Persis Grill — Wesley Chapel’s First Indian Eatery Is A Delicious One! 

As much as I love doing the dining reviews for my publications, I’m sure you long-time readers are aware that Indian food has always been something of a hit-or-miss proposition for my taste. 

So, when I heard that Persis Indian Grill was moving into the space previously occupied by Omnivorous (adjacent to Double Branch Brewing) in The Grove, I didn’t know what to expect. 

Well, rest assured that the first authentic Indian restaurant to open in Wesley Chapel (outside of the clubhouse at Anand Vihar in Meadow Pointe) is an upscale (yet still casual and affordable) restaurant which offers a huge menu of favorites from what seems to be every region of the Indian subcontinent. 

The owner, who goes by Harry, admits that he has never owned a restaurant before but I have to say that his recipes, handed down from not only his own family, but also the family recipes of his chef and many of his employees, are as good as any Indian cuisine I’ve sampled, which includes at least a half-dozen places located in New Tampa. 

I basically always try the menu items that I’m more likely to enjoy on my first visit, which in the case of Persis, was the day before this issue went to press, less than two weeks after the new restaurant first opened. 

And, I’m happy to report that the butter naan bread at Persis (not pictured) has a delicious grilled flavor and just the right amount of butter. Harry suggested that I try the garlic naan on my next visit, “because it adds a different flavor when you eat it along with our other food.” 

I also had to try two of my other usual favorites — the Tandoori lamb chops (top photo) and the Indo Chinese style chicken fried rice (right photo), both of which were outstanding. 

The sizzling lamb chops were tender and not over-seasoned and the fried rice had delicious chunks of chicken, as well as tasty veggies, egg and spices. I planned to bring most of both items home, but I brought home a lot less fried rice than I planned because I couldn’t stop taking additional bites. 

Harry says he has applied for a beer and wine license but alcohol is not currently being served at Persis. Even so, great job, Harry & crew! 

Persis Indian Grill (5956 Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite 106) is open every day except Monday for lunch and dinner. For more info, visit PersisWesleyChapel.com or call (813) 388-2245. 

Upcoming Events: St. Paddy’s Day At O’Brien’s, Jack Wilkins At NTPAC & More!

Friday-Sunday, March 15-17 — Three-Day St. Patrick’s Day Parking Lot Celebration at O’Brien’s Irish Pub.

O’Brien’s (5429 Wesley Chapel Village Market) will again be hosting the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the New Tampa/ Wesley Chapel area with an indoor-outdoor party every day of St. Paddy’s Day weekend.

Tonight, MoonShine Abby will be performing from 8 p.m.-midnight. According to their website, MoonShine Abby is “the best blend of mature artistry, vigorous technique, and honed skill all wrapped up into a high-energy, party-style band.”

What’s a St. Pat’s Day party without bagpipes? You can come out to here pipers on Saturday and Sunday. On Sat., 25-year- old Gemma Briggs plays the pipes from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Gemma says she is, “passionate about providing high-quality bagpipe music, professionalism and an unforgettable touch to any occasion.”

Gemma (photo right) will be followed at 8 p.m. on Sat. night by the Ryan Marchand Band.

Ryan’s website says he uses “live-looping (to create) sonic landscapes with layered beat- box percussion, vocal harmonies, and a bevy of guitar effects to cover the frequency and timbre spectrum. He draws inspirations from studio al- bums from Pink Floyd, The Beatles and more.”

Then, the main event at O’Brien’s will be held on Sun., St. Paddy’s Day itself.

From 4 p.m.-7 p.m., “The Irishman” Capt. Kirk, will play all of your favorite Irish tunes. Inside, from 7 p.m.-midnight, DJ SAF will spin dance music inside, but outside, the City of Mt. Dora pipe band will play your St. Pat’s favorites from 7:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Then, the Daniel Sprouse Band will play your favorite rock and country hits from 8 p.m.-midnight outside.

Please note that no coupons will be accepted all weekend at O’Brien’s and there will be a $10 cover charge on Sun. only.

For more info, call (813) 973-09988 or visit ObriensWesleyChapel.com.

