Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 16, 2000
Food writer Sheila Lukins recently predicted that the "2000 kitchen" will have "new staples and a liberal use of flavorful ingredients once considered exotic but now becoming everyday favorites." Among her predictions: Asian-style dishes and Thai cooking will be hot.
As if on cue, the Banchiang Thai restaurant popped up in west Pasco County (8631-4 Little Road) and became an instant sensation, with crowds keeping the doors open until 1 a.m. and beyond, clamoring for shrimp pad thai, panang chicken and sizzling duck.
Banchiang Thai was only one of several ethnic restaurants that appeared in Pasco to immediate acclaim in 1999.
The tastefully decorated Dr. Berg's German Restaurant (2616 U.S. 19, Holiday) was such a success that the owners decided to drop lunch service and concentrate their efforts on being a dinner-only restaurant from 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with 1 to 9 p.m. service Sunday.
Juan's Black Bean Deli, the county's first Cuban-only diner (5442 Main St., New Port Richey) may be tiny, with four small tables and a deck, but its impact has been huge. Juan's pressed Cuban sandwiches, daily specials, desserts shipped in from Miami and, of course, black beans have become legendary.
The acceptance of ethnic foods other than the familiar Italian and Chinese suggested a growing sophistication of tastes in the west Pasco area. The continued success of the French cuisine at Ile de France in Hudson and continental fare at Cafe Grand in New Port Richey proved that local diners have realized they don't have to travel out of county to get a four-star meal.
It wasn't just the dining scene that expanded in west Pasco during 1999. So did the entertainment outlook.
The county's only full-time professional theater, the Show Palace Dinner Theatre in Hudson, sailed into its third year with a continued string of successes, setting new attendance records for its Broadway musical series.
The 1998-99 season's unexpected hit was the sometimes controversial story of two aging gay men, La Cage aux Folles, which brought in nearly 10,000 patrons over its six-weekend run. La Cage had attracted picket lines in other venues, but at the Palace, the only lines were at the box office.
Owners Nick and Sal Sessa and Jimmy Ferraro flirted with the idea of closing during what some people consider the summer doldrums but opted to launch a summer Broadway season instead. Good thing -- more than 13,000 people came to the summer musicals, with even more attending one-time special shows, including a record-setting second annual When Angels Sing fundraiser, and several private banquets.
Meanwhile, U.S. Homes opened two 500-seat performing arts centers in Pasco, one in Heritage Pines off County Line Road, the other at Heritage Springs in Trinity. The developers began bringing in nostalgia and novelty acts, touring company musicals and variety shows for their residents and the public.
The Center for the Arts at River Ridge High School continued to expand its entertainment programs, offering three different levels of show: one series for elementary and preschoolers, another for middle school or junior high ages, and a third series for high school and older patrons.
The Florida Orchestra's conductor, Thomas Wilkins, assured faithful patrons that the group will continue and possibly expand its season in Pasco County.
Pasco-Hernando Community College's performing arts series remained popular throughout the season, and several private clubs expanded their dinner show seasons, including the Polish American Pulaski Association, the Aripeka Elks and the Italian American Club.
Several church groups also sponsored secular concerts and shows, including the Jewish Community Center of West Pasco on Monday evenings and First United Methodist Church's series of classical and popular music on Sunday afternoons.
The Pasco Art Center in Holiday scored a significant coup when it attracted its first international exhibit, a series of 50 watercolors by Chinese artist Er Min Yang. The show launched a two-month series of events based upon the Chinese exhibit.
Amateur and volunteer groups also thrived. Richey Suncoast Theatre saw a turnover in leadership at the beginning of the year and heard a promise of new and greater things to come. Richey Community Orchestra continued several of its traditional concerts, including the annual dinner concert with trumpeter Charley Raymond, a concert by John and Mary K. Wilson and a Broadway-based show by tenor Irv Clark and Friends, but added some new features to the remaining concerts with special guest artists, pianist Stella Gaukhshteyn and the Spanish Lyric Theatre dancers.
The Thursday Musicale expanded its roster of guest artists, and the Suncoast Harmony Chorus won still more awards and produced popular shows.
The Pasco library system scheduled its second series of performances at area libraries, bringing in performers from throughout the state and region for concerts and shows.
Poetry and opera buffs also got their due, as the Centennial Opera Group held discussions of opera videos at Centennial Library and the West Pasco Poetry Review held readings of original and favorite poetry in both Hudson and Holiday.
As 2000 begins, Pasco residents have an expanding array of dining and entertainment choices.