Happy Cow Is So Much More Than Just Great Frozen Yogurt!

THERE is little doubt that there are a lot of ice cream and frozen yogurt shops in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel — and several others that have come and gone the last few years.

So, how does a single location (a second location has opened on Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills) of a (so far; see below) non-chain that opened next to Bonefish Grill in a crowded, Wesley Chapel shopping center in 2013 continue to distinguish itself from its competition?

Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt co-owner Ray Perez says that, at his brightly colored dessert shop, “Our products and unique, Disney-like environment and customer-first attitude are only the beginning. We are still service-based, even though the product itself is self-serve.”

For example, he says, that every staff member is taught to bring high chairs for parents toting babies and toddlers and to bring napkins when they notice that a customer forgot to grab some.

Happy Cow offers up to 16 flavors at once (Ray says there are at least 100 being rotated), and not all of them are frozen yogurt.

“We’re a true dessert shop,” he says. “In addition to frozen yogurt, we have soft-serve ice cream, soft serve gelato, sorbet and we always have gluten-free, no-sugar-added and fat-free options. We also offer 60 different toppings, 7 sauces, freshly baked cookies and brownies, waffle cones and fresh fruit. We even recently added amazing milkshakes and even ‘epic shakes’ like Cookies & Cream Craze.”

And, despite being up against any number of chain frozen yogurt shops across the Tampa Bay area, Happy Cow was voted “Best in the Bay” by Creative Loafing readers for 2016. It also has been the Favorite Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt Shop” of Neighborhood News readers entering our annual Reader Survey & Contest (see pg. 42 of this issue) the last three years in a row. “We’re proud that the people who read those publications love us,” Ray says.

Ray, whose wife Kristi helps out at the two current locations on weekends, also is partners with Connie and Bill Rogers in the Happy Cow corporate entity, which is now beginning to sell franchises — and not just for locations in strip shopping plazas. “We’re looking to put Happy Cow kiosks in malls and even schools.”

And, although he can’t yet announce anything in terms of franchises that already are sold, he says, “There is a lot of interest from the public in our brand. I should be able to make some announcements soon.”

He also says that catering is a popular part of the Happy Cow experience, especially in family-oriented, growing Wesley Chapel.

“We brought in one of our mobile machines to Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel for an event and served 600 members of the hospital’s staff,” he says. “And, everyone went home happy.”

Personally, my favorite flavors are peanut butter and cake batter and I usually start with one of Happy Cow’s chewy, fudgy brownies as a base. I also always have to have the hot chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge and/or marshmallow cream topping. The good news is that if you don’t like what I enjoy, Happy Cow’s variety of toppings and sauces will surely include something you love, too.

Ray says that Happy Cow also is the only yogurt shop that delivers through Uber Eats to a limited area, including to Meadow Pointe, Seven Oaks and even Grand Hampton in New Tampa, “and it’s taken off more than I expected, without marketing it to our 17,000 Facebook and Instagram followers.”

Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt also has a user-friendly “C’mon, Get Happy” Rewards Club with “no passwords, no cards, just fun.”

And, with the coupon from the ad on pg. 3 of this issue, you’ll get 15-percent-off any product at Happy Cow.

Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt (1646 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) is open at 11 a.m. every day and stays open until 10 p.m. every weeknight and until 11 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. For more information, visit HappyCowFroYo.com or call (813) 428-5929 and please tell Ray and the crew you read about them in the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News!

Tarek’s Café Is Now Making Dinner Affordable For Everyone In New Tampa!

Even if you’ve somehow still never heard of Tarek’s Café in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms, owner Tarek Elsayed’s original Tarek’s Café on the USF Tampa campus is a 26-year institution that is packed every day with hungry — and often, cash-strapped students.

So, Tarek (photo on next page) knows how to feed you on a budget. The problem is that after a decent opening in February of last year, his Tampa Palms location — which actually took over our former office in the plaza — was soon saddled with Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. construction woes which continued until very recently.

“We’ve always done well for breakfast, but our lunch and dinner business in Tampa Palms was building until they started that construction,” says Tarek, trying to maintain his usual smile. “The construction really hurt us, but now that it’s over, I want your Neighborhood News readers to know that I now offer delicious, from-scratch food for breakfast, lunch and dinner!”