Holy Week Services & Events

Although all local churches will hold Easter services on Sunday, March 31, both Grace Episcopal Church in Tampa Palms and St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd. have services and events throughout Holy Week, with St. Mark’s Vigil Mass for Palm Sunday (see ad below) being held on Saturday, March 23, and Palm Sunday services at both Grace (see ad below) and St. Mark being held on Sunday, March 24.

Monday, March 25, 7p.m.—Monthly meeting of the New Tampa Democratic Club.

The New Tampa Democrats are gearing up for the up- coming 2024 Presidential and local election season. For more information, see the ad below.

Wednesday, March 27, 7 p.m.-8 p.m. — Wesley Chapel Elks Lodge organizational Meeting & Membership Drive —

If you’re looking to become part of a service organization that focuses its efforts on helping children and military veterans, the Elks have nearly 1,800 chapters and about 750,000 total members across the U.S. and are hop- ing to build a new Elks Lodge in the Wesley Chapel/New Tampa area. This meeting will be held at the Lexington Oaks Community Center (26304 Lexington Oaks Blvd., Wesley Chapel) and light refreshments will be served.

For more information, call Nancy El-lardat (732) 598-7883 or email src4para-dise@yahoo.com.

Thursday, April 4, 8 p.m.— The Tampa Jazz Club’s USF New Tampa Jazz Series presents a Jack Wilkins CD Release Concert.

An All-Star cast will join USF Professor of Jazz Studies (and Grammy Award nominee) Jack Wilkins (photo) on the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.) stage, as he releases his most recent CD and will be joined by an All-Star cast, including Danny Gottlieb, Steve Allee and James Suggs. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $20 for Tampa Jazz Club members  for students and $5 for USF students.

Saturday, April 27, 6 p.m. — The Academy of Odissi Dance 25th Anniversary Gala. 
The Academy of Odissi Dance will host & perform at its 25th Anniversary Gala on Apr. 27. 

The Academy of Odissi Dance (located on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa), a classical Indian dance troupe, is celebrating its 25th anniversary in the Tampa Bay area with an amazing Anniversary Gala and performance, which will be held at the Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Community Center (2620 Washington St., Valrico 33594). 

Gopa Rautray founded the Academy of Odissi Dance in 1999, and, with her daughter Ambika, has been working hard to propagate Indian culture through a range of dance forms. The Academy’s teams have performed on a variety of stages, locally and nationally. They perform fusion routines, blending styles such as ballet, jazz, hip-hop, folk and Indian classical dance, blending, enriching and sharing their art with a variety of audiences. 

For Gala tickets (which include dinner) & more information, call Gopa at (813) 992-5234 or Ambika at (813) 992- 5235 or see the ad below. 

Tasty Namaste Express Is Open; Qdoba May Be, Too

Although we didn’t even find out about it until we went to press with our Feb 6 issue, OishiExpress, a decent fast-casual Japanese place, lasted only about a year in the spot at 17503 Preserve Walk Ln. in Highwoods Preserve — between Taste of New York Pizza and Lapels Cleaners (behind EggTown) — the new fast-casual Namaste Express(or XP) has already replaced Oishi.

I’ve only visited once since Namaste opened, but the new eatery can be summed up pretty easily — it’s a small place with a huge and what seems to be a very tasty menu.

On my visit, I enjoyed the chicken stir-fry bowl (left), which had just a hint of spice, with lots of chunks of chicken and clearly fresh vegetables. The savory sauce tasted like a completely unexpected cross between the curry flavors so prevalent in Indian cooking with a nod to Szechuan Chinese cuisine. I told the chef (I sadly forgot his name) that I would be back to try his biryani, the delicious-sounding Apollo fish (a fish filet tossed with ginger, garlic and a spicy sauce, which is specialty of Hyderabad) and the marinated, fried (but not breaded, because they’re gluten-free) chicken lollipops shown here.

Namaste has menu options from every region in India and even offers a unique “Grab & Go” menu that the restaurant’s website says is “meticu- lously crafted through cutting-edge flash chilling processes.” It definitely sounds unique.

