Fro-yo Report: NYC

Fro-yo girl here. I recently visited NYC and walked around looking for fro-yo shops. I spotted over a dozen shops though some were closed (for good or for the season) and one hadn’t opened yet. It was clear that the battle for NYC dominance is currently between self-serve shop, 16 Handles, and fro-yo icon, Pinkberry.

Pinkberry currently has 13 stores in NYC with a new one swirling soon to 93rd and Broadway. It also has one location in Brooklyn and another swirling soon. 16 Handles has 9 locations in Manhattan with one handling soon on Bleecker St, 3 locations in Brooklyn and 2 locations in Queens. The 16 Handles location that I visited was clean and friendly, with better than average toppings and cute signature fro-yo spoons.

Yogurt Station at St. Mark’s Place has closed, Rize Coffee no longer offers fro-yo, and Yogurberry in Park Slope said it was closed for the season. While Yogurtland is in NYC, I didn’t walk or drive by either of their two locations (one in Lenox Hill, one in Brooklyn). Yogorino had a $1 mini fro-yo Winter promotion (M-F from 5 - 7 PM) that caught my eye. I didn’t spot any fro-yo trucks.

When in NYC, I recommend going to Park Slope in Brooklyn to try Culture: An American Yogurt Company. They make their own Greek style yogurt which is then used to make their delicious frozen yogurt. The fro-yo I tried had a wonderful, creamy, thick texture, natural flavor and less sugar than usual. It’s fro-yo for true fro-yo lovers. I was also impressed with their toppings, which included housemade salted caramel popcorn, gingerbread cookies, key lime custard, cardamom roasted pineapple in maple syrup and strawberries macerated in balsamic vinegar.

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

Fro-Yo with Halloween Spirit

Love fro-yo? Love Halloween? Try one of these fro-yo treats on Halloween day:

1. Pumpkin fro-yo. I had some yesterday at Natural Sensations in SF (SFSU campus). Try places that serve sweet fro-yo.
2. 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.
3. Bring candy corn to your favorite fro-yo shop. Add to your fro-yo.
4. Get the pumpkin spice granola as a fro-yo topping at Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt in Palo Alto.
5. Add Halloween candy (e.g., Halloween Kit Kats) to your store-bought fro-yo (e.g., Haagen Dazs).

Happy Halloween!