Froyo History at the Valley Relics Museum

 

Fro-yo girl here. We recently visited the Valley Relics Museum, a museum dedicated to the history of the San Fernando Valley, so that Mr. Froyo could relive some childhood memories. He grew up in North Hollywood. I grew up in the Bay Area, so I don’t have SFV childhood memories, but I certainly recognized some of the movies, TV shows, and businesses of the Valley (e.g., Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Brady Bunch).

Some of the neon signs looked familiar because those businesses still exist (e.g., Dinah’s Fried Chicken, Pioneer Chicken, Johnny Rockets, Bob’s Big Boy). I spotted the Studio Frozen Yogurt sign. Studio Yogurt: Studio Yogurt opened in Studio City in 1997 and closed in 2014. The location was taken over by Yogurtland. It was an old school yogurt shop known for generous portions. I visited it one time.

I believe they have the old Humphrey Yogart sign, though I didn’t see it displayed. And yes, I was looking for it. The Valley is also home to the very first Menchie's Frozen Yogurt in Valley Village, and it's still open. Humphrey Yogart moved and continues to serve froyo inside Gelson's in Sherman Oaks.

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

* VALLEY RELICS MUSEUM: C3 & C4 Entrance on, 7900 Balboa Blvd, Stagg St, Van Nuys, CA 91406

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.

Sherman Oaks, CA Froyo Guide & Froyo History

Fro-yo girl here. Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. It’s a nice, affluent neighborhood with a population of nearly 70,000 with a median age of 38. There are four places to get froyo in Sherman Oaks today: Humphrey Yogart, Menchie's, Yogurtland and 59th & Lex Cafe inside Bloomingdale's.

Sherman Oaks is important in froyo history because it’s the home of the first Humphrey Yogart, 4574 Van Nuys Blvd. Humphrey Yogart opened in the Sherman Oaks in 1984. They had several locations (six at the peak) in the 80’s and 90’s but Sherman Oaks was the first. The owners met and fell in love at the shop. Humphrey Yogart closed the original location in March 2016 when they could not reach an agreement with the new landlord. Fortunately, they moved into Gelson’s, 4520 Van Nuys Blvd, which is in the same shopping center as their original shop. Humphrey Yogart is known for their mix-in style froyo and their former employee, Meghan Markle, the Dutchess of Sussex.

Sherman Oaks also had two celebrity-owned froyo shops and numerous celebrity froyo sightings.

Froyo Shops Currently Open in Sherman Oaks

• 59th & Lex Cafe, 14060 Riverside Dr, is Bloomingdale’s café. They serve salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, pasta, and their famous Forty Carrots frozen yogurt.
• Humphrey Yogart, 4520 Van Nuys Blvd. inside Gelson's
• Menchie’s, 13369 Ventura Blvd, opened in 2009 and is in its 13th year. It’s not too far from the original Menchie’s in Valley Village, which opened in 2007. Humphrey Yogart is super close to the Menchie’s in Valley Village but it must be near the border of Valley Village and Sherman Oaks.
• Yogurtland, 4954 Van Nuys Blvd, opened in 2008. It was 30 cents an ounce when it first opened. Those were the days!

Closed Froyo Shops

• Blizz Frozen Yogurt, 14439 Burbank Blvd, is listed as being in Sherman Oaks on some sites and Van Nuys on others. This self-serve froyo shop was opened by Dr. Paul Nassif, the famous plastic surgeon and TV personality, in 2010 and it seems to have closed in 2020.
• C&M Café, 12924 Riverside Dr, was a cute brunch spot that had an adjoining room with self-serve froyo and seating. It opened and closed in 2016.
• Frootsi, 14318 Ventura Blvd, was a cupcake, boba, and mix-in style froyo shop that opened in 2010 and closed in 2015.
• Hollyberry, 14425 Ventura Blvd had gelato and counter-serve tart froyo and was in business from 2008 – 2009.
• Limelite, 15030 Ventura Blvd, was a counter-serve shop similar to Pinkberry that was open in 2007.
• Red Mango, 15301 Ventura Blvd, Ste 470 was in Sherman Oaks around 2007.
• Sweetharts, 13704 Ventura Blvd, was founded by Melissa Joan Hart in 2012. The shop sold froyo, gelato, cupcakes, candy, and more. It closed in 2014.
• Swirlz, 14006 Riverside Drive, at Westfield Fashion Square was a self-serve froyo shop that opened in 2010. It’s unclear when they closed.
• Tutti Frutti, 14006 Riverside Drive, was at the Sherman Oaks Westfield Mall in 2010.

