Souvla Bi-Rite Flavor Collab, Walnut Baklava Cherry Swirl

 

Fro-yo girl here. Congrats to Souvla on turning TEN. The tenth anniversary inspired a special collaboration between Souvla and Bi-Rite Creamery. Walnut Baklava Cherry Swirl, a limited edition collaboration, is a combination of Souvla’s frozen Greek yogurt and Bi-Rite Creamery ice cream, with a dark cherry syrup swirl and baklava made with honey, cinnamon, and toasted walnuts. I knew I had to try this limited edition flavor!

It’s a sweet and tangy yogurt ice cream. Souvla fans will appreciate the nod to Souvla’s froyo toppings, vissino and baklava. Interestingly, both Souvla's froyo and Bi-Rite's ice cream are made with Straus dairy.

Walnut Baklava Cherry Swirl Greek yogurt ice cream: It did remind me of Souvla’s frozen Greek froyo with added cream. It wasn’t quite as sour and while it was sweeter than the froyo, it seemed less sweet than your typical ice cream. The baklava pieces were a lot smaller than you’d get with your Souvla froyo, but the components did remind me of Souvla baklava. The cherry syrup was another nice touch – not sour, not too sweet. A scoop is $6 and a pint $11. For reference, you can get a cup of Souvla frozen Greek yogurt for $5 (plain), $6 with sour cherry syrup and $8 with baklava crumbles. Do I prefer Souvla froyo or the Souvla/Bi-Riteyogurt ice cream? The velvety, sour froyo of course. But Walnut Baklava Cherry Swirl is a tasty new flavor that does taste like froyo.

You can get Walnut Baklava Cherry Swirl yogurt ice cream pints at Bi-Rite and Souvla locations and get it by the pint or scoop at Bi-Rite Creamery on 18th Street in San Francisco. Delivery is available.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

2023 Froyo Wish List

froyo machine & toppings, Anita Gelato, Tarzana

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Froyo New Year! And the new year means a new froyo wish list. But before I get to the new wishes, let’s see which of my 2022 froyo wishes came true.

Recap of 2022 Froyo Wishes

Purple Rice as a Froyo Topping: This didn’t happen. In fact, purple rice yogurt drinks didn’t catch on in the US and many of the Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt shops have closed or changed names. Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt in Arcadia became Der Tea. Yomie’s Temple City became Zhen Tea. Yomie’s San Gabriel closed. The only Yomie’s shops left in the area are in Rowland Heights and Tustin. The last few times I visited Yomie’s, the rice was hard. Other purple rice yogurt shops like From Yogurt in Alhambra, CA have also closed.

Trying Israeli and Australian Froyo: Anita Gelato, which started in Tel Aviv, opened in Tarzana in September and they brought their froyo! The frozen yogurt was silky smooth, dense, rich, and moderately tangy; a high quality froyo. The toppings were excellent and also truly unlimited (you can ask for topping refills). They make their own jams and sauces.

Pinkberry Pops: Pinkberry Pops (popsicles) are still available in other countries but not the US. While I didn’t have a Pinkberry Pop, I did get Pinkberry from a vending machine for the first time. Back in April, I got a cup of Pinkberry Original Tart from a vending machine in Arcadia, California. Eight Pinkberry vending machines were installed around Southern California this year. Most are in shopping malls and two at the Ontario International Airport. The first time I wished to be served by a froyo robot or vending machine was back in 2013!

Boba Froyo: I didn’t see any pints of froyo with tapioca pearls but L’Moon Creamery opened in Pasadena and they offer soft serve ice cream with tapioca pearls as a topping. Yogurtland offered brown sugar crystal boba as a topping this year! On another note, I lost interest in boba ice cream bars.

2023 Froyo Wishes

Many of my froyo wishes do eventually come true but they often take a few years. I feel like I’m running out of froyo wishes, so I’m going to share some old wishes that haven’t come true yet.

Erewhon starts stocking Yoga-urt: This could happen by offering pints of Yoga-urt or better yet, offering Yoga-urt at the Erewhon Coffee Bar. Perhaps they could even have an Erewhon exclusive Yoga-urt flavor!

Llaollao opening in California: llaollao is Europe’s largest froyo chain and I think the largest in Asia as well. They have one location in the US, in Houston. I’m still hoping to try it. Or maybe they’ll open one closer to me.

Souvla opens in Los Angeles: Souvla is conservative about opening new locations. They’re still only in the Bay Area but it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to open in Los Angeles. This is a new wish that I’ve had on my mind for years but never included on a froyo wish list. Souvla has inspired many Greek/Mediterranean cafes to offer plain Greek froyo with Greek toppings but Souvla still does Greek froyo best. 

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

New Souvla Opens in the Dogpatch (San Francisco)

Fro-yo girl here. Souvla #5 opened in the Dogpatch in mid-August of this year. The new spot is their largest location thus far and includes a larger menu. You’ll find all the items that they serve at the other locations plus an expanded wine list, new cold meze and hot meze options like octopus salad, lamb meatballs, spanakopita, etc. They also added loukoumades (Greek donuts). Loukoumades and Greek froyo, anyone?

