British author James Hilton described the fictional Himalayan valley of Shangri-La in his 1933 book Lost Horizon as a utopia, an earthly paradise where people are perpetually happy.

It makes sense, then, that an island where people escape the rest of the world would have it's own little bit of Shangri-La. Owner Bharat Banjara is leasing the former Fooods For Here and There location at 149 Orange Street. There, you will find the Shangri-La Kitchen, offering sushi, tempura, and noodle dishes alongside some of Foood's old favorites like pizza and burgers. 

Shangri-La opened two months ago. I spoke with Bishnu Dhamala on a rainy Tuesday evening. He said take-out sushi and pizza were Shangri-La's most popular offerings. Shangri-La also offers delivery now that they have more staff onboard. A few regulars sat and shared a pizza to warm up after a day of working in the rain.

The dining room at Shangri-La feels open, clean, and airy. The floors look like they've been redone, and the vaulted ceiling has been painted white with new track lighting added. A sushi station allows guests to sit at the bar and watch Banjara and his crew roll sushi while-you-wait. And speaking of the bar, Shangri-La is BYOB.

Trying to take the chill out of the dreary day, I ordered shumai shrimp dumplings ($8, fried or steamed), miso soup ($4), and vegetable udon noodles ($14) to go.

It was hard not to dig into the shumai before I had a chance to put it on a plate. Those itty-bitty dumplings were very flavorful, with an almost sweetness to the shrimp filling. Dim sum fans, rejoice.

Shangri-La has included many hot dishes to compliment the sushi offerings.The miso soup with black seaweed, scallions, and tofu was flavorful and light. Miso, a paste made from soybeans, is a staple in Asian cooking and known for it's umami taste--the famed "fifth taste" after salty, sweet, sour, and bitter.

Crisp vegetables including asparagus, broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, carrots, and cabbage made the vegetable udon noodles a flavorful spring-like dish. Udon noodles are a wide, flat noodle made from wheat flour served in a thin soy-based broth. I would have liked a bit more spice to the dish--Banjara informed me the next day that they are always happy to adjust the level of spice to suit the customer. Those who like it hot should speak up when ordering. 

I returned at lunch the next day to find Banjara and to try the sushi. Banjara, originally from Nepal, has been on-island for more than a decade. He worked at Sushi by Yoshi and Stop & Shop before purchasing the Foood's business.

Of course, the sushi is the standout. I tasted the Philli roll ($12, king salmon, cream cheese, and avocado) and the sweet potato tempura roll ($12, fried sweet potato, avocado, jalapeno with a sweet sauce), far and away my favorite of all the things I tried. The tempura breading isn't heavy and the sweet potato still retains some of its crunch. The creamy avocado is a perfect compliment to the potato, while the jalapeno provided the spice I had been looking for. Both the Philli and sweet potato rolls are easily shared. 

I opted to stay at Shangri-La during my sushi lunch so I could chat with Banjara. A few Foood's devotees ate hamburgers, and were inquiring about the sushi and the yakisoba noodles. Intrigued, they vowed to be more adventurous with their order next time. Banjara's decision to keep and improve upon the original Foood's menu is a good one. Foood's was in business for forty years, a very respectable tenure, and Banjara happily welcomes customers both old and new at Shangri-La. Lately, Banjara has focused on improving the pizza, a popular lunch offering. He makes it with homemade dough and tries to use local ingredients when available.

Banjara and his team have created a warm and welcoming space at Shangri-La that provides adventurous and picky eaters both with plenty of unique options.

I recently read Patti Smith's National Book Award winning memoir "Just Kids". Filled with beautiful, simple language, Smith tells the story of her youth as it pertained to one of her most important relationships. Living a bohemian lifestyle in 1960s New York with her friend Robert Mapplethorpe, the author observes at one point, "Everybody owed something. We owed nothing."

In our culture of excess, greed, and debt, that's a refreshing notion and one that makes me think about why people come to and stay on Nantucket. Immediately one recognizes the different pace of life found on these shores, one that operates seemingly independent and irrespective of the outside world. Think about the hours (and ultimately years) swallowed by work commutes and highway traffic jams in mainland America, here on Nantucket replaced by walks on the beach, dinner with friends, or quiet evenings at home. We sit here on the edge of civilization, yet are somehow more civilized than any other place I've ever been. Community, education, music, art, theater, friendship and civility are central themes in many of our lives. What could be better? As we head into the peak season, we will once again find it easy to get frustrated or tired as more and more of that outside world pours into these hallowed shores, but we should never forget how good we have it.

