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Dine With Table-Side Audio

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By MARK HOLAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 18, 2008

TAMPA - Remember diners with a personal jukebox on every table?

Nina O's Grill and Bar, which is opening this month at 4502 S. Dale Mabry Highway, will offer a speaker on each table, letting you dial into the audio from any of the sporting events showing on 11 plasma televisions.

"We're like a sports restaurant," said co-owner Nina Carroll. "We are not gearing to the bar scene; we are gearing to the restaurant scene."

The lunch and dinner menu will offer sandwiches, burgers and steak.

"Also my chili, which is kickin'," Carroll said.

Sandwich and entree prices will range from about $8 to $20. Kitchen hours will be from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

She said the restaurant seats about 80 inside and 20 outside.

Carroll, former owner of Sportin' Around Pub, is joined in this venture by John Kucik of Orlando, who owns the property. The 1951 building's history includes a fire, a bankruptcy and several incarnations as adult entertainment lounges.

"Now it's an up-and-coming restaurant," Carroll said. "No more of that nasty stuff."

To check on the opening day, call (813) 831-8626.

Sun Star Cafe Shines On Heights

Sol Melendez and her husband, Richard Acevedo, wanted to bring an oasis of tranquillity to separate themselves from raucous restaurants. This month they opened Sun Star Cafe Home of God in Seminole Heights.

They say their restaurant features Puerto Rican cuisine in a family-friendly environment. They want a place where diners can relax and families won't have to worry about obnoxious crowds. The restaurant, 4330 N. Nebraska Ave., doesn't sell alcohol and keeps its music low.

Melendez said she and her husband enjoy dinner with their family and want to replicate that in an era when family time is a challenge.

"The good that we want for our family we want to extend toward other families," said Melendez, 36.

It's the first restaurant venture for the Puerto Rican natives. The menu features a host of dishes from the Caribbean island, including traditional dishes such as arroz con gandules, or rice with pigeon peas; and mofongo, which is mashed fried green plantains with vegetables, seafood, chicken or beef.

They also serve chicken stew, steak, pork chops, and smoked chicken and ribs.

"We like to make a lot of meat on the barbecue," Melendez said.

Prices range from $1.50 to $2 for an appetizer to $5.99 to $7.99 for an entree. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The restaurant seats 20, with indoor and outdoor seating. For information, call (813) 238-1207.

It's Elementary, Watson: Smoke Shop Coming

Look for Sherlock's Smoke Shop to open soon at 6103 Interbay Blvd., near MacDill Avenue. Owner Steve Pratt said he will have a full line of premium cigars and other smoke-related products.

The building, next to the Tun-Du-Ree Indian grill, has had several incarnations over the years, including as Interbay Electronics.

Reporter Jose Patino Girona contributed to this report. Opening a new business? Expanding or relocating? Contact reporter Mark Holan at mholan@ tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7651.

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