Carrollwood - Vol. 4, Issue 1, January 2016

The Premier “Shop Local” Community Magazine Directly Mailed To 15,000 Homes In Carrollwood, Lake Magdalene & Avila

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:The New Year. A Fresh Start. A New Beginning........3Community Calendar/ News Briefs..................4-5Homebound Heroes.........................................8-9Mood Meter..................................................12-13Sparkle Power...............................................16-17Your Social Security Record at Your Fingertips.............19Donna’s Cleaning Angels..............................20-21Tampa Bay Making A Difference Award........22-23PostNet Neighborhood Business Center.......................26

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTAMPA FL

PERMIT 1185

Your neighborhood. Your magazine. Vol. 4, Issue 1, Jan. 2016®

by Matt Selby

Carmel Kitchen, located at 14306 N Dale Mabry, is within 5minutes of just about anywhere in Carrollwood, and if youhaven’t been there yet you’re missing out on a one-of-a-kind culi-nary treat! Carmel Kitchen is definitely towards the top of the listfor favorite restaurants my wife and I have frequented in Carroll-wood. We became instant fans since our first visit just over a yearago and have been back many times since.

By Marcy Sanford

When the temperature dipsbelow 60 and the wind begins to rat-tle your windows and doors, youprobably feel a chill air seeping in,but Carrollwood Window & Doorowner Randy Kah says old windowsand doors can also be a big energydrain in the summer as well.

“We get a lot of calls in Januarywhen people feel the cold air aroundtheir windows,” says Randy. “But,what many people don’t realize isthat your cool air is escaping fromthose same windows and doors dur-ing the warmer months.” Not onlyare ill-fitting or old windows anddoors an energy drain year round,

Carrollwood Window &Door – Installing TrustOne Window at a Time!

Carmel Kitchen –A Unique Culinary

Experience

See “Carmel” on page 28.

See “Cwood Window” on page 24.

Carrollwood Neighborhood Lifestyle2 JANUARY 2016 For Ad Info 813-928-6124 • NNLFlorida.com

Carrollwood Neighborhood Lifestyle JANUARY 2016 3For Ad Info 813-928-6124 • NNLFlorida.com

CarrollwoodNeighborhood LifestyleDirectly mailed once a month to 15,000

households in zip codes 33618, 33624 & 33613220 S. Safford Ave.

Tarpon Springs, FL 34689Phone: (813) 928-6124; Fax: (727) 942-2432

Advertising E-mail: [email protected] E-mail:

[email protected]© 2016 Carrollwood Neighborhood Lifestyle

Nothing that appears in Carrollwood NeighborhoodLifestyle may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part,without permission. Opinions expressed by CarrollwoodNeighborhood Lifestyle writers are their own and do not re-flect the publisher’s opinion.

The management of Carrollwood NeighborhoodLifestyle is always happy to accept outside editorial sub-missions to the paper. Please call for outside editorial sub-mission and advertisement deadlines.

Carrollwood Neighborhood Lifestyle will consider pre-viously non-published outside editorial submissions if theyare double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. Carroll-wood Neighborhood Lifestyle reserves the right to editand/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makesno guarantees regarding publication dates. CarrollwoodNeighborhood Lifestyle will not return unsolicited editorialmaterials.

Carrollwood Neighborhood Lifestyle reserves the rightto edit and/or reject any advertising. Carrollwood Neighbor-hood Lifestyle is not responsible for errors in advertising be-yond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, not for thevalidity of any claims made by its advertisers.

PublisherMatt SelbyAdvertising SalesJared Nager (Manager)Linda ViegaMike BirdAccounting ManagerAlexis SelbyMarketing & DevelopmentAshley KnoblachArt DirectorTony Sica

EditorAlexis SelbyCorrespondentsJulie KanehlMarcy SanfordPamela SicaKatie ThomasKim ThomasDara TuckerDeborah Bostock-Kelley

From The Editor Alexis Selby

The New Year. A Fresh Start.A New Beginning.

For me, the beginning of theNew Year signifies a time for hope, in-spiring you to make changes or dothings differently. It can be an excitingtime, filled with enthusiasm and antici-pation, as we think about our potentialfor the upcoming year. It is a time ofreflection – honoring what has hap-pened, what is currently happening,and what is yet to come.

Celebrating milestones in our lifesuch as the New Year allows us to con-template our lives in a way we oftendon’t do. Constantly moving throughlife on autopilot, it is easy to getcaught in the daily grind, draggingalong week by week with our routinesand schedules. The New Year is abreak in this pattern. It is both an end-ing and a beginning. It is an opportu-nity to stop, reflect, and start again.

As we move into this next chapterof life, it is important to think aboutwhat we accomplished in 2015. A lot

can happen in the span of a year, andI'm sure for most of us 2015 was filledwith many wonderful experiences, andchallenging ones as well.

Take a moment to look back uponthe beautiful memories you createdthis past year. I'm sure if you thinkabout it, there were many. Too often,memories are forgotten and as we getcaught up in our routines we lose sightof what is truly important to us andforget about just how lucky we are.

Also – just as important – takesome time to reflect on what didn'tgo so well, as it is only by acknowl-edging these hardships that we areable to let go of the past and moveforward into the future. The chal-lenges we have faced give us strengthand courage, and in some way or an-other have helped shape us into whowe are today.

As we look towards the future,embrace it with an open heart. Honor

your past, cherish the beautiful memo-ries, and be willing to let the challeng-ing times go. In the words of BradPaisley, “Tomorrow is the first blankpage of a 365 page book. Write agood one!”


Community Calendar & News BriefsCarrollwood CulturalCenter to Introduce NewPrograms in 2016

The folks at the Carrollwood Cul-tural Center know one thing: 2016 isgoing to be huge for the organization.

As in years past, the Center willoffer a variety of live music events,comedy shows, shows for children,community theatre, art exhibits andclasses; however, that is just the tip ofthe iceberg for the non-profit.

“We are going to continue doingwhat we’ve always done, which is offerquality entertainment and arts-basededucational opportunities to the com-munity, but we are going to introducea series of free community events inthe New Year,” said executive directorPaul Berg.

