma panino (with prosciutto, sopressata, mozzarella, provolone, arugula, sundried tomato pesto and a pepperoncini remoulade), “The Local” (fried or blackened grouper), a caprese panini and two different burgers — all served with
parmesan herb fries (or enhance truffle fries for $6 additional or a side salad for $2 more).
“For me, it’s about the three Fs — family, food & futbol (soccer),” Chef King says. All I can say is: What a meal! What a chef! What a place! What a life!
Che Vita is located inside the downtown Tampa Hilton (211 N. Tampa St.) and is open every day for breakfast, lunch & dinner. For reservations and more info, call (813) 222-4975 or visit CheVitaTampa.com — and please tell them I sent you!
A Visit To Bern’s Steak House — The Tampa Bay Area’s Most Famous Restaurant!
Story & photos by Gary Nager & Joel
Provenzano
Bern’s Steak House. For anyone who has lived in the Tampa Bay area for any period of time, the name is almost mythical. For many of those who have seen the changes it ultimately had to go through since the late Bern Laxer (he passed away in 2002) and his wife Gert (who followed her husband in 2020) first opened Bern’s in 1956 (including now owned and is being run by Bern and Gert’’s son David), Bern’s is still the go-to steak house — despite the presence of chains like Fleming’s, Eddie V’s, Charley’s, Capital Grille and Ocean Prime — as much for the experience as for the food itself.
While the restaurant does accommodate a varying small number of walk-ins for the dinner and lounge areas, and seating at the bar is “first come, first served,” reservations are highly encouraged for dinner tables in the various main dining rooms, and that reservation is still among the hardest to book in Tampa. They often have to be made up to 60 days in advance to ensure a table on the night you want.
So, after correspondent Joel Provenzano and his wife Jessica told me that their most recent Bern’s experience didn’t live up to the steak house’s legendary reputation — and realizing that I had never taken Jannah there in the ten years we’ve been together — I decided to take us all out to S. Howard Ave. to give this venerable institution another try.
On Becoming A Legend
For decades, Bern’s Steak House has stood as a
landmark in Tampa’s culinary scene, attracting local elite and the who’s-who of American food royalty, e.g., chefs like Emeril Lagasse, plus sports and entertainment celebrities and even actual visiting royalty.
Since opening nearly 60 years ago, it has become a go-to destination for special occasions, high-end dining and one of the most extensive wine lists in the entire world, plus a separate dessert room nearly as famous as the restaurant itself. In other words, it would be virtually impossible to replicate what the Laxer family has created and nurtured for generations of Tampa Bay residents and visitors.
The restaurant was born from very humble beginnings, created by Bern and Gert, with one dining room in a small strip shopping center (which today is the steak house’s Bordeaux dining room), Bern’s eventually grew to eight dining rooms, a massive wine cellar that first-time visitors just have to tour, and the fabled second-story Harry Waugh dessert room (built in 1985 and named for the renowned English wine merchant who provided the redwood wine casks for the dessert room’s 48 private suites) — taking over the whole adjacent strip of businesses and becoming the world-famous steak house it is today.
A Grand Entrance
Pulling into Bern’s under its classic portecochère, guests are greeted by an efficient valet service — an elegant first touch. Walking in the door, you’re transported into a different era, and a feeling of vintage elegance envelops you, set by the dim lighting and bold colors, textures and lush artwork. It’s immediately clear this is going
to be more than just a dinner — it’s meant to be a unique experience.
Once seated in the Rhône dining room, I ordered a 2004 Silverado Sangiovese — a Napa Valley version of one of my favorite Italian vari etals (the grape behind Italian Chianti Classico), which I found by checking out Bern’s 200-page wine list online before we all visited. Our affable waiter Nick opened the bottle next to a lit can dle, which not only provides illumination that allows sommeliers to see if there is sediment in the wine and stop pouring before it can enter the decanter, which none of us actually knew was a thing. It also adds to Bern’s romantic ambience.
On their previous visit, Joel and Jessica shared the unique “Tuna and Wagyu” starter (right), a high-end fusion of Wagyu steak tartare wrapped in sashimi-grade tuna, topped with Osetra caviar. Joel says the four large pieces were visually stunning and delicious, absolute perfec tion even, a strong recommendation for those who like raw Japanese-style food. (Note-When they asked for chopsticks, they were told Bern’s hadn’t stocked them in years).
