Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt, the Self-Serve Experience

Fro-yo girl here. It’s been years since a new Blush location opened and I didn’t think they’d ever go self-serve but the new location in Pleasanton is the first self-serve Blush. The grand opening was on August 2, 2015. The shop replaced another froyo shop called Yogoholic (which I visited years ago).

Pleasanton Blush has 8 rotating self-serve froyo flavors a day with the usual Blush toppings (fruit, warm syrups, nuts, cereal, sprinkles, cookie dough, candy, granola, graham crackers, popping boba, mochi, cheesecake, chocolate chips) for 45 cents an ounce. They also carry Mitchell’s Ice Cream (but who wants ice cream when you can have froyo?)

Their flavors are made in-house and their frozen yogurt is organic. They support local schools in the area and gave out  free froyo to veterans on Veterans Day.

Froyo flavors of the day:
* Peanut butter
* Cookies  n crème
* Chocolate
* Original tart: one of their best flavors, creamy, smooth, clean tasting, moderately tangy with a sweet finish
* Blush (pomegranate dragonfruit): try it, this is one of their best flavors
* Pumpkin pie: I used to be a fan but it seemed sweeter with less pumpkin flavor
* Apple pie: tasted like apple cider, with apple juice and spice flavor
* Vanilla: interesting because it has a tart yogurt flavor and isn’t like the usual vanilla

I’ve eaten a massive amount of Blush froyo in the past. The texture at the new location isn’t as good as the other locations. The frozen yogurt is softer and not as thick. Perhaps it’s because the Pleasanton location uses different soft serve machines (Pleasanton has Stoelting machines, the other locations have Taylor machines)? The frozen yogurt comes out of the spout very fast.

Earn rewards with FiveStars. I recommend the Original Tart and Blush flavors.

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

* BLUSH ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: 3500 Bernal Ave. #145, Pleasanton, CA 94566

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.

IFYA's New Froyo Marketplace, Place Free Classified Ads

Fro-yo girl here. Are you looking to buy, sell or trade frozen yogurt products, services or businesses? Do you have a frozen yogurt event to announce? The International Frozen Yogurt Association has just launched a frozen yogurt online marketplace, with free classified ads. 

The froyo marketplace makes it easier for froyo buyers and sellers to find what they’re looking for. There are five categories: products, services, businesses, events and other. The ads can easily be searched by category, location, price range, keywords, etc.

Advertise for free for 10 days. Any registered user can post a classified ad.

Run your ad for a month for $5.

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.

Boston Froyo Report

Fro-yo girl here. Boston is a respectable froyo town. It became achieved that status when Berryline opened at Harvard Square in Cambridge (3 Arrow St.) back in 2007. Local favorite Berryline has won Best FroYo from boston.com’s A-List in 2010-2014. The original shop offers four house flavors a day and they do come up with creative flavors like malted cinnamon cocoa, pear almond, banana chocolate, apple cinnamon, rose and lavender honey. They also have some housemade toppings like granola, mochi and brownies. Some of their flavorings are subtle. The frozen yogurt texture is smooth and light.

Coolidge Corner and the Allston/Brighton/Brookline neighborhoods seem to be the hub of frozen yogurt activity. Many froyo shops are located in this area, including the recently closed Yogurtland (which closed in September 2015), FroyoWorld (from Connecticut), 16 Handles and local shops: Mixx, Chill, JP Licks. Chill (354 Chestnut Hill Ave., Brighton, MA) is a local shop that carries ice cream and counter serve frozen yogurt (4 rotating flavors). Their Original Tart is thick, creamy and refreshing.

JP Licks is primarily an ice cream shop (with 13 locations in the Boston area) but they do offer frozen yogurt. Sweet and tart flavors are offered. Yogurt X is their plain/original tart flavor and it’s respectable (moderately tart, firm with a sweet finish, the texture was slightly gritty).

Mix in, hand churned style yogurt is a popular menu item at Angora Café (1024 Commonwealth Ave., Boston) across from Boston University. The delightful Japanese bakery, Japonaise (1020 Beacon St., Brookline), also offers mix in style froyo, including a green tea and red bean variety.

Froyo is never too far when you’re on the Freedom Trail, starting with the Walgreen’s flagship store (620 Washington St.) at Boston Common which carries UpMarket froyo. Faneuil Hall has Grasshopper Creamery with four flavors of froyo, while you can find froyo at Quincy Market’s The Berry Twist and Sprinkles Ice Cream. Pinkberry (285 Hanover St., Boston) is across the street from the Freedom Trail in the North End area.

You can find froyo at several transportation hubs. Pinkberry has locations at South Station and Logan International Airport. Pinkberry locations in Boston carry more than froyo. I also spotted cupcakes, coffee and acai bowls.

Other froyo shops in Boston include FroZen Yo, Red Mango, iYo, Orange Leaf, etc.

I was excited to try Stonyfield Frozen Yogurt Pearls at Whole Foods, but they weren’t available at the location that I visited.

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 Pink Bubbly Flavor at Pinkberry

Fro-yo girl here. I just had a cup of Pinkberry’s Pink Bubbly froyo. The flavor is inspired by pink champagne but it’s non-alcoholic. The flavor is described as light and bubbly. I tried a test version back in February of this year at the Pinkberry in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. The flavor I tried back then was called Pink Champagne tasted much more like champagne. 