Complete Schedule of Events:January – April 2016

· January 5 at 6:30-8 p.m.:WORKSHOP: Dance for Joy & Vitality

· January 8 at 6 p.m.: The Lec-ture Series presents Florida: A Tar-get-Rich Environment for CrimeWriters with bestselling author TimDorsey sponsored by Rex Hendersonof Edward Jones and CarrollwoodVillage HOAs

· January 9 at 10 a.m.-2 p.m. TheNorth Tampa Market

· January 11: Winter I class ses-sion starts today

· January 16: Miles for Minds 5K& Fun Run sponsored by Carroll-wood Village HOAs

· January 16 at 7 p.m.: MusicalExpressions with pianist Franz Mantini

· January 17 at 2 p.m.: JugglingAround the World with Stewart Lipi

· January 21 at 6:45-8:15 p.m.:WORKSHOP: All that Jazz &More…Theatre Dance

· January 22 at 7:30 p.m.: Jazzwith Jim with Jim Burge and The JazzDirections

· January 23 at 9 a.m.-1 p.m.:Treasures & Trinkets sponsored byCarrollwood Village HOAs

· January 23 at 8 p.m.: Women ofMotown

· January 25-26 at 10:30 a.m.:The Franzini Family Science Circus

· January 30 at noon-2 p.m. :WORKSHOP: Inspirational Canvaswith Texture & Contrast

· February 4 at 6:45-8 p.m.:WORKSHOP: Swing Dance

· February 5 at 5-8 p.m.: ARTRECEPTION: Art from the and Mark

13-Week GriefShare Series atLake Magdalene UnitedMethodist Church

A special weekly seminar-supportgroup for those who have lost a lovedone will meet at Lake MagdaleneUnited Methodist Church, 2902Fletcher Ave., W, on Tuesdays be-ginining January 5, 2016 throughTuesday, March 29 at 6:30 in room310 of the CEC Building. The costfor the 13-week series is $20, withscholarships available. Participantsmay begin at any time. Members ofthe community are welcome. Formore information, contact Anne Kingat (813) 963-1555 [email protected] or visitwww.GriefShare.org.

7th Annual Public Safety FairFriday, Jan. 8th from 9:30AM –

1:30PM at the Northdale Recre-ational Center, 15550 Spring PineDr in Tampa.

On Friday, Jan. 8, the Hillsbor-ough County Sheriff's Office, North-dale OWLS and the HillsboroughCounty Parks & Recreation Depart-ment will host the 7th Annual PublicSafety Fair.

The free event is open to the pub-lic and will feature a variety of CrimePrevention and Personal Safety topics.The purpose of the event is to help in-form the general public about how toprotect themselves from becoming avictim to the various types of crimes anddangers that can often be prevented.

There will be a number of publicspeaking presentations on various top-ics, such as Personal Safety, IdentityTheft, Insurance Fraud, and more. Inaddition, there will be displays, infor-mational booths, business sponsorsand vendor tables present.

There will also be food & drinksprovided, raffle prizes, and more!

Operation Medicine Cabinet willbe at this event to impound any un-wanted or expired medications for de-struction and Operation Shreddingwill gladly destroy any unwanted sensi-tive or personal documents, both ac-cepted at the HCSO display table.

For more information, pleasecontact Deputy A Alvarez at (813)242-5558, [email protected];Deputy D. Watson at (813) 247-0950, [email protected]; orBill Castens at (813) 340-9436, [email protected].


Gonzalez· February 9 at 5-6 p.m.: WORK-

SHOP: Bucket Brigade Drumming· February 10 at 1-2:30 p.m.:

WORKSHOP: In Touch with SocialMedia

· February 11 at 6:45-8 p.m.:WORKSHOP: Swing Dance

· February 13 at 10 a.m.-2 p.m.:The North Tampa Market

· February 13 at 8 p.m.: TheSound of Swing big band presents“Let me call you Sweetheart”

· February 17-18 at 10:30 a.m.:Florida Treasures

· February 18 at 6-8 p.m.: Artfrom the Charity Appreciation Night

· February 19 at 7:30 p.m.: Jazzwith Jim with Jim Burge and The JazzDirections

· February 23 at 6:30-8:30 p.m.:WORKSHOP: ABC’s of Auditions

· February 26 at 8 p.m.: Peace ofWoodstock

· February 29: Winter II class ses-sion starts today

· March 4 at 5-8 p.m.: ART RE-CEPTION: The Exhibiting Society ofArtists (TESA)

· March 5-6 (various times): AnEvening with Gilbert & Sullivan spon-sored by Carrollwood Village HOAs

· March 9 at 6 p.m.: The LectureSeries presents Healthy Aging & Well-

ness with Geraldine Novy, BS, RN,NC-BC, sponsored by CarrollwoodVillage HOAs

· March 11 at 7:30 p.m.: Jazzwith Jim with Jim Burge and The JazzDirections

· March 12 at 10 a.m. -2 p.m.:The North Tampa Market

· March 12 at 4 p.m.: A SpringConcert with the Carrollwood Winds

· March 19 (times TBD): CAR-ROLLWOODSTOCK sponsored byCarrollwood Village HOAs

· March 19 at noon-3 p.m.:WORKSHOP: Inspirational Canvaswith Texture & Contrast

· March 20 at 2 p.m.: Molly’sEaster Hen

· April 1 at 6-8 p.m.: ART RE-CEPTION: Shyama

· April 8-17 (various times): Whatthe Butler Saw by Joe Orton

· April 9 at 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: TheNorth Tampa Market

· April 12 at 6-8 p.m.: WORK-SHOP: Do-Re-Mi of Musical Theatre

· April 23-24 (various times): TheJim Burge Jazz Festival sponsored byParagon

· April 23 at 7:30 p.m.: Jazz withJim with Jim Burge and The Jazz Di-rections with special guest The JazzCellar Underground Orchestra

· April 29 at 7 p.m.: Student

Showcase· April 30 at 10 a.m.-4 p.m.:

SpringFest YouthFest sponsored byCarrollwood Village HOAs

· April 30 at 8 p.m.: “It’s AllAbout the Brass” with the Carroll-wood Brass

For more information, includ-ing a complete schedule of eventsand classes, or to purchase tickets,visit CarrollwoodCenter.org, call(813) 922-8167, or visit the Centerat 4537 Lowell Road in Tampa,Florida.

CABA welcomes WOW! Fresh and Fastto the Carrollwood community with a

Ribbon Cutting ceremony.

Photo by mikebird.us




Homebound Heroes: Helping Our Veterans, One Home at a Time!By Matthew Selby

It’s not everyday you meetsomeone who has a selfless missionto help others in need with no desireto line his own pockets. We’ve all be-come increasingly aware of so calledcharities that although may do somegood, do so at the expense of makingtheir owners and operators rich inthe process. Roy “Bucky” Shell isn’tbuilt that way. He saw too many ofhis friends come back from servingour country overseas only to be stuckbattling a never-ending inner war.After careful consideration uponwhat Bucky wanted to do for ourveterans, he came up with an idea. Itwas then that he decided to startHomebound Heroes, a privatelyfunded non-profit organization thatprovides mortgage free homes to re-turning war veterans.