The regular menu includes spit fired all-natural meats (Snake River Farms pork shoulder, Mary’s free range rotisserie chicken, Thomas Farms lamb) served as a pita sandwich or salad, with a sweet potato option for vegetarians. They also have sides, Greek beverages (including their own wine) and Straus Family Creamery organic Greek frozen yogurt with toppings or plain ($5). Toppings include sour cherry syrup, olive oil & sea salt, baklava crumbles & honey syrup, and Cretan wildflower honey.

In case you’re wondering, the froyo is just as good at this location. There’s one size and one flavor, plain. It’s my favorite froyo! So good! Creamy but not heavy, tangy even sour, natural tasting, lightly sweetened. The sour cherry syrup isn’t that sour but it does enhance the tang of the froyo. The portion is still generous enough to satisfy though it doesn’t last long because I love it. The menu used to not mention that they used Straus organic dairy.

The price has gone up a dollar (from $5 in 2021 to $6 or $8 for froyo with baklava) but still feels totally worth it. Wish there were a smaller size, not that I have any problems finishing my Souvla froyo.

The froyo is the best thing on the menu!

* SOUVLA: 2505 3rd St, San Francisco (Dogpatch), CA 94107

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Capo in Belmont Now Has Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. Capo opened on September 15, 2020 in Belmont, CA. The fast casual Mediterranean café specializes in healthy gyros, salads, sides, and spreads. They also make their own Greek yogurt panna cotta. The menu and look remind me of Souvla – you pick your form – pita, rice plate, or salad bowl, then you pick your protein.

I don’t think they had Greek froyo when they first opened. But guess what? They have one froyo machine now. There are two flavors of Greek frozen yogurt: Vanilla and Chocolate. It’s not on the menu but they have froyo – one size, no toppings. Students and teachers get 20% off Monday – Friday until 2 PM. And froyo is $3 for kids on Wednesdays. If you’re looking for Souvla style froyo, you’re going to be disappointed. Their yogurt is denser and icier plus it’s sweet but not cloyingly so.

Out of curiosity I drove by where Yoppi used to be in Belmont. It’s a Jamba Juice now. Surprisingly, Ya-Ua is still open in Belmont – 11 years and counting.

* CAPO: 2020 Ralston Ave., Belmont, CA 94002

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Tahina Opens in Alameda, California and They Have Greek Froyo

 

Fro-yo girl here. I recently visited Tahina in Alameda. Tahina is a new fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant that opened in the Alameda Marketplace last June. The owner also owns the Beanery inside Alameda Marketplace. The menu includes mezze, soups, desserts, and wraps, pitas, bowls and plates with your choice of falafel, chicken shawarma or beef shawarma.

And yes, they make their own Greek frozen yogurt. There’s one flavor, plain, and three toppings: baklava crumble, honey, or sour cherry. You can choose 1, 2 or 3 toppings for the same price. There is one size. A froyo with toppings is $5 and you get a lot of froyo.

The menu and froyo reminded me of Souvla and Tahina’s frozen yogurt tasted like Souvla’s. It tasted natural with few additives and less sweet than usual. The texture was crazy thick, smooth, and dense – denser than Souvla’s. It tasted like real yogurt but not tangy and less sour than Souvla’s. Really good! They weren’t as generous with the baklava but the sour cherry sauce was fantastic with the plain yogurt. Also, my shawarma wrap was great too. I like Souvla’s froyo better but Tahina’s is close and more convenient for East Bay folks.

* TAHINA: 1650 Park St, Alameda, CA 94501

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

2020 Froyo Guide to San Francisco

Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt

Fro-yo girl here. My froyo guide to San Francisco was published in 2015, so it’s time for an update. Of the four shops that I recommended in 2015, two have closed since then: Fraiche Yogurt and Pinkberry. The Pinkberry Union Square location was the only Pinkberry in San Francisco. Yes, there’s a Pinkberry at SFO Airport but that’s outside of San Francisco. Fraiche closed in Palo Alto last December, so their SFO kiosk is the last remaining location.

Hayes Valley/Marina/NOPA

Souvla (517 Hayes St., 2272 Chestnut St., 531 Divisadero St.,) has opened additional locations and even launched a froyo truck since my last 2015 SF froyo guide. I’ve had their Greek froyo at all of their locations and the froyo is consistently wonderful. Their salads are tasty and popular and they have Greek wine. But the star is the creamy Greek froyo made in house. The Greek frozen yogurt comes in one size and one flavor (plain) with your choice of toppings: baklava crumbles with syrup, sour cherry, olive oil and sea salt or honey. I like to get sour cherry syrup and baklava crumbles. The froyo comes in a cute NY coffee cup that’s perfect for strolling.

