Sure, we already have a lot of dentists in Wesley Chapel, but the super-personable Dr. Navid Ramsi and his Ramsi Dental is proud to be the latest general/family dentist to open an office in our community, at 26851 Tanic Dr., Suite 101, in the Cypress Glen Professional Park north of S.R. 56 near I-75.
Dr. Ramsi and his staff hosted a well-attended North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting event on Sept. 16, which introduced the local community to the new office. The practice offers “Comprehensive Dental Care for Every Stage of Life.” Dr. Ramsi told us that he sees patients of all ages, from children through senior citizens.
According to the practice’s website, Dr. Ramsi earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree from the University of Florida College of Dentistry, where, “he was selected as a Hinman Scholar in recognition of his clinical ability, leadership and commitment to patient care.”
Dr. Ramsi offers all general dental services, such as cleanings, extractions, root canals, oral cancer screenings, emergency, periodontal (gum) and fluoride treatments, sports mouthguards and night guards, as well as restorative treatments, including fillings, bridges and dental implants.
Cosmetic services include ceramic crowns, veneers, ZOOM! whitening, ClearCorrect® aligners and even facial Botox® treatments. The modern office features digital impressions, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT, which captures high-resolution 3D views of teeth, jaws and adjacent anatomy) and more.
For more info about Ramsi Dental, visit RamsiDental.com or call (813) 651-8357. — GN; photos by Charmaine George
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.
Construction has begun at the intersection of Meadow Pointe Blvd. & S.R. 56. The project will widen & add much-needed turn lanes at the often-crowded intersection. (Photo by Joel Provenzano)
Meadow Pointe Blvd. is once again seeing significant construction activity, with a new apartment community going up just south of S.R. 56, and some much-needed improvements coming to the north-south thoroughfare’s intersection with S.R. 56.
We previously told you about the new Pasco County medical magnet high school on Meadow Pointe Blvd. north of 56. But now, there is another new rental apartment complex under construction on Meadow Pointe Blvd., at the southwest corner of its intersection with 56, next to the Claridge Place Townhomes.
The new 384-unit apartment community from Aventon Companies will be called Aventon Wesley Chapel (rendering below) and will be something of a sister development to Aventon Meadows, which opened in 2024 at the north end of Meadow Pointe Blvd. and C.R. 54.
With two major regional offices in Florida, Aventon has developed a considerable number of multifamily communities throughout the state. But, if you were confused by the sign out front, so were we. Even though the sign currently says Aventon Meadow Pointe II, the property is technically within the Meadow Pointe III boundary, as we verified by looking at the historic MPUD maps for the area — and will actually be called Aventon Wesley Chapel.
Whatever its name will be, the project is being built on approximately 19.47 acres, for which Aventon Companies paid $16.25 million in June, after the site plan had already been finalized and permits secured with Pasco County. Construction began in July, and leasing is currently expected to begin in early 2028.
The community will consist of six multi-story, garden-style residential buildings arranged around a central pond, which will feature a fitness trail around it. Aventon WC will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 743 sq. ft. to 1,389 sq. ft. The exact same size floor plans are currently being offered at Aventon Meadows.
As for what residents can expect to pay, current advertised rents at Aventon Meadows range from approximately $1,660-$2,522 per month for the same floor plans, so prices at Aventon Wesley Chapel could potentially be in a similar range when leasing begins. However, rents for the new community have not yet been announced.
The largest floor plan offers generously sized guest bedrooms and plenty of storage, including walk-in closets in each bedroom, two large hall closets and a separate pantry for the kitchen.
Even the one-bedroom floor plan offers a large kitchen with an island that is almost the same size as the kitchen in the 3-bedroom plan.
Aventon Wesley Chapel also will include a resort-style swimming pool, 24-hour fitness center, pet spa, dog park, two pickleball courts and a clubhouse with coworking and gathering spaces. Aventon’s website also lists a remote-working lounge and package storage among the planned amenities.
Aventon operates as a vertically integrated real estate company; overseeing land purchases, site development, construction and property management across its apartment portfolio. That allows the company to manage projects through each stage of development, from initial acquisition through construction and long-term operation.
Perhaps the biggest news, however, is that the new apartment project also will require widening Meadow Pointe Blvd. to provide a northbound left-turn lane and a southbound right-turn lane into the new community.
Meadow Pointe Blvd. Left Turn Lane
In addition to the widening being done on Meadow Pointe Blvd. by the apartment development, a much-needed second northbound left-turn lane is being constructed right now by the Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT) at the traffic signal with S.R. 56 as part of the department’s resurfacing project. The broader FDOT project includes resurfacing S.R. 56 from Bruce B. Downs Blvd. to Meadow Pointe Blvd., along with safety, drainage and signal improvements.
In addition to the new northbound turn lane at Meadow Pointe Blvd., the project will add dual left-turn lanes in both the westbound and eastbound directions of S.R. 56, using new striping in the existing painted gore areas.
These improvements should address a long-term issue at the intersection, where vehicles turning left during the morning and afternoon peaks have frequently stacked back into the adjacent through lanes.
The FDOT project is a relatively minor roadway improvement, but it could have a noticeable impact for anyone who regularly uses the Meadow Pointe Blvd. and S.R. 56 intersection.
And, with the current speed of construction, we would not be surprised if all of the resurfacing, minor widening and signal work is completed before the end of the year, or shortly after — as well as the equally important new signal a little further west on S.R. 56 at Lajuana Blvd., in front of Cooper’s Hawk.
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
(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.