I asked Bucky to describe whatHomebound Heroes is all about andhe said, “Homebound Heroes issomething I’m very proud of. It’sonly in the beginning stages, but it

has a huge potential. My goal is toeventually get it to a point where wecan help hundreds of veterans; wejust need to get the word out. We arededicated to providing mortgage freehomes to returning war veterans whohave served our country. A majorityof our returning heroes suffer frommultiple levels of PTSD and havefound it very difficult to make thetransition back to a civilian lifestyle.Homebound Heroes was created tohelp relieve the pressure as they makeone of the biggest investments oftheir lives. By providing a house forthese brave veterans we can help

them adapt to their next mission ofsucceeding in America and turningtheir new house into a home.”

PTSD is an overwhelmingly bigproblem for a large percentage of ourveterans. It’s crippling for many, leav-ing them with merely a shell of theirformer selves. Our heroes need help!Fed up with the lack of help our ser-vicemen and women were receiving,Bucky decided to do somethingabout it.

Bucky was especially upset withorganizations who claim to be “all infor vets” but really are just all in fortheir salary. This is not the case withHomebound Heroes. HomeboundHeroes is committed to ensuring thatover 90% of all received donations

goes directly towards providing mort-gage free housing for our veterans.

Homebound Heroes is currentlyworking on providing two local vet-erans with a mortgage free home –Michael Yancey, a veteran of theArmy National Guard and MarineBobby Malina.

Michael YanceyMichael joined the Army Na-

tional Guard in July of 2003 thenwent to basic training and advancedindividual training. In the summer of2005 his unit was put on alert thatthey were going to be deploying toIraq. During his first tour he took onmany responsibilities. From defend-ing Abu Ghraib prison and taking


control of all detainees inside the fa-cility to PSD (personal security de-tail) to convoy security.

After returning home just a cou-ple days before Christmas 2006Michael started doing his weekenddrill with his unit, which he contin-ued for the next few years. Then, inearly summer 2009 he was informedthat the 53rd Infantry combatbrigade was going to be deployingagain and needed volunteers. “Imade the decision to volunteer andby early 2010 I was on a planeheaded overseas again,” says Michael.“Our mission was fob security atcamp Patriot Kuwait. We were incharge of convoy security for all am-munition and explosives comingfrom our military boats going to theammunition holding area.”

“I saw many things that havechanged my perception on life,” saysMichael. “I am thankful for my un-derstanding wife and my beautifuldaughter. Joining the military wasone of the best decisions I havemade. It gave me a new sense of con-fidence and pride.”

Bobby MalinaGrowing up in Palm Harbor,

Bobby has been an athlete his entirelife. All County his senior year forfootball, Bobby was voted on thePinellas County All Star Team. Bobbyhad scholarship offers to play collegefootball, but in March of 2003, just afew months before graduation, theUnited States of America declared waron Iraq. After that he didn’t feel col-lege was a top priority anymore and

the following weekend he went to therecruiting station and stood outsidefor a few minutes and thought, “TheMarines say they’re the best of thebest; let’s do this.” Bobby went toboot camp in October 2003 and wasmeritoriously promoted to PFC (pri-vate first class; E-2, the rank aboveprivate) for superior work beforegraduation in January 2004.

In his military career Bobby de-ployed three times and has been on200+ convoys, 200+ security patrols(mounted/dismounted), and has es-corted EODs to many weaponcaches. On his 2nd tour to Iraq hisvehicle was blown up by IED’s twiceon October 8, 2005 and October 17,2005. Bobby is very lucky to be alive.

After returning home his 3rdtime Bobby got out of the Marines.In that time the VA diagnosed himwith PTSD and TBI (traumatic BrainInjury) from the explosions.

“I didn’t think I needed to seekhelp until after a blackout where mybrother told me I was going house tohouse in my neighborhood trying toclear them, calling for air strikes, andtalking to people that weren’t there,”

says Bobby. “Luckily I have a veryunderstanding wife who tries to un-derstand what I have been through.We just take it one day at a time andtry not to dwell on the things thatdon’t go our way. I’m just happy I’mstill alive and have the chance to seemy son grow up.”

Nominate a HeroFor a minimum $20 donation,

you can nominate yourself or a fellowveteran. A form is provided on theirwebsite. If you are nominating your-self, please fill out all sections. If youare nominating a fellow veteran,please fill out as many of the sectionsas you can.

Bucky says, “Our mission is toserve the brave men and women thathave served our country to protectour freedoms.”

If you have the ability to helpone of our heroes in need, any do-nation helps. For more informa-tion or to make a donation, pleasevisit HomeBoundHeroes.com, call(727) 638-4418, or [email protected].




Yale Center for Emotional Intelli-gence says, “If you can name it, youcan tame it.” The Mood Meter helpspinpoint emotions with its simplesquare split into quadrants of red, yel-low, blue and green. Each color cor-responds to different emotions,which students learn to categorizebased on their level of energy andpleasantness. Feeling pleasant withhigh energy puts you in a happy stateof yellow. High energy and unpleas-antness, however, shifts to red, whichreflects emotions such as anger orfright. Pleasant and low energy ispeaceful green, and unpleasantnessand low energy show up in the bluequadrant with feelings that may in-clude loneliness or disappointment.Every color is valued and has its pur-pose. Knowing how to regulate eachquadrant is the key. Early Primary Di-vision Leader Marla Vildostegui saysthe Mood Meter has helped herkindergarten class become moremindful about how their emotionschange throughout the day and affecttheir actions. Their vocabulary im-proves as well, as they graduate from

saying they feel “fine” to using wordssuch as “ecstatic” or “serene.” Teach-ing subtle distinctions between simi-lar feelings empowers students torecognize the full scope of their emo-tional lives, see how their feelingsfluctuate and eventually learn to man-age their emotions, Vildostegui says.

2. Think about how you wantto feel. All emotions are valid. Butcertain emotions are more beneficialdepending on what you want to ac-complish. Feeling outraged couldhelp you make a passionate argumentin a debate, but backfire if you needquiet time to write or study. MichelleHill, Intermediate division leader,says it helps her to know where herstudents are on the Mood Meter soshe can encourage them to make de-liberate shifts during the school dayfor optimal learning to occur.RULER-inspired charters also hangin Corbett Prep classrooms to re-mind students of agreements theycreated together — how they wantto feel at school, what they can do tohave those feelings and guidelines toprevent conflict. Families can create

Give the Mood Meter a Green Light to Manage EmotionsA friend moving to a new town

leaves one student in blue. A childangry about cleaning his room whenhe wants to play says that he feelsred. And when a teacher plays theupbeat chorus of Pharrell Williams’song Happy, the students start danc-ing, exclaiming “that’s yellow, that’syellow!”

Students at Corbett PreparatorySchool of IDS are seeing their emo-tions in color this year after teachersintroduced them to the “MoodMeter,” a visual representation ofwhat they might be feeling. Part of abroader initiative called RULER thatCorbett Prep is implementing for so-cial and emotional learning, theMood Meter asks students to assigneach emotion a color as a first step tomanaging feelings appropriately.