Still Open but No Longer Serves Froyo

• Farm Boy, 14107 Riverside Dr, is a small family run produce market known for sushi that used to sell froyo.
• Happy Days Café, 14552 Ventura Blvd, is a churro café that added froyo back in 2019 but they stopped serving froyo at some point.

I remember another self-serve froyo shop in Sherman Oaks but I can’t remember what it was called. Mr. Froyo remembers it too.

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.

Soy Froyo, Wherefore Art Thou?

Fro-yo girl here. Did you know that April is National Soy Foods Month? This is the month to celebrate the soybean and it made me miss soy frozen yogurt all the more. Anti-soy sentiment has been around for years, probably because most domestic soybean crops are genetically modified. But, there isn’t strong evidence that GMO-soybeans are harmful. In fact, soy has many health benefits. Soy is a complete protein that’s low in saturated fat. It may reduce levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), diabetes risk and the risk of some types of cancer.

Years ago, Loving Cup in San Francisco offered a soy base option for their hand-mixed froyo. But, since soy fell out of favor, they switched to a banana base and the last time I went, the vegan option was coconut based. Fraiche used to have a soy froyo but all their locations have closed, except for the one at SFO International Airport. Also, I think they switched to making vegan froyo using almond milk.

Tutti Frutti and 16 Handles are the only sizeable chains that have introduced soy froyo. Tutti Frutti may still offer soy froyo but I haven’t seen it there for years.

These are the places where you can still get soy froyo.

1. 16 Handles introduced its first soy flavor in 2014, Yo Soy Vanilla, followed by Yo Soy Chocolate. I’m not sure how often it’s offered now, especially since they’ve gone on to introduce other types of dairy-free froyo, including almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, and oat milk (new in 2020).
2. 21 Choices Frozen Yogurt (Claremont & Pasadena, CA): The soy froyo is made with organic soy milk and their flavors are all made in-house. Soy froyo is sometimes offered. Even if it isn’t there, they always have a dairy-free option. I like their peanut butter soy froyo.
3. Bishco (Gloucester, MA) is a cafe that also serves mix in froyo, including tofu froyo.
4. Cafe 472 (Boston, MA) serves pizza, sandwiches, salads, and froyo, including tofu frozen yogurt.
5. Cafe Podima (Boston, MA) is a pizza restaurant that also serves froyo. Tofu froyo is listed on the menu.
6. Chil (London, ON, Canada) claims to have Canada’s largest selection of froyo toppings and vegan froyo, had soy froyo but I’m not sure if they still offer it. They also have vegan froyo made with almond milk, oat milk, and quinoa milk. The single location is self-serve.
7. Citra (Seattle, WA) in Seattle’s University District has dairy-based froyo but it’s the soy froyo that gets the rave reviews. Try your froyo with snow ice.
8. Frozen By a Thousand Blessings (Australia), the first froyo shop in Australia to use biodynamic milk and yoghurt, offers two vegan soy-based flavors, Mango & Soy and Soy Strawberry. The froyo is self-serve.
9. Humphrey Yogart (Sherman Oaks, CA): Humphrey Yogart has been serving up old school mix in style froyo since 1984. They moved across the parking lot and into Gelson’s in 2016 but they brought their organic soy base option for mix in froyo with them. I like their matcha froyo that’s made with imported Japanese matcha powder.
10. Kushco Bistro (Salem, MA) is another greater Boston eatery that carries tofu froyo with mix-ins. I'm sensing a pattern here. Bishco and Kushco sound so similar. 
11. Moochie (Belgium) is a counter serve froyo chain that according to Happy Cow, offers vegan soy froyo. There’s even proof in the form of a picture.
12. Tutti Frutti (worldwide) started offering soybean frozen yogurt in 2012. The soybean froyo is made with non-GMO, US grown soybeans. Their range of 19 soy froyo flavors is the widest I’ve seen. Some of the soy flavors are Spiced Cake, Red Bean, Latte, Black Sesame, and Taro. And 10% of the sales go to the Real Green Project to help fight childhood hunger. I noticed that many Tutti Frutti locations don’t carry any soy flavors though. Tutti Frutti La Crescenta used to on a regular basis but then they closed (and moved). I haven’t been going to the new location, so I’m not sure how often they carry soy froyo.
13. Yo-Chi (Australia) is a self-serve froyo mini chain that sometimes offers a soy-based froyo. Banana Soybean is one of their soy flavors.
14. Yo-Get-It (Australia, China) has a variety of soy froyo flavors and a self-serve format. Soy froyo flavors include Banana, Chai, Mango, Passionfruit, and Wildberry.
15. YOMARO (Germany) offers a vegan soy froyo that gets good reviews, along with the vegan bubble waffles.
16. YOMG (Australia) started as a self-serve froyo shop and expanded into burgers. Their vegan soy froyo flavors include banana soy cinnamon and soy chai. They even have vegan burgers and vegan waffle cones.
17. Yumorama (Mexico) is a self-serve froyo chain that has a soy froyo option that’s also free of added sugars