Pink Bubbly is light, sweet and fruity. It reminds me of peach but the peach flavor is very subtle. I liked how the flavor was delicate and smooth with a sweet, clean finish. It was lighter and definitely tasted like yogurt (yay). I wish they had introduced new toppings, like  white chocolate curls and mini macarons. Recommended toppings: popping boba, yogurt chips, mochi, pomegranate seeds (they're back).

A new menu board is going to be revealed in early December. It will feature customizable shakes and the mini size will be back on the menu. A new non-dairy flavor, Just Strawberry, and new coconut milk based flavors are on the way: Coconut Milk Coconut, Coconut Milk Dark Chocolate and Coconut Milk Salted Caramel.

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.

Monsieur Singh Frozen Lassi Review

Fro-yo girl here. I recently found Monsieur Lassi frozen lassi pints at a Whole Foods in New York. Monsieur Singh was founded by Karan Gera in October 2011 and it started out as a lassi cart in New York. It’s currently sold around NY/CT. Monsieur Singh is a healthier, probiotic product with Indian flavors, herbs and spices, inspired by lassi, the Indian yogurt drink.

* Frozen Honey Lemon Lassi ($6.99 at Whole Foods): Frozen lassi is packed with flavor. The frozen lassi tastes much different than any froyo product that I’ve tried before. Mint leaves are found in abundant amounts giving it a cooling flavor. The mint is dominant but the flavors are complex – with lemon rind, sweet honey, and tangy yogurt. It very much reminds me of raita, minus the cucumber. It’s almost savory. The texture is firm and icy (but not watery). It’s not as smooth because of all the mint leaves.

Available flavors: Honey Lemon Lassi, Mango Lassi, Pineapple Banana Lassi

Monsieur Singh frozen lassi can be found at the following locations: http://monsieursingh.com/find-lassi/

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 Holiday Flavor at Menchie’s: Southern Pecan Pie

Fro-yo girl here. Menchie’s rolled out a new holiday flavor today, Southern Pecan Pie froyo. The new flavor is the favorite of Theodore (from Alvin and the Chipmunks), according to the flavor card. Southern Pecan Pie froyo is lowfat and contains pecans and pie crust crumbs.

I’ve never eaten pecan pie (and I never want to) but I do eat pecans. Southern Pecan Pie froyo did have a nutty pecan flavor though it was on the subtle side. I couldn’t detect the pie crust. The flavor seemed very sweet and was a bit icy. Mr. Froyo agreed that he could taste pecans.

Recommended toppings: Whipped cream, almonds, Heath Bars, graham cracker crumbs

My Menchie’s location ran out of the Alvin spoons (sad face) though they’re expecting more soon. They still had plenty of Alvin & the Chipmunk yogurt cups.

The next new holiday flavors are Holiday Eggnog and Dark Chocolate Cherry Brownie, due December 1.

Remember that for every $25 Menchie’s gift card purchased, receive a $5 bonus Alvin and the Chipmunks Menchie’s gift card. Be sure to enter the Alvin & the Chipmunks The Road Chip contest and win a road trip to Los Angeles from San Francisco.

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.

Innovative Froyo Shop: Victory Garden in New York City

Fro-yo girl here. Goat milk – yay or nay? If you love goat milk, you’ll likely love Victory Garden, a unique goat milk soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt shop in the West Village of NYC. The petite shop is an ode to the goat and to healthy, local eating. A large picture of goats dominates one brick wall. The logo is a stylized image of a goat’s head.

The goat milk is sourced from a local farm. Soups, baked goods and some of the toppings are housemade, others are locally sourced. Flavors and toppings are seasonal. Gluten free baked goods and toppings are offered. The flavors are more sophisticated and the toppings healthier.

Flavors of the day:

* Tangy goat milk: The goat milk yogurt flavor is distinctive and delicious without being too strong (or too weak). The texture is smooth, dense and creamy and the aftertaste is sweet and clean. It tasted “cleaner” and less processed than the typical frozen yogurt. The flavor was tangy but moderately so and the slight refreshing edge was also pleasant.

* Date yogurt

* Salted caramel: Sweeter than the tangy goat milk flavor, salt flavor is subtle

* Chocolate rosemary

Toppings included fresh fruit (just strawberries during my visit), cocoa nibs, sauces (rose quince, honey, agave), sprinkles, nuts, cookies, coconut, granola and dried mulberries. Toppings labeled premium (vs. regular) are available for an additional charge ($2.19 for one premium topping, $1.09 for one regular topping). I enjoyed the sour cherry topping, with lots of chewy whole sour cherries in a sweet syrup. Look out for unusual toppings and sauces like mole sauce, raspberry rose sauce, edible flowers, blackcurrant bay leaf sauce, fennel pollen, bitter orange drizzle, and candied pine nuts.

Prices: Kid ($4.75)/ Doe ($5.50)/ Buck ($6.75)/ Hero ($12.99)

In addition to soft serve in a cup or gluten free cone, Victory Garden has juices, chia parfaits, baked goods (e.g., brownies, carrot cake with goat cheese frosting), goat milk smoothies, sandwiches, mastic coffee, tea and goat milk Greek yogurt (not frozen). Baked goods are made with housemade goat milk butter. They also sell Victory Garden t-shirts and goaty products like soap and so forth. Pick up your loyalty card. Seating is limited.

4.5 out of 5 stars

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

* VICTORY GARDEN: 31 Carmine St., New York (West Village), NY 10014

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.