The Mission

Foodhall, 3100 16th St.) opened in April 2016 as a stylish gourmet grocery store with coffee, pastries, cheese, produce and a large wine and spirits collection. Foodhall serves Italian style frozen yogurt made with Straus organic milk. There’s just one flavor, plain and they have some fancier toppings. The froyo is thick, smooth, and dense.

Oh, there’s a Souvla in this neighborhood too, at 758 Valencia St., and yes, froyo is available.

Noe Valley/Inner Sunset/ West Portal

Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt (4028 24th St., 718 Irving St., 44 West Portal Ave.) moved from the Castro to West Portal and opened a shop in Corte Madera since 2015. I’m recommending them again because they make their own froyo with their own recipes. It’s fresh and unique. They try to use organic ingredients as much as possible and have interesting toppings. The décor is adorable and they care about the environment. Plus, all their shops are Swirl of Honor shops.

Pacific Heights

Apizza (2043 Fillmore St.) is the new concept from the founder of La Boulangerie and new owner of Loving Cup. The idea is to make high quality pizza and froyo that’s fast, eco-friendly, and affordable. The froyo there is hand-blended to order and creamy but with more texture than your typical froyo. Choose your base (nonfat vanilla, nonfat chocolate, non-dairy vanilla made with coconut milk) and pick a swirl (achocolate, my favorite, thinner mint, guilty-ish pleasure, all good). You can add a chocolate chip cookie, sprinkles or additional mix ins or toppings. There are other Loving Cup locations in SF but the one inside apizza offers the best value, but with fewer options.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Blogiversary Number 11 for Fro-Yo Girl Speaks

Fro-yo girl here. It’s hard to believe that Fro-Yo Girl Speaks is over 10 years old. Today marks the eleventh anniversary of my very first blog post. Eleven years is a long time and I still love froyo. Here’s a quick overview of what I’ve been up to over the last year.

Pasadena fro-yo update: My favorite Yogurtland location on Lake Ave. in Pasadena changed ownership late last year, raised prices, and went down hill. I’m very sad about it. I miss the owner, Steve, and the employees (the old ones left). Yogurtland Old Town Pasadena closed. I haven’t been going to Yogurtland as often as I did in previous years. On a positive note, 21 Choices just reopened, after moving from De Lacey and Colorado to chose to the new food hall on Union at Fair Oaks.

Progress towards meeting the blog’s original goal: I had to change my old goal of going to every froyo shop in the Bay Area to going to every froyo shop in greater Los Angeles. The rate of new openings has slowed and more froyo shops have closed, so I’m making good progress. I think I’ve been to every froyo shop within a 15-20 mile radius of my residence. I’m moving onto the 20-30 mile range, including Downey, Compton, and Santa Monica

Froyo spoon collection: I was able to sell about half of my extra froyo spoons on eBay. Hope I can sell more spoons in the future.

Soft and grand openings attended this year: So far, I’ve been to the openings of Yoga-urt in Echo Park, Menchie’s Sycamore Hills (Upland, CA), 21 Choices Frozen Yogurt in Old Town Pasadena and Eb & Bean #3 in Portland, Oregon. 

Current froyo obsessions: We're regulars at Yoga-urt in Glendale and Echo Park. So much about Yoga-urt is amazing - the vegan, organic soft serve, those crunchy gluten-free housemade cones, the housemade chocolate sauce. Drool. I still go to Souvla every time I go to SF. And I think about Pita GR's Greek frozen yogurt all the time but Downey isn't close, unfortunately.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

The Best Frozen Yogurt in Los Angeles Is Not Where You Think It Is

Fro-yo girl here. When someone asks, where’s the best frozen yogurt, do you automatically think of a frozen yogurt shop? I know that I did, for many years. But that’s partly because froyo shops were the only place to get frozen yogurt and coffeehouses, bakeries, convenience stores, and other places that added frozen yogurt seemed to do so as an afterthought. Frozen yogurt wasn’t their main business, so they didn’t seem to invest much time or effort in creating a high-quality product. Even many frozen yogurt shops served mass-produced, overly sweet frozen yogurt because it was easy and cheap.

The popularity and mainstreaming of frozen yogurt had the benefit of attracting a diverse group of entrepreneurs, some of which wanted to put their own spin on frozen yogurt. Specifically, there was a trend towards chef-driven fast-casual restaurant concepts in the late that emphasized convenience, affordability, and quality. And some of these chef-driven fast-casual concepts started offering frozen yogurt, but not mass-produced frozen yogurt. The recipes were developed by chefs and the yogurt was made in small batches. The end result is fresher, healthier (typically they use less sugar), higher in quality and all around tastier.

You may be wondering where to get your hands on this type of frozen yogurt. In the Los Angeles area, I recommend:

Spread Mediterranean Kitchen (334 S Main St., Los Angeles): Spread opened in downtown LA in 2016, offering one flavor (plain), of housemade Greek frozen yogurt. Their froyo has actually gotten better over time and I’ve always loved their creative toppings like beet salt & citrus powder and sour cherry. I also enjoy the food, especially the falafel over hummus, cheesy & spicy style.