Although there is clearly a sizable Indian population in New Tampa, considering how many Indian restaurants there already are in zip code 33647 — including Saffron, Minerva, Raaga, Dosa Hut, Bang-Bang! Bowls and the cafĂ© inside the Taaza Mart (as well as the Nepalese Gorkhali Kitchen, which also offers Indian specialties) — we hope that Namaste Express will be able to find its footing in what has so far proven to be a difficult location.

For more information, call (813) 866-1300 or visit NamasteXP.com.

Update On Qdoba

At our press time, Qdoba Mexican Eats,which we told you last issue was getting ready to open in the same plaza in Highwoods Preserve as Namaste (at 17509 Preserve Walk Ln.) last issue, was still not open, but co-owner Liz Montante says that she and her husband and co-owner Mike were expecting the New Tampa Qdoba to open “on or around March 1,” or a few days before this issue hits your mailbox.

In other words, if you’re a fan of Moe’s Southwest Grill (which Qdoba is replacing in Highwoods), Chipotle or any other fast-casual Mexican fare, you definitely should check out Qdoba, too.

“It’s been a long struggle, but we’re finally almost there,” Liz told me the day before I finished this issue. “We can’t wait for New Tampa to experience our fresh Mexican eats.”

For more information about Qdoba Mexican Eats, call (813) 761-0005 or visit Qdoba.com to check out the menu online.

Upcoming Events: St. Paddy’s Day At O’Brien’s, Book Signing & Book Sale! 

Although we no longer have a regular Community Calendar listing in our print issues, there are a number of upcoming events that merit your consideration, so we decided to include as many of them here as possible. 

If you have an event upcoming that takes place after March 19, feel free to email me at ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com and I will see about getting it included in our next New Tampa issue. 

Friday, February 23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. & Saturday, February 24, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. p.m. — The Friends of the New Tampa Library’s Annual Giant Book Sale. The Friends of the New Tampa Library will host their annual Giant Book Sale at the New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.). With most books being sold for just 50 cents, all proceeds will benefit the library’s Summer Reading programs for children and events and classes for all age groups.

Monday, February 26, 7 p.m. — Monthly meeting of the New Tampa Democratic Club. The New Tampa Democrats are gearing up for the upcoming 2024 Presidential and local election season. For more information, see the ad to the right. 

Wednesday, February 28, 6 p.m. -8 p.m. — Book Launch Performance & Book Signing for Running From Yesterday by Margarette Allyn. Margarette Allyn (photo, right) is an author, speaker and dancer who believes in the healing power of making choices guided by instinct, intuition and faith. 

Two unexpected episodes played pivotal roles in Margarette’s life, introducing her to the world of the performing arts. 

The first was watching “The Nutcracker” on TV. The second was encountering the iconic TV show “Fame,” which struck a chord with its relatable characters and stories that felt just like her own. Dance soon became Margarette’s refuge — a way to escape and express herself. Her dance aspirations took flight when she was accepted into Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts — the real “Fame” school — in New York’s Upper West Side. 

Author & performer Margarette Allyn will sign her book Running From Yesterday & dance at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center on Feb. 28. (Photo provided by Margarette Allyn) 

It was a dream that seemed beyond reach, especially for a young woman from Harlem. But, Margarette held onto the idea that the sky has no limits. However, unforeseen circumstances, ego and personal choices halted her burgeoning dance career, crushing her dreams of attending Juilliard and leaving her with a deep sense of loss. 

At the age of 24, Margarette embarked on a new path, joining the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Despite battling an overwhelming cloud of dread, despair and her complex relationship with alcohol, she clung fiercely to her discipline, determination, and the will to truly live. 

Supported by her loyal friends and colleagues, she dedicated twenty years to her police career, retiring as a Sergeant in 2019. 

Today, Margarette resides in New Tampa with her husband and two sons. 

This remarkable journey serves as the focal point of her inspiring memoir, Running From Yesterday, A True Story of Hope, Courage, and Love. Grateful for the grace and mercy bestowed upon her, Margarette finds purpose in giving back to those she mentors, is dancing once again, accepts motivational and inspirational speaking engagements and looks forward to many more years of being on stage. 

