Cafe churns out ice cream, spuds and more
By Jennifer Barrs
2001 FLAVORS CAFE
WHAT: Cozy cafe with huge, create-your-own menu featuring homemade ice cream, stuffed potatoes and unusual soups and sandwiches. T ake out and catering available.
WHERE: 3967 Van Dyke Road, Lutz: in the Northgate Shopping Center next to the movie complex
HOURS: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 10 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: No, cash only
CALL: (813) 960-4227
R E V I E W
LUTZ - They start with homemade vanilla and chocolate ice cream.
But what they do to it after that is one for the books. Indeed, cafe owners Grant and Patti Christie claim they can make more than a million flavors of the sweet confection, by employing a piece of machinery that does everything but make change. Let's just say there's a swirl drill and cutting bit involved.
The oddest combination? Well, says Patti, one customer used to request this creative combo: chocolate ice cream mixed with chocolate-covered peppermint patties, bananas and peanut butter.
The 2001 Flavors Cafe is not only about ice cream, though. They use a similar method to make stuffed potatoes. Take the Potato Florentine. They carefully remove the bulk of the potato from its skin, then mash those magnificent innards with spinach, Swiss cheese, bacon, sour cream, onion and Parmesan cheese. This combo is then tucked back in its skin and served hot, or ready to bake at home.
In fact, home cooking started it all. Raised in Canada, Grant learned to cook in the kitchens of his mother and grandmother. Made-from-scratch pies were his specialty and he began by selling them to restaurants. So, of course, the cafe serves pie (and quiche) but ice cream often gets top billing.
Customers choose from an enormous list of ingredients and design their own flavor - the add-ins range from malted milk balls to maple syrup. Or, a customer can select one of the four dozen flavors printed on the menu. These include everything from Swiss Chocolate Truffle to Strawberry Twinkie. A regular serving is $2.20; a quart goes for $7.50.
The stuffed potatoes come the same way. There is a list of nine tried-and-true selections such as the Garlic Lovers Potato ($3.25). But customers can also design their own, choosing from ingredients such as pepperoni, cheddar cheese and mushrooms. A create-your-own potato with up to four ingredients is $3.95.
Grant offers homemade soup every day, too. Daily specials include a cream of tomato featuring sweet peppers, and a 15-bean Cajun soup. A bowl of soup is $2.95; beef stew and chili go for $2.99 a cup.
Sandwiches, smoothies and fancy coffees are also on the menu. The GiGi sandwich features layers of turkey, herb garlic cheese, cranberry sauce and alfalfa sprouts on black rye. That goes for $6.95. There's a hard-to-find curry chicken salad at $5.25, and daily quiche special with pasta salad for $4.95.
2001 Flavors Cafe
