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The art of the meal

Three guys, each with his own expertise, hook up in New York and become a force to reckon with on Tampa's Restaurant Row.

SOHO - Jeff Gigante thought pizza would pay for his dreams. So the aspiring actor opened a pizzeria in Tallahassee, where he had gone to college.

The business failed, and Gigante moved to New York in 1992 with a little less than he had expected. Like many actors, he began waiting tables.

He was a food runner and waiter at Coastal, a popular seafood venue. Coastal was co-owned by James Lanza, who had worked on Wall Street auditing brokerage firms. He co-owned six restaurants.

Gigante's boss was Luis Flores, who had come to the United States from El Salvador in 1985. Flores had ascended to head chef at Coastal after starting out washing dishes and working in construction.

Flores would ask Gigante where he was from. Gigante would say Tampa because he figured Flores wasn't familiar with St. Petersburg, his actual hometown.

Then he would add: "Someday we're going to open a restaurant there."

From dishrags to riches, the prediction came true. Flores, Gigante and Lanza have opened not one but four restaurants in Tampa and St. Petersburg in the past decade, including the adjoining Ciccio & Tony's and Water restaurants on S Howard Avenue.

They aren't done yet. The team is reshaping the ever-changing SoHo neighborhood one restaurant at a time. Up next, a Mexican themed restaurant and sports bar in the former Primadonna Trattoria and a diner in the Old Meeting House.

After a failed stint in Carrollwood, the three know where their bread is buttered.

"The neighborhood is what makes us survive," Lanza said.

Lanza, 45, has the deep pockets of the three. As Gigante rose up the ranks in Lanza's New York restaurants - he was a baker at the original Ciccio & Tony's, named after Lanza's brother and father - the two grew closer. During his first go-around running a pizza place, Gigante found that Lanza had the business savvy and a good feel for trends.

Gigante wanted another shot at running a restaurant, this time near his home in Tampa. He persuaded Lanza to invest and scout locations.

In 1996, they opened Ciccio & Tony's at 1015 S Howard. Gigante ran it while Lanza traveled between New York and Tampa, and soon moved to Tampa full time. Both live in South Tampa.

Lanza, the father of two adult sons, grew up in California and New York. He owns a black-rimmed 500 horsepower silver Ford Lightning truck, a Porsche 911 Turbo and a Confederate motorcycle. Full of wit, he's also a fast talker.

"James is atmosphere and energy," Gigante said. "I don't have the flair for design and business that he has."

Gigante, 37, is a muscular man with a big grin. He's quality control. He oversees daily operations and is picky about the details.

When the crew remodeling one of the trio's restaurants wondered whether a forklift was needed to move an ice cream machine, Gigante got the call. He's the first to point out that Water's zebra-styled tables are wearing down and unacceptably dirty.

Raised by a single mother, Gigante is more of a realist, who sometimes fights Lanza "all the way."

"We're like brothers, honestly," he said. "We know each other like that. We argue with each other. We laugh with each other."

Flores, 45, is the father of two children and lives in Carrollwood. He sports a shaved head and chef's white coat. He is in charge of the menus, which constantly change and fuse new flavors.

Together, the three have opened Water and Ciccio & Tony's on S Howard, in Tampa Palms and St. Petersburg.

The Carrollwood restaurant on Dale Mabry closed in late 2002, marking Gigante and Lanza's biggest and most expensive failure. They never expected North Tampa customers to demand free side salads and $6.99 dinners, they said.

Since then, the team has looked to expand in St. Petersburg and double efforts in SoHo, where people don't mind paying a bit more, they said.

Recently, they were outbid by Chipotle Mexican Grill to take over Ho Ho Chinese Restaurant's space on S Howard, Lanza said.

But they're plenty busy without it, transforming the old Primadonna Trattoria, across from Xtreme Total Health & Fitness, into a yet-to-be-named sports bar with Mexican food. Next door, they're reopening the Old Meeting House as Daily Eats Meeting House, a gourmet diner featuring Kobe beef, organic turkey, lamb, tuna and Greek burgers, among other spiced-up comfort food.

The Meeting House is expected to open as early as mid December. The sports bar is scheduled to open in March.

The team's faith in S Howard has been rewarded over the past 10 years, and they say they're not afraid to continue to invest there. They don't feel they're saturating the market with their products because each of their restaurants is different.

Despite owning three Ciccio & Tony's restaurants, they consider themselves the antithesis of a chain.

"We feel that the more independent restaurants and restaurateurs on S Howard will create a synergy and a different energy than the chains on Dale Mabry," Gigante said.

Becoming a main force on Tampa's Restaurant Row hasn't been without struggles.

While many root for the return of a neighborhood diner, at least 10 neighbors oppose the Meeting House's application for a beer and wine license.

"I'm afraid they're going to stay open all night long," said Greta Brooks, 37, a mother of two, who lives on nearby Bristol Avenue.

In response, Lanza said they will restrict alcohol sales to 11 p.m. The issue is scheduled to go before the City Council on Thursday. The Mexican restaurant is set to go to the council Dec. 1.

Lanza understands neighbors' fears about more bars along Howard.

"The problem is these bars are open till 3 a.m. and the kids come from St. Pete or wherever and leave beer cans all over," Lanza said.

With four restaurants planned for the strip, their vision for SoHo has a lot of clout.

"I think what Jimmy's (Lanza) doing is cutting edge, and he's going to do it well," said Gordon Davis, owner of two SoHo restaurants and founder and past president of the SoHo Merchants and Residents Association.

The trio is confident SoHo and its customers will respond.

"They accept creativity very well. It fits our niche," Lanza said. "Our niche: people who appreciate something different."