Friday-Sunday, March 15-17 — Three-Day St. Patrick’s Day Parking Lot Celebration at O’Brien’s Irish Pub. O’Brien’s (5429 Wesley Chapel Village Market) will again be hosting the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Wesley Chapel with an indoor-outdoor party every day of St. Paddy’s Day weekend. 

On Friday, MoonShine Abby will be performing from 8 p.m.-midnight. According to their website, MoonShine Abby is “the best blend of mature artistry, vigorous technique, and honed skill all wrapped up into a high-energy, party-style band. 

What’s a St. Pat’s Day party without bagpipes? You can come out to here pipers on Saturday and Sunday. On Sat., 25-year-old Gemma Briggs (plays the pipes from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Gemma says she is, “passionate about providing high-quality bagpipe music, professionalism and an unforgettable touch to any occasion.” 

Gemma (photo right) will be followed at 8 p.m. on Sat. night by the Ryan Marchand Band. 

Ryan’s website says he uses “live-looping (to create) sonic landscapes with layered beat-box percussion, vocal harmonies, and a bevy of guitar effects to cover the frequency and timbre spectrum. He draws inspirations from studio albums from Pink Floyd, The Beatles and more.” 

Then, the main event at O’Brien’s will be held on Sun., St. Paddy’s Day itself. 

From 4 p.m.-7 p.m., “The Irishman” Capt. Kirk, will play all of your favorite Irish tunes. Inside, from 7 p.m.-midnight, DJ SAF will spin dance music inside, but outside, the City of Mt. Dora pipe band will play your St. Pat’s favorites from 7:30 p.m.-8 p.m. 

Then, the Daniel Sprouse Band will play your favorite rock and country hits from 8 p.m.-midnight outside. 

Please note that no coupons will be accepted all weekend at O’Brien’s and there will be a $10 cover charge on Sun. only. For more info, call (813) 97309988 or visit ObriensWesleyChapel.com.

Theatre Beat — “Dreamgirls,” “Spelling Bee,” “Ember” & “Broadway!” 

Christan McLaurine stole the New Tampa Players’ production of “Dreamgirls” as James “Thunder” Early. (Dreamgirls Photos by Charmaine George)

When I grew up and later lived in New York in and near Manhattan, I was fortunate to be able to see dozens of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows and although musicals may not necessarily be everyone’s cup of tea, I came to appreciate musical theatre, as well as stage comedies and dramas, and the incredibly talented people who performed in all of those shows. 

What I will admit that I never expected is that there also could possibly be so many talented people performing in local community theatre. I also have no problem admitting that I probably should have attended at least a few more local theatre performances in the years leading up to the opening last year of the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. 

So, Jannah and I have kind of gone on to sit in the audience of several shows since I was a bit player in the New Tampa Players (NTP)’s opening performance at NTPAC of “Grease.” We were in the audience for the fun and adorable “Shrek the Musical,” but we didn’t stop there. Here is a rundown of the other shows that we either recently saw or plan to see in the coming weeks…and I think you should, too. 

“Dreamgirls” 
The “Dreamgirls” were (l.-r.) Patty Smithey as Lorrell Robinson, NaTasha McKenzie as Effie White & Caron Davis as Deena Jones.

The first stop on our post-”Shrek” theatre journey was the New Tampa Players’ production of “Dreamgirls” at the NTPAC. Like “Grease” and “Shrek,” this award-winning Broadway hit that also spawned a successful movie, also ran for two weekends and six performances and the entire second weekend of the show’s run was fully sold out, while the first weekend had probably fewer than 20 total unsold tickets. 

And, for good reason. While NTP’s “Dreamgirls” couldn’t possibly match the Broadway talent or the voices in the film starring “American Idol” winner Jennifer Hudson, the cast and show were nonetheless super-impressive and talented, especially for community theatre. 

And, although the women who portrayed the Dreams singing group — NaTasha McKenzie as Effie White, 

Caron Davis as Deena Jones and especially, Patty Smithey as Lorrell Robinson — were all excellent singers, dancers and actors, for our money, the dynamically talented Christan McLaurine as James “Thunder” Early stole the show. 

Up next for the Players are auditions for “Singin’ in the Rain,” the song-&-dance musical based on the classic 1952 film starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. The show runs July 19-28 at NTPAC. 

