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Neighborhood Report

Cuisine shifting from New York to Haitian

By MICHAEL CANNING
Published July 7, 2006

The winds of business in Central Tampa these days carry a hint of fried goat, an echo of the water tower as modern art, and, of course, the steady drumbeat of development. If you've missed any of it, we'll catch you up.

LITTLE HAITI IN TAMPA: Creole Bistro and Bakery has taken over the site of the former New York Style Restaurant and Market, 6707 N Florida Ave., continuing the legacy of cafes with straight-forward names.

Management hopes to open later this month.

Haitian delicacies such as black rice (with dried mushrooms), stewed hen, griot (fried pork), conch stew, tassot (fried goat or beef cubes), squash and bouillon soup, poisson gros sel (sauteed salty fish), and acra (fried yucca) are planned for the menu.

Bakery items will include pan patate (sweet potato bread), Haitian cake, Haitian beef and chicken patties, and carrot cake.

Josie Voigt, godsister to restaurant owner Alex Lamour, said that some Jamaican staples will also be offered to ease Caribbean-challenged palates into the fold.

"If I have my way," Voight said, "we'll have jerk chicken." Curried chicken, oxtail stew, and Jamaican beef are also in the works. Beverages will include fresh juices made from exotic Caribbean fruits and Cola Lacaye Haitian soda.

American-style breakfast will be served in the morning.

Lamour's wife, Kathleen Lamour, will head up the bakery and help out in the kitchen. The Lamours and Voight come from Haiti, by way of New York City.

Hours will be Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. to midnight; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant, which will offer take out or dine in, is on the southeast corner of Florida Avenue and Minnehaha Street.

THERAPY'S OUT, MORTGAGES IN: Interactive Financial Corp. set up shop May 1 at 5803 N Florida Ave., former home of Sports and Physical Therapy of Seminole Heights. That business's owners, Keith and Rebecca Clower, refurbished the 1926 bungalow in 2005.

Business owner Markus Esop said Interactive Financial Corp. offers a variety of mortgage services and also specializes in teaching investors how to maximize cash flow on their investments. He and five co-workers share space in the bungalow.

A TOWERING McDONALD'S TRIBUTE: No, McDonald's isn't merging with White Castle, though you might think so after driving by the McDonald's at 8214 N Florida Ave.

If you're wondering why a faux castle tower with parapets is sitting on the restaurant's roof, look across the street. And up. It's a tribute to the historic Sulphur Springs Water Tower, which has stood sentinel over the Hillsborough River since 1927.

"It's going to be as close as we can get it," Caspers Co. spokesman Bob Conigliaro said. Caspers Co. owns that and several other McDonald's franchises in the bay area.

More than a mini tower top has been installed. The former building was closed on April 23 and demolished. Caspers bought some property immediately to the north, rebuilt and repositioned the new restaurant, and created room for a double drive-through.

Conigliaro said this is the second time this McDonald's has been demolished and rebuilt. The first time was in 1978, a project that replaced the location's original 1960 vintage McDonald's.

The Sulphur Springs Water Tower was built by Sulphur Springs developer Josiah Richardson.

It was originally intended to provide spring water to the area, but a 1933 flood, the Depression, and World War II initiated the decline of Sulphur Springs.

In recent years plans have been devised to reverse years of neglect of the 214-foot water tower.

In 2003 the interior was cleaned, and beginning in 2005 the tower has been illuminated at night. Structural restoration and a trail connecting the tower to nearby Sulphur Springs Park are also planned.

FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTS: There's more than meets the eye at Florida Avenue and Diana Street in Old Seminole Heights.

Florida Avenue commuters see a recently cleared lot on the northwest corner of the intersection, fronting Florida. But just behind that a real estate sign marks two more cleared lots for sale.

The owner of those two lots, Phillip Hurley, plans to build a new bungalow style house on each.

Though Hurley said he's willing to build to suit, he envisions each house having three bedrooms, two bathrooms, 1,250 square feet, and a price tag in the low to mid $200,000 range.

Hurley also happens to own the adjacent two-story office building fronting Florida two doors north of Diana. That's for sale as well, along with a vacant lot directly behind it that could be used for extra parking or possibly yield another commercial building, Hurley said.

The cleared lot right at the corner of Florida and Diana should be sporting a for lease sign any day now. It's owned by Jon Zuckerman, who also owns Shades of Distinction wholesale sunglass maker one door to the south at 6500 N Florida Ave.

Zuckerman wants to lease the land to a developer and says the spot would be good for some sort of commercial or office building. Until recently the lot was home to an old building which last hosted a church.

Zuckerman said the building had heavy storm damage and had to be demolished.

Those interested in Zuckerman's lot can call him at 930-0555.

For Hurley's properties, call listing agent Tina Marie Eloian at 997-4321.

[Last modified July 6, 2006, 12:34:00]