Category: Business

Public Invited To The Wesley Chapel Warlock House’s Family ‘Spookfest’

The Grounds Of The Late Local Artist Lewis VanDercar’s Home Will Host The ‘Spookfest’ On Oct. 3; Tours To Continue All Month

*Christine & Bobby VanDercar will open up the grounds of the late surrealist artist Lewis VanDercar’s “The Warlock House Enchantment” for a*
*family-friendly “Spookfest” on Oct. 3, and for “Warlock House Statuary Night Tours” every Tuesday & Friday night in October.* *Photos by Charmaine George*

*Lewis VanDercar* ***(Photo Source: TheWarlockHouse.com)***

Unless you live in Wesley Chapel’s Quail Hollow area, you may not be aware that at the northwestern end of where Quail Hollow Blvd. ends and becomes Queen Sago Pl., a renowned surrealist artist and self-proclaimed warlock named Lewis VanDercar built a domed house in 1973 that looks like something out of a storybook.

VanDercar, who passed away in the house in 1988 at the age of 75, called his eight-acre property “Enchantment,” and the house passed to his daughter Muggins, who still lives there with her son Bobby and his wife Christine VanDercar.

For the 15 or so years VanDercar lived on the property, he transformed it with dozens of his own weird, spooky-looking statues and sculptures, unconventional architecture and gardens.

VanDercar also was known for throwing wild private parties every Halloween night, a tradition that Bobby and Christine have revived. But this year, for the first time ever, the property now known as “The Warlock House Enchantment” also will be opened to the public on Saturday, October 3, 2 p.m.-6 p.m., for “Spookfest,” a family-friendly event where, according to Christine, “children will explore different areas of the property with Warlock Apprentice Passports, meet characters, collect stamps, play games, make crafts and discover art and history, and ultimately, complete their passport adventures for a prize.”

*Bobby VanDercar shows us his grandfather’s statue of Buddha.*

She adds that throughout October, “We’re also offering small Warlock House Statuary Night Tours every Tuesday and Friday at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., allowing visitors to experience Lewis’ artwork, statuary, architecture and stories beneath the trees after dark.”

But, Christine says, “The events are really just the timely reason to tell what we think is the more interesting story: that a piece of old Wesley Chapel is still here.

“Our family is working to preserve Lewis VanDercar’s legacy while once again making the property a living part of the community rather than simply something hidden behind the gates.”

Muggins, Bobby and Christine have archival photographs of Lewis and the property, and family members will be available to share stories about Lewis and the earlier days of Wesley Chapel.

Photographer Charmaine George and I got to tour not only the property but also inside the house — which will not be open to the public for any of the events. The walls inside the home are adorned with surrealist art painted by Lewis, as well as many of his press clippings from throughout his career, which began in Miami in the late 1930s, when he worked as an animator (drawing Popeye cartoons) before serving as a merchant seaman in the Merchant Marine during World War II.

*One of the wild peacocks roaming the grounds of The Warlock House Enchantment*.

According to TheWarlockHouse.com, he also transformed that house in Miami’s Morningside neighborhood “with his cement sculptures, grotesque gargoyles, mythical creatures and faces of every age and culture peering from the walls. Visitors (including neighborhood kids) were free to explore this whimsical menagerie of art.”

The website also says, “VanDercar liked to style himself as a warlock and clairvoyant… he cheerfully claimed to have mysterious powers like ESP and levitation…He placed outrageous Classified ads in The Miami Herald offering a ‘pet poltergeist’ for sale” and other absurd hoaxes.

“In 1973, at the height of his fame, VanDercar left Miami in search of quieter surroundings,” settling in the home where Muggins, Bobby and Christine now live (photo below).

*Christine, Bobby & Muggins VanDercar with one of Lewis’ dragon sculptures.*

“The driveway is lined with stone walls carved into eerie faces, and odd statues (dragons, tiki heads and mythical figures). He was literally painting up until days before his death. In his own words, he had spent ‘30 years and died doing what he liked — a fulfilled artist’s life.’”

