* TUTTIMELON: 601 Broadway, San Francisco, CA
Tracking frozen yogurt, with a focus on California. For more frozen yogurt coverage, check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association (IFYA) at internationalfrozenyogurt.com
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuttimelon Broadway Opens Today (12/31)
* TUTTIMELON: 601 Broadway, San Francisco, CA
Monday, December 29, 2008
New Fro-Yo Flavor at Culture
Update: I tried the tangerine fro-yo. Amazing. It tastes so fresh and tangy like tangerine juice mixed with the milkiness of real yogurt. Go get some! Sorry, but they aren't open on New Year's Day.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* CULTURE ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: 340 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA
Coupon for Yogurt Circle in Valpak (Mail)
* YOGURT CIRCLE: Westlake Shopping Center, 500 Westlake Center, Daly City
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Happy Hour at Yogurt Bar (SF)
* YOGURT BAR UNION: 2760 Octavia St, San Francisco - Tuesday thru Friday, 4-9 PM
* YOGURT BAR MISSION: 680 Mission St, San Francisco - Monday thru Friday, 3-6 PM
During happy hour, you'll receive a free fro-yo size upgrade - perfect for an afternoon pick me up.
You know you love me. XO XO, fro-yo girl.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Health Benefits of Fro-Yo
The National Yogurt Association developed the Live & Active Cultures seal to signify that a yogurt manufacturer’s refrigerated products contain at least 100 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture, and whose frozen products contain 10 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture. The seal program is voluntary.
Freezing does not kill the yogurt cultures while heat treatments do kill live yogurt cultures. The cultures are dormant when frozen and they become active when eaten and warmed by the body’s temperature.
The main benefit of fro-yo with live yogurt cultures is that it eases digestion and keeps the digestive system healthy. It may also boost one’s immune system. Yogurt is also a good source of protein and calcium. At this rate of fro-yo consumption, I won’t ever have to worry about osteoporosis.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas Fro-yoholics!
You know you love me. XO XO, fro-yo girl.
* TUTTIMELON: 2150 Irving St, San Francisco, CA
Monday, December 22, 2008
Picture of Future Red Mango at Valley Fair
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Tuttimelon at Belgano Chocolatier
* BELGANO CHOCOLATIER: 3901 24th St., San Francisco, CA
Friday, December 19, 2008
Report from South Bay Fro-Yo Spy: Happy Yogurt
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Free fro-yo at Swirl Culture (North Beach) on 12/18 from 3-5 PM
* SWIRL CULTURE: 1400 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
Monday, December 15, 2008
Tuttimelon Reveals Newest Locations
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Hidden Fro-yo Gems
Two of these are on college campuses:
* NATURAL SENSATIONS (SF State, 1650 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132): Super cheap! Best fro-yo bargain in the Bay Area ($1.75 for 12 ounces of fro-yo goodness). They have four fro-yo flavors a day. I don’t think they ever carry tart flavors but that could change.
* THE AXE & THE PALM (Stanford University, 520 Lasuen Mall, Stanford, CA 94305): Decent tart fro-yo, stick with the dry toppings though (skip the fruit ones).
Two are tucked inside Korean food courts:
* CAFE MILAN (3561 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95051): Near Galleria Market and Paris Baguette, tasty tart fro-yo, skimpy toppings
* TIKI SURF (inside Super Kyo-Po Market, 3521 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara, CA 95051): Excellent tart fro-yo but gritty texture, look for the $1.50 fro-yo cone special
The last two are dessert shops where fro-yo is just a line item vs. the main offering:
* HELLO DESSERTS (1698 Hostetter Rd, San Jose, CA 95131): aka, Dessert Heaven, they recently added a very good tart fro-yo (a little gritty though) to an awe-inspiring lineup of desserts including pearl tea, build your own cream puffs, imported Parisian macarons, sorbet, gelato, etc.
* SKETCH (1809 4th St, Berkeley, CA 94710): It’s a gourmet soft serve ice cream shop that also happens to have some of the best tart fro-yo (one flavor, plain) in the Bay Area.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Friday, December 12, 2008
That's Yogurt Opens Tomorrow (Dec. 13)
* THAT'S YOGURT: 242 Serra Way, Milpitas, CA
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tuttimelon, 4 Stores and Still Growing
I'm still keeping my eyes on the new, not yet open, locations in San Mateo, Hayward, and SF (4). More tuttiliciousness coming your way!