Pita GR (9905 Paramount Blvd., Downey): Pita GR (the GR stands for Greek) is a fine-fast casual Greek street food eatery that opened in late September 2018. The chef is Greek. They make their own frozen Greek yogurt with their own recipe. There's only one flavor, plain. It can be topped with sour cherry syrup, lemon preserve, housemade baklava, or wildflower honey. Everything about this frozen yogurt is incredible – the texture, the flavor, the toppings.

Yoga-urt (1407½ W Kenneth Rd., Glendale): Yoga-urt was the first plant-based, gluten-free, kosher, soy-free, organic “froyo” shop in Los Angeles. They make their own froyo (it’s probiotic) from scratch. The main base is almond and cashew milk. Their flavors are unique and often intriguing, e.g., Purple Power has beets, Ganesha’s Sweet Greens has spinach. Their yogurt is so fresh and delicious that you don't miss the dairy at all.

LA isn’t the only city with froyo created using chef recipes. Souvla in San Francisco, CA definitely falls in this category. There are other places throughout the country, including fine dining establishments in New York, Boston, Chicago, Portland, etc. I haven't tried froyo at the fine dining establishments. If you're wondering where those are, there's a Pinterest board dedicated to froyo at fine dining establishments. Call ahead, because their menus do change.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Tenth Blogiversary of Fro-yo Girl Speaks

Fro-yo girl here. This is embarrassing, but I forgot to acknowledge my tenth blogiversary on October 20, 2018. I was so busy planning for Halloween that it just slipped my mind. This week I finally organized my froyo spoon collection and I realized I’ve been collecting froyo spoons for almost ten years. I have so many spoons that I need to sell or trade some of them (see my next post).

Ten years. I’ve seen so many froyo shops come and go. The ones that closed that I really miss are:

• Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt in Palo Alto (my 2008 cup of Culture strawberry froyo with nectarines is pictured, the first picture ever posted to this blog) 
• Jubili in San Francisco: The first place I tried tart froyo and mochi balls
• The original (1st) Tuttimelon on Irving St. in San Francisco 
• Pinkberry in Pasadena and Glendale 
• Sno:la in Beverly Hills 

The question I get asked the most is who has the best froyo. During the past few years while froyo shops have added soft serve ice cream, gelato, and frozen custard, along with indulgent flavors, I’ve been obsessed with the simplicity of the plain Greek frozen yogurt with Greek toppings at Souvla in San Francisco, the organic, sophisticated flavors at Easy Breezy in San Francisco, and the plant-based, organic, kosher, soy-free, probiotic luscious offerings at Yoga-urt in Glendale, CA. The frozen yogurt at the three places I listed tastes fresher and less processed.

If I lived in NYC, I’m sure that I would be a frequent visitor to Culture. I’m happy that I’ve been there more than once. 

My favorite froyo memories over the years are:

• Attending the 2014 Critics Choice TV Awards as Yogurtland's guest. Yogurtland served froyo at the event. The big winners that year were Orange Is the New Black, Masters of Sex, and True Detective. Thanks, Yogurtland!!!
• Attending YoCream's Froyo Conference in 2011 as YoCream's guest. I learned about froyo store operations, toured the factory, and met the founder of YoCream, John Hanna, and other important people in froyo. Thanks, YoCream!!!
• Visiting Yogurtland HQ and talking to Phillip Chang in his office.
• Visiting Menchie's HQ and talking to Amit Kleinberger. He kept smiling!
• Meeting the Pinkberry team, including Ron Graves, and sampling test flavors at Pinkberry HQ
• Attending the NRA Show in Chicago
• Meeting Roy Lam of Tuttimelon and getting the VIP treatment at Tuttimelon openings. I still have all the t-shirts, Tuttimelon merchandise, and Tuttimelon bear.
• Visiting Jonathan Rim, the owner of Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt in Dublin and getting free froyo to take home
• Spending time with the owners of the Bay Area Red Mango locations: Richard, Steven and Yul
• Every National/International Frozen Yogurt Day
• Starting the National Frozen Yogurt Association
• Conducting froyo research
• Winning the Yogurtland San Francisco marketing plan competition
• The time Yogurtland sent me a set of Tokidoki froyo spoons and a Tokidoki t-shirt

I started the blog in 2008 to track frozen yogurt news – and that’s still the main purpose. Thank you so much to my fans and readers and keep eating frozen yogurt! 

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Celebrating the Ninth Blogiversary

Fro-yo girl here. Today, Fro-yo Girl Speaks, my blog, turns nine. So much has happened since October 2008, including the waxing and waning of frozen yogurt itself. Only two of the top 10 froyo shops that I named in October 2008 are still open. The number of froyo shops that have closed far outnumbers the ones that are still open, but nine years is a long time. On a positive note, very few Menchie’s and Yogurtland locations have closed in the Bay Area. And, froyo is now an official word in the Merriam Webster dictionary.