“The Warlock House Enchantment still stands as a folk-art landmark. Visitors to the property can see first-hand the fading but magical world he built.”

Christine says that despite the spooky nature of the statues, “There is no warlock or black magic here. The ‘Spookfest’ will not be scary for children. We believe they will love it here!”

Please note that the grounds are beautiful but rustic and Charmaine and I can attest to the fact that there are mosquitoes present, as well as some wild (live) peacocks and a parrot.

The Warlock House Enchantment is located at 25950 Queen Sago Pl. The “Spookfest on Saturday, October 3, 2 p.m.-6 p.m., will be a family-friendly Halloween adventure filled with magical villages, interactive activities, peculiar characters, crafts, games, live entertainment, food, vendors and surprises around every corner. Costumes are encouraged. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $10 for kids ages 10+ and kids under age 10 are admitted free. For more info and to purchase tickets, visit TheWarlockHouse.com/warlock-family-spookfest-wesley-chapel.

And please tell Christine, Bobby and Muggins that you read about them in the Neighborhood News!

*The gate you will enter if you attend the “Spookfest” on Oct. 3.*

Saddlebrook’s RARE 1981 Introduces Its New Executive Chef & Menu!

*RARE 1981 Chef de Cuisine Mark Davis & new Executive Chef Emanuel Zarlenga*

Although I don’t know why Saddlebrook Resort decided to bring in a new Executive Chef and completely overhaul the menu at the resort’s RARE 1981, I’ll say this much — there is definitely nothing exactly like it anywhere in the Tampa Bay area, much less in Wesley Chapel.

RARE 1981 new Executive Chef Emanuel Zarlenga, who is from Argentina, has replaced many of the dishes on the original menu with a variety of Argentinian-influenced options.

The good news is that RARE 1981 still has some of the best prime steaks in the area — which is no surprise considering that Argentina is famous worldwide for serving some of the most delicious steaks anywhere. Jannah and loved our prime filet mignon (right), which was done to medium rare perfection.

There also is a “Seabass of the Day” and a “Gulf Coast Catch of the Day,” which, for us, was a delicious mahi-mahi (left) in a buttery lemon garlic sauce, served with a side of peas, sliced asparagus and turnips. Excellent.

Pretty much everything else we ordered were Argentine-inspired dishes.

Mine and photographer Charmaine George’s favorite starter was the Whey-Melon Tuna (below left), which is 48-hour compressed melon cultured in whey, shaved and served with raw slices of pickled sushi-grade tuna, onions and carrots. It’s definitely a large enough portion to share.

Our favorite of Chef Emanuel’s homeland-inspired dishes was the Choripan (right), which is an entrée but also works as a shareable appetizer that features pieces of both Argentine and American chorizo sausage cooked “sous vide” style (vacuum-sealed and cooked in a temperature-controlled water bath) and served with crispy and warm brioche, pickled veggies and chimichurri sauce. Amazing.

Equally different was the Strawberry ‘Gazpacho” (not pictured), which featured nicely grilled scallops served with fermented strawberry and lacto-fermented cold gazpacho.

We also tried a variety of new Family Style Sides, including our two favorites — the Hay Asparagus (below right), grilled with actual burning hay), and “Two Potatoes” (below left), made with buttery, tender potatoes, finished with a warm, airy potato espuma (foam). We also liked the 30-Hour Beets (cooked for 30 hours and finished with bee pollen, seaweed and fresh lime zest) and a traditional South American corn & squash Humita finished with queso fresco and a caramelized crust.

And, even though we had no room for dessert, we shared the RARE 1981 Dessert Trio of the Day, which featured guava with brie, arroz con leche (rice pudding atop creamy caramel) and bread pudding with vanilla ice cream.

For reservations & info, visit RARE1981.com or call (813) 907- 4466. — GN; all photos by Charmaine George

Emanuel Zarlenga Rare 1981 saddlebrook Wesley Chapel

Check Out The Newly Expanded & Redesigned Mama B’s Pizzeria!