* TUTTIMELON: 1128 4th St, San Rafael
Store Hours: Sun - Thur: 11am - 10pm; Fri - Sat: 11am - 11pm
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Name a Fro-Yo Shop Contest
I sent another batch of names to fit with the shop's intent to introduce something new in the form of mochi toppings: Mochiko Yogurt or Hana Yogurt. I also like the name, Snowtwist Yogurt.
The winner was announced this week, Daydream. Congratulations, Jeff Bergman and Daydream Frozen Yogurt. I can't wait to hear more about their mochi.
I still adore the name spoonbliss.
You know you love me. X0X0, fro-yo girl.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Report from East Bay Fro-Yo Spy
Thank you East Bay Fro-Yo Spy!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Hello Desserts Now Serving Tart Fro-Yo
I’m told their fro-yo was developed in response to customer requests and that they spent several months in the researching and taste testing phase.
Anyone in the Bay Area needing a fro-yo taste tester should contact fro-yo girl.
Here’s a coupon for a small original tart fro-yo for 99 cents that you can print out and redeem (expires on 12/15/08): http://hellodesserts.com/promo/froyo-promo.jpg
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Hello Desserts: 1698 Hostetter Rd, San Jose, CA 95131
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
New Fro-Yo Shop Graveyard List
Rumor has it that Gelayo Gusto changed ownership. Yogurt Fantasy morphed into Sweet Corner in Mountain View (the fro-yo still seems to be the same) and Cafe Aroma became Honey Berry (now it's self-serve).
I'm starting a new list, the fro-yo shop graveyard list, to keep track of fro-yo shop closings. The first business on the list is Rockets Yogurt in Belmont. It wasn't a bad place but it only lasted about four months. Maybe it was too close to Yumi Yogurt?
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Greek Strained Yogurt Taste Test
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Weirdest Places for Fro-yo
- CLEAR OPTOMETRY: 138 E 3rd St., San Mateo, CA. One side of the store features a swanky eyewear store with frames from Chanel and other brands, the other side features a dessert bar with delicious fro-yo and several flavors of mochi toppings. Yum. This is my favorite "weird" place for fro-yo. Get your eyes examined there or buy eyeglasses, get free fro-yo!
- KIWITIWI: 569 High St., Oakland, CA. Part car wash, part convenience store, part fro-yo shop. It would qualify for the strangest place if it didn't have the convenience store as well. While people who are waiting for a car wash have time to sit around and enjoy fro-yo, the fumes from the car wash are less than pleasant.
- MICHAELI'S WINE & SPIRIT: 2198 Union St, San Francisco, CA. It's not unusual for liquor stores to have delis but this is the first time I've seen one with fro-yo too. What a great idea! I'd rather have a corner fro-yo shop than a corner liquor store.
- BLONDIE'S PIZZA: various locations. Greasy, cheap pizza and now fro-yo? Blondie's reminds me of college and certainly college students are among those who enjoy fro-yo. I didn't like their tart fro-yo but the sweet flavors might be better.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Tuttimelon Open on Thanksgiving Day!
With any luck they'll be open for Xmas too!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
No Fro-Yo on Thanksgiving
1. Buy Cyclops Greek Style frozen yogurt at Whole Foods ($4.99 a pint, flavors include mango, banana, coffee, raspberry). There isn't a plain or honey flavor. I tried the mango flavor.
Cyclops organic fro-yo is made in New Zealand and contains egg yolk. The texture is firm and creamy, very similar to ice cream. It isn't tart but it is sweet and somewhat tangy. The tangy flavor is different from the tanginess of most tart fro-yos I've tried. It's hard to describe but reminds me of goat cheese. It had a few chunks of mango. I wasn't too crazy about the product and wouldn't get it again. I prefer Haagen Dazs's sweet fro-yo, particularly vanilla with honey and granola.
2. Buy fro-yo to go from your local fro-yo shop. Some fro-yo shops offer to go containers (usually family size). I bought a quart of pumpkin tart fro-yo from my favorite fro-yo shop, Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt in Palo Alto. They have insulated bags and the fro-yo survived my one hour drive home.