I still have many froyo shops to visit in Southern California and I’m happy to see that there are high quality, independent shops like Yoga-urt in Glendale, CA and Go Greek. Yes, I miss my Bay Area froyo shops, but I feel like Souvla’s froyo has inspired other restaurants across the country, including Spread Kitchen in downtown LA, GRK Fresh Kitchen, Kentro in Fullerton, CA, Kali (new) in Palo Alto, CA, Yalla, and Greko in Nashville, TN. These eateries only offer one flavor of froyo, plain, with gourmet Greek inspired toppings.

After all, plain frozen yogurt is still one of the best if not the best, flavor available. I like the simplicity of this new wave of Greek froyo, with the emphasis on quality over quantity. Will it have wide appeal? Probably not, but it will appeal to those who appreciate the true taste of yogurt and it seems fitting, since original tart yogurt is what started wave 2 of the froyo frenzy. It’s not gimmicky, like activated charcoal froyo, 24K gold froyo, unicorn froyo, froyo rolls, or liquid nitrogen froyo, but it’s just great froyo.

If you love frozen yogurt, be sure to join the International Frozen Yogurt Association, the association that I founded in 2013. It’s free to join. The monthly enewsletter is also free and will deliver froyo industry news to your inbox.

Thank you so much to my fans and readers and keep eating frozen yogurt!

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Kentro (Fullerton, CA) Adds Baklava Topped Frozen Yogurt

Fro-yo girl here. When another restaurant starts offering its own housemade frozen yogurt with housemade baklava, I find it newsworthy. Kentro, a casual Greek restaurant, has been open in downtown Fullerton for several years. I learned that they recently invested in a Taylor froyo machine and started offering frozen Greek yogurt topped with housemade baklava. At the moment that’s the only froyo option they offer – one flavor with baklava and honey citrus syrup.

Kentro uses the same cup, only offers one flavor/plain and has baklava and honey as a toppings combination, so it does feel like they were inspired by Souvla, the Greek eatery in San Francisco. Being inspired by Souvla is a good thing.

* Baklava frozen Greek yogurt ($7): At Kentro, when you order the baklava frozen Greek yogurt, you get a cup of plain Greek frozen yogurt with honey citrus syrup drizzled on top and housemade crumbled baklava. It’s their own froyo recipe. I heard that they strain their own yogurt too. It wasn’t overly sweet but had a bit of sourness and tang. The frozen yogurt was good because it tasted closer to yogurt and less processed. The texture was icier and not as smooth as Souvla’s. The baklava was soft and very sweet. It must have had nuts, but I didn’t see or taste any. It tasted mostly of cinnamon. Souvla gives you more baklava and their baklava is better…but they’re in SF, so I can’t go there too often.

The restaurant is large and has an attractive, modern look. There’s a bar area where you can sit and dine. There was a lot of natural light inside. Service was very friendly. In case you’re curious, the menu includes appetizers (calamari, spanakopita, etc.), spreads (served with bread), soups, salads, flatbreads, pita sandwiches, entrees (moussaka souvlaki, brizola, etc.), sides, Greek wines, Greek coffee and desserts. Order at the counter and grab a number. They’ll bring your food and frozen yogurt to you.

P.S. Mr. Froyo recommends their dolmades. He says their the best that he’s ever had.

* KENTRO GREEK KITCHEN: 100 S Harbor Blvd. #A, Fullerton, CA 92832

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Froyo Showdown in the Mission (San Francisco, CA)

Fro-yo girl here. Foodhall opened in April 2016 as a stylish gourmet grocery store with coffee, pastries, cheese, produce and a large wine and spirits collection. The space is beautiful, especially the ceiling. The chalkboard sign out front says Best Froyo Ever.

Foodhall serves Italian style frozen yogurt made with Straus organic milk. There’s just one flavor, plain. I can respect that. Plain is usually one of the best flavors.

Froyo prices: Small ($3.50)/ Medium ($4.50)/ Large ($6.50)/ Cone ($6)

Toppings ($1.50 each): Dark chocolate hazelnut sauce, salted caramel sauce, espresso, sour cherries (they didn’t have any during my visit), organic macerated strawberries, organic blueberries, organic raspberries, toasted hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, pine nuts, granola, maple bacon

Complimentary toppings: Olive oil & sea salt, honey, maple syrup, sprinkles

The cones are gourmet, hand-rolled ones from the Konery in Brooklyn. The froyo is dispensed from a countertop Taylor machine. It’s generally available all day, unless they happen to be cleaning the machine.

The small froyo was a generous size. The froyo was thick and smooth. It was sweet but tangy. It reminded me a lot of Yogorino’s Italian froyo, only denser. It has that unique taste that Yogorino had.

