Pita GR Opens in Brea, California (North Orange County)

Pita GR in Brea, CA

Spaceman USA machine

Greek froyo with vissino

Fro-yo girl here. I was out of town for one week and missed the grand opening of Pita GR in Brea, CA, on August 8. During the grand opening, they even served free lunch: a pita or a salad with a beverage.

Pita GR is a Greek street food fast casual restaurant that first opened in Downey, CA in September 2018. The chef is Greek. The restaurant is inspired by the traditional Greek pita sandwich shops in Greece. The Brea location is their second and their first in Orange County.

They make their own frozen Greek yogurt with their own recipe. There's one flavor, plain, with Greek toppings: Greek honey, housemade baklava or Greek sour cherry preserves. You can also enjoy the froyo plain. I noticed they switched soft serve machines and now use Spaceman USA (the Downey location has a Carpigiani soft serve freezer).

Greek froyo with vissino ($6): Their Greek froyo is excellent: smooth, creamy, dense. It tastes fresh, mildly tangy, and has a clean finish. It doesn’t seem as sweet or processed as the froyo you get most places. They layered the froyo with sour cherries and sour cherry syrup. The cherries are more sweet than sour but the syrup makes the froyo tangier.

The food is good too! I usually get a salad and froyo for dessert.

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

* PITA GR: 2445 E Imperial Hwy, Unit F, Brea, CA 92821

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.

Spread Mediterranean Kitchen Adds Baklava Topping to Froyo

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.

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.

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.