I was also worried about what freezing would do to the texture of the fro-yo. In this case, it does firm up and it brings out the iciness of the fro-yo. Still delicious! It keeps in the freezer for a week. I'm bringing some to Thanksgiving dinner.
3. Freeze regular yogurt. I've tried this with many brands. The end result tends to be too hard and icy, but it's still nice to have a fro-yo fix on hand. I prefer YoPlus for the wider cup (easier to scoop out the fro-yo).
You know you love me. XOXO, fro-yo girl.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Grand Opening Weekend at Swirl Culture, Nov. 22 & 23
* SWIRL CULTURE: 211 O'Farrell St. @ Powell, San Francisco, CA
Saturday, November 22, 2008
2-for-1 at Chill Desserts on Nov. 28 - 29
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thoughts on Fro-Yo Flavors
I'm puzzled by the absence of citrus tart fro-yo. Since citrus fruits are tart, I think they would make for wonderful tart fro-yo flavors. I’d love to see the following fro-yo flavors one day:
* Tangerine
* Grapefruit or pomelo
* Blood orange
* Meyer lemon
* Yuzu
* Kumquat
* Kaffir lime
Spices like ginger, cardamom and lemongrass would make for wonderful tart fro-yo flavors as well.
Finally, a honey tart fro-yo seems like a natural flavor extension since honey is a popular fro-yo topping and honey tastes amazing with plain fro-yo.
If I had to give an award for innovative fro-yo flavors, it would go to Chill for black sesame and red rooibos tea tart fro-yo flavors.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* CHILL: 125 Kearny St., San Francisco, CA
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Tuttimelon Irving 99 Cents Promo Ends
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* TUTTIMELON: 2150 Irving Street, San Francisco
More Fro-Yo Shop Grand Openings: Cefiore, Yoppi in SF
Cefiore is also open on New Montgomery Street. Drop by the shop to get a coupon for the grand opening celebration on Thursday, November 20 from 12 - 7 PM. You need the physical coupon to get a free mini fro-yo (toppings not included). The coupon is good only at the Montgomery St. location.
* YOPPI YOGURT: 475 Sansome St., San Francisco, CA
* CEFIORE: 59 New Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA
Friday, November 14, 2008
Free Red Mango Pomegranate Fro-Yo Today at 4 PM
November also happens to National Pomegranate Month and Red Mango is beating Pinkberry/Stinkberry to the punch (Pinkberry will introduce its pomegranate fro-yo next week according to NYMag - but I've seen reports that it is already available at some locations). The partnership with POM Wonderful is also a smart idea. POM Wonderful is a premium, all natural juice and Red Mango also positions itself as premium and all natural. It’s taken SO long for Red Mango to come out with a new flavor that I think they’re going to see a huge response. Also, their Pomegranate fro-yo is there for a limited time.
I’m confident that Red Mango’s pomegranate fro-yo will be much better than Stinkberry’s. I’ll review their pomegranate fro-yo later today.
Update: It's tasty (the RM pomegranate fro-yo). Of course it tastes like pomegranate since it's flavored with 100% pomegranate juice concentrate (from POM Wonderful) but they also add quite a bit of sugar so that the end result isn't sour at all but is tangy and extremely creamy. I personally like the tartness of pomegranates so I'd prefer the flavor to have less sugar, but Red Mango has sweeter fro-yo so the flavor they introduced meets my expectations.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Orange Tree IS Tutti Frutti???
The evidence is simple.
If you go to the Tutti Frutti website (http://www.tfyogurt.com/) and click on locations, the Milpitas location of Orange Tree is listed, along with the future location at the Stanford Shopping Center. The Stanford location had a Tutti Frutti sign but it was recently switched to an Orange Tree sign.
Changing names isn’t going to disguise the poor quality and flavor of their fro-yo. TF is rapidly expanding. They should have perfected their product first and then opened their stores. Apparently they also chose a name that another company already had (there's a Tutti Frutti in Pasadena that sells fro-yo, fruit salad and Colombian hot dogs).