Here are some upcoming events on our island calendar:

Music Talk with Broadway Conductor Andrew Graham at NCMC, Friday at noon
Fresh off an international tour with the traveling production of the Broadway megahit "Wicked", Andrew Graham, a new instructor at Nantucket Community Music Center, will discuss today's music theater industry at their 56 Centre Street location. NCMC is an invaluable resource to our island community, for musicians, vocalists, engineers, songwriters and much more. If you're unfamiliar, take some time to educate yourself about the organization and everything they offer. www.nantucketcommunitymusiccenter.org

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Joshua Tree back at the Chicken Box, Friday and Saturday, 10:30 p.m.
Having watched and heard this band perform at the Chicken Box for a number of years now, I really believe you'd be hard pressed to come up with a musical event that brings together a larger cross section of Nantucket's local and visiting population. Spanning generations, demographics and a number of other factors, Joshua Tree, a U2 tribute band, proves one thing: people really love Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry. Having performed some of the most iconic and memorable music of the past 30 years, U2 (and Joshua Tree) really know how to bring the people together. There will be a cover charge at the door.

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New "Slurpee Wave" Images at the Samuel Owen Gallery, beginning Saturday
Many on Nantucket and far beyond remember island resident Jonathan Nimerfroh's now iconic photographs of nearly frozen slush waves rolling onto our south shore during an especially cold spell two winters ago. Longtime friends, Jonathan and his wife Rebecca reached out this week to let me know that Jon will offer two previously unseen "Slurpee" images in addition to his latest collection of work -- available at the Samuel Owen Gallery on upper Centre Street. Jon's work hangs in the gallery in addition to a wide mix of artists from Nantucket and beyond, each presenting their own unique view of the world in a variety of mediums.

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Nantucket Comedy Festival "Winter Series" with Mike McDonald & Maya Manion, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
The last of this series before summer hits. Nantucket Comedy Festival founder Kevin Flynn and company will bring well-known comics Mike McDonald and Maya Manion to the main stage of the Dreamland Theatre this Saturday night. Always complimented by and benefiting NCF's Stand Up & Learn program for children during the day on Saturday, the evening performance will be for adults (18+) only. Tickets are $20 and are available at the box office or online.

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Campaign Kick-Off Fundraiser for Tobias Glidden at Cisco Brewers, Tuesday, 5 p.m.
Nantucket native and former selectman Toby Glidden has announced he's running for State Rep. Tim Madden's seat in the Massachusetts state legislature, as the incumbent will not seek another term in office. One of the youngest selectmen in Nantucket's history, Tobias has been an engaged member of the community from a young age and is now taking his political aspirations to new heights, with hopes of representing Nantucket at the state level. Show your support by heading over to the Brewery Tuesday evening and make a donation to his campaign if you can. He'll be handing out campaign bumper stickers as well. 

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AAN Closing Reception: Old Salts & Simpler Times, Wednesday, 6 p.m.
As implied by the title of this event, this is likely the last chance to view the photographs from this particular exhibition at the Artist Association of Nantucket's Visual Arts Center on Amelia Drive. "Old Salts & Simpler Times" celebrates the intense photo-documentation of the 1930s and 40s by Walter G Pollak and Louis S. Davidson. Close friends and important photographers, both served long terms as presidents of the AAN. This is also a great opportunity to get a good look at this new facility, if you have not done so yet. All sorts of arts and crafts classes are held in this beautiful building throughout the year, so ask for more information on their upcoming programming when you stop by. 

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TWN Presents "The Odd Couple" at Bennett Hall, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Theatre Workshop of Nantucket's second production of the year opens this evening and will run through June 18^th. A Tony award-winning classic by Neil Simon, "The Odd Couple" has seen major success on the stage and silver screen since its first Broadway production. "There is scarcely a moment that is not hilarious", said the New York Times of the story of friendship between the "fastidious Felix and the slovenly Oscar decide to share an apartment together, after their lives have been turned upside down." Tickets are available at the Box Office or online If you plan to attend, however, buy your tickets soon.