Is it the best froyo? The answer definitely would have been yes when they first opened but since then, Souvla opened a few blocks away at 758 Valencia St. Souvla also offers just one flavor of froyo (plain tart) dispensed from a countertop Taylor machine, but it’s Greek style. Both Foodhall and Souvla offer excellent froyo. Souvla’s isn’t as sweet or dense; it tastes more like natural yogurt. Souvla’s also isn’t as dene. I prefer the Greek toppings at Souvla though their toppings selection is more limited. Personally, I prefer Souvla froyo but I can see why others who like a sweeter yogurt would argue in favor of Foodhall’s version.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* FOODHALL: 3100 16th St., San Francisco, CA 94103
* SOUVLA: 758 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA 94110

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Froyo Wish List for 2017

Fro-yo girl here. It’s the new year and time for my ninth annual froyo wish list. Before I share my wishes, I’d like to review my 2016 wishes.

My 2016 wishes:

* Going to more countries to try their froyo (e.g., Llaollao, Frozen by a Thousand Blessings, Sour Sally, Berry Culture, The Local Frozen Yogurt, Pick Yo)

Update: This didn’t happen. I didn’t even leave California.

* I'm still looking for good tart froyo at the supermarket (or popsicles).

Update: Jeni’s Ice Creams always makes wonderful froyo. While they’re carried by supermarkets, very few carry their frozen yogurt flavors. However, I live in LA, so I can always go to the Jeni’s scoop shop for froyo.

* Collecting froyo spoons from other countries, including the Hello Kitty spoon from Yogen Fruz Mexico, the Hello Kitty spoon from Yoppi Yogurt Taiwan, Moyo spoons, Sour Sally hand spoons, etc. I still need Joji spoons from Florida.

Update: I didn’t have any luck with the spoons I mentioned but a friend brought back some special froyo spoons from Norway.

For 2017, my froyo wishes are:

• To try Pinkberry Pops: They’re now available in UAE, KSA, Lebanon, Qatar and Turkey. I would love to try one without traveling to the Middle East!
• To try Llaollao: Llaollao seems to be everywhere (e.g., Russia, Slovenia, Cambodia, Uruguay, Chile, El Salvador) except North America.
• For Menchie’s to add flavor finder feature on the Menchie’s My Smileage mobile app: I’d like easy access to list of flavors carried by specific Menchie’s locations
• For Daphne’s Greek to be converted to their new concept, Yalla somewhere close to me: I’d like a closer Yalla so that I can get my Greek froyo w/ baklava fix on a regular basis. I’m obsessed. I doubt Souvla SF would open here any time soon.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Baklava Froyo, Froyo Topped with Baklava

Fro-yo girl here. Did you know that today is National Baklava Day? Baklava is good on its own – the papery thin layers of filo pastry, chopped nuts and honey or sugar syrup – but it is dense, sweet and rich.

Baklava happens to be the perfect froyo topping, for plain froyo. It’s not as sweet or rich when paired with a light, tangy froyo. I became obsessed with baklava topped froyo when I had it at Souvla in San Francisco. Mini-chain, Yalla, also serves plain Greek froyo with baklava in Northern and Southern California. And it’s been spotted at the Pago cart and GRK in NYC, Yiaourtaki in Greece and Blu Spoon in Australia.

Turkey Hill had a baklava flavored froyo but I never had a chance to try it. Turkey Hill isn’t available in California, I think.

I found a recipe for homemade froyo with baklava: http://www.kalofagas.ca/2013/08/02/homemade-frozen-greek-yogurt/

Check out my Pinterest board for pictures of froyo with baklava: https://www.pinterest.com/froyogirl/froyo-with-baklava/

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Eighth Blogiversary of Fro-Yo Girl Speaks

Fro-yo girl here. Fro-yo Girl speaks turns 8 years old today, October 20, 2016. I’m still living in Southern California and going to different frozen yogurt shops. There are still way too many shops for me to get to all of them, though of course I’ve been to all the shops within a 20 minute drive. The shops downtown are more challenging to get to with the heat and the lack of parking.

Traveling and moving have allowed me to directly observe that frozen yogurt is much more popular in Southern California. It’s a lot warmer here and it’s warm-to-hot all year. While some froyo shops are closing, even more are still opening (believe it or not). There are fewer new shops opening in Northern California.

San Francisco is an odd city – it doesn’t have a big chain frozen yogurt shop, except Pinkberry. Yogen Fruz and Yogurtland used to have shops there. There aren’t many Menchie’s locations in the Bay Area. They’re not in San Francisco or Palo Alto. Of course both places have high rents.

The last time I visited San Francisco and had froyo at my favorite places, I was alarmed that several of them are no longer as good as they used to be. This definitely saddens me.