I’m very surprised that Stanford Shopping Center doesn’t have higher standards for their fro-yo vendors.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Tart Pumpkin Fro-Yo Arrives at Culture
I trust Alexis’s palate (she’s the yogurt-in-chief) and sure enough, pumpkin is another winner. The pumpkin pie spices actually complement the sourness of the fro-yo. I think she’s on to something. Maybe ginger, cardamom and saffron and lemongrass would also work well as tart fro-yo flavors.
For fans of their strawberry tart fro-yo, hurry back to Culture. They plan on replacing strawberry with vanilla soon.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Mix-In Fro-Yo
These are the four places to get mix-in fro-yo in the Bay Area:
Poco Café: 1688 Hostetter Rd, San Jose, CA
My favorite mix-in fro-yo and also the best value, choose from a wide variety of fruit flavors. The end result is chunkier than other places. Some of the plain frozen yogurt base didn’t get mixed in with the fruit but I think that added to the homemade charm.
Yogen Fruz: 3 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA
Called Blend It, you get to select up to two types of frozen fruit and the base (non-fat vanilla, low-fat vanilla, non-fat/sugar-free vanilla or chocolate). It’s the smoothest of the mix-in fro-yos with a more pronounced flavor of the base yogurt. It’s the only place that provides multiple choices for the yogurt base.
Tartini: 20488 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, CA
Tartini Twister has a creamy vanilla fro-yo base and comes with your choice of frozen fruit.
Sweet Retreat: 6061 Cahalan Ave, San Jose, CA (and other locations in San Jose, Morgan Hill and Los Gatos)
The mix in yogurt is called the “create your own yogurt” option. It starts with their plain fro-yo base. Unlike the other shops, you can add candy and/or frozen fruit to the mix-in yogurt.
Note, Penguino’s in the Metreon (SF) also has a create your own flavor, mix-in fro-yo. I refuse to try it though, because their soft-serve fro-yo is horrible.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Prices Go Up at Tuttimelon on Irving St.
Signs of Asian Ownership
(1) Presence of orchids, bamboo plants or money trees wrapped with red ribbons. Bamboo plants are considered to be lucky and are used in feng shui to represent the element of wood.
(2) Asian fro-yo toppings, particularly red bean paste, lychee, jackfruit, and jellies. Most shops have mochi balls now but if they don't, you can be fairly sure that the owners aren't Asian.
(3) Asian employees
(4) The shop is a year old (or newer) and specializes in tart fro-yo or self-serve fro-yo.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Worst Places for Fro-Yo
* Marble Slab Creamery: I don't think they have tart fro-yo but even their vanilla fro-yo is really bad. Definitely tastes like artificial sweetener. The fruit toppings are frozen.
* Cold Stone Creamery: They offer a scoopable tart fro-yo called Tart & Tangy. The flavor is a little better than Marble Slab's but not by much. It's an odd flavor that tastes citrusy but not milky and tangy in the way real yogurt would taste. The fruit toppings are frozen.
* Penguino's: 101 4th St. (inside the Metreon), San Francisco, CA, 94103
* Michael's Gelato: 440 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301
They've made a half-hearted attempt at offering fro-yo called Tart Tango. The orange flavor tasted like powdered orange drink mix and isn't tart. The fruit toppings were rotten.
* Sweet Corner: 650 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041
The yogurt tastes awful and the texture is weird - very grainy.
* Orange Tree: 510 Barber Ln, Milpitas, CA 95035
Too icy, bland, artificial tasting tart fro-yo in a self-serve setting.
* DIY Yogurt: 20956 W Homestead Rd#D, Cupertino, CA 95014
It's hard to tell which flavors are supposed to be tart. They all taste like they're artificially sweetened. Mediocre self-serve fro-yo.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Culture Adds Yogurt Parfaits
I think the parfait is a great idea. I am not a parfait eater but I think they're mostly eaten for breakfast; if so, the fact that Culture doesn't open till 11 AM poses a bit of a problem for the parfait eaters in the area.