The show combines the talents of director Nora Paine, musical director G. Frank Meekins and choreographer Sarah Walston, the trio who also led the production of “Grease.” 

If you know any talented male or female singers and tap dancers, auditions for “Singin’ in the Rain” will be held in April. Look to these pages for additional information or visit NewTampaPlayers.org. 

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” 
(L.-r.) Richard Brown (William Barfee), Gabrielle Ray (Olive Ostrovsky), Chris Cordero (Chip Tolentino), Jillian Koehn (Marcy Park), Taylor Skolnick (Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre) & Dylan Fidler (Leaf Coneybear) made MAD Theatre of Tampa’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” a blast from beginning to end. (Photo provided by Mad Theatre)

If you were looking for a fun, hysterically funny and light-hearted musical theatre experience, I hope you got to check out MAD Theatre of Tampa’s “Spelling Bee” at the Shimberg Playhouse at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tampa. This tiny playhouse was the perfect setting for this Spelling Bee, which was chock full of amazing, talented characters, including Chris Cordero and Dylan Fidler, who played the title roles in NTP’s “Shrek” and “Grease” (Danny Zuko), respectively. 

But, it wasn’t just the six young actors portraying the pubescent spellers who gave amazing performances. The entire cast, led by director Casey Vaughn, music director Megan Zeitler and choreographer Evan Lomba (who played Donkey in NTP’s “Shrek”) all deserve big kudos for a show that truly was a laugh riot. 

Up next for MAD Theatre, which is celebrating 25 years as a performance troupe, are performances of “Urinetown The Musical,” with performances June 14-30, also at the Shimberg Playhouse at the Straz Center. 

For tickets and more information, visit MadTheatre.com.

“Ember: A New Musical” 

One show that I have no idea what my expectations are or should be is the World Premiere of “Ember: A New Musical,” written by Kyle Griffin Fisher, the young man who gave local audiences memorable performances as Kenickie in NTP’s “Grease” and the hysterical Lord Farquaad in NTP’s “Shrek The Musical.” 

According to Kyle’s Facebook page: 

“Discover the dark allure of desires in ‘Ember,’ a spellbinding musical that explores the boundaries between dreams and damnation. In a world where the mundane meets the magical, farm boy ‘Guy’ yearns for adventure. When the enigmatic demon ‘Sequins’ offers to fulfill his deepest desires in exchange for his soul, Guy plunges headfirst into a Faustian bargain. 

“‘Ember’ is a captivating journey of redemption and unexpected alliances. Can a demon, driven by ambition, rediscover forgotten compassion and love? Will Guy, armed with newfound powers and a heart full of hope, conquer the challenges laid before him? In ‘Ember,’ the stakes are high, the magic is potent, and the battle for the soul takes center stage.” 

In addition to Fisher, the “Ember” cast features fellow NTP performers Dylan Fidler, Makayla Raines, Heather Rich, Kristin Nelson, Zachary Smith, Tripp Peavyhouse and Zane Sarsour. 

Although “Ember” is not an NTP production, all performances will be at NTP’s Uptown Stage in University Mall. This production is recommend for audience members ages 14 and up due to adult language and situations. 

Performance Dates: Saturday, March 2, 6:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 3, 1 p.m. For tickets & more info, visit NewTampaPlayers.thundertix.com. 

“Broadway Through The Decades: Contemporary Era” 

The Wesley Chapel Theater Group (WCTG) presents Part 2 of its Broadway musical revue series. The show will feature songs from popular musicals of the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s performed in a cabaret-style show. WCTG has teamed up with the Zephyrhills Lions Club to bring new entertainment to the Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel areas. 

Proceeds from the show will go to help WCTG continue to produce performing arts for our community and to the Zephyrhills Lions Club’s sight program. 

“Broadway Through The Decades” will be performed Sat., Mar. 9, 7 p.m., and Sun., Mar. 10, 2 p.m. The Sat. show includes dinner at 5:30 p.m. and the Sun. matinee includes coffee and dessert at intermission. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at the Zephyrhills Lions Club (5827 Dean Dairy Rd.) or at WesleyChapelTheaterGroup.org.