The Mood Meter is one of thefundamental tools the RULER ap-proach uses to help school communi-ties learn — as the acronym says — toRecognize, Understand, Label, Ex-press and Regulate emotions. Devel-oped at the Yale Center forEmotional Intelligence, RULER of-

fers research-based methods to helpchildren and adults identify, processand manage emotions. Ten CorbettPrep teachers and administratorsstudied RULER in depth during pro-fessional development last summer atYale University and are rolling outadditional concepts to the rest of thefaculty this school year. This programadds to and complements the manystrategies at Corbett Prep for encour-aging a climate of dignity and respect.

RULER goes far beyond theMood Meter, but the color identifi-cation provides a good starting pointto anyone who wants to build self-awareness, learn to regulate emotionsand create an environment that fos-ters achievement.

With these three simple steps,family members can begin to valueemotional intelligence at home. Theprocess first begins with children andparents identifying how they are feel-ing openly together and, in doingthis, they learn to make morethoughtful decisions.

1. Name your emotion. As Dr.Marc Brackett, the director of the


charters, too.3. Shift your feelings. You may

know you want to move from red(anger) to green (peaceful) but feel

stuck. Having strategies at the readymake it easier. Does a certain kind ofmusic invigorate you? Will a walkoutside improve your concentration?

Do you feel uplifted when you lookat a beautiful photo or read an inspi-rational quote? The Mood Metereven has an app that lets you log

your feelings and prompts you withsuggestions if you need a change.With enough practice, it can becomesecond nature.

Schools that use the MoodMeter and RULER report that theyhave a healthier school climate wherestudents are less likely to bully othersand more likely to demonstrate bet-ter leadership skills and increased at-tention. Students may perform betteracademically as their work habits im-prove and distractions shrink, andteachers develop more positive rela-tionships with students and experi-ence less burnout.

Attaching feelings to colors issimple enough for the youngest stu-dents to grasp, but the exercise bene-fits people of all ages. Whether yourgoals are for the classroom, the officeor the living room, emotional aware-ness puts people in control of theirfeelings instead of the other wayaround.

Corbett Preparatory School ofIDS is located at 12015 OrangeGrove Drive in Tampa. For moreinformation, visit corbettprep.com,or contact the Admissions Office at(813) 961-3087 or by email [email protected].




After multiple stays in the hospital,a local 15-year-old girl has used herexperience to recognize a need ofothers. While at the hospital, CaitlinShannon found herself dreading longdays in the hospital awaiting tests andprocedures and thought that manyother children in her position, orworse, may experience the same feel-ing. When thinking about her experi-ence, Caitlin, the oldest of four siblings,says, “When I was 13, I was in and outof the hospital and surgery centers fortwo years. It gave me an amazingoutlook.”

Caitlin has put her thoughts intoaction. While most 15-year-old girlsare busy trying to take the perfectselfie, Caitlin is helping others. Withthe support of her family, Caitlin hascreated a charity called Sparkle Power.The name is significant because“sparkle” represents goodies thatbrighten a patient’s day and “power”represents the power of a positive

attitude to help apatient recoverfaster. ThroughSparkle Power,Caitlin brings joy tochildren that findthemselves hospital-ized for extendedperiods of time bybringing them ‘carepackages’, that shesimply calls SparklePower Boxes. ASparkle Power Boxconsists of items tobanish hospitalroom boredom andincludes things like coloring books,crayons and even socks for cold hospitalrooms. Her inspiration for the boxescame from little things she receivedwhile in the hospital. She recalls,“When I would get a small gift, likeChapstick, a personal comfort item, orsomething small like we have in the

Sparkle Power goodie bags, it reallybrightens your day.”

Caitlin’s mom, Brooke Shannon,is in awe of her daughter’s level of phi-lanthropy. When asked about Caitlin’sinspiration to create Sparkle Power,Brooke said, “It really touched herheart when she saw other children

alone, bored or really not having any-thing to get them through the day andshe had her siblings and my husbandand I to visit and bring little goodies,but she noticed that some of the otherchildren in the hospital would be lonelyand sad. She thought maybe, once shewas feeling better, she could do some-

LOCAL 15-YEAR-OLD STARTS A NON-PROFIT AND JOINS FORCES WITHCORPORATE CONFERENCE COMPANY TO HELP THOSE IN NEED

Sparkle Power and IQPC Exchange team up to benefit Ronald McDonald House

Caitlin Shannon (left) is a remarkable teenager whostarted the Sparkle Power charity to boost the spirits of

children who are receiving medical treatment at hospitals


thing to help brighten these kids’ daysand maybe that would help them re-cover a little faster. That’s whatprompted her to come up with hercharity. Now that she’s feeling better,she wants to give back to her commu-nity.”

One look at this amazing younglady’s charity Instagram account,@sparklepoweroffical, and even thecoldest heart will begin to melt. View-ers are met with the smiling faces ofchildren that Caitlin has helped and thestories of hope and courage that eachchild possesses. It is clear to see thatCaitlin has a huge heart and caresdeeply for each and every child shehelps. Since security protocols at somehospitals make it difficult to deliver thepackages directly to patients, RonaldMcDonald House charities seemed likethe perfect way to get the care packagesin the hands of the families. RonaldMcDonald House provides no costhousing to families with children thatare long term or frequent patients atnearby hospitals.

Moved by Caitlin’s dedication tohelping others, a corporate conferencecompany called IQPC Exchange tooknotice of Sparkle Power. While its par-ent company, IQPC, is a worldwide

business, IQPC Exchange itself onlyhas two offices in the United States,including New York and one here inTampa. The company plans and hostsmultiple nationwide conferences forexecutives and thought leaders fromFortune 1000 companies.

IQPC Exchange has now joinedforces with Sparkle Power to help chil-dren and their families with extendedhospital stays. To take it a step further,IQPC Exchange has expanded the carepackages to include items for not onlythe patients, but for the families as well.Items include non-perishable fooditems, toys for siblings, toiletries andmore. IQPC Exchange has placed Jes-sica Yeshaiek in a lead position of theefforts and she could not be morethrilled. Jessica’s college sorority washeavily involved with RMH and she’secstatic to be involved with such an in-credible mix of caring organizations.IQPC Exchange has also begun bring-ing the items to the conferences andgetting the attending executives on-board with participating in creatingthe packages to give to the families.One of the attendees tweeted a photoof the packages and said how muchhe loved being a part of the ‘socialresponsibility.’

Yeshaiek said, “It is really heart-warming for us to have a chance to giveback to the Tampa Bay community. Weare proud to be part of an initiative tosupport Sparkle Power and RonaldMcDonald House by assembling theSparkle Power goodie bags at IQPCevents around the country, then deliv-ering them to The Ronald McDonaldHouse to give to deserving families.”