I’m always asked for froyo shop recommendations. My current recommendations are the following:

• Souvla (San Francisco, CA – various locations): Their simple Greek housemade frozen yogurt is delicious and refreshing. It also pairs well with their short selection of toppings. I recommend the housemade baklava and sour cherry syrup. Their salads are simple but so good too.
• Yoga-urt (1407 W Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA): I didn’t know about Kenneth Village till Yoga-urt opened a little over a year ago. Their non-dairy, organic frozen yogurt is amazing – rich, creamy, with probiotics. It’s Mr. Froyo’s favorite place. I do miss the tang of cow milk yogurt that nut based milk yogurt doesn’t have but I appreciate the quality and flavors at Yoga-urt.
• Go Greek Yogurt (Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar): Their yogurt is imported from Greece and it does taste different. They make their frozen yogurt with that Greek yogurt and it’s a rich, indulgent treat. I love that they have Greek toppings too. Try the rose preserve.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (1954 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles): For the best scoopable frozen yogurt, head to Jeni's in Los Feliz. While Jeni's is known for ice cream, their biodynamic frozen yogurt is even better than their ice cream. The frozen yogurt bursts with tangy flavor.

Lately I’ve been obsessed with plain tart frozen yogurt with housemade baklava at Souvla. Housemade toppings are such a treat!

If you love frozen yogurt, be sure to join the International Frozen Yogurt Association, the association that I founded. It’s free to join. The monthly enewsletter is also free and will deliver froyo industry news to your inbox. http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/

Thank you so much to my fans and readers and keep eating frozen yogurt!

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

New Spread Mediterranean Kitchen in Downtown LA Offers Housemade Greek Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. Downtown LA has always been a bit of a froyo desert. While you could find froyo here and there, there were very few places to get your froyo. This is surprising since a thriving downtown area usually has a lot of froyo. Good news: Spread Mediterranean Kitchen opened last month.

It’s got a GRK/Souvla type of vibe and a similar set up for lunch: pick your base (housemade flat bread, basmati rice, hummus or salad greens), pick your main (falafel, grilled free range chicken, lamb meatballs, roasted mushrooms, braised beef) and pick your style (traditional, smooth & cool, savory & red, or cheesey & spicy).

The treats section of the menu includes housemade Greek frozen yogurt. There’s just one flavor, plain. Choose from the mini or large size ($2/$4). The list of toppings is short: beet salt & citrus powder, chai halva crumble, or harissa dry spice & pita chip. The toppings are included in the price of the yogurt.

Their frozen yogurt didn’t taste like the typical plain/original tart frozen yogurt. It was dense, smooth and icy. The taste was mild; I could taste the yogurt and it was sweetened but not as sweet. I like how the flavor had a clean, natural finish but it was on the bland side. There was little tang though it was refreshing. I did like the chai halva crumble – it was a bit crunchy and not too sweet. There was very little topping but she did offer me more after I started eating my froyo. I’d give the froyo 3.5 stars and the toppings a 4.5.

I thought the chicken flatbread wrap, cheesey & spicy style, was very tasty and flavorful though it didn’t come with much chicken. Spread is open daily from 11:30 AM – 11 PM. There’s free wi-fi before 6 PM and Middle Eastern inspired cocktails for the evening.

This is Spread’s first and only location. Will it spread?

* SPREAD MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN: 334 S Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90034

4 out of 5 stars

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

New Chain Review: Yalla Mediterranean

Fro-yo girl here. The race is on to be the next Mediterranean version of Chipotle. Yalla is a new concept from the owners of Daphne's California Greek chain. Yalla launched in Pleasant Hill in 2014 and now has 7 locations in the Bay Area and Southern California. They have that assembly line where you choose your style/base and choose your protein, sauces and toppings. Choose a wrap, salad, or plate. Then pick a protein (falafel, shawarma, kabobs), add sides, toppings and sauces. 

I won’t go into too much detail about the food since what I really care about is their Greek frozen yogurt. The Greek frozen yogurt set up reminds me of SF’s Souvla. They use the same Carpigiani machine, offer only one flavor (plain), and offer similar Greek toppings.

The yogurt is apparently a “special house recipe.” It’s available with honey, chocolate or sour cherry sauce for $2.25 or with chopped baklava or chocolate pita crumbles for $2.95. It’s a small portion but good for dessert.

How was it? Souvla’s Greek frozen yogurt is definitely better in terms of flavor and texture; it's creamy, smooth and tastes like yogurt. Yalla’s frozen yogurt is smooth but icy and it tastes like original tart yogurt. Yalla's sour cherry syrup isn’t very sour but it’s very good with yogurt.

The frozen yogurt was disappointing and the food was as well. Their hummus was so salty. The falafel was salty too. But Chipotle is also a sodium bomb, so maybe people will like their extra salty food.

I’m hoping that San Francisco's Souvla or GRK opens in SoCal one day. Or maybe Spitz will add froyo. GRK, which got its start in NYC, recently opened a location in Dubai but they aren't present on the West Coast yet.