But, speaking of you caviar fans (Jannah and I aren’t among those), Bern’s offers nearly two dozen varieties, plus a se lection of high-end cheeses (from French camembert to Italian Fiore Sardo made from sheep’s milk).
For this visit, we started with an incredible lump crab cake, which was mostly crab, grilled to crisp-edge perfec tion, with charred corn, tomato, basil and mustard seed vinaigrette.
Other appetizers on Bern’s extensive menu include a dry-aged special chateaubriand carpaccio, seared foie gras, dry-aged beef rib empanadas, shrimp cocktail, oysters on the half shell, coal grilled octopus, escargots, black truffle steak tartare and baked clams, which we did order (above). They were good, but small and I didn’t think the addition of sheep’s milk cheese to the stuffing was a great (or necessary) addition. There also are two giant shellfish “Plateaux de Fruits de Mer, with everything from shrimp, lobster and oysters to king crab, octopus and more. Not for me, but still.
And, although every entrée at Bern’s is served with salad, a tasty, cheesy French onion soup and every steak entrée also is served with crispy onion rings and the vegetable of the evening, Joel decided to substitute Bern’s She Crab
Nick poured the creamy soup over the other ingredients (top photo on next page) and of course, I had to at least sample it and found it to be a unique blend of flavors.
You Have To Try...
And of course, the must-order when you visit Bern’s, despite the fact the restaurant has 30 different steak options, is the signature chateaubriand (right), which is an incredibly tender large, cylindrical cut of tenderloin roasted to a crisp crust outside while staying incredibly tender inside. We ordered one 14-oz. and one 9-oz. cut of chateaubriand for the four of us to share and no one left hungry or disappointed.
See “Bern’s Steak House” on page 38.
Among the other steak cuts are three sizes of filet mignon, two delmonicos, three sizes of dry-aged strip steaks, two porterhouses, two Tbones and five different varieties of A5 Japanese wagyu, including a wagyu tasting with 4 oz. each of tenderloin, strip and sirloin cap. There also are “large-format” steaks like the 36-oz. wagyu tomahawk, 40-oz. bone-in tenderloin and a 60oz. porterhouse. Maybe next time.
Other entrées include the famous Chicken Gert (with roasted garlic rosemary butter), cast iron-roasted grouper, roasted quail, dry-aged rack of lamb, coal-grilled cobia, roasted salmon, halibut and sansho pepper glazed sea bass. But, if you’re a steak lover and want the full Bern’s experience on your first visit, go with the chateaubriand — it’s the steak that made Bern famous and it was still wonderful.
In addition to the side dishes served with all of the steak and most of the other entrées, there also are a la carte, shareable vegetables and sides, including parmesan truffle fries, thricebaked potato, an Okinawan sweet potato purée, steak house mushrooms, roasted asparagus, white truffle mac & cheese and the tasty creamed corn we ordered for the table (and more).
The Tour & The Dessert Room
If you’re making your first visit to Bern’s, you simply have to take the tour of both the kitchen and the amazing wine cellar. While many restaurants will allow you to visit the kitchen, very few invite every guest to see for themselves the size, scope and quality control
that goes into creating your meal (photo below), but the crew at Bern’s wants you to know the pains taken to ensure you enjoy a great meal and dining experience.
The absolutely legendary wine cellar, that Bern himself originally curated, houses about 110,000 bottles of red, white, rosé, sparkling and dessert wines on the premises at any time, which according to our tour guide, is only about 15% of the restaurant’s total wine inventory. If you can’t find a bottle you want on the restaurant’s world-famous list, ask your sommelier to recommend something similar...or better...or completely different — they will always have you covered.
The rest of the huge number of bottles are stored in an off-site facility and the list is constantly being updated. Some of the rarest and most expensive bottles of wine in the world are housed here.
The bottom photo on this page shows just a portion of the hundreds of wines available by the glass, if you don’t want to commit to a full bottle. It’s intentionally really dark in the wine cellar, so it’s tough to get great pictures of anything other than this area, but believe me, the tour is still very much worth taking.
The Harry Waugh Dessert Room is so famous that you don’t even have to have dinner at Bern’s in order to make a reservation for just the dessert room. Redwood doors and walls separate each dessert room, so you and your guests can enjoy privacy as you indulge in the largest selection of premium cocktails and dessert wines of any restaurant I’ve ever been to— and yes, I’ve
you kind of sort of still have to indulge. Joel, Jessica, Jan nah and I each got our own dessert and there was a lot of sampling going on.