I also noticed that their fro-yo is different every time I go. Tonight the strawberry fro-yo didn't have as much strawberry flavor. The original fro-yo has gone from chunky and stiff, to creamy, to suddenly fluffier. The consistency issue bothers me a bit. I like my fro-yo creamy and denser.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* CULTURE ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: 340 S California Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94306
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Chill Grand Opening Specials, Nov. 5, 6, 7
$2 Small Fro-yo with 1 exotic topping
$3 Crispy Crepe Cone with fro-yo and choice of exotic topping
CHILL: 125 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA
Mon–Fri 11am–7pm
New Batch of Future Fro-yo Shops
THAT’S YOGURT
242 Serra Way, Milpitas, CA 95035
From the application for conditional use by owner, Hanh Nguyen: “The project proposal consists of a 1,730 square foot yogurt store with ten seats inside and four seats outside. The proposal is a “self-serve” yogurt store where the customers will serve themselves yogurt and toppings, and then pay for their yogurt at the counter. No table service is proposed. The floor plan also includes a prep area, restrooms, a private office and storage space. The business is proposing to be open between the hours of 8:00 AM and 12:00 AM (Midnight).”
Projected opening: mid-November 2008
TOP THIS! YOGURT BAR
San Ramon, CA
Self-serve fro-yo in an upscale setting
Projected opening: December 2008
SIP CAFÉ
Camden Ave.
Campbell, CA
Yogurt, espresso drinks, sandwiches, pastries
Monday, November 3, 2008
Fro-ggie Coupon Good Till 12/31/08, Soy Fro-yo
http://www.ci.fremont.ca.us/Business/ShopFremont/Coupons.htm
Fro-ggie is one of the only places in the Bay Area that offers soy fro-yo. Fraiche in Palo Alto also has soy fro-yo. I'm surprised that soy fro-yo is so rare since lactose intolerance is common and soy milk has gained popularity among the same segment of consumers who are likely to favor fro-yo. There are several brands of soy frozen yogurt in the supermarket frozen foods section. I'd love to see a fro-yo shop open that only offered soy-based fro-yo. Soy Yo? Soyriffic?
* FROGGIE: 1554 Washington Blvd, Fremont, CA 94539
* FRAICHE: 644 Emerson, Suite 110, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Two Fro-Yo Shops Opening Today
It's not a Stinkberry clone in appearance or product. Chill has some fro-yo flavors that I've never seen before and higher quality toppings. It's upscale and the portions are smaller. The ambiance is serene and organic (wood, flower illustrations).
Fro-yo flavors: Original tart, red rooibos tea tart, black sesame tart and custard (sweet)
Toppings: About a dozen fresh fruit purees, including lychee, mango, fig, acai, pineapple, fresh fruit pieces, dry toppings like mochi, rice pearls (think rice krispies coated in chocolate), crispy flakes (thin, crunchy wafer bits), chocolate covered sunflower seeds, yogurt covered dried cranberries, nuts, etc.
For something different, I recommend red rooibos tea fro-yo. It's fresh, clean and refreshing tasting.
* Orange Tree - Milpitas Square, 510 Barber Ln, Milpitas, CA, 11AM - 11 PM, self-serve, 35 cents/ounce, 50% off this weekend
Friday, October 31, 2008
Fro-Yo with Halloween Spirit
- Pumpkin fro-yo. I had some yesterday at Natural Sensations in SF (SFSU campus). Try places that serve sweet fro-yo.
- Add crushed Oreo cookies or graham cracker crumbs and gummy worms to your fro-yo. Instant faux gross fro-yo treat! I believe you can assemble such a treat at Yogurt Station in Walnut Creek, Nubi in Millbrae, Frozo's in Milpitas & Santa Clara, etc.
- Bring candy corn to your favorite fro-yo shop. Add to your fro-yo.
- Get the pumpkin spice granola as a fro-yo topping at Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt in Palo Alto.
- Add Halloween candy (e.g., Halloween Kit Kats) to your store-bought fro-yo (e.g., Haagen Dazs).
Happy Halloween!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Spotlight on Tart Fro-Yo Toppings
Fro-yo girl here. The vast majority of tart fro-yo shops have very similar fruit and dry toppings and they normally carry anywhere from a dozen to 50 different types of toppings. Most of the toppings, other than the fresh fruit, come in boxes and cans. A few shops don't even have fresh fruit and may offer up defrosted frozen or canned fruit instead.