* YALLA: 3141 Mowry Ave., Fremont, CA 94538

3.5 out of 5 stars

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

San Francisco Froyo Guide

Fro-yo girl here. It’s been almost three years since my Fro-yo Visitor’s Guide to San Francisco post and it’s time for an update. Sadly, some of the frozen yogurt shops on the original list are no longer in business but the good news is that new places have opened. This guide contains the frozen yogurt shops that are worth visiting.

* Hayes Valley: Hayes Valley, the artsy shopping/dining district has long been devoid of good dessert places but all that has changed and the neighborhood is now a frozen dessert mecca with Smitten (freshly made nitrogen ice cream), Miette (ice cream sandwiches made with Straus organic ice cream) and my froyo pick. Souvla (517 Hayes St.) is a crazy popular casual Greek eatery that specializes in spit-fired all natural meats. Get a Greek sandwich or salad, drink some Greek wine or beer and enjoy a cup of creamy Greek froyo for dessert. The Greek frozen yogurt comes in one size and one flavor (plain) with your choice of toppings: baklava crumbles with syrup, sour cherry, olive oil and sea salt or honey. It comes in a cute coffee cup that’s perfect for strolling over to Patricia’s Green (Octavia at Hayes), the neighborhood urban park with rotating art exhibits. 

* Japantown/Fillmore: There are so many cute places to shop in Japantown. My top picks are New People, Daiso, Ichiban Kan and Kinokuniya. Fillmore St. is also a shopping destination with Marc by Marc Jacobs, Paper Source, Jonathan Adler, Steven Alan, NARS, Kiehl’s and Nest. Fraiche Yogurt (1910 Fillmore St.) offers artisanal yogurt and fro-yo made from scratch. The soy fro-yo is excellent and the combination of steel cut oatmeal and fro-yo is an unexpected delight. The housemade chocolate shell sauce is out of this world. I also recommend afternoon tea at the British owned Crown & Crumpet (1746 Post St., make reservations) and Jane (2123 Fillmore St.) for a fresh baked treat and Four Barrel Coffee.

* Union Square: No trip to San Francisco is complete without visiting Union Square, the main shopping destination in SF. Pinkberry (170 O’Farrell St.) is conveniently located at Macy’s Union Square. There are other froyo shops in the downtown area (e.g., Yoppi, Caffe Ambrosia) but Pinkberry is the best one. You can never go wrong with the original tart with fresh fruit – such a refreshing, light treat after a long day of shopping.

* Castro/Noe Valley/Inner Sunset: Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt (4028 24th St., 718 Irving St., 4092 18th St.) became the International Frozen Yogurt Association’s first Swirl of Honor recipient. Look for the IFYA Swirl of Honor decal and know that you’re in for a treat – hand-crafted unique frozen yogurt and frozen custard flavors (e.g., Lemon Ginger Zinger, Cherry Marzipan, Vietnamese Coffee, Banana Cream Pie), including organic and non-dairy flavors made with almond milk and coconut milk. There are three locations and the décor is super cute. Swirl your own cup and head over to the toppings bar which features local toppings and toppings you won’t see elsewhere. The Inner Sunset location is close to the San Francisco Botanical Garden (9th Ave. & Lincoln) and museums in Golden Gate Park.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Souvla: Frozen Greek Yogurt at a Greek Restaurant

Fro-yo girl here. Why don’t more Greek restaurants offer froyo? And why aren’t more of them casual quick serve spots? Souvla opened a few months ago in the Hayes Valley neighborhood in San Francisco and it’s been praised by many publications for its food (spit fired all natural meats are their specialty) and dessert. It’s a casual spot where you order up front and sit at communal tables. What’s for dessert? Greek frozen yogurt of course.

Souvla keeps it simple when it comes to frozen yogurt. I think that’s part of the reason it’s so good.

The froyo, which is their own recipe, comes in one flavor (plain) and one size. You have your choice of Greek toppings: sour cherry syrup, baklava crumbles, honey, or olive oil with sea salt. It comes in a cute Greek paper cup (like a coffee cup).

* Frozen Greek yogurt with baklava crumbles and (honey) syrup ($5): The texture is smooth, creamy and airier (whipped)…reminiscent of Yogorino. It’s probably not nonfat…The froyo wasn’t sour and only mildly tangy but it did have less sugar so it tasted more natural and more like Greek yogurt. The aftertaste was clean and slightly sweet. The honey syrup wasn’t too sweet either. And the baklava crumbles, oh the baklava crumbles – yummy chewy morsels of nutty, cinnamon deliciousness. I’ll have to come back to try the other toppings.

I asked someone walking down Hayes about his froyo…he said it was extremely sour. I didn’t find it sour but compared to other froyo it’s less sweet. It’s a perfect dessert for strolling around Hayes Valley.

I’m hoping to try GRK in NYC which also has Greek frozen yogurt (and theirs is imported from Greece). Stay open till I get there, please.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* SOUVLA, 517 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.