Jannah’s Dutch apple pie, with Granny Smith apples, brown sugar crumble and caramel ice cream was great, as was my single scoop of roasted banana ice cream with hot fudge.
But, Joel and Jessica made even better choices — Jessica’s creme brulée, topped with fresh mixed berries (right) was spot-on and Joel loved his macadamia nut sun dae in a house-made waffle bowl (below).
We all enjoyed a wonderful after-dinner cocktail and left Bern’s satisfied and thinking about making another visit to try some other wine, steaks, fish and desserts there.
In other words, Bern’s is still Bern’s. Is it still the best restaurant in Tampa? Try to make a reservation and decide for yourself, but it is still a great experience that everyone should have at least once.
that no matter how full you may be from dinner
Bern’s Steak House (1208 S. Howard Ave.) is open every day except Monday for dinner at 5 p.m. To reserve a table, visit BernsSteak House.com or call (813) 251-2421 for more information.
Swig Is Less Than A Month From Opening; Cheesecake Factory To Open By November?
Swig Is Only Weeks From Opening
So, for those of us who are excited and those who have never tried Swig, the self-proclaimed “dirty soda” chain with 125 corporate-owned and franchised locations (and growing) across the U.S., our wait is almost
the drive-through lanes and interior buildout would only take 3-4 weeks.
Swig combines a variety of Sodas, Revivers (with energy drink bases) and Rrefreshers (with water bases) to create hundreds of different drink varieties, many with cool names like “Cin-Sational, (with water, cinnamon & pumpkin spice)” “Pretty in Pink,” “Surf’s Up” and many more — or you can create your own. Most Swig locations also offer hot chocolate, cream pops, pretzel bites, and sugar and chocolate chip cookies.
Cheesecake Factory Eyes November
Check our Facebook page for updates about Swig’s actual opening date.
If you’ve driven by the Tampa Premium Outlets anytime recently, you probably couldn’t help but notice the significant progress on the construction of The Cheesecake Factory (above right).
In fact, not only is the building nearly completed, you can now almost tell how the parking will actually work at the site.
No one’s saying that the traffic around the outlet mall isn’t going to get worse because of its most-anticipated restaurant ever, or that parking isn’t going to be an issue. Everyone knows that the arrival of The Cheese-
cake Factory is going to make things more difficult, both traffic-wise and parking-wise at the mall, especially when it first opens.
But, when is that expected to be?
Despite the amazing progress on the building and some online posts saying that it will be open as early as October, outlet mall general manager Chris Durant says that Cheesecake Factory “is shooting for a November opening.”
So, you definitely can expect that the annual holiday shopping mess at the mall will get a little bit tougher, at least for this year. — GN
Chuck Lager’s Closes At The Shops!
Chuck Lager America’s Tavern abruptly closed its location at The Shops at Wiregrass mall on Sept. 1, with a note on its front door that reads
“We regret to inform you that Chuck Lager America’s Tavern has permanently closed as of 09/01/25.
This decision was not made lightly, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Although our operations have come to an end, we remain thankful for your patronage and the many memories shared within our establishment.
On behalf of our entire team, please accept our deepest appreciation and our apologies for the necessity of this closure.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact me. Respectfully, Roger Arebalo, General Manager. 813.778.3686.”
The restaurant, which won’t get to celebrate its fifth anniversary at the mall, was part of a small chain co-founded by celebrity chef Fabio Viviani. The Wiregrass location was the third to open, but others have since been shuttered (including a location in Oldsmar that closed about two years ago), leaving only two open locations — the
original in Pike Creek, DE, and the one on Bridge St. in the Westshore area of Tampa.
We didn’t know the status of a planned location in Ft. Myers that is still listed as “Coming Soon” at ChuckLager.com. Please note that the Wesley Chapel location also is still shown as being open on that same website as this issue was going to press.
Our original Facebook post, from a tip by former Tampa Tribune reporter George Wilkens, shattered our “Neighborhood News” record of most views by nearly 100,000 views, with 428,000+ views at our press time. Thanks, George! — GN
•Wellness Dentistry for kids and teens
•Holistic nutritional counseling for teeth and gums
•Ozone therapy for oral care
•Recommendation of non-toxic materials
•Sedation dentistry (nitrous oxide) and Sedation
•Invisalign First for children & Invisalign Teen
•Digital 3D scans, ITERO (no goop) and digital X-rays
•Laser dentistry (release of tongue tie for infants, children and teens)
•Relaxed environment, so your children can enjoy their visit
or questions, email
Kids & Their Parents Love The New WonderGrounds Play Café!