Even though it isn’t froyo, I did want to give a shout out to the tofu flower soft serve at Big Softee in Monterey Park, CA. If you like tofu pudding, Big Softee’s version has the ginger syrup and flavor of tofu/soy milk that you’ll recognize. Uji Time has tofu soft serve too, but it isn’t as good as Big Softee’s.

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.

LA Weekly’s 10 Places to Get Your Fro-Yo Fix, the Update 10 Years Later

Fro-yo girl here. Back in 2009, LA Weekly published an article called Top 10 Places To Get Your Froyo Fix. Since ten years have elapsed, I thought I’d take a look at the places that made the Top 10 list.

• Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt: It’s not the same Golden Spoon that was founded in 1983. In 2012-2013, Golden Spoon experimented with converting stores to self-serve and ultimately decided not to convert any other locations. In 2017, seven locations closed, along with the corporate office. There are no longer any Golden Spoon franchisees or a corporate office to oversee Golden Spoon locations. However, there are still Golden Spoon locations. 
• Pure Naked Yogurt: I believe all the locations have closed: Encino and Westfield Century City. They only had one flavor of yogurt, tart, and only had healthy toppings. 
• 21 Choices: 21 Choices started in Pasadena in the 90’s. Later, they expanded to Claremont and USC. The USC location closed. The Pasadena location was going strong after being closed for months, because their building needed earthquake retrofitting. 21 Choices decided to move their Pasadena location to the corner of Fair Oaks & Union. The new shop is still under construction. They're known for their mix in style froyo, creative flavors, and wide toppings selection. 
• Studio Yogurt: Studio Yogurt opened in Studio City in 1997 and closed in 2014. The location was taken over by Yogurtland. It was an old school yogurt shop known for generous portions. 
• Humphrey Yogart: Humphrey Yogart almost closed when they lost their lease in 2016, but at the last moment, they found a new space, inside Gelson’s in Sherman Oaks. The menu has been pared down, but you can still choose your frozen yogurt base and mix-ins. 
• Yogurtland: Yogurtland basically took over self-serve froyo in California and they expanded to other states and countries. There are more than 320 locations. 
• Pinkberry: Pinkberry started the froyo craze in 2005 and was acquired by Kahala Brands in 2015. 
• Menchie’s: Menchie’s started in Valley Village, CA and grew to become the largest self-serve froyo franchise in the world. It now has over 530 stores. 
• New Zealand Natural: New Zealand Natural was the only place on LA Weekly’s list that I never tried. It is a global franchise network based in Auckland, New Zealand. All the locations in Southern California have closed. They served scoopable frozen yogurt that could be blended with fruit and turned into soft serve. 
• Red Mango: Red Mango had 8 SoCal locations when the article was published in 2009. Only one location remains in Southern California, the one near Staples Center. It opened in 2013. 

Two of the top 10 went out of business: Studio Yogurt and Pure Naked Yogurt. That’s impressive, considering ten years have gone by, and not many frozen yogurt shops or restaurants last ten years. Studio Yogurt was replaced by Yogurtland and Westfield Century City, where Pure Naked Yogurt was, has multiple froyo options (Bloomingdale’s Forty Carrots, Yogurtland). New Zealand Natural still has locations in Asia, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand (but none in the US). 

