Category: Wesley Chapel

Can Vuelo Mexican Grill Succeed Where Other Restaurants Have Failed?

Management hopes that menu items like the more upscale taco combination plate at Vuelo will attract hungry new customers.

Outside, it still looks pretty much the same. Inside, however, things have changed.

Walls have come down, leaving a more open, free flowing and — dare we say it — festive design.

The staff is friendlier, and already seemingly more knowledgeable.

The menu has been carefully crafted and creatively cultivated, with newer, slightly-pricier dishes promising an infusion of fresher, better and tastier ingredients. The bar is serving zippier drinks.

“It’s a new restaurant,’’ says Suzanne Deveney, who is handling public relations for Vuelo, a “new” Mexican restaurant located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in the same spot as the “old” Señor T’s.

vuelo1 Vuelo means “flight” in Spanish, and on Oct. 25, the newest New Tampa food joint quietly took off.

Deveney has little interest in talking about Señor T’s, which had a bumpier opening. She doesn’t want to talk about the past, about the no-free-chips-and-salsa opening that seemed to scar Señor T’s from its very first moments in business, or the vicious reviews on Yelp! about everything else from bad food to shoddy service.

Many things kill restaurants, the majority of which fail before they make it to their one-year anniversary, and social media can certainly take some credit for this one.

But, owner Tom Reynolds then deserves some credit for Vuelo, which bears only a slight resemblance to its predecessor. Reynolds’ second try at a Mexican eatery in the former Macaroni Grill location shows the touches of someone not afraid to start over, and determined to not fail again.

vuelosalsa1 — Chef Mark Estee overlooks the new salsa bar.

Chef and entrepreneur Mark Estee, who has opened a handful of restaurants in Reno, NV, where he says the focus was on fresh food. Estee has made multiple appearances on the Food Network, and has been brought in to engineer Vuelo’s new concept.

He heard all about the past failures and even read some of those cringe-worthy Yelp! Reviews.

But, after weeks of studying the market by “looking, tasting and eating” what other restaurants were serving in the area, and putting more emphasis on training a new staff and incorporating a new mindset, he says he’s willing to stake his reputation on one fact: Vuelo isn’t just 100-percent better than Señor T’s, it’s 150-percent better.

“Great food is simple — make it fresh, from scratch,’’ Estee says. “We’ve put some care into turning this puppy around. The flavors are authentic Mexican-Latin, and they are delicious.”

vueloquesa The menu is filled with new and different things, but not overwhelmingly so.

There are a dozen appetizers to choose from, from simple guacamole and chips or quesadillas to oven roasted shishito peppers and cast iron cauliflower.

There are seven different kinds of Street Tacos, including Beef Lengua, or cow tongue, for the more adventurous eater.

The Bubbling Molcajete bowls are served with bay scallops, catfish and snapper; filet mignon or charred vegetables.

There are burritos and enchiladas, tortas (basically Spanish sandwiches) and create-your-own-lunch specials. There’s also a great bar Happy Hour and a new drink menu with a variety of beers and margaritas, including a spicy jalapeno margarita with the salted rim of the glass adorned with a jalapeno pepper.

vuelodrinks And,, if you need any more proof that Estee gets it, consider this: the chips and salsa are not only free, there’s even a salsa bar with six different fresh, homemade salsas.

“We’re pretty proud of that,’’ Estee says with a smile. “It allows people to customize their experience.”

Estee was brought in for what can best be described as a restaurant reclamation project, and he started by discarding every microwave oven in the kitchen, and there were many. A wall separating the bar from the rest of the restaurant was removed to create a more open design, and the decor has a more authentic feel.

Deveney doesn’t see the success of Vuelo tied to those who were disappointed by Señor T’s giving it a second chance, because she doesn’t see this as a rebranding.

But, that’s what a majority of the customers are likely to believe. Those who have returned seem to be liking what they are experiencing, with unanimously positive reviews so far on Yelp!

So far, that makes everyone a winner.

Customers get their fresh food and Vuelo gets its fresh start.