With the help of more companieslike IQPC Exchange, Caitlin andSparkle Power will be able to reachmore families. Sparkle Power, Inc. is a501(c)(3) non-profit company.

If you would like more informa-tion on ways to get involved andsupport Sparkle Power throughIQPC Exchange, contact KristenSchipfer via phone: 813-658-2584,email: [email protected].

Or, email Caitlin Shannon [email protected];follow Sparkle Power on Instagram:@sparklepowerofficial for updates.

Editor’s Note: Congratulations toCaitlin Shannon on receiving TrinityFamily Physicians’ Tampa BayMaking A Difference Award! Pleaseread the story on page 22.



By Daryl Rosenthal,Social Security Public Affairs Specialist

With today’s technology, you maynever have to go to an office or evenmake a phone call to do your businesswith Social Security. Current workersand people who receive benefits canjoin the millions who already interactwith the agency by computer or tabletby opening a free My Social Securityaccount. It’s easy, safe, and, most ofall, secure. You’ll only need a few min-utes at www.socialsecurity.gov/myac-count to sign up.

You are never too young to startthinking about your financial future.My Social Security account is veryvaluable for younger people whodon’t receive benefits yet. Youngworkers can use the best free retire-ment and financial planning tool avail-able. Once you open a My SocialSecurity account, you can have accessto and — at the same time — down-load your Social Security Statement.With your Statement you can review

• Estimates of your potential fu-ture retirement and disability benefits;

• Estimates of survivors benefitsfor your spouse and children, if you

should die;• Your earnings record to confirm

the accuracy; and• The estimated Social Security

and Medicare taxes you’ve paid.If you already receive Social Secu-

rity benefits, with a My Social Securityaccount you can

• Get a benefit verification letter;• Change your address and

phone number;• Start or change direct deposit

of your benefits payment;• Get a replacement SSA-1099 or

SSA-1042S for tax season; and• If you’re signed up for

Medicare, order a Medicare replace-ment card.

To open your free My Social Se-curity account, you must be at leastage 18 and have a

• valid email address;• Social Security number; and• U.S. mailing address.

It only takes a few minutes to signup, and it’s easy to do. There’s an in-formative video and frequently askedquestions on our website to help you.

So, go towww.socialsecurity.gov/myaccountand open your own, secure My So-cial Security account today. Thenyou can join the millions who canplan, invest, and save for a secureretirement with confidence.

Your Social Security Record at Your Fingertips


By Julie Kanehl

From the first moment that peo-ple talk on the phone to Office Man-ager Maria Santilli, at Donna’sCleaning Angels, they realize this is noordinary cleaning service. Professional,knowledgeable and personable, Mariais ready to answer any questions youmay have about Donna’s Cleaning

Angels and the stellar cleaning servicesthat have built the company into thesuccess that it is today. Maria is the“right hand” of owner Donna Fer-rante, whose commitment to excel-lence in every aspect of her businesshas brought her company to a newpinnacle of success: To celebrate the25th Anniversary, the company islaunching a fleet of Donna’s Cleaning

Donna’s Cleaning AngelsCelebrates 25 Yearsof Brilliant Success

Angels vehicles.

Wow! 25 Years Strong! “I can’t believe 25 years have

gone by,” says Donna. “This took alot of dedication…tremendous dedica-tion.” She adds, “I’ve seen a lot ofcleaning services come and go, but weare here for the long term. Now weare bigger and better than ever.Twenty-five years later, we have 25employees and are the number onecleaning service in Tampa Bay. I am soexcited I still have a lot of the samecustomers for over 20 years!”

One long time client called tocongratulate Donna and said, “Youand your business are not gettingolder, you’re only getting better.”

All these years later, Donna is stillemotional as she tells the story of howshe came to rename her business.Donna was crowned “the cleaningangel” 18 years ago by an elderly lady,who was under care at Gulfside Re-gional Hospice. Shortly before the ladypassed away, Donna left a crystal angelfor her. She told her nurse that Donnashould be called the cleaning angel. Asher business grew from just herself towhat is now a fleet of “cleaning an-gels,” the name of Donna’s companyhas changed to reflect the growth. She

says, “It started off as Donna’s Clean-ing Service, then The Cleaning Angel,and now to Donna’s Cleaning Angels.Wow, we have come such a long way!”

Donna Ferrante is a woman sodedicated to her clients, her employees,and her company that she never stopstrying to improve. Even though thestellar residential cleaning services pro-vided by Donna’s Cleaning Angels iswhat has built the company, Donnacontinues to bring more to the tablefor her customers, such as expandedservices including carpet, tile and groutcleaning.

“In 25 years, there has been a lotof growth. We are extremely wellknown, and receive a tremendousamount of referrals. In order to givethe customer an accurate time andpricing on their home we offer a freeestimate.” When Donna meets a po-tential new client for the estimate, sheexplains the detailed cleaning that herservice provides. “Every house is differ-ent,” says Donna. Maria adds, “Cus-tomers love how much time Donnatakes to meet, greet and explain every-thing we have to offer them in person.We are branching out more into com-mercial cleaning. Such as, doctors’ andreal estate offices, insurances agenciesand other small businesses.”


Always a hard worker, a strongwork ethic runs in her blood from herItalian and French Canadian back-ground, as her family in Gorham, NewHampshire has owned an Italianrestaurant in the mountains for almost70 years now. Carrying on a familylegacy of work and success has alwaysbeen important to Donna and whenshe first started her business, her son,then 11, and her 8-year-old daughterfollowed her example and helped theirmom by putting fliers on cars at Sun-day services.

In addition to her family’s influ-ence, Donna attributes the success ofher company to a determined attitude,tremendous amount of ambition, andmeticulous attention to detail, all ofwhich is accompanied with an unstop-pable drive. An example of this drivewas when, after years of working on herown, Donna broke her ankle and handin an accident and knew she couldn’tcontinue cleaning on her own. Sheprayed for the future of her businessand that is when she decided to hireher first employee.

Reflecting on her company’sgrowth, 25 years of hard work and suc-cess and the addition of a fleet ofDonna’s Cleaning Angels vehicles,Donna shares, “The dedication andsuccess in my cleaning business is dueto the closeness of my wonderful fam-ily. I am proud and honored to say thatI am following in the footsteps of myparents and grandparents. We knowhow to cook, clean and we give 100percent to the business. My only regretis that my mother, father and grand-mother aren’t here alive to see all ofthis, but I know in my heart that theyare seeing it even though they can’t behere with me.” Licensed – Bonded – Insured –Workman’s Comp on AllEmployees

What sets Donna’s Cleaning An-gels apart is the fact that Donna hascreated a company that is fully licensed,bonded and insured, and each clientcan expect to have a team of Donna’sCleaning Angels at their door eachtime that they have service.

Donna says, “Next to your doctor,there’s nothing more personal thanyour cleaning service, which is why wetake so many steps to protect you andmake you feel at ease with our service.My clients don’t have to worry becauseI’ve done the homework and I carrythe liability.”

