Fro-yo girl here. I noticed that I hadn’t seen any updates on Spread Kitchen for months...wasn’t sure if they were open or closed. They set up a pantry/market during the pandemic and were offering delivery only. Their last Instagram and Facebook posts were in June 2020. Google and Yelp mark Spread Kitchen as temporarily closed. The Spread website says the Main Street location is temporarily closed. However, there’s a for lease sign up at the Spread location and they painted over the Spread sign, so it’s unlikely that they’ll reopen in that space. But the second location at Gas Co. Tower should reopen on September 8. The menu is different - sandwiches and salads.
Spread Mediterranean Kitchen opened in downtown Los Angeles in March 2016, offering housemade Greek froyo with interesting toppings, Mediterranean fare, and Mediterranean-inspired cocktails in a casual, stylish space. I went quite a few times over the years as I enjoyed their food (better than Souvla’s) and froyo (not as good as Souvla’s).
They had one flavor, plain, and toppings included beet salt & citrus powder, chai halva crumble, harissa dry spice & pita chip, baklava, and sour cherries in syrup.
I’m pretty sure the Gas Co. Tower location does not offer froyo. It’s not on the menu. Falafel isn’t on the menu either.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
SPREAD MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN: 334 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
LITTLE SPREAD: 555 West 5th Street, LA, 90013
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.
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.
Fro-yo girl here. When Spread Mediterranean Kitchen opened in downtown LA last year, I was very excited because of their menu and their housemade Greek froyo with interesting toppings. There’s one flavor, plain (the best flavor). The toppings included beet salt & citrus powder, chai halva crumble, or harissa dry spice & pita chip.
I’ve visited Spread multiple times since it opened. I really enjoy the food and the froyo. I also enjoy the ambiance/décor. The food is high quality and very flavorful but served in a casual (no waiter) setting. I think their falafel might be my favorite, served on top of their creamy hummus. It’s full of herbs with a light crunch outside. Their frozen yogurt is a bit icy but refreshing, not as sweet and less processed tasting. The toppings have changed over time. They added baklava (replacing the halva) but when I asked about it, they said they didn’t have any. So disappointing – but I am craving more falafel and the citrus zest froyo topping is so good.
* SPREAD MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN: 334 S Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90034
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.
Fro-yo girl here. What’s a hidden froyo gem? It’s a place that doesn’t have a clearly visible froyo sign. It’s a place that you might not expect to see froyo. Also, I’m limiting the list to places that serve good froyo.
I haven’t written a post about hidden froyo spots since 2008. It’s definitely time for an update. All but one of the Bay Area shops in the 2008 post have closed. This new list is for Southern California.
* LOHA’S FRESH MART (300 W Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801): LOHAS Fresh Mart is the healthy, organic Asian market that opened recently in downtown Alhambra. Head to the deli for a big cup of organic frozen yogurt. They only have one flavor.
* NICOLE’S GOURMET COFFEE & CHOCOLATE (928 S Western Ave., Ste. 145, Los Angeles, CA 90006): Located in Koreatown Plaza, Nicole’s is a popular Korean café that serves coffee, patbingsoo, taiyaki and frozen yogurt. They only have one flavor of frozen yogurt, plain/original, but it’s a good flavor and $4 gets you a big cup piled high with frozen yogurt.
* SPREAD MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN (334 S Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90034): The Middle Eastern food is tasty and you can get a mini housemade Greek froyo with topping for just $2.50. It’s a casual place so it’s easy to stroll in, order your froyo at the counter and go.
* SUNNY BLUE (2728 Main St., Santa Monica, CA 90405 & 12608A Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066): Sunny Blue has the best omusubi (Japanese rice balls). They’re made to order with warm, furikake topped rice and generous amounts of tasty, healthy Japanese fillings like miso beef, shiso ume, tuna, spicy salmon, etc. Both of their shops are adorable and both offer froyo (2 flavors a day) that they've flavored themselves. The toppings included red beans, Pocky, yuzu jam, Hello Panda, strawberries, etc.
* YALLA (multiple locations in CA, http://www.yallamedi.com/): Yalla has a set up that’s similar to Chipotle only they serve Mediterranean food; you choose your style/base and choose your protein, sauces and toppings. They have one flavor (plain) of Greek frozen yogurt that’s available with honey, chocolate, sour cherry sauce or chopped baklava. The small size is just right for dessert. Their froyo is their own proprietary recipe.
Did I miss any hidden froyo gems in Southern California? If so, let me know.
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.
Fro-yo girl here. Froyo prices have been rising lately; it’s difficult to find any shop that charges less than 40 cents an ounce. Remember when most Yogurtland locations charged 30 cents an ounce? Those were the froyo golden years.
Most of the self-serve froyo shops in the Los Angeles area are charging between 40 to 50 cents an ounce.
There are a few shops that charge less than 40 cents an ounce, including:
* FASHION FRUIT YOGURT (4125 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90023): Fashion Fruit Yogurt opened recently in East LA with 8 self-serve flavors a day and toppings for 39 cents an ounce. They serve Honey Hill Farms froyo.
* FRUIT YOGURT (2355 Foothill Blvd., La Verne, CA 91750): Fruit Yogurt opened back in 2011, two years before Yogurtland opened a few blocks away (also on Foothill Blvd.). When they first opened, Fruit Yogurt charged 30 cents an ounce and I believe that they now charge 36 cents an ounce. They have 16 self-serve froyo flavors a day and the fruit looked particularly fresh. Check in on Yelp to get 50% off your second cup.
* GREEN APPLE FROZEN YOGURT (10815 Valley Mall, El Monte, CA 91731): Green Apple opened in 2015. They serve Dannon YoCream frozen yogurt, with 10 self-serve flavors a day, for 35 cents an ounce.
* ML YOGURT (5025 E Florence Ave., Bell, CA 90201): I haven't been here but it's self-serve and 38 cents an ounce. Check in on Yelp for three ounces free,
* YOGURTLAND PASADENA (S LAKE): If you can make it to Yogurtland Pasadena (415 S Lake Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101) on Tuesdays before 3 PM, there’s a 25% discount off the 46 cents an ounce price, making it 34.5 cents an ounce. On Wednesdays before 3 PM, they have a buy one, get one for $1 offer (the more you get, the more you save). Or if you check in on Yelp, you’ll get 3 free ounces.
If you're feeling like a dainty froyo snack, try Spread Mediterranean Kitchen (334 S Main St., Los Angeles, CA) in DTLA. They serve one flavor of plain housemade froyo and it's just $2 for a mini and the price includes your choice of toppings. Top yours with beet salt & citrus powder, chai halva crumble or harissa dry spice & pita chip.
Have I missed any bargain froyo shops? I know that I haven’t been to every froyo shop in Southern California.
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.
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.