Vuelo is located at 17641 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.,. For more info, visit VueloMexicanGrill.com or call 972-4800.

mexican food vuelo

7 Layers Bakery — Real NY-Style Baked Goods Made By Real New Yorkers!

In case you didn’t realize it, I have something of a major sweet tooth. I’m more of a chocolate and peanut butter guy than I am into any type of fruit-flavored treats, but no matter what type of baked goods you prefer, I’m sure you’ll find something you’ll love at 7 Layers Bakery, located in the Grand Oaks Plaza on Wesley Chapel Blvd. (S.R. 54) in Lutz, in the same plaza as Amici Pizza.

It was easy for me to become friends with 7 Layers owners Evelyn Barreno and her husband William Morello. After all, not only are they fellow transplanted “New Yawkas,” they serve Evelyn’s amazing baked goods, most of which remind me a lot of the great bakery items I loved when I was growing up on Long Island.

Evelyn, whose background is in marketing, says she has been baking since she was a kid. “My mom, my grandmother…all of us…love to bake,” she says. “People have always told me I should open my own bakery, so here we are.”

7-layers-cupcakesweb I remember meeting this fun young couple at last year’s Wesley Chapel Fall Festival and being instantly hooked not only on Evelyn’s cake and cookie samples, but also on Will’s high-spirited, friendly approach to getting people to try everything.

Since their store opened a little less than a year ago, William and Evelyn have become involved with the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, and held a Chamber ribbon-cutting ceremony almost a year ago.

“We’ve made a lot of friends through the Chamber,” Evelyn says. “The response since we opened the store has been amazing.” The bakery is also a favorite of Joey Richman’s, the young Wesley Chapel resident we wrote about in a couple of recent issues, who has had some continuing health issues following a recent kidney transplant.

There’s no doubt that the baked goods are top-notch. Although the store is named for the famous Italian seven-layer rainbow cookies that Evelyn and Will grew up with in New York City, I initially fell in love with 7 Layers Bakery’s awesome specialty cupcakes, especially the Reese’s peanut butter cup cupcakes, which have not only decadent peanut butter-flavored icing, but also…surprise!…a mini Reese’s cup hidden in the center.

7-layers-cream-hornsweb Other great cupcake flavors include double chocolate, double vanilla, creme brulée, toasted marshmallow, red velvet, cookies and cream and so many more.

But, even this man can not live by cupcakes alone. I’m also partial to Evelyn’s hand-piped cannolis with homemade cannoli cream, her amazingly flaky Napoleons, the real NY-style black-and-white cookies (Evelyn says some of her customers call them “half moons”) and the store’s assortment of loose Italian-style cookies available by the pound, especially the soft-baked chocolate chip cookies and the traditional NY-style lace cookies (which, according to Evelyn, some people call “Florentines,” even though I never heard that term before).

Other items also available at 7 Layers Bakery include homemade tiramisu, flan and tres leches, as well as Italian sfogliatelle pastries (like crispy croissants with custard-style cream inside), as well as an ever-changing assortment of Leann’s cheesecakes, which are uniquely served in jars and great coffee.

Holiday Traditions!

Evelyn also says that she is already gearing up for the holiday season. “We’ve already started doing our pumpkin spice and we’ll have apple pie cupcakes soon,” she says. “By the time the holiday season really gets started after Halloween, we’re going to have to bring in an additional oven to handle the holiday orders,” Evelyn says. “We have a lot of very loyal customers.”

She says that in addition to Christmas tree-shaped, iced cookies, she will be creating some surprises for the holiday season. “But, get those orders in early, because we run out of our cookies a lot now already, so we expect to really be busy this holiday season.”

Custom Cakes, Too!

There’s no doubt that Evelyn also creates some amazing custom-designed cakes in your choice of flavors and designs.

“If you can dream it up, I can make it for you,” she says.

7 Layers Bakery (26306 Wesley Chapel Blvd.) is open seven days a week. For more info, visit 7LayerCookieCakes.com or the company’s Facebook page or call 388-2271.