Congratulations to owners Moudy Shublaq and Didi Abdulnabi of the new Wondergrounds Play Café, which has been open for about a month next to Smoothie King in the small strip plaza in front of the Super Target at 1041 Bruce B.Downs Blvd. (at County Line Rd.).
“We wanted to create a secure place for kids (ages 6 & under) to play indoors where their parents can enjoy delicious coffee and tea (and other beverages) and a comfortable place to sit and watch their kids,” Moudy says. “We’ve already had great support from the local community.”
Wondergrounds also offers a delicious variety of rotating, locally baked cakes and pastries, although Moudy says, “We will always have the rainbow cake (lower left in the photo below).”
The unique play area, which offers extra-wide spaces for parents who want to join their
Inchin’s Owners Open New Curry Club
One of the spaces that has had the most turnover in the KRATE Container Park at The Grove in Wesley Chapel (at 5888 Grand Oro Ln, Ste. 100, Unit 34) is now Curry Club second Indian restaurant to open in the space next to what is now PeppawJak (which previ ously was the Bacon Boss HQ).
Curry Club is a new venture from the partners who brought the Indo-Chinese chain known as Inchin’s Bamboo Garden the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza in Wesley Chapel (at 1660 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., just south of S.R. 56), but Curry Club is an inde pendent mom-&-pop eatery with an Indianonly menu.
On my first visit, I enjoyed the Dynamite Gobi, which is crackling-crisp cauliflower that is tasty and only slightly spicy. I also tried the
portion of biryani-style long-grain rice with pieces of chicken on the bone in a rich, nottoo-spicy curry sauce, which was tasty both with the rice and the naan. Mohan, one of the
Hot Dogs before that. Here’s hoping that Curry Club succeeds where those others did not. According to the restaurant’s Google reviews, it’s so far so good, as Curry Club has
Office of Mukesh Satodiya,
Rudraksh Indian Cuisine’s Grand Opening!
Although we first told you about the opening of Rudraksh Indian Cuisine at 4424 Friendly Way, Suite 115, in Downtown Avalon Park in our May 13 issue, owners (top right photo) Manashi Borush (left) and Amit Ghor pade celebrated the “official” Grand Opening of their upscale Indian restaurant on Aug. 9.
And of course, yours truly had to be there to enjoy some more unique flavors and wish the owners and their general manager Dee well.
“A lot more people have been giving us a try since Tallo (the Caribbean-American fusion restaurant next door) opened,” Dee says. “But, they keep coming back because they found out that they love the food (like the tasty Tandoori lamb seekh kabobs below) and the atmosphere here, too. We have been super-busy on the weekends and the lunch and weekday dinner business is growing, too.”
The place definitely was packed with both regulars and newcomers for the Grand Opening event, which included a complimentary glass of champagne and an incredible 30% off your bill. indulge in my still-favorite Rudraksh dish, the Le hsoni Gobi (crispy cauliflower with garlic sauce). For more info, call (813) 355-3914 or visit RudrakshIndianCuisine.com. — GN
N ew T ampa & w esley C hapel Classifieds
HOME IMPROVEMENT
THE SALT AIR HOME SERVICES. Drywall Repairs, Texturing, Painting, Wood Rot Repair, Insulation Blown & Spray Foam. For a free quote please call 904-333-4678
DRY WALL SPECIALIST. Not a handyman. Affordable, Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings & walls, re-texturing, popcorn removal, room addt’ns, cracks, holes, plaster & stucco repair. 30+ years of exp. WC resident. State Certified. Call Ron for a free estimate: 813-7845999. Lic. #SCC131149699
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 & get 1 MONTH of quality service FREE. For more info, visit AquatecPools.org.
FLOORING- Luxury Vinyl Plank Installed! Buy anywhere, we will install it!. $1.69/sq. ft. (over 300 sq.ft.). Regular-size bedroom - $399, We will haul away carpet/tack strip & move major furniture pieces. Call for free estimate 813-417-7689. Let’s save some money!