Strawberries are the most popular fresh fruit topping but other common fruit toppings include:
- Kiwi
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Bananas
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Honeydew
- Pomegranate seeds
- Peaches (canned are more common than fresh)
- Cherries (canned are more common than fresh)
- Plums
- Grapes
- Pluots
- Mandarin oranges
- Lychee
- Longan
- Jackfruit
- Cereals (Fruity Pebbles, Cap'n Crunch, Cocoa Pebbles usually, but also Froot Loops, Lucky Charms, Golden Grahams, Honey Nut Cheerios, etc.)
- Granola
- Chocolate chips
- Yogurt chips
- Carob chips
- Graham crackers (crushed)
- Almonds
- Marshmallows
- Coconut
- Dried cranberries (and other dried fruits)
- Crushed cookies (chocolate chip, Oreo, Teddy Grahams, etc.)
- Brownie bits
- Cheesecake bits
You may also find various syrups (chocolate being the most common), honey and condensed milk.
Some Asian fro-yo shops have Asian toppings such as:
- Chestnuts
- Jelly (different types, like rainbow jelly, coconut jelly)
- Red beans
You can customize your treat further with flavored powders like green tea, chocolate, green apple, etc. I've seen the powders at YoSwirl in Fremont, TrendyBean in Santa Clara and Tuttimelon.
Once in a blue moon, you'll come across a place that makes their own toppings. In the Bay Area, there are two places that do this (both in Palo Alto) and deserve special recognition:
* FRAICHE YOGURT: Homemade granola, homemade mochi balls. Unfortunately, their fro-yo is flavorless.
* CULTURE ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: The best place for homemade organic toppings, the variety changes all the time and includes mini chocolate meringues, a seasonal granola, mini chocolate chip cookies, brownies, coconut crunch, homemade apple cake, etc. These are all made on the premises by the brilliant Toppings In Chief, Mary. Right now they have spiced apples! Absolutely amazing - no other place comes close.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Quickly Froyo – Worth 59 cents?
They need to have someone proofread their website which says: “a varietal selection of flavors and toppings dispensed daily for seriously health conscience customers” and “we believed customer are the foundation of the business, and while others focus on costs, margins, and profits, we focus on total satisfaction of every customer.”
First, I’m sure they’re profit driven as well though they are too cheap to hire a decent web designer. Second, the customer service I receive at Quickly is usually much worse than I receive at other fro-yo and tapioca shops. With over 126 reviews on Yelp, the Irving location averages 2 stars and many people complain about the service they received: http://www.yelp.com/biz/quickly-san-francisco-4
I first noticed the Quickly Fro-yo sign at their Irving Street location, which happens to be on the same block as Tuttimelon. Quickly’s tactics really bothered me – it’s fair to undercut Tuttimelon on price but they stood in front of Tuttimelon handing out their flyers.
At 59 cents for a small cup of original tart fro-yo is a price that’s difficult to resist – by far the cheapest around. Their frozen yogurt was developed in cooperation with Dreyer’s and is, according to promotional materials, not made out of a powder mix. It is milky, creamy and softer than usual. The flavor is okay, not great, not horrible.
Tuttimelon’s original tart (99 cents for a small) is much better tasting than Quickly’s and Tuttimelon also is more generous with both fro-yo and toppings. Quickly sometimes has stale toppings, like dried out mochi balls. Despite Quickly’s tactics, Tuttimelon is still more popular.
You can find Quickly cafes that serve Quickly fro-yo by checking their website: http://www.quicklyfroyo.com/locations
They hope to open stand alone Quickly Fro-yo shops worldwide, including locations in SF and San Mateo. The stand alone stores will have more than one fro-yo flavor (right now I’ve only see the original flavor).
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Cefiore Comes to SF
There wasn’t anything particularly distinctive about the shop – it felt like a Pinkberry knockoff though it does have some fruity tart fro-yo flavors that are fairly unique, Raspberry Pomegranate and Acai Berry. Their fro-yo is icy, light and refreshing but it also has a powdery quality and it melts very quickly. I suspect they use a powder mix rather than a liquid base.
There are many fro-yo shops in the Bay Area that have a better product than Cefiore and I prefer Red Mango and Pinkberry as well. They do have a prime location – there’s nothing like shopping and fro-yo. The logo is nice too (flower).