We’ll get back to breakfast and lunch in a minute, but Tarek just brought back dinner after Labor Day and he truly is offering an outstanding selection of 12 dinner entrées, all served with salad and most served with your choice of two sides — all for just $9.99! And, you can add one of Tarek’s awesome desserts and a soft drink for just $3 more.

Our office favorites are the homemade beef (there’s also veggie) lasagne, the meat loaf, the hearty beef stew and the huge serving of chicken parmigiana. I’m not a salmon lover myself, but the creamy dill sauce served on the salmon is very tasty as are sides like real mashed potatoes and fresh veggies.

Tarek also offers a variety of Middle Eastern favorites, including chicken with garbanzo beans, a hummus and falafel platter, a couscous salad with fresh mozzarella and tomato and more.

For the kids, dinner costs just $6.50 for chicken tenders, grilled cheese or a smaller burger, and all include their choice of fries or fruit.

Tarek’s is already a really convenient place for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a capacity of nearly 150 people, although the spacious dining room only has 100 or so seats as currently configured.

“This is a great place for breakfast before church or brunch after, for after youth  baseball, soccer and other sporting events and even for business meetings,” he says. “I also provide catering for up to 200 people. Just give me an idea of the menu you’d like to serve and let me do the rest.”

Breakfast & Baked Goods

Although he can’t serve pork products in his restaurant (so, no regular bacon or sausage), Tarek does an outstanding job with breakfast, too. He says people still tell him he serves the best corned beef hash in town, he made me a great egg and cheese sandwich on Cuban-style bread and people rave about his pancakes, too.

For lunch, Tarek also makes excellent gyro sandwiches with crispy French fries and a thick, juicy adult-sized burger that also is on the dinner menu.

But, if you haven’t tried Tarek’s house-baked chocolate chocolate chip muffins, his baklava or our office’s favorite — his white-chocolate-covered brownie balls you’ll kick yourself for not trying them sooner once you do.

Tarek’s Café (15345 Amberly Dr.) is open every day except Mon. for breakfast, lunch & dinner. Call (813) 252-3238 or visit TareksCafeandGrill.com.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Oakley’s Grille!

If you’ve been reading this publication for any period of time, you already know how much I love Oakley’s Grille, located at 17631 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (next to Dairy Queen), in the North Palms Village plaza in New Tampa (near Chili’s).

Oakley’s has been home to my favorite flame-grilled burger in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel every year since owner and long-time restaurateur Keith Oakley and his chef/son Ryan opened it more than five years ago.

Although Ryan moved away for a while, he came back a few months ago, “to make sure that the burger you eat here today tastes like and is the same quality as the burger or sandwich you loved five years ago,” according to Keith. The Oakleys (photo, above; you can figure out who’s who) keep introducing great new menu items, like the ghost pepper burger and blackened bleu burger pictured in the ad on page 43 of this issue, and the amazing one-pound slab of barbecue pork ribs (with fries) shown below.

Ryan (who also owns the Dr. Junk trash removal service; search “Dr. Junk” on Facebook) created the ghost pepper burger, which features bacon, a bunch of spicy ghost peppers and a tangy barbecue-style sauce. The blackened bleu burger features Cajun spices and melted bleu cheese. The ribs are super-tender and meaty, with just the right amount (at least for me) of sweet-and-slightly-spicy BBQ sauce and are served with amazing golden-brown fries (or sub the sweet potato fries in the pic for just 50 cents more).

And best of all, Keith and Ryan are offering $2 off any sandwich or entrée at Oakley’s Grille throughout August, with the coupon in our latest New Tampa issue. That’s like getting the fries for free with your sandwich or enjoying a full pound of ribs with fries for just $12.99!

  You can order online at OakleysGrille.com or through Mobile Meals, or call (813) 523-5075 and please tell Keith and Ryan that you read about them in the New Tampa Neighborhood News! — GN

Husband & Wife U.S. Army Vets Bring Menchie’s FroYo To Wiregrass!

By now, there’s probably not much I can tell you about self-serve frozen yogurt places. They pretty much all have similar flavors, similar toppings and similar brightly-colored décor.

So, what is that sets Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt — now open for several months in the same outparcel building that also includes the new Irish 31 at the Shops at Wiregrass mall — apart from its competition?