I’m surprised the Bigg Chill didn’t make the list, since it was open at the time the article was written and has quite a following. Only two of the top 10 were self-serve, though Red Mango added the self-serve format in 2012. That's because the list is old and self-serve hadn't taken over yet.

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.

Los Angeles Healthy “Froyo” Recommendations

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.

Humphrey Yogart Reopens in Sherman Oaks

Fro-yo girl here. Humphrey Yogart first opened in Sherman Oaks in February 1984. In March of this year, they closed their doors when they couldn't come to an agreement with their new landlord. Froyo fans were understandably devastated but this story has a happy ending. The owners, Jim and Paula Sheftel, looked for a new location and they found one in the same shopping center as their original shop. The two met and fell in love at the shop and they were both there on opening day, making yogart (so cute).

The new Humphrey Yogart is located inside Gelson’s grocery store. Thank you, Gelson’s! They started swirling at their new location today, November 18, 2016. Look for their kiosk at the front of Gelson’s.

The menu still provides many options but they no longer offer soups, sandwiches and coffee. The menu includes frozen yogurt, ice cream, shakes, sundaes, and acai bowls. Their most popular item is the blend-in style “yogart” where you choose the base of yogart (sweet vanilla, tart vanilla, chocolate), ice cream, organic soy (vegan), organic coconut (vegan) and low carb daily flavor, choose your blend in ingredients (fruit, peanut butter, nuts, green tea, cinnamon, espresso, chocolate chips, candy, cookie dough, cookie butter, brownies, cream cheese, etc.) and add a topping or cone. Your custom creation is placed in a machine and blended together.

I personally prefer the tart vanilla base because it is quite tart. It goes well with fruit and green tea.

Froyo prices: Non-fat yogart mini $3.05, small $4.05, medium $5.25, large $6.50, XL $8.05. Blend in prices start at 30 cents (the price goes up as the cup size increases).

The old stamp cards still work or ask for a new one. If you like blend-in style yogart, Humphrey’s is the place to go in the San Fernando Valley. It’s open daily from 11 AM – 11 PM.

I looked over at the old location. The building is still standing but it’s completely vacant and the façade/exterior has been removed. It looks like the entire building is being renovated. There was a sign for the Burger Lounge which must be moving in.

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

* HUMPHREY YOGART: 4520 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

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.

Yogurtland’s New Offering: Zoom, the All-New Way to Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. I recently noticed that Yogurtland Chino Hills, CA and West Covina, CA now offer Yogurtland Zoom. Zoom is a blended froyo product. You select the frozen yogurt flavor and the toppings and Yogurtland blends it together for you (similar to Dairy Queen’s Blizzard or McDonald’s McFlurry) using a machine.

I visited Yogurtland West Covina (1000 W Covina Pkwy). Zoom is priced by weight at the same price: 45 cents an ounce. There are taller Zoom cups, longer spoons, and signs with instructions and recipes.

I decided to mix Lucky Mint Crème froyo, Double Cookies & Cream froyo, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and Oreo cookies. I put everything in the cup (you don’t have to fill the cup) and handed it to the Yogurtland associate. The cup is placed into a blending machine and everything is mixed together. It doesn’t take long.

I liked what I blended together – the flavors were complementary. However, I noticed the add ins weren’t blended in well. The chocolate chips still seemed to be intact and there were big cookie chunks too. Other places do a better job blending the yogurt and toppings. The frozen yogurt comes out softer too. I like unblended frozen yogurt and toppings better.

Yogen Fruz is the leader in the mixed/blended froyo category. In Southern California, you can get custom blended frozen yogurt at Yogen Fruz in Tarzana, Humphrey Yogart in Sherman Oaks, 21 Choices in Pasadena and Claremont, and CDM Yogurt in Newport Beach (Orange County). You can also find custom blended frozen yogurt at Blush in Burlingame, CA, Tucker’s in Alameda, CA, Sweet Retreat in San Jose, CA, Oregon Frozen Yogurt in Oregon, WI, Angora Café in Boston and Loving Cup in San Francisco. Frozen Peaks, with locations in New Jersey and New York, offers FP Swirl, their custom blended frozen yogurt.