See my full review on Yelp for more information: http://www.yelp.com/biz/cefiore-san-francisco#hrid:-TGvkksLvIljXDDaTyiQzw
Their second SF location should open soon.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* Cefiore: Westfield San Francisco Centre, 845 Market St, #277, San Francisco, CA 94104
Friday, October 24, 2008
Swirl Culture Lowers Prices in November
Swirl Culture’s fall pricing (starting in November):
* Yogurt: Small $2.50/ Medium $4/ Large $5.50
* Toppings: 1 topping 95 cents/ 2 toppings $1.20/ 3 toppings $1.50
* Shaved Ice: Regular $5.95/ Large $7.95
Original Swirl Culture yogurt pricing:
* Small $2.75/Additional topping is $0.95
* Medium $4.25/ +3 toppings $5.50
* Large $6/ +3 toppings $7
So they’ve basically cut the price of the small and medium size yogurt by 25 cents. The price was comparable to other fro-yo shops in SF though the medium is still more expensive than the other places below:
SoGreen Original/Yogurt Bar Original/Yogen Fruz
S $2.95/$2.50/$2.50
M $3.95/$3.50/$3.50
L $5.75/$5.70/$5.50
I don’t think Swirl Culture is competing with the downtown SF fro-yo shops. There aren’t as many fro-yo options in North Beach so they could get away with charging a little more if people liked their fro-yo, they didn’t skimp too much on toppings, the toppings are fresh, they provide good service, etc. It might a location issue as well. I rarely go to North Beach because it’s crowded and parking is horrendous. Not only that, they’re not on the main streets (Columbus, Broadway) in that area, so it’s easy to forget that they’re in the area. How many of the people who live and work and that area are fro-yoholics?
Swirl Culture is no worse (and actually better than average in terms of flavor) than the other downtown SF fro-yo offerings. If they could offer validated parking, I would likely find myself there more often. They could also do more to build their community, their Culture Club. Their website says that the official site hasn’t be launched yet. They opened in late June and the site still isn’t launched???? They need to get their act together. The website should be used more as a promotion tool. It could at least list the fruity fro-yo flavor of the week, add testimonials, list upcoming events that SC is involved in, etc. Tuttimelon, Red Mango and other fro-yo shops have pages on Facebook and MySpace – those are low cost methods for promoting the shop and building a community of fans.
I’m not sure how their bonus card program has evolved. Initially the card only lasted for a month, so I wasn’t motivated to collect stamps. It’s just too much of a hassle for me to go to North Beach that often but if the card didn’t have an expiration date, I would hold onto it and possibly fill it up. Update: the frequent bonus card program is back. Buy 7, get 1 free.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl
* SWIRL CULTURE: 1400 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Flaxseed Cones at Culture
As for Culture’s flaxseed cones, they’re thin, sweet and a bit crunchy. The flavor isn’t strong enough to interfere with the fro-yo flavor and they hold up well when filled with fro-yo. You can buy a cone for $2.99. A cone + fro-yo + one topping is $5.49. You can also get the cone with fresh, seasonal, organic fruit (or their other toppings) without any fro-yo – perfect for vegans.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* CULTURE ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: 340 S California Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94306
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Pomegranate Seeds are Back!
Fro-yo girl here. When it comes to fresh fruit toppings, pomegranate seeds are my favorite. I love the crunch of the seed portion and the refreshing tartness of the flesh. Peeling one takes forever, so the seeds also feel like a special treat.
Pomegranates also are considered a superfood, rich in anti-oxidiants and a good source of of vitamin B5, potassium, vitamin C. Consumption may reduce the risk of heart disease, lower systolic blood pressure and promote prostate health in men.
Pomegranates are typically in season from October through January and I’ve been anxiously awaiting their return. The season is so short so I’ll have to get pomegranate seeds whenever I see them.
Today at Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt in Palo Alto, I saw a large bowl stacked with pomegranates. They’re back!!!! Pomegranate seeds were recently spotted at Fro-ggie in Fremont as well (thanks Carol L.) and Yogurt Harmony in Berkeley (thanks Karen W.). Keep an eye out for them at other fro-yo shops. I’ve had pomegranate seeds with my fro-yo at Red Mango, Pinkberry, Jubili, Tuttimelon, and Blondie’s Pizza. I’ve had pomegranate tart fro-yo at Tuttimelon (Irving St., SF and Alameda), Blush (pomegranate-dragonfruit), Papamingo, and Nubi (raspberry pomegranate). Tuttimelon has the best tasting pom tart fro-yo and it’s extra tart. Yum!