Based on my experience with first-time franchise owners Sheilla and Leroy Lee, two U.S. Army veterans (she spent four years in the service; he has more than 20 years in the Army and retired as a Sergeant Major, the highest rank for a non-commissioned soldier), it’s the people.

They’re both warm and friendly and Sheilla, who is usually on-site at the store, is proud to call the Wesley Chapel Menchie’s a family-run business. Teenage daughters Tamara (photo) and Tiffany both work at the store, although Tamara was getting ready to head of to school at the University of Central Florida in Orlando as we went to press.

“We knew we wanted to buy a franchise and we did our research,” Sheilla says. “Even though we both originally wanted different types of businesses, we agreed that Menchie’s was an outstanding, growing franchise (now the largest frozen yogurt franchise in the U.S., with more than 500 stores worldwide and about 70 in Florida) with a built-in audience,” as Menchies.com says that more than 90 percent of households in the U.S. indulge in frozen desserts.

And, a truly delicious frozen dessert it is, with a dozen constantly-changing flavors that include everything from the most popular toasty marshmallow to no-sugar-added peanut butter and from name-brand favorites like chocolate caramel biscuit, made with real Twix bars, and Dole pineapple sorbet, to New York cheesecake and “Jumpin’ Java Latté.”

“We rotate the flavors in the store every two to three weeks and receive two new flavors every month,” Sheilla says. “We already have quite a few regulars who look forward to the new releases, like the new piña colada sorbet that came out earlier in August. Our customers really seem to love the product.”

And yes, it is a healthy option, with probiotic cultures that aid digestion, plus gluten-free, vegan, and no high fructose corn syrup options. Menchie’s also strives to use natural flavors including real cake, cookies, spices, fruits and nuts. The entire line of frozen yogurt is certified Kosher and is awarded the live and active culture seal by the National Yogurt Association.

But, what I love most at Menchie’s may not be the healthiest thing about it, because the toppings rock my world. With everything from chocolate fudge and liquid marshmallow toppings to ground Kit-Kat and Reese’s candy bars, gummy worms and oh yeah, fresh strawberries and pineapple, I’m definitely a fan of the toppings at Menchie’s.

There’s also a great variety of pre-made and custom-made froyo cakes, quarts and pints of different Menchie’s flavors in the store’s freezer, plus Menchie’s “merch” like T-shirts, cute swirl-headed dolls, kickballs emblazoned with the franchise’s logo and even tie-ins to major motion pictures, like the new “Emoji Movie” cups and spoons.

At only 56 cents an ounce, it’s certainly an affordable indulgence, too. And, with its ideal location between Irish 31 and Noble Crust at the mall, it’s sure to become an even bigger favorite, especially with the buy-one, get-one-half-off coupon from the ad on pg. 38 of this issue. Speaking of savings, you’ll get another coupon for 20-percent off your next purchase when you donate a dollar to the American Heart Assn. at Menchie’s.

Great yogurt, even better toppings and people and super savings? You owe it to yourself to try Menchie’s today!

Menchie’s is located at 28356 Willet Way. For more info, call (813) 991-0365, search “MenchiesShopsatWiregrass” on Facebook or visit Menchies.com. 

Wok Chi Brings Its Unique Chinese Concept To The Shops At Wiregrass

As a native New Yorker, it’s been a major challege for me to find what I would call great Chinese food anywhere in the Tampa Bay area, much less here in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel.

Therefore, I’m not going to try to convince you that the new (it opened in February) Wok Chi, located in the Shops at Wiregrass mall, is the best Chinese food I’ve ever tasted or that it’s authentic New York style, even though this hip, young five-location chain now has two stores in the Big Apple (as well as the original, year-old location in Brandon).

What Wok Chi is, however, is delicious, fresh and with something of a Zen vibe, with philosophical (pink) fortune cookies, free tea (because it is good for your “chi” or life force, also spelled “qi”), according to the signs on the walls in this fast, casual, healthy concept eatery.

The primary focus at Wok Chi is that you get to customize your meal the way you want it. “Our wok masters craft the meal you choose from scratch,” boasts the “About” section at WokChi.com. And, it’s true. Plus, if you’re a wok-sautéed veggie lover like I am, Wok Chi is truly paradise.