Donna adds that building honestdependable relationships is just as im-portant as providing quality cleaning.“I really appreciate my hardworkinggirls. And they appreciate their job hereat Donna’s Cleaning Angels and takecare of our customers with much pride.That makes this a win-win situation.Using the basic principles of mutual re-spect combined with good old-fash-ioned elbow grease, the angels produce

a heavenly sparkle. Our customers loveour back-to-basics, old-fashioned clean-ing techniques, often reminding themof how their grandmothers used toclean.

“The girls are happy when theywork together, they have good energytogether, plus four eyes are better thantwo. This way here, the teammates areable to check each other and make surethat nothing is missed.”

The teams are always presentableand friendly, wear uniforms with non-slip shoes, and come in with a largecanvas kit containing all of their highquality cleaning supplies. What’s more,every employee that Donna hires isbackground checked, drug free andcovered by workman’s compensation.This is part of the reason why Donna’sCleaning Angels is the first choice of somany people in our area.

“It’s important to me to hirepeople who have a clean background,and who are polite, trustworthy anddependable,” says Donna. “As a result,I can be very picky about who I hire.”She adds, “Some employees have comehere that previously worked for othercleaning services, and they are amazedat the way our training procedures are.They stated that their previous employ-ers made them watch a video and thensent them off the very next day toclean, unsupervised. Our Angels haveon-the-job training for over a month,with a field manager, before they areconsidered a ‘true cleaning angel.’ Ittakes time and effort to make sure anemployee is 100 percent up toour cleaning standards. Detailed clean-ing is what we are known for. Not justa run-through, wipe-down.”

To ensure that every client ishappy after each cleaning, Donna offerscomment cards, regularly checks inwith her clients, and has regular meet-ings with her staff.

Reflecting, Donna says, “At theend of the day I thank God for myblessings – the great people who workfor me, a great business, my health,my home, my loved ones and myfamily. God bless you all.”

Donna’s Cleaning Angelsprovides cleaning services to Pasco,Pinellas and Hillsborough Coun-ties. Schedule a free consultationwith Donna’s Cleaning Angels at727-942-8289, and be sure to askabout the Refer-A-Friend programthat can earn you a free cleaning.Gift certificates are available. Testi-monials can be found on Donna’sCleaning Angels Facebook page.

Donna’s Cleaning Angels provides reliable, detailed cleaning for homes and offices - call today to schedule a free estimate


Trinity Family Physicians Surprise 15-Year-OldCaitlin Shannon With the Tampa Bay Making A Difference Award

Caitlin Shannon is remarkable!She makes a difference to so manychildren in the Tampa Bay Area whoare hospitalized by giving them some-thing to smile about! Caitlin createdSparkle Power, a charity organizationthat gives goody bags filled with funitems to bring “the power of a littlesparkle” to children who really needsomething to lift their spirits. It is nosurprise that the 15-year-old was cho-sen by Trinity Family Physicians’ ownDr. Stephanie Eldridge and Dr. AmirShirmohammad as the second recipi-ent of the Tampa Bay Making A Dif-ference Award. Committed to theirpatients and active in the Tampa BayArea where they both grew up, thehusband-and-wife team of physiciansstarted the Tampa Bay Making A Dif-ference Award to bring recognition toindividuals who make a difference inthe lives of others locally.

Dr. “Shirmo” explains, “Thereare so many terrible things going onaround the world. Dr. Eldridge and I

just felt that we have to do somethingto make people feel happy and good.”With this Award, the doctors are ableto honor individuals who work to putsmiles on the faces of many, and theyhope you will feel inspired at hearingCaitlin’s story.

Caitlin suffered irreversible nervedamage during gall bladder surgerywhen she was just 13 years old. In andout of hospitals for two years whiledoctors searched for what was causingher excruciating pain, Caitlin bondedwith many children and their familiesand resolved to make a difference forthem. Wise beyond her years, sheshares, “When someone is first diag-nosed with a chronic illness or chronicpain, other people are so good aboutcoming to the hospital and being in-volved in the first weeks but then it al-ways dies down. I just wanted to dosomething to bring them happiness.”

Caitlin and her family started col-lecting markers and crayons, stickersand notepads, and other items to

make up Sparkle Power bags to give tochildren at local hospitals. Sparkle

Power is proof that one young girlwith the right team behind her can do

Dr. Amir Shirmohammad (right) and Dr. Stephanie Eldridge (left) withtheir new daughter Violet in Dr. Eldridge’s arms, surprise Caitlin Shannon(center) with a gift basket, and choose her as the second recipient of Trinity

Family Physicians’ Tampa Bay Making A Difference Award!


a lot! Now Sparkle Power is a501(c)(3) non-profit that can con-

tinue to bring happinessto little ones in the hos-pital. Caitlin’s momBrooke is a powerhouseherself and she gave herdaughter some brilliantadvice worth sharing.

Brooke said, “I al-ways talk to her aboutbuilding your team. Weall have people whowant to help and sup-port us – they are onour team – and it’s im-portant to build yourteam. Like our guy atSips Specialty CoffeeHouse [on Gunn Hwy.]– he sees us coming andhas our order readyevery time, and before Ican say, ‘We’re in ahurry,’ he is handing outthe coffee and muffins.He is on our team.” Ithink I can speak for Dr.Shirmo and Dr. El-dridge when I say thatafter meeting Caitlin, we

all want to be on her team!

Caitlin is active in her highschool’s drama program and accord-ing to her mother Brooke; she is anamazing and attentive big sister to herthree younger siblings. Her charity,Sparkle Power, is sure to continue togrow and bring smiles to childrenthroughout Tampa Bay who are inour local hospitals. Currently, Caitlinis running Sparkle Power out of herbedroom, which her mom says isstacked with trays and bins of suppliesfor the Sparkle Power bags.

One local school has gotten on-board, teaming with Sparkle Powerand gathering supplies through theholidays to fill the bags that will putsome sparkle in a child’s day. It is ourhope that Sparkle Power will continueto gain the support of local businessesand schools throughout Tampa Bay,bringing a dose of happiness to evenmore hospitalized children. (To learnmore about Sparkle Power, pleaseread the story on page 16.) If you’dlike to donate funds or supplies, [email protected], andfollow Sparkle Power on Instagram:@sparklepowerofficial for updates.

Nominees Now Being Acceptedfor the Next Tampa Bay MakingA Difference Award

Trinity Family Physicians’ TampaBay Making A Difference Award willcontinue to honor individuals whomake a difference. If you know some-one who makes a difference in thelives of others in Tampa Bay, TrinityFamily Physicians and CarrollwoodNeighborhood Lifestyle want to hearfrom you! Please submit your nomi-nees (and tell us why they qualify) forthe next Tampa Bay Making A Differ-ence Award by email [email protected].

