Fro-yo girl here. Rave Organics Café opened its doors for a soft launch on April 18. The new café in Newbury Park specializes in organic pizza, frozen yogurt, smoothies, sandwiches, breakfast, & other healthy meals. There are vegan options as well.
I stopped by to try the organic frozen yogurt, which is sourced from a local company, Cloud Top. When I walked in, the place felt empty. The display case which is maybe meant for pastries, was empty. The décor felt unfinished too. They’re still in soft opening mode even though they opened two weeks ago. There were no printed menus. The upstairs area is supposed to be calming but it just felt unfinished to me.
The frozen yogurt machines are on the right. They have four Taylor soft serve machines. The frozen yogurt is organic and they had eight flavors, four of these were vegan and none were tart. It is self-serve but the price is a flat rate $5.99 for a small and $7.99 for a medium. The price includes toppings. The small cup was huge (16 oz?) and definitely shareable. Ask for sample cups.
The toppings section was very small because they only offer organic, healthy toppings and they’re still in soft opening mode. They had nuts, granola, coconut, peanut butter mixed with honey, and chocolate chips.
The two vegan flavors that I tried were smooth, dense and creamy. The horchata flavor was very mild, so it tasted more like coconut froyo, but I enjoyed it because it wasn’t as sweet and it had a clean aftertaste. The chai spices were more noticeable though not overpowering. I noticed the toppings were less sweet too. If you are vegan or care about eating organic or concerned about sugar, give this frozen yogurt a try.
Froyo flavors:
- Old fashioned vanilla
- Dutch chocolate
- Cheesecake
- Salted caramel
- Pomegranate-berry (vegan)
- Strawberry (vegan)
- Chai (vegan)
- Horchata (vegan)
The cups and utensils are compostable. There is plenty of seating. I think the only other froyo place in Newbury Park is Tutti Frutti.
I wish the frozen yogurt were sold by the ounce or not self-serve because I didn't want a huge amount. It's supposed to be a healthy eatery, so smaller portions would be appreciated. Froyo would be a nice dessert or snack if the portion were a lot smaller. For example, they could offer meal deals that include a drink and froyo. Yes, I could put less in the cup but then it doesn't feel like getting your money's worth.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* RAVE ORGANICS CAFÉ: 520 N. Ventu Park Road, Suite 140, Newbury Park, CA 91320
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. I’ve put together this list of the best places to satisfy your craving for healthier froyo (and soft serve) for those of you who are looking to eat healthier this year. I wrote about the health benefits of froyo back in 2008. It’s lower in fat and calories than ice cream and probiotics help with digestion.
But if you’re following a specific type of diet or are looking for froyo that’s even healthier than average, here are some recommendations.
Low sugar/No sugar added
There are many sweeteners out there, some of which are natural and others are not. I personally do not like the bitter taste of Stevia. I’ve tried a variety of sweeteners and my favorites based on taste are agave nectar and dates.
My favorite no sugar added frozen yogurt can be found at Yoga-urt (1407 W Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA). Currently they offer two NSA date sweetened flavors, Ganesha’s Sweet Greens and Purple Power. Both flavors are fresh, complex, and hand-crafted with love. They are not always offered, so check their Instagram account, @yoga_urt, or call ahead. They’re currently swirling both Ganesha's Sweet Greens and Purple Power!
If Yoga-urt doesn’t have any NSA flavors on tap, ask if they’re available by the pint. If they don’t have any, then I recommend heading to Pressed Juicery for a Freeze. The Freeze is much icier and not as flavorful or interesting as Yoga-urt, but it is made with just a few ingredients and has a clean, simple flavor. Not every Pressed Juicery location offers Freeze, though I think most of the newer ones do. I usually go to the one at the Americana at Brand in Glendale.
Low carb
I don’t eat low carb frozen yogurt but Menchie’s often will carry at least one low carb flavor. Also, Humphrey Yogart (4520 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks), The Bigg Chill (10850 W Olympic Blvd., West Los Angeles) and The Yogurt Shoppe (11726 Barrington Ct., Brentwood & 873 N Swarthmore Ave., Pacific Palisades) are good about carrying low carb flavors. Humphrey Yogart also has multiple vegan bases for their mix-in style yogurt.
Dairy free
It’s easy to find dairy-free options. Most frozen yogurt shops offer at least one dairy-free option nowadays. If I had to choose my favorite, it would have to be something from Yoga-urt. Their hand-crafted, plant-based, organic, soy free, kosher frozen yogurt/soft serve is the best. My favorite flavor is Vanilla Harmony but there isn’t a flavor there that I don’t like. Try them all!
Nut free
For nut avoiders, I recommend going with a vegan base (soy) from Humphrey Yogart or 21 Choices (Pasadena & Claremont). Check http://www.21choices.com/ for the day’s flavors. I think they always have a dairy-free option but sometimes it has nuts. They sometimes have no sugar added flavors too. If you prefer soft serve that isn't mix-in style, Frozen Fruit Co. (729 Montana Ave., Ste 2, Santa Monica) makes their soft serve 100% from fruit.
Most frozen yogurt is gluten-free and much of it is kosher. If you have doubts, ask to see the nutritional information.
Don't forget healthy toppings: fresh fruit and nuts!
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. SunLife Organics quietly opened on April 8 in the Lake Avenue business district. The Pasadena location, store #5 for SunLife, which was established in Malibu, CA in 2011, is tucked away in the courtyard area behind Lemonade.
While the shop opened on April 8, they weren’t serving froyo at the time because they were waiting on a permit. Froyo is now available but it’s one of many of the shop’s offerings. They have juices, superfood bowls, salads, wraps, shakes, custom smoothies, protein shakes, shots, coffee, tea and bone broth. It’s healthy and fresh.
The organic froyo comes in two flavors: chocolate and vanilla. I got the sense that they never change the flavors. The frozen yogurt is gluten free, kosher with probiotics.
Prices: Small ($4), Large ($6.50)
Toppings (+$1): Granola, fresh fruit, chocolate sauce, shredded coconut
Toppings (+$2): Chocolate peanut butter cups, chocolate covered goji berries, almond butter superfood crumbles, honey sweetened whipped cream, gluten free brownie crumbles, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies
As you can see, the toppings are “healthier” and food allergy conscious.
I planned to have the vanilla froyo as a post-lunch snack. The small size is BIG though – possibly 8 ounces. Their vanilla frozen yogurt doesn’t taste like soft serve ice cream. It is sweet but it has yogurt flavor. The texture was not optimal: icy, gritty, soft. However, the frozen yogurt did have a sweet, clean finish. Considering the portion size, it was reasonably priced.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* SUNLIFE ORGANICS: 146 S Lake Ave., Suite 103, Pasadena, CA 91101
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.