Whether you choose the regular- (starting at just $8.45 for skinless chicken breast, up to $10.95 for the regular-size shrimp) or large-size ($15.95-$20.95) stir-fry, you get to choose your meat (there’s also pork loin, flank steak, organic firm tofu and veggie-only options), up to three of the amazing selection of veggies (see below), as well as anything from plain white rice to fried brown rice, quinoa, egg or wheat noodles and even kale beds for your “base,” plus your favorite of Wok Chi’s nice variety of sauces (all without artificial ingredients or MSG, which another sign on the restaurant’s wall says, “disrupts our chi”).

My favorite sauces are the spicy Szechwan and Kung Pao (the latter has peanuts), but there are several other sauces, ranging from sweet & sour and black bean to sesame ginger and “General-Not-So-Tso’s” sauces, so you can pick your own favorites.

But, the veggies are what really sold me on Wok Chi and, while they’re not all what you’d call “traditional” Chinese vegetables (for example, no Napa cabbage or water chestnuts), you can choose from zucchini, squash, green beans, snow pea pods, onions, bell peppers, carrots, celery, broccoli, kale and baby bok choy. Best of all, Wok Chi does add different veggies seasonally — for example, sugar snap peas were available on my most recent visit.

And, these veggies are so green and beautiful and they sautée up so perfectly in the hands of Wok Chi’s wok masters (like Wiregrass location general manager Jeremy Vazquez, pictured at this year’s Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, which was held at Florida Hospital Center Ice only a month or so after Wok Chi opened here, on the next page) that once you find the sauce that suits you best, you’ll be hooked, too.

Note-I’ve mentioned many times in these pages that I have a major shellfish allergy, especially to shrimp, so I was a little concerned about the fact that Wok Chi’s chefs sautée shrimp in the same woks with the other ingredients, which can be enough for me to get my reaction without even eating any shrimp. Since the day this location opened, however, all I’ve ever had to do was mention that fact to Jeremy or whoever was cooking my food, so they always start with a thoroughly clean wok to do everything they can to prevent such contaminations. And, eight or nine visits later, I’ve yet to have my reaction to anything I’ve ever eaten at Work Chi. 

What About Dim Sum?

Considering that the woks are the stars of the show at Wok Chi, I am happy to tell you that I also love the dim sum (appetizers). My favorites are the chicken spring rolls (I’ve yet to try the duck confit spring rolls, but they sound awesome), the spicy pork & chive and chicken & chipotle pot sticker dumplings (served with an excellent sweet chile sauce) and especially, the Chi-licious pork spare ribs. They usually come with the black bean sauce, but try ‘em Gary’s way — with the spicy Szechwan sauce — and you’ll thank me.

And, if you’re up for something a little different, try the non-traditional pork sliders. I forgot to ask what the “bread” portion of the sliders is made out of (it looks a little like a soft taco shell, but it’s different), but the pork is very tasty, as is the unique, creamy sauce served on top of the sliders.

Also popular at Wok Chi, although I’ve yet to try them, are three varieties of summer rolls, — large-burrito-sized rolls that are filled with lump (real) crab, shrimp or avocado and basil. I’ve also yet to try the hot & sour soup, although it looks very good, too.

Wok Chi also features not only one of those magical Coca-Cola “freestyle” soda fountains filled with every possible soft drink flavor you can imagine mixed together, but also the aforementioned free, hot tea, with two different (and rotating) flavors always available. I’ve enjoyed the pineapple-coconut, mint basil and even jasmine green tea to date and look forward to trying other flavors soon. Other organic teas are available for sale, but taste the free stuff first.

I’m even impressed with Wok Chi’s new honey cruller dessert and creamy vanilla ice cream, a true bargain at just $1.

Wok Chi also has a Loyalty Club, so you (and I) can earn rewards points every time you dine there. Wok Chi also offers delivery of your food through GrubHub, Mobile Meals and Uber Eats.

Fast, fun and delicious make for a really nice combination at Wok Chi!

  Wok Chi of Wesley Chapel is located at 28152 Paseo Dr., in the Shops at Wiregrass. Or, visit 2420 W. Brandon Blvd. in the Regency Square shopping center in Brandon. For info, call (813) 862-2315 or visit WokChi.com.