BATHROOM & KITCHEN REMODELING. Top quality, professional, licensed, & insured contractors. Family owned & operated for over 30 years. We take the hassle out of remodeling. Call Ken of Hangliter Residential for an estimate. 813-460-4548 or see our display ad on the next page for additional info.
Flooring/Waterproof Vinyl Plank Installation! Affordable & knowledgeable service, $4.99/sq.ft, including a 20-mil Luxury vinyl plank. We’ll move appliances, heavy furniture & existing floors & haul them away as recommended. Free in-home estimates always offered. Call today: 813-804-2544.
MISCELLANEOUS
FOR SALE: Brand New, Complete Boy Scout Uniforms for Sale. Boys clothes size 10-14, shoes, plus new roller skates & ice skates. Dishes & many household articles. A 10x30 shed full of flea market items, will sell all very reasonable. Cartop carrier, professional bicycles, kayak, doggie furniture, crates feeder & much more. Call 813-297-1456.
PHOTOGRAPHERS & CREATIVES: Looking for a photo studio space in New Tampa? We offfer a weatherproof, luxury exp. for your clients in this 705-sq-ft creative space. Natural light, white walls & light laminate floors make the space bright & airy. Studio lighting, props, furniture, paper & cloth backdrops & more avail. Book/inquire online: Jessicabuttererphoto.com/rent-the-studio or call Jessica 914-844-2894
Were you self-employed during 2020 & 2021? If so, the IRS is giving out refunds — get your money in only 2 weeks. It takes only 10 minutes to find out how! Call 813-784-2243.
SHARPENING SERVICE. Knives, Scissors & Garden Tools. Every Friday, 9am-4pm, through March 2025. NEW LOCATION: @ Harvey’s Hardware, 5400 Land O’Lakes Blvd., LOL. Contact M&M SHARPENING, Mark Bertsche @ 518-260-5916.
HUGHES SCHOOL OF MUSIC is now accepting new students! Study Saxophone, Piano, Music Production, Composition or Theory w/a Master of Music. Zoom sessions also avail.! Contact us at 813-748-3216.
___ REAL ESTATE & OFFICE___ __
OFFICE/RETAIL SPACE AVAILABLE! Pebble Creek Collection plaza space for lease, approx. 500 sq.ft. Perfect for someone in Health/Wellness/Cosmetology. Contact Deborah at SunMed - Your CBD Store of New Tampa (19651 Bruce B Downs) @ 813-994-0599.
Steven Kessel, REALTOR® w/Future Home Realty, Inc., has created just for you, the most advanced, up-to-date, user-friendly propty search engine for homes for sale in the Tampa Bay & Central Fla area — & it’s FREE to use & enjoy. BuyYourDreamHome.com.
CLEANING SERVICES
CLEANSWEEP CLEANING CO, LLC. Fully licensed/bonded, 8 years exp, satisfaction guarantd. Prof’l staff. On-time. We can bring our own products or use yours, if you prefer. Christian-based, family-owned company that lives in New Tampa, serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. Call (813) 340-0908 for a no-obligation free quote. Ask for John. ROSE’S CLEANING SERVICE. We make sure your home will be shiny & clean. Whether you need one-time, weekly, biweekly or monthly svcs, we will customize a plan to accommodatesyour needs. Residential/offices/airBnB,etc. Call/text Roseli for a free estimate anytime: 813 400.4946. Or, email:rrduar@yahoo.com.
PATY CLEANING SERVICE. Comm’l or resid’l cleaning service. We have our own supplies & 10 years of experience. Free estimates. Call 813 790-8715 or email paty8624@proton.me.
NEXT HOME CLEANING. With 20+ years of prof’l house & ofc cleaning services available. Trustworthy, efficient & affordable. Transform your space into a spotless sanctuary. Ecofriendly products. Satisfaction guaranteed. Book now & enjoy a pristine home! FREE ESTIMATES! Contact us today at 813-860-1524 or visit nexthomecleaningservices.com.
ELITE RIDES. Private rides in a sanitized 2023 Tesla, plus concierge services. Airport, schools, medical appointments, shopping, etc. Courteous, reliable professional. New Tampa to Tampa Int’l Airport - $45 (one way). Cory Lake Isles resident. For more info, call or text 813.765.2037.
COMPUTER SERVICES ____ 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.
The New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News Classifieds are the classified ads your neighbors actually read!