Trinity Family Physicians andCarrollwood Neighborhood Lifestyle askthat you please share your thoughtsand comments with us on our face-book pages: facebook.com/trinity-familyphysicians andfacebook.com/neighborhood-newslifestyles.

Trinity Family Physicians islocated at 1817 Cypress Brook Dr,Suite 101 in Trinity. Please log onto trinityfamilyphysicians.com foradditional information about Dr.Eldridge and Dr. Shirmohammad.

Trinity Family Physicians gave Caitlin a basket ofgoodies for a little Sparkle Power of her own


they can also make your house lookold and run down.

If you’ve noticed high energybills, drafts or hot spots, or can hearloud noises outside, changing yourwindows and doors could reap bigbenefits to you and your home. “Theenergy efficient, impact windows arereally effective at reducing noise andtraffic sounds,” says Randy. In addi-tion to being hurricane safe and en-ergy efficient, impact glass can alsomake your home more secure, sincethe glass is almost impossible to breakinto and UV filters will block up to99% of the sun’s UV rays to protectyour furniture, floors, and drapes.

Family owned Carrollwood Win-dow & Door has been in businesssince 1991 and has a long list ofhappy customers. “We always makesure that our clients are 100% satis-fied with our work,” says Randy.“Our product specialists will makesure there aren’t any surprises withyour project. They are able to helpyou find windows and doors for anyhouse and any size budget. We want

to make sure our clients are educatedabout all their options.”

“My experience with Carroll-wood Window & Door was a realpleasure,” says client Neil H. “Thequality of the product was enhancedwith top notch service. The crewwho installed the door was pleasant,efficient, and helpful in any way theycould be. I would recommend them

without reservation.”An expert from Carrollwood

Window & Door is with you everystep of the way during your project –from the time you call them for a freequote until the day you’re beaming atyour house with pride. “Unlike somecompanies, everyone from the prod-uct specialist to the installer is an em-ployee of Carrollwood Window &Door,” says Randy “Everyone thatworks here is an expert in windowsand doors. We also handle all the per-mits and inspections for you.”

“In the 20 plus years I’ve ownedmy home, I’ve never had any com-pany come close to the quality andprofessionalism of Carrollwood Win-dow & Door,” says client Patricia A.“They replaced old single pane alu-

minum sliding glass doors and tran-som windows with Low-E rated dou-ble pane, vinyl windows and doors.From my initial contact with thesalesman to the final installation ofsome trim work, everything pro-gressed very smoothly and in a timelymanner. All of the work was very ex-pertly done. It was wonderful towork with them.”

Because Carrollwood Window &Door focuses on making sure theirclients have a great experience and awonderful end product, the hardestpart for you will be deciding whichwindows and doors you want. “Thereare lots of choices in colors, woodstains, and styles,” says Randy’s wifeand co-owner DeeDee. “Every prod-uct is custom made for our clients’

“Cwood Window”Continued from page 1


houses. Many of the doors and hard-ware also come with new security fea-tures like multi-point locks.”

True to their customer servicecode, Carrollwood Window & Doorcan help you decide which windowsand doors will work best for yourhouse, your lifestyle, and your

budget. “We have a huge selection ofwindows and doors,” says daughter-in-law Dana, “and we’re here to helpyou make the right choice. You have

the option to send us a picture ofyour house, and using our softwarewe can show you how different yourentry doors will look on your home.We also have an app that you can useyourself so you can find a new dooryou’ll love.”

All of the products that Carroll-wood Window & Door carries arebacked with a lifetime guarantee.And, because Carrollwood Window& Door has many new constructioncustomers, they receive savings anddiscounts from their manufacturers,which they are able to pass along toall of their clients.

“I can not say enough about thewonderful crew at Carrollwood Win-dow & Door,” says client Joan S.“They did a wonderful job and wereso polite. I would highly recommendthem. We are so pleased with ourwindows, and the whole process,from original estimate to completedjob, was a pleasant experience.”

Whether you want to replace allthe windows and doors in your houseor just need to change a few, Carroll-wood Window & Door can help you.They service customers throughoutHillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas

Counties. Give them a call today toschedule your free consultation.

Carrollwood Window andDoor’s showroom is located at6025 North Highway 301 inTampa and is open Mon. – Fri. 8a.m. – 4 p.m. They are availableSat. by appointment only. Formore information or to schedule afree consultation, please call (813)626-7676, visit their website atCarrollwoodWindow-Door.com,or [email protected].


guidance and direction we providesmall business owners and the ongo-ing partnerships we build with cus-tomers that makes the difference.”

PostNet of Tampa is openMonday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to2 p.m. For more information aboutPostNet’s services, please visitwww.postnet,com or call (813)252-4670.

About PostNetFounded in 1992, PostNet is the

leading business-to-business franchiseknown for providing personalized,business-enhancing print, marketingand shipping solutions. Locally ownedand operated PostNet locations offerfull-service digital printing; direct mail;signage; document binding and finish-ing; graphic design; and ancillary busi-ness services, like private mailboxrental and more. They also offer pro-fessional packaging services and ship-ping with UPS, FedEx, DHL and theU.S. Postal Service. In addition, withthe brand’s bricks and clicks businessmodel, each PostNet franchise has

both a physical retail storefront as wellas an Online Print Center, offeringcustomers the benefits of fast onlinetransactions and/or traditional face-to-face service. PostNet has nearly 700franchise locations across 10 countries.PostNet has won numerous awardsand recognitions including: 2015 En-trepreneur Franchise 500; 2015 Fran-chise Gator Top 100; 2015Entrepreneur America’s Top GlobalFranchise; 2013 Top 10 Best Fran-chise for Veterans by Military Times;2013 Satisfaction Award from Fran-chise Business Review; and 2013 MailInnovations Award from the U.S.Postal Service. For more informationabout PostNet services, go towww.postnet.com; for informationabout owning a PostNet franchise,visit www.postnetfranchise.com.

PostNet Neighborhood Business Center to ServeLocal Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses:

Local Entrepreneur Opens NewPostNet Location in Tampa on Dec.2, 2015

Local businessman and immigrantentrepreneur Carlos Telleria is on amission to help Tampa’s small busi-nesses with the opening of a new Post-Net Neighborhood Business Centerlocated at 10043 N. Dale MabryHighway.

PostNet provides a suite of con-sultative, business-enhancing print,marketing and shipping solutions. Themenu of services includes graphic de-sign, full-service digital printing, directmail, signage, document binding andfinishing, and ancillary business serv-ices, like private mailbox rental andmore. Unlike traditional postal andmailbox franchises, PostNet has strate-gic partnerships with all of the majorlogistics companies – UPS, FedEx,U.S. Postal Services, and DHL – of-fering a multi-carrier selection coupledwith in-center professional packagingservices to meet the specific shippingneeds of its customers. In addition,with the brand’s bricks and clicks busi-ness model, PostNet in Tampa has

both a physical retail storefront as wellas an Online Print Center, offeringcustomers the benefits of fast onlinetransactions and/or traditional face-to-face service.