While a custom blended frozen yogurt can be tasty as it more evenly distributes the toppings so that there are toppings in every bite, it does change the flavor of the frozen yogurt (which can be good or bad). Some toppings don’t taste as good when they’re blended – for example, graham cracker crumbs become gritty when blended into the frozen yogurt, and mochi isn’t transformed, it just becomes smaller. The seeds get separated from the berry flesh. Cookies, candy and sauces make the best add ins. I’ve also noticed that on more than one occasion when a machine is used to blend the yogurt and toppings, sometimes the previous mix contaminates the next mix. The water flushing doesn’t remove all of the previous mix. The texture is also less smooth after toppings are blended in. Getting the right mix of frozen yogurt and toppings including the correct proportions can be tricky. 

Here are some of my recipes:

• Fresh strawberry froyo + frosted animal cookies + sprinkles + white chocolate chips
• Sumatra coffee froyo + crushed Butterfingers + Oreos
• Peanut butter froyo + Nutter Butter bites + peanuts + chocolate chips
• Matcha green tea froyo + Plain tart froyo + Fruity Pebbles 
• Coconut froyo + mango froyo + pineapple sorbet + coconut + fresh pineapple

Do you like custom blended frozen yogurt? Have you tried it? Would you be willing to try it?

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’s Froyo Guide to Greater Los Angeles

Fro-yo girl here. Los Angeles is where the frozen yogurt trend started and it’s still the home of some of the most interesting froyo shops in the country. Here’s my list of must see froyo shops in LA and Orange County. 

FUN IN HOLLYWOOD

* Frog Frozen Yogurt Bar (1550 N Cahuenga Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028): Hanging out late in Hollywood? Frog’s décor with the rainbow colored overhead lights and the work of local artists keeps the club experience alive. It’s open late and even delivers (the only froyo shop in LA to do so). Frog offers self-serve organic and vegan flavors plus free wi-fi. They’ve added color changing spoons that are worth collecting.

* Yogurt Stop (8803 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069): Sassy but classy, Yogurt Stop in WeHo (West Hollywood) is a celebrity favorite and it has the best names for froyo flavors. Flavors include I’m Comin’Out Cake Batter, Milk My Harvey Chocolate and Orange U a Top? Orange U a Bottom? Their motto is Pump It Yourself.

REAL GREEK FROZEN YOGURT 

* Go Greek Yogurt (425 N Bedford Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210): Most of the Greek yogurt you encounter is Greek style. Go Greek has the real thing. Their yogurt is made in Greece and flown over. They offer Greek refrigerated and triple strained Greek frozen yogurt with authentic imported Greek toppings like sour cherry, quince, rose and carrot. Toppings are healthier and you can serve yourself if you’d like their super thick frozen yogurt. Try the honey froyo.

ENDLESS VARIETY

* SweetXO (5285 Kanan Rd., Agoura Hills, CA 91301, additional locations in Huntington Beach, Thousand Oaks, Manhattan Beach and Arcadia): Admittedly the froyo isn’t the main attraction at SweetXO, but that’s only because they have so many offerings. In addition to 18 self-serve flavors of froyo and over 200 toppings, SweetXO has ice cream, cupcakes, cookies, make your own floats, candy, and a full blown sweets inspired selection of non-edible gifts. It’s a mini department store for your sweet tooth.

* Yogurt Passion (17037 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley, CA 92708): Looking for the shop with the most frozen yogurt flavors to choose from? Yogurt Passion has 20 flavors of self-serve froyo a day. It’s in an Asian area, so expect to find some Asian flavors and toppings.

KOSHER AND PARVE

* Milky’s Frozen Yogurt (1429 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035): Not too many froyo shops can claim to be kosher and dairy-vegan-parve friendly like Milky’s. Milky’s offers 4 kosher parve vegan flavors a day plus 14 dairy flavors. It’s self-serve and even the toppings bar is kosher. Try the vegan soy froyo.

BEST EXTERIOR DESIGN

* Yogurtland CityWalk (1000 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608): Do your LA plans include a trip to Universal Studios? If the answer is yes, you need to check out Yogurtland’s CityWalk location. The exterior of the shop features a giant 3-D fro-yo machine dispensing fro-yo into a fro-yo cup with a green Yogurtland spoon and a big splash of fro-yo. The fro-yo cup and logo are outlined in neon lights. Of course this location also has Yogurtland spoons as door handles.

