Category Archives: Frozen treats

Scoping out the Mega-QuikTrip

Feb. 17, 20124:29 p.m.

The new coffee bar at the new QuikTrip.

A friend used to call QuikTrips “the Disneyland of convenience stores.”  And that was YEARS AND YEARS before the actual Disneyland of convenience stores opened in January  at 625 S. Hillside.

I finally stopped into the new QT this morning to see what all the fuss was about, and WOW. The QuikTrip of the future is pretty amazing, and I didn’t really think QuikTrips could be improved upon.

The most impressive additions I saw included an entire wall dedicated to every flavor of iced tea an iced tea fan could dream up, from blueberry to mango. The number of colorful “freezoni” options, QT’s version of a slurpee, was staggering. That section of the store looked as though a frozen rainbow had exploded.

There’s also a new counter, staffed by an employee who can make specialty coffee drinks, fresh smoothies and ice-cream mixes. I didn’t see anyone taking advantage of that option this morning, but it’s tempting.

The store is huge, and you have to hunt a little to find what you’re looking for. The check out counter was set up in a straight line rather than an L-shape, which isn’t in improvement, in my opinion. I like the classic setup, where you can stand on either side of either cash register and feel like you’re closer to the front of the line.

The new store has all the fresh foods, both hot and cold, stocked in the other stores in town. Though alas, the Mega-QT STILL stocks only Miracle Whip, no mayo, in its grocery section. Why? There is no explanation I can accept.

If you’re out and bored and thirsty this weekend, I’d definitely recommend you make a stop at the new QT. It’s as close to Disneyland as we’re gonna get.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Coffee, Frozen treats | Comments

Wichita’s CherryBerry now open

Oct. 13, 201111:51 a.m.

The self-serve frozen yogurt boom continues with the opening of Wichita’s first CherryBerry, this one at 737 N. Maize Road. The shop, which is near the corner of Central and Maize, looks a lot like Orange Leaf on the inside, with mod furniture, a wall of yogurt dispensing levers and teeny tiny mosaic tile. Only CherryBerry has a pink/red/green color palette.

CherryBerry has 14 flavors and more than 50 toppings, and customers fill their bowls themselves from dispensers on the wall. The cost depends on the weight of the creation.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Frozen treats, Frozen yogurt, Just opened | Comments

Squeezer’s Palace a bright spot in Riverside

Aug. 26, 201111:22 a.m.

I’ve gotten a lot of e-mail  over the past few weeks from new-found fans of Squeezer’s Palace, a colorful and whimsical new walk-up ice cream shop that opened a few weeks ago at 11th and Bitting, right across the street from the Riverside Perk.

The shop, opened by Kirk David, is a take-off on the Squeezer’s Palace that operated about three blocks away back in the 1970s. David’s version offers ice cream or yogurt and a variety of toppings, such as fruit, candy and granola. He also serves frozen bananas dipped in dark or light chocolate, with or without nuts, and a variety of fresh-made fruit smoothies.

David hopes to remain open through the winter, despite his original plans to close during December, January and February, and is considering adding coffee drinks and make-your-own s’mores to menu. He’s also working on a patio.

There was a little drama a few weeks ago about the fact that David was using the Squeezer’s Palace name, displeasing the original Squeezer’s Palace owner. He briefly considered changing the name but was urged by several people to go a head with it. He never heard from the displeased former owner and decided to keep to his original plan.

I drove past the building last week and loved the way it looks, covered in playful murals created by local artist Rick Regan.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Dessert, Frozen treats, ice cream treats | Comments

Chompers rejoice: Freddy’s adds chewin’ ice

Aug. 10, 20112:20 p.m.

Very few things make me happier than the soft, crushable ice pellets that some convenience stores and restaurants serve in their drinks. I could crunch, crunch, crunch that stuff all day. (One close friend has threatened to un-close friend me over the noisy habit.)

In my circles, it’s known as “Sonic ice” because Sonic is the place that so famously serves it. But you can get something similar at Quik Trip and at several other restaurants around town. Sonic, as you may know, sells it by the bag.