7 Layers Bakery

Wesley Chapel Fall Festival This Weekend!

fallfest The 11th annual Wesley Chapel Fall Festival was great, according to Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce CEO Hope Allen. But, Allen says, the 12th annual Fall Festival, which kicks off at 5 p.m. today and runs all weekend,will be even better.

The event is scheduled for tonight from 5-10 p.m., Saturday, October 29, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., & Sunday, Oct. 30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at The Grove of Wesley Chapel.

The WCCC is taking a step back when it comes to organizing and putting on the festival. Because the event, which drew an estimated 5,000 people last year, is such a huge undertaking, the WCCC has reached out to event management company Simply Events to take it over. The 2016 Fall Festival will be presented by the Suncoast Credit Union & The Grove.

“We wanted the event to stay,’’ Allen says. “We knew it was an asset to the community, but we didn’t know if we were capable of having another great event, because it does take a lot of man hours. So, we partnered with Simply Events. Same event, same location, but we contracted with a company that puts on events because the Chamber is getting out of the event business.”

Simply Events has organized the Westfield Mall Back to School Bash, Hudson’s Sun West Crab & Shrimp Festival and the recent Beer & Burger Throwdown at Raymond James Stadium. Allen expects the Fall Festival to shine again. “It will look better,’’ Allen said. “It will be larger, and there will be a lot more activities.”

Just A Good ‘Ol Boy Making His Films The Only Way He Knows

filmfest2 — John Schneider, best known for his role in the 1980s as Bo Duke in “The Dukes of Hazzard,” is heading up the CineFlix Film Fest, which will make a stop in Wesley Chapel Oct. 31-Nov. 3.

John Schneider has starred in hit television shows like “The Dukes of Hazzard” and “Smallville,” where he played Superman’s father on earth, and is currently starring in Tyler Perry’s popular “The Haves and the Have Nots” on the Oprah Network. Schneider has had five singles reach No. 1 on the country music charts. He also has made and starred in dozens of films.

His latest adventure, however, may be the one he finds the most exciting.

Monday, October 31-Friday, November 3, Schneider and producer Alicia Allain (founder of Maven Entertainment) are bringing the CineFlix Film Festival to the Cobb Grove 16 & Cinebistro in Wesley Chapel as part of what Schneider says is a first-of-its-kind independent film festival.

The concept: to showcase new filmmakers while also giving them a cut of the festival’s sales proceeds.

“It’s our first year, so there may be some bumps in the road,’’ Schneider says. “Not only have we never done this before…no one has done this before.”

Schneider then chuckled. “In two weeks, I’m sure we’ll be saying, ‘What in the world were we thinking?’ But, we’re all about trying new things and helping folks have a new experience.”

The idea to take the film festival on the road, with seven other stops in three other southeastern states, including Lakeland and Palm Beach Gardens in Florida, arose from Schneider’s career as a touring country music singer. Schneider recorded 10 albums and had five No. 1 hits, three of those coming after his role as Bo Duke on “The Dukes of Hazzard” came to an end in end in 1985.

“I noticed that film festivals seem to be more about the festivals than they are about the filmmakers,’’ Schneider said. “I started to realize that I thought somebody needs to start a filmmaker-centered film festival, and wouldn’t it be cool, since I used to travel on country music tours, to take it to the people instead of people having to search out independent films?”

dukes — (L.-r.) John Schneider, Catherine Bach & Tom Wopat starred in “The Dukes of Hazzard.” Schneider is bringing his CineFlix Fest Film Festival to The Grove theaters Oct. 31-Nov. 3.

The tour, though, almost didn’t happen. Louisiana, where Schneider started John Schneider Studios to help independent filmmakers, was beset this summer with its second flood in this calendar year, almost completely submerging all 58 acres of Schneider’s property, which includes a film set, a bamboo forest, a lake, a swamp and a large home that was built in 1910. Almost half of the movies he helps make are filmed and edited there.