(L.-r.) Owners Chuck Locke, Brenda Bening-Thompson & David Thompson of Mama B’s Pizzeria on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel. The newly expanded & redesigned interior features a nice bar area (below left photo) & some great white (below) & pepperoni & mushroom pizza & Italian food. (Photos by Charmaine George)

Congratulations go out to owners Chuck Locke, Brenda Bening-Thompson and David Thompson on the recent expansion and redesign of their Mama B’s Pizzeria on S.R. 56.

The trio purchased the former Pomodoro restaurant in Dec. 2022 and changed the name to Mama B’s in July 2023.

“I’m not Italian,” Brenda admits, “but I am ‘Mama B’ and all of the recipes we make here are mine. I’ve loved to cook since I was a kid — I have friends telling me I should open a Mexican restaurant next because they love my homemade salsa.”

Thanks to the success of Brenda’s recipes, the partners decided to take over the out-of-business children’s shoe store next door.

“We now have a total of 2,500 sq. ft. and a private dining room for 22-24 people,” Chuck says. “And we’re all really happy with the new look of the place.”

That new look was created by Bobbie Smith, the owner of Interior Design by Bobbie.

“They told me what they were looking for and I just ran with it,” says Bobbie, who also is designingthe upcoming Tampa Joe’s at The Hub at Lexington. “It definitely feels more like a restaurant now, instead of just another pizza place.”

So, What About The Food?

When we came to take pictures for this story, photographer Charmaine George and I got to sample quite a bit of the Mama B’s menu, starting with two different pizzas. I’ve honestly never been a big fan of “white” pizza, but this mix of creamy ricotta, fresh mozzarella and garlic worked well with Mama B’s true New York-style crust.

I personally was even more impressed with Mama B’s pepperoni and mushroom pizza — even though I don’t generally like (or order) mushrooms on anything, much less my pizza. But again, the true NY-style crispy crust was definitely an upgrade over the last time I had a slice at Mama B’s.

“I’ve really been working with our cooks on consistency,” Brenda says, “especially when it comes to pizza. If all the ingredients are measured and the dough is worked the same way every time, your pizza should taste the same every time you visit.”

Charmaine absolutely loved the house-made garlic knots, which we both used to mop up the tasty (but different) marinara sauces served with the house-made signature meatballs (which are served with a generous scoop of ricotta cheese), and the extra-meaty (the way I like it) lasagna. I told Brenda that what I love most about the lasagna is the fact that when you cut into it, it doesn’t all fall apart, despite the generous amounts of ricotta, mozzarella and marinara.

My other favorite dish we tried, which again was something of a surprise because I almost never order pasta with Alfredo sauce, was the creamy fettuccine Alfredo. Yes, it’s made with cream, but Mama B’s Alfredo was definitely not as “runny” as I’ve sampled in many other places.

I would definitely add Mama B’s pan-seared chicken to the Alfredo on my next visit, or I could opt for a more familiar favorite of mine — fettuccine pesto — with the chicken.

Other appetizers on Mama B’s menu include crispy baked — and then flash-fried — chicken wings with your choice of five sauces (from Nashville hot to teriyaki), and fried ravioli or mozzarella. There’s also a Mama B’s Savory Sampler with fried mozz, garlic knots and wings.

We also enjoyed the Mediterranean salad, with Kalamata olives, cucumbers, onions, cherry tomatoes, banana peppers and creamy feta cheese, with a zesty Greek dressing. Other salads include house, Caesar, caprese and antipasto.

Mama B’s also offers a variety of specialty pizzas from standards like Margherita and Grandma’s to unique options like “This Little Piggy” (with a BBQ sauce base, pulled pork, smoked mozz & pickled red onion).

The casual eatery also offers a variety of strombolis, calzones and toasted hot subs, as well as pasta dishes like baked ziti, penne alla vodka, spaghetti with meatballs or meat sauce and chicken parm. Visit for a great lunch special (for example, two slices & a fountain drink for $7.99), plus beers on draft, wine by the glass and even a kids menu.