Now, Freddy’s Frozen Custard owner Scott Redler tells me that his chain is spending big money to add chewing ice to its list of offerings. Customers prefer it, he said, and each Freddy’s will spend between $12,000 and $14,000 adding new ice machines that produce the stuff. The Wichita Freddy’s have already made the switch, and other stores across the chain will soon follow.

Studies have been done showing what texture of ice makes customers most happy, Redler said, and even though it sounds strange, he’s a student of those studies. “It’s one of those things where we had to justify the expense,” he said. “We know our guests want it.”

(In other Freddy’s news, Redler told me that within the next 60 days, his company will begin construction on a new free-standing Joplin store to replace the one destroyed in the May 22 tornado.)

By the way, I also love love love the ice served in the drinks at Taco Pronto at 8385 W. 21st St. N. It’s shaved ice, almost sno-cone-ish in texture, and although it melts quickly and makes your cola a bit too watery, it’s pure chomping heaven.

Who else in town offers great chewing ice? Tell me in the comments section below.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , Filed under Frozen treats | Comments

An emotional Freddy’s morning in Joplin

July 12, 20113:13 p.m.

Scott Redler, holding the check, and Freddy Simon, far right, traveled to the destroyed Freddy's Frozen Custard in Joplin on Monday to donate money and meet with survivors.

Since I’m a personally acquainted with the Joplin tornado, I’ve been curious how the Freddy’s Frozen Custard, which was destroyed in the storm, was getting along.

Yesterday, I heard from Scott Redler, who lives in Wichita and owns Freddy’s stores across the country, including the one in Joplin.

On Monday, he and Freddy’s namesake, Freddy Simon, traveled to Joplin to deliver to the Red Cross a check for $17,059, money collected from Freddy’s customers over the past several weeks. While there, Scott and Freddy congratulated two managers, who are credited with saving the lives of about 20 customers who were in the store when the tornado hit it.

They also met with several of those survivors, who shared tales of what happened in Freddy’s the night of May 22 and poured praise on the managers who helped them stay safe.

Scott says that Freddy’s definitely will rebuild in Joplin. The land the store sits on is rented, which is slowing the process down, but he says Joplin can expect to have its Freddy’s back within a year, if not less.

I thought I’d share a few of the e-mails that survivors  sent to Freddy’s, Keep reading if you’re interested. They’re pretty powerful.

Read More »

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Frozen treats | Comments

In search of sno cones

June 28, 201110:49 a.m.

Flamingo Sno, open for business in the parking lot at Kay Wiggin's, 600 S. Tyler.

A reader named Ashley wrote to me recently bemoaning the fact that she couldn’t find any sno cone booths on the west side. She wondered if I knew of any.

Yesterday, on my way to another restaurant I’m writing about, I swung by the parking lot near Kellogg and Tyler that I thought usually had a sno cone booth in the summer. Indeed, there was Flamingo Sno, open for business. (The teenage employee inside seemed perplexed that I was photographing her trailer, and now I’m equally perplexed that my photograph turned out so crooked. Oh well.)

At any rate, Flamingo Sno is there, open daily from 1 to 9 p.m. until school starts.

My friend Suzanne is a big fan of sno cone booths, especially ones that sell Tiger Blood flavor (“It tastes like real tiger blood.”) She and her kids were big fans of the Heavenly Sno booth that usually set up near the Dillon’s at Douglas and Hillside. That one hasn’t appeared this year. Suzanne has, however, spotted a Heavenly Sno booth in the Home Depot parking lot at K-96 and Woodlawn.

Has anyone else out there located a shaved ice/ sno cone booth? Tell me where it is and what it’s called, if you know, and I’ll try to publish a list.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Frozen treats, Uncategorized | Comments

Wichita’s latest dining trend: FroYo for all

May 26, 20114:07 p.m.

Yogurt Xplosion is one of the latest additions to Wichita's self-serve scene.

First it was hamburgers. Then it was hot dogs. (Actually, it’s still hamburgers and hot dogs)

Gelato had its moment. So did Japanese hibachi grills, followed by fast food-style Japanese hibachi grills.