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* CULTURE ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: 340 S California Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94306
* FRO-GGIE: 1554 Washington Blvd, Fremont, CA 94539
* YOGURT HARMONY: 2259 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
* TUTTIMELON: 2150 Irving St, San Francisco, CA, 94122
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Spotlight on Mochi Balls
- glutinous rice powder
- sugar
- corn syrup
- salt
- wheat flour
I found another brand of mochi balls, German Bakery, at Kukje. The balls had a stronger rice flavor and were more uneven in shape and size than the Dae Doo brand. However, the mochi balls were harder and not as fresh tasting as Dae Doo's.
I love how the sweet, chewy mochi balls add texture to the fro-yo experience. The downside is that they do become stale. You can spot a stale mochi ball by looking for a dried out, hardened texture.
A few fro-yo shops in the Bay Area make their own mochi balls and these deserve special mention:
* Coco Swirl - made by the owner's mom on a daily basis, comes in white and pink. The pink color comes from strawberries. Add as much as you want since it's a self-serve joint.
* Fraiche Yogurt - the best homemade mochi topping, big, chewy, soft squares. I find their fro-yo bland and not tart.
* Clear Optometry - offers the most variety, six flavors of mochi topping: strawberry, green tea, lemon, orange, original, Ghirardelli chocolate.
Of the three, I recommend trying Clear Optometry.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* KUKJE SUPER MARKET: 2350 Junipero Serra Blvd, Daly City, CA 94015
* COCO SWIRL: 35 Crescent Dr Ste E, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
* FRAICHE YOGURT: 644 Emerson Suite 110, Palo Alto, CA 94301
* CLEAR OPTOMETRY: 138 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401
Monday, October 20, 2008
Top 10 Bay Area Fro-Yo Shops
Fro-yo girl here. Now that I’ve tried over 100 fro-yo shops, I’m often asked for recommendations. These are my top 10 Bay Area fro-yo shops:
· Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt (Palo Alto) – creamy & thick in texture, tastes natural with less sugar to mask that fro-yo flavor, organic fro-yo made from Straus and unique housemade toppings like brownies, chocolate meringues and seasonal granola - my cup of Culture yogurt is pictured above
· Café Delatti (Los Gatos) – every tart flavor tastes great, especially the mango tart, dense & creamy texture
· YoCup (Rincon Center, SF) – the most balanced fro-yo I’ve encountered in terms of flavor, texture, everything
· Tuttimelon (Irving St, SF) – extra sour and the best bargain in town, a small original is still 99 cents and they pack on the toppings like no other place I know of
· Caffe Ambrosia (SF) – natural and clean tasting plain tart, icy, soft and smooth
· Red Mango (Palo Alto) – not as tart as the others on the list but with a sophisticated subtle tang and an ultra creamy texture
· Harmony Yogurt (San Carlos) – dense and smooth, made with organic Straus Creamery yogurt, almost gelato like in consistency
· Yogurt Harmony (Berkeley) – rich, heavy and dense, four delicious tart flavors a day
· Yumi Yogurt (Redwood City) – best place for sweet fro-yo with the largest portions
· Poco Café (San Jose) – best place for mix-in yogurt, plain yogurt mixed with your choice of frozen fruit, chunky & tart
None of the self-serve shops made the cut. I’ve found higher quality, better tasting fro-yo at the non-self serve fro-yo shops.
I’m also asked how one person can eat so much fro-yo and not get sick of it. I can’t answer that question yet.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Fro-yo Frenzy Begins
I've reviewed over 90 fro-yo shops in the Bay Area to date - and the quest continues. I've met other fro-yo fans (most notably, fro-yo boy), talked to fro-yo shop owners, attended multiple fro-yo shop grand opening events, collected fro-yo shop t-shirts and more. I'll continue to review fro-yo shops on Yelp but I'd like to use the blog to track fro-yo shop openings, fro-yo shop news, etc.
Know of any fro-yo shops that I've missed? Let me know.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.