“I look forward to working withTampa’s entrepreneurs and providingsupport to the overall growth and live-liness of our business community,”said Telleria, who recently migratedfrom Venezuela to pursue businessownership. “PostNet fills the void forconvenient services like printing, ship-ping and graphic design that are essen-tial to the success of small businesses.”

PostNet has nearly 700 fran-chises globally, and has successfullycarved a niche as North America’sfirst and currently only Neighbor-hood Business Center.

“Our franchise partners under-stand the challenges and opportunitiesthat are unique to small businesses intheir communities because they aresmall business owners themselves,”said Steve Greenbaum, co-founderand CEO of PostNet. “Of coursethere are other providers that design,print and ship, but it’s our culture, the



THE WHO’S WHOChris Sullivan is the Visionary

for Carmel Kitchen and his visionhas certainly come to life in theCarrollwood location. Chris knowshis stuff when it comes to creating asuccessful restaurant concept. Infact, Mr. Sullivan is actually thefounder of a little restaurant called“Outback Steakhouse” that youmay have heard of. His son Alex isnow the President of CarmelKitchen, and Mike Jeckel, who Ihad the pleasure of meeting on mylast visit, is the Market Partner forFlorida and the Operating partnerfor this location. Of course lets notforget about the Head Chef KimBailey! Kim does a phenomenal jobnot only executing the recipes toperfection but also creating a beau-tiful presentation. In a businesswhere first impressions are every-thing, Carmel Kitchen definitelysets the bar very high!

ATMOSPHERE &EXPERIENCE

Speaking of first impressions,lets talk atmosphere. Arguably oneof the most important aspects of anyrestaurant, a positive “walking in”first impression is crucial, and that’sa significant aspect of Carmelkitchen that I think they’ve got di-

aled in perfectly. I can still remembermy first impression vividly from justover a year ago. My wife and Iwalked through the front door to aromantically low-lit dining area thatreminded us of some of the eaterieswe had been to in Europe. Alexisand I had no idea what to expect,but we were immediately impressed.Right away, we were greeted with awarm smile and were taken to atable. The restaurant is a good size,easily able to accommodate manypeople. But, despite the size, what Inoticed right away was how it stillfelt like an intimate setting. The col-ors and art on the walls are warmand inviting, with a modernMediterranean flair, that gives thiseatery an upscale, sophisticated feel.

At Carmel Kitchen, you chooseyour dining experience. Super con-venient, their menu is on a tablet,and if you wish, you can make all ofyour selections and send it off to the

kitchen throughout the night with-out ever having to flag down aserver for help making an order.Don’t worry though, you’ll never beforgotten. A server will always greetyou, and help you with whateveryou need, as well as periodicallycheck on you throughout the night.It’s important to note that the rea-son Carmel Kitchen embraces tech-nology is to ensure the customeralways has access to placing an orderat the exact moment they want it.

THE FARE:Carmel Kitchen specializes in

Mediterranean-style cuisine in bothlarge and small sizes, to fit any ap-petite, and the staff is always veryhelpful when it comes to pairing theperfect wine with any dish. My lastvisit was specifically for this article. Ifasted all day so I would be hungryenough to try multiple items. Un-fortunately, my wife Alexis, whoalong with being the Editor of thismagazine is also a very talented realestate agent and was tied up inshowings all day so I didn’t receiveany help in the food tasting. That’s

“Carmel”Continued from page 1

Operating Partner Mike JeckelPhoto by MikeBird.us

Server Adrianna ArayaPhoto by MikeBird.us

MoroccanShrimp


all right though – that just meansmore for me!

At Carmel Kitchen they encour-age you that if you have a favoriteserver, don’t forget to ask for themon your next visit! Mike Jeckel says,“We want our guests to have such a

great experience with their serverthat they ask for them by name eachtime they visit with us.”

As I placed my order with ourfavorite server, Adrianna, I felt theneed to explain myself and let herknow I was ordering 4 items in one

sitting for the purpose of this article.Being a Buccaneers cheerleaderthough, I’m sure she’s seen some ofthose football players eat a lot morethan this, but it was still kind offunny ordering so much as I sat atthe table by myself without Alexis.

I started off the epic dinner withthe Moroccan Shrimp as an appe-tizer. It was absolutely delicious. Theshrimp was fresh – as always – andboasted a delightful kick from thecrushed red pepper and unique Mo-roccan spices. It was also served withwarm bread – perfect for dipping in

the extra sauce. Next, I moved on to the Au-

thentic Lobster Roll. This wassomething I’ve never noticed on themenu before, so I decided I had totry it. I had the intention of just tak-ing a few bites and bringing the resthome, but after about 30 seconds Ichanneled my inner fat kid and in-haled the entire thing. Trust me, itwasn’t because of a small portionsize either. This roll was packed withLobster. (See the picture featured inthis article). As if I even had to tellyou to look at the picture though,because if you’re anything like me,these food pictures distracted youfrom immediately reading this articlelong ago.

Following the lobster roll I or-dered two small portion meals. Firstwas the Basil Grilled Salmon. I re-ally enjoyed this simple, yet tasty,salmon dish. It was tender, moistand bursting with flavor. The greenbeans were a perfect side to compli-ment the herbs used to season thesalmon. Instead of the full-sizedplate, I ordered the 5 oz small plateso I could have room to make an-other choice.

I finished up my meal with theMoroccan Lemon Chicken, whichabsolutely is my favorite thing onthe menu. It’s very flavorful andjuicy. A Moroccan broth, mantillaolives, cilantro butter, pine nuts,parsley and an array of roasted veg-etables make up a mouth wateringchicken masterpiece. I highly recom-mend you try this on your next visit,although the entire menu is deli-cious, so you can’t go wrong nomatter what you choose!

With a fantastic menu of tanta-lizing options to choose from, afriendly, knowledgeable staff and awarm, inviting atmosphere, if youhave never been to Carmel Kitchenor haven’t given them a visit in awhile, right now is the time to expe-rience one of the best culinary treatsin Tampa Bay!

Carmel Kitchen is located at14306 N. Dale Mabry Hwy inTampa. They are open Mon –Thurs: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Fri:11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sat: 10a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sun: 10 a.m. – 9p.m. For additional informationplease call (813) 265-1415 orvisit www.Carmel-Kitchen.com.

The delicious Authentic Lobster Roll (Top) and the Basil Grilled Salmon pictured below were absolutely incredible.Make sure someone has one of these items at your table on your next visit!




Documents

Carrollwood - Vol. 4, Issue 1, January 2016