The latest food trend in Wichita is frozen yogurt — specifically self-serve frozen yogurt.

Orange Leaf opened Wichita’s eyes to how much fun it can be to pull a lever and dump as much creamy goodness as you want into a bowl, top it with as many crushed up Oreo bits as you can handle and pay the price in ounces — and calories.

I love Orange Leaf, even though I try hard to avoid it, mainly because it’s very hard to exercise self control at such fabulous places. If there were no consequences to eating $10 worth of peanut butter frozen yogurt daily, I’d do it.

This week, I wrote my dining story about all the new frozen yogurt places planned for Wichita, and there are a lot of ‘em. Plan your summer eating tour with my handy guide, which will appear in the Go! section on Friday.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , Filed under About-to-open, Frozen treats, Frozen yogurt | Comments

Things we should not eat but want to

May 6, 20112:08 p.m.

I’m filing this new offering from Krispy Kreme, the Cookies & Kreme doughnut and accompanying “Chiller,” both made with Oreos, under the category “The Kinds of Things I Haven’t Allowed Myself To Eat Since College Even Though I’d Really, Really Like To.”

Also on that list:

*Blizzards

*Whoppers (the Burger King burger, not the malted milk balls)

*Fish and chips from Long John Silver’s

*Frappuccinos

*Stuffed crust pizza

What’s on your list? Do tell.

In the meantime, those of you with young metabolisms (such as my friend, Sandi’s, gorgeous 15-year-old daughter who often partakes of a sandwich with a nickname I cannot publish here that’s made of a McDonald’s fried McChicken sandwich stuffed inside a McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger) should feel free to indulge in Krispy Kreme’s new treat, available through June 26.

If you do, please report back to me what it tasted like. In very explicit detail.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Donuts, Frozen treats | Comments

Two good ideas for lunch

Jan. 28, 201110:48 a.m.

Martha and Alberto Valdez, owners of La Tradicion Tortilleria

When a reader takes the time to e-mail me about a little-known restaurant, I go ahead and assume that it’s probably pretty good.

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve received two such delicious e-mails. One was from Cindy Sundell-Guy, who urged me to try La Tradicion Tortilleria at 1701 N. Broadway. She raved about the $5.99 lunch buffet, the green chile with pork and the poblano and onion with cheese. Occasionally, La Tradicion serves mole, tamales and soups such as hominy stew.

“The first time I went in, the owner dipped me up a spoonful of everything on the buffet so I could taste it all,” she wrote. “I felt like I had gone to a Mexican covered dish dinner. What a treat.  He is really accommodating.”

Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

**UPDATE** I went to La Tradicion for lunch today and enjoyed the buffet, which is different from a usual buffet in that the owners serve it up for you. Turns out it’s in the former Maharaja building.

Some things were better than others. And I smell like friedness now. But it was a fun experience. **END UPDATE**

I must admit I’ve never heard of the other restaurant that received reader praise: D’s Dairy Freeze. It opened last July in a former Pig-In Pig-Out space at 1935 S. Hydraulic.

The small restaurant, which has seating but does mostly drive-through service, sells ice cream, malts, shakes, burgers, salads, onion rings, pies and more. Winter hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, but starting at the end of March, it’s open until 10 p.m. nightly.

Reader Lou Ann Ward works nearby and says people need to know how good it is. She wants it to stay in business but at the same time is afraid she’ll have to start standing in line when people realize what a value it is.

Lunch is in an hour. Go!

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Burgers, Frozen treats, ice cream treats, Mexican food, Reader e-mails | Comments

While supplies last

Jan. 24, 201110:06 a.m.

A Wichita entrepreneur opened a new business over the weekend at the corner of Topeka and Douglas.

Usually, it’s not my policy to make recommendations on a place before I’ve tried it, but ima say you can skip this one.

Besides, nobody was even there to take the money.

I’m going to tag this one “frozen treats” and “just opened.”

By Denise Neil | Filed under Frozen treats, Just opened | Comments