Mama B’s Pizzeria (27607 S.R. 56, Suite 105) is now open every day for lunch & dinner. To order or for more info, visit MamaBsPizzeria.com or call (813) 328-8063.

Brenda Bening-Thompson Chuck Locke David Thompson Mama B’s Pizzeria Wesley Chapel

AdventHealth Event Introduces Its Newest Innovation In Stroke Treatment

*The members of the neurology team at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel pose with the hospital’s new biplane neurointerventional suite.*

“When strokes happen, minutes matter,” said AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (AHWC) president & CEO Ryan Quattlebaum during the hospital’s packed “Advanced Stroke Intervention Suite” demonstration on Aug. 17. “We know that time equals tissue, brain tissue. That means it’s incredibly important for people to have access to care quickly — and not just any care, but world-class equipment in the hands of world-class, trained physicians and specialists.”

*(Above, l.-r.) Dr. Guilherme Agnoletto, Dr. Nure Khoury, Dr. Jason Maljaar & AHWC president & CEO Ryan Quattlebaum.*

He added, “So today, we’re excited to showcase an advanced look at what stroke care capabilities are available right here in Pasco County. Stroke remains one of the leading causes of both death and disabilities in the United States. Having access to that quality care close to home means that people don’t have to leave [our area] to get that care, so you don’t have to transfer to another hospital to get this specialized stroke care.”

Quattlebaum was joined by three AHWC neurologists — Dr. Jason Maljaar, the medical director of neurology at the hospital, plus Dr. Guilherme Agnoletto and Dr. Nure Khoury, who demonstrated the hospital’s new biplane neurointerventional suite.

AHWC is the first hospital anywhere in Pasco County to be home to this purpose-built machine designed to perform a range of minimally invasive procedures, including mechanical thrombectomies (a procedure that allows physicians to actually remove blood clots from the brain and restore blood flow for patients experiencing the most severe types of ischemic strokes). When this procedure is done quickly, it can improve recovery and reduce the risk of long-term disability, versus relying on clot-busting medications alone.

“That means you can come to AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, and we’ll be able to take care of you,” Quattlebaum said. “Our commitment to excellence was recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report, which named [AHWC] a high-performing hospital for stroke care. This designation reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses, clinical teams and support staff who work tirelessly every day to fulfill our mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ.”

He added, “As a primary stroke center, [AHWC] continues to strengthen its stroke program through investments in advanced technology, specialized, world-class physicians and evidence-based care.”

Dr. Maljaars said, “This is an exciting day for us here. It’s my privilege to be the stroke medical director here at this hospital. It takes a lot of people to have a program like this and to be able to provide the care that we have and plan to continue to do so.”

He added, “This machine can do a lot of things. One of the things that’s most impactful is reducing the amount of time it takes to treat a patient with a large stroke blood clot stuck in a big area of the brain. If we determine that this is a good case to attempt to pull the blood clot out with catheters, normally that patient would have to transfer to another hospital somewhere that has this technology and staff and everything in place to make that happen.

“But now that we can do that here, we can take these types of patients and take care of them right here, rather than having to transfer them, which cuts down on time — which is the biggest thing in any stroke situation.

“If you take another 30-60 minutes or longer to transfer that patient to another hospital to get that procedure, that can be the difference, quite honestly, between someone who goes home two days later or someone who ends up in a nursing home for the rest of their life.”

Dr. Maljaars also mentioned that the new machine, “also can perform diagnostics and look at arteries in the neck and the brain. We can put stents in, we can fix aneurysms…so, there are a lot of things we can do with this machine.”

He then turned it over to Dr. Khoury and Dr. Agnoletto, the hospital’s neurointerventionalists, to demonstrate how the biplane interventional suite works.

Dr. Khoury, who described himself as a vascular neurologist, said, “I don’t think we can emphasize enough how impactful this procedure is and how it’s changed lives across the globe. We’re lucky to have access to this kind of procedure, to this treatment here, because large strokes in the past were such a large cause of death and disability and now, we really have the opportunity to make those changes and impact more lives.”