“I tell everyone that the first flood took everything, and the second flood took everything else,’’ Schneider says, adding that all 75,000 square feet of floor space was under at least three feet of water, with some places as deep as six feet.

Because they had no power or Wi-Fi, he and Allain went to a nearby hotel and watched the film festival entries there.

“This is going to slow us down, but this is not going to stop us,’’ Schneider said.

The flood also inspired Schneider to make a new country album, which will be called “Ruffled Skirts.” The album was cut with other southern musicians in the ruined living room of the house.

Although he is still best known for his role as Bo Duke, one of three rabble-rousing cousins — Luke and, of course, Daisy Duke were the others — who spent their days outfoxing Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in their customized 1969 Dodge Charger, aka the General Lee, Schneider grew up in southern New York running around filming things on a Super 8 camera and making movies even as a kid.

“I’ve always considered myself a filmmaker,’’ he says.

A New Career Path

When his run as Bo Duke ended, Schneider became a country music star. But, technology, he says, helped get him back into filmmaking. It doesn’t take nearly as many people to make movies today as it once did, and running your own movie studio doesn’t require the millions of dollars it once did. It was an easy decision to return to his roots.

filmfest3 Independent films are often stereotyped as low-budget, off-the-beaten-path movies that aren’t profitable enough for the major studios to bother with. Schneider, who has a lead role in one of the films that will show in Wesley Chapel, as well as cameos in a few others, says there are plenty of hidden gems in the field.

“The great thing about independent filmmakers is they have an idea, they have a story they want to tell, they have a perspective, and they carry that story and perspective all the way through to the end,’’ Schneider says. “So, you see an A+ term paper.”

Schneider says there are movies and documentaries. One of the movies, Hate Crime, opens with police surrounding a suspect who is holding a weapon as dead bodies lay scattered around him. The police then proceed to take the weapon in for questioning, and the film follows the prosecution of the weapon all the way through trial.

“It is absurd and wonderful all at the same time,’’ Schneider says.

A Salute to Honor revolves around three World War II veterans, each of whom had to give up their dream to serve in the military during the war. And, another film centers around two sets of parents, one dealing with the death of their son at the hands of the son of the other parents.

filmfest1 “It’s really terrific,’’ Schneider says. “It will make you think, it will make you cry, it will make you wonder and somewhere in there, it will make you want to be a better parent.”

Schneider understands that even though “The Dukes of Hazzard” went off the air 30 years ago, his star power is still enough to draw people to the festival just to see him. But, he hopes those who do come for that reason will end up sticking around for the movies themselves.

“There will be a tent outside, I’ll be there and so will other filmmakers,’’ he said. “We’ll have some Q-and-As, some music, some private time. This is really for people interested in the process of filmmaking and film distribution what goes into telling a story. Yes, people can come out and bring their ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ lunchbox and that’s fine, but I’m hoping to skew more towards film students and musicians and artists, really, who want to know how it works.”

The Neighborhood News is a proud sponsor of the CineFlix Fest, which is scheduled for Mon.-Thur., Oct. 31-Nov. 3, at the Grove 16 & Cinebistro at 6333 Wesley Grove Blvd. For more information, check out CineFlixFest.com, or call Cinebistro at 948-5444.

CineFlix Fest John Schneider

O’Brien’s Of Wesley Chapel For Food, Fun, Football, Entertainment & More!

How many restaurants have come and gone from the dining scene in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel? Too many (and too painful) to count is the easy answer.

So, whenever a new restaurant opens in our distribution areas, one of the first things I find myself asking myself is, “Do I really think this place can make it here?”

Well, in the case of O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill — which opened a few months ago in the location in the Wesley Chapel Village Market previously occupied by City Grill (and Winners before that) — I believe the answer is a resounding yes. O’Brien’s, which is more than just an Irish pub, more than just a sports bar and more than just an entertainment venue, is a reasonably priced real restaurant with both traditional sports bar food and some Irish fare you can’t get anywhere else in our area. Unfortunately, even though I’ve now sampled most of O’Brien’s menu, I’m just not happy with the pictures I have of the Irish dishes like the excellent fish & chips (I always order it with red cocktail sauce instead of the tartar sauce that is served with it), the Shepherd’s pie and the bangers (Irish sausage) and mashed potatoes with onions, mushrooms and O’Brien’s Guinness gravy.