* Treats Frozen Yogurt (1700 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405): The cutest froyo shop exterior belongs to Treats. Love the giant cone out front and the colors: white, sky blue and silver. It’s not self-serve but that’s what makes it better. Employees carefully craft your treat putting toppings in the middle and on the top of a generous swirl of froyo. You can also get freshly shaved California snow and pretty froyo pies. 

MIX IN STYLE 

A fun alternative to the usual self-serve froyo shop, mix-in style yogurt allows you to create and customize your own froyo flavor (though you don’t do the mixing yourself). You pick the base and the add-ins and they are mixed together by machine or by hand.

* 21 Choices Frozen Yogurt (85 W Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104, additional locations in Claremont, CA): Each location carries 6 soft serve froyo flavors a day. You can customize any of these with mix-ins and toppings. Your custom flavor is mixed before your eyes on a frozen marble slab. They’re known for unique flavors like Circus Animal and Nutella Cookie Dough. If you love toppings, this is the place for you. Don’t want to add mix-ins? Head to the express line for faster service.

* Humphrey Yogart (4574 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403): Take a step back in time to the 1980s, to the time of the low carb crazy and San Fernando Valley’s valley girls. Humphrey Yogart got its start in 1984. At Humphrey Yogart, yogurt is yog-art. You’re invited to create your own frozen yogurt flavor by choosing a base (tart vanilla, sweet vanilla, chocolate, soy, organic tart or their low carb froyo flavors), choosing your blend ins and/or toppings (fruit, candy, cookies, cream cheese, nuts), and choosing your size. Your froyo & blend ins are mixed together in a blending machine. You can get your froyo in a cup or cone and top it with hot fudge or whipped cream. Interesting blend ins include pumpkin, espresso, malt powder, butterscotch, pistachios, peanut butter, and cinnamon. Try the tart vanilla base for a creamy, tangy treat.

If you can only go to one froyo shop during your visit, make it Go Greek Yogurt.

Enjoy your frozen yogurt and keep your froyo spoon busy!

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.

Historic Froyo Shops: Humphrey Yogart

Fro-yo girl here. Tucked in an older strip mall in the San Fernando Valley you’ll find a blast from the froyo past; Humphrey Yogart has been serving up froyo and staying true to the low carb / yog-art lifestyle since 1984 (it turned 30 this year). It’s not self-serve and it’s not your usual soft serve froyo with toppings. Sure the toppings are similar (popping boba, fruit, candy, sprinkles, chocolate chips, cereal, brownies, cookies, mochi) but Humphrey Yogart specializes in super creamy, thick blended or mix in style froyo.

At Humphrey Yogart, yogurt is yog-art. You’re invited to create your own frozen yogurt flavor by choosing a base (tart vanilla, sweet vanilla, chocolate, soy, organic tart or their low carb froyo flavors), choosing your blend ins and/or toppings (fruit, candy, cookies, cream cheese, nuts), and choosing your size. Your froyo & blend ins are mixed together in a blending machine. You can get your froyo in a cup or cone and top it with hot fudge or whipped cream. Portions are generous.I tried the organic tart base which was icier and less flavorful than their tart vanilla.

Froyo prices: Child ($2.55) + 30 cents each blend in, Regular ($3.35) + 40 cents each blend in, Large ($4.25) + 50 cents each blend in, X-Large ($6.65) + 90 cents each blend in.

Interesting blend ins include pumpkin, espresso, malt powder, butterscotch, pistachios, peanut butter, and cinnamon. Recommended combinations include Raspberry Cream Cheese, GramCracker Pumpkin, and Chocolate Coconut Almond. It’s like Yogen Fruz but with many more options.

Almost everyone who stops in gets the froyo but they also have Cascade Glacier ice cream, coffee, shakes, smoothies, soups, salads and sandwiches. Also, the shop carries low carb health food items like low carb bread, cookies, chips, etc. And there’s free wi-fi.

The low carb froyo flavor calendar is accessible on their website: http://www.humphreyyogart.com/calendar

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

* HUMPHREY YOGART: 4574 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

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.