Then, Dr. Agnoletto, who also described himself as a vascular neurologist, said, “We think this is a very big day for Pasco County and the families here because we can now offer this top-tier stroke care without them having to leave the community at all.”

He added, “I also wanted to mention that this type of procedure is truly a team effort. More than anything else, I would say it really takes a village — the nurses, techs, anesthesia physicians, technicians, therapists, the institution and the community that support us — today is a celebration of all of you and all of them, just as much as the technology we’re demonstrating here today.”

The Demonstration Itself

Dr. Agnoletto (photo), noted that “Obviously, we aren’t showing you a real patient, but it is a life-size model of the vessels inside the human body. It’s a large construct of different types of catheters, smaller and larger, and wires that we use to access the brain (through the femoral artery).”

Thanks to the large monitor in this photo, we could all see the large blood clot and watch Dr. Agnoletto guide the catheter to the point of the clot and pull the clot out.

“It looks like a straw,” he said, “but a lot of time, research and technology has gone into these catheters, so we don’t have any issues — they don’t collapse on themselves.”

It was obvious that the demonstration was completely successful, so the hope here is that this is just the first of many successful procedures to clear large blood clot strokes right here in our Wesley Chapel community.

For more information about AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (2600 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.), visit AdventHealth.com, or call (813) 929-5000.

AdventHealth biplane neurointerventional Guilherme Agnoletto Jason Maljaar Nure Khoury Ryan Quattlebaum Stroke Treatment Wesley Chapel

Bhimavaram Ruchulu Indian Cuisines Opens In Former Rice N’ Beans Express Spot!

Like many of you, I have been waiting to see what restaurant was going to replace the former Rice N’ Beans Express located at 24726 S.R. 54 in Lutz for some time.

Well, the wait is over, as owner Kumaravel (he goes by Kumar) Chinnthambi opened his second location of Bhimavaram Ruchulu (BR) Indian Cuisine in late July at that location and photographer Charmaine George and I have found it be excellent, following our first visit.

Kumar, who is from the southern part of India, opened his original location of BR at 10938 N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace more than a year ago, and has now brought his sizable menu of (mostly) southern Indian cuisine to a beautifully redecorated restaurant closer to Wesley Chapel.

Charmaine and I started our meal with two appetizers, the very spicy (Kumar admits that most of his food is on the spicier side, which pretty much what South Indian cuisine is mostly known for ) Gobi 65 (Hyd, or Hyderabad style) fried cauliflower (left), and the only semi-spicy (but also semi-sweet) Chicken Manchurian (top photo), which is coated in a thick, ginger-garlic soy gravy that we agreed was truly delicious. The chicken stayed nice and crisp, too.

We followed that up with the dish we both agreed was our favorite of the day, the creamy and delicious Paneer (Indian cheese) Tikka Masala (right), which had only a hint of spice. We also tried both the Chili Garlic (bottom photo) and Garlic Naan bread and we agreed that we preferred the only medium-spicy Chili Garlic version, especially dipped in the tomato-rich Tikka Masala sauce.

And, of course, we had to try the not-overly-spicy BR Special Boneless Chicken Biryani (below right), which has most of the tasty shreds of chicken hidden near the bottom of the bowl.

We didn’t try any of BR’s Tandoor oven specialties (like the Tandoor whole white fish; left), but Kumar says BR Indian Cuisines is known for its freshly ground authentic South Indian spices and traditional recipes. “We proudly prepare a wide variety of authentic vegetarian and non-vegetarian South Indian dishes using fresh ingredients and time-honored cooking techniques. We also specialize in catering for large parties, family gatherings, corporate events, weddings and other special occasions”

All I can tell you is that the food is delicious, the place is really pretty inside and we will be back! For more info about Bhimavaram Ruchulu in Lutz, call (813) 388-5972. For the Temple Terrace BR, call (813) 280-9698. Or, visit BRIndianCuisines.com. — GN; all photos (except the whole fish) by Charmaine George

Bhimavaram Ruchulu Bhimavaram Ruchulu Indian Cuisines Indian Cuisine Kumaravel Chinnthambi Wesley Chapel