OB_ChickenSammich2 One of my favorite dishes is the Murphy’s chicken sandwich, which you can get grilled or blackened. It comes with crisp bacon, melted Swiss, lettuce, tomato and onions, a split-top bun and served with your choice of homemade pub chips with Guinness gravy, pub fries or O’Brien’s soon-to-be-famous pub tots — which are the best tater tots I’ve had recently.

Our office orders our tots extra, extra crispy, but you might want to start slowly and just order them extra crispy the first time. Either way, they’re awesome.

I also really enjoy the pub club sandwich, which adds ham to the traditional turkey, bacon and cheese; both the Irish Cobb and traditional Greek salads, the prime rib and pub French dip sandwiches, the Rueben-like Emerald Isle sandwich piled high with your choice of corned beef or turkey with melted swiss, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing (I order the dressing on the side), and the flaky fisherman’s sandwich, which I usually order extra blackened (or try grilled or fried).

OB_ChzburgerTots2 O’Brien’s also makes great hamburgers, from the no-frills Wesley Chapel burger to the Florentine burger with spinach and artichoke dip, blue cheese crumbles and bacon bits and the new shamrock burger, which is a grilled burger topped with corned beef and Swiss — and many more.

For starters, O’Brien’s has extra-crispy jumbo wings tossed in your choice of many different sauces, from Celtic tiger hot to sweet Thai chili to the new spicy honey sriracha. Also available are Cajun and jerk wings.

There’s also a couple of new starters on the menu, including the crispy Santa Fe chicken rolls, which are served with a spicy remoulade dipping sauce.

For dessert, my favorite item is called the “chocolate bombe,” which is an amazing iced chocolate mousse cake. Decadent.

Some History & A Look Ahead

The first local O’Brien’s Irish Pub opened on N. Dale Mabry in Carrollwood 25 years ago, according to Mike Goodwin, who owns and operates the Wesley Chapel location with his brother Randy Goodwin and partners Randy Fairchild and Sean and Liz Lewis. Not really a chain, today there are four locations — each with its own tweaks of the basic menu — in Brandon, Northdale, Wesley Chapel and the Plant City location Mike Goodwin purchased three years ago.

The Wesley Chapel O’Brien’s should be your pro and college football headquarters, with its recently revamped bar area serving a variety of craft beers on draft, and one of my favorite Irish whiskeys — Powers — always on hand (all at lower prices than you’ll find at most other local restaurants, especially at the mall), plus 26 big-screen TVs strategically situated around the place and food and drink specials during every game.

Speaking of specials, O’Brien’s has something different for you just about every day.

On Monday, regular burgers are just $6 and specialty burgers cost $8. Tuesday is Team Trivia night (7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.), with 60-cent wings all day, $8.99 Miller Light, Coors Light & Yuengling pitchers. Wednesday is Karaoke Night (starting at 8 p.m.) and Cheap Beer night ($2.50 domestic pints and $1 off imports), plus one kid 12 & under eats free with each adult meal purchased. Thursday is Ladies Night, 10 p.m.-close, where ladies pay only half their bar tab. There’s also $1 off Irish beers (like Smithwick’s) and $3 Fireball shots. And, there’s live music every Friday and Saturday night. Check the board inside O’Brien’s for the upcoming entertainment schedule.

O’Brien’s also is planning a week-long “Half Way to St. Patty’s Day” event the week of September 12-17. Call or stop in for details, but the partners agree it’ll be awesome.

O’Brien’s Irish Pub (5429 Village Market) is open Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-2 a.m., and 11 a.m.-midnight on Sun. For info, call 973-9988, or visit OBriensWesleyChapel.com.

O'Briens