The 411 on Valley “Fro-Yo”
Monday, June 23, 2008 17:50
If you’ve lived in Southern California anytime in the 80’s, chances are, you tried a dish of Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt. This chain was the king of yogurt during that decade. There seemed to, literally, be one on every corner.
What you may not have known, (I didn’t) was that Dannonactually created the first frozen yogurt back in the 70’s. It was frozen yogurt on a stick, called “Danny”. To bad for Dannon, the idea of frozen yogurt as a dessert, didn’t take off until years later. After the rise of the ubiquitous frozen yogurt shop, there was a period in the late nineties and into the new millennium, where the desserts’ popularity took a real nose dive. Then, in 2005, along came a little thing called Pinkberry…(is this where the Heavens part and the angels sing? For some, I suppose this is true.) It was a simple concept that really took off. Fast forward to 3 years later and there seems to be, once again, a yogurt shop on every corner.
But what sets these yogurt shops apart? Does Pinkberry still reign supreme? Of course, as with all food, is there really such a thing as an objective opinion? That’s a debate for another day. In the mean time I set out to check out some of the Valley yogurt shops and get the “scoop” on “fro-yo.”
You really can’t do a frozen yogurt review without including Pinkberry, the chain that got this craze going again.
Their shops definitely get top marks for first impressions. From the large yellow banquet, to the colorful chairs and outside tables with adjustable heights, this chain hits the mark on design. As for the yogurt, they offer three flavors, the original plain, coffee and green tea.
The original flavor, I have to admit, is really delicious, but between you and me, PureNaked in Encino, tops it in my opinion (more on them in a moment.) The coffee flavor is also quite tart, and yummy as well. Then there’s the green tee. Let’s just say, for me, it’s an acquired taste. They have a nice selection of toppings and their fresh fruit choices were top shelf.
Find the Pinkberry nearest you…
Then there is PureNaked Yogurt, which opened up about a year ago.
The original name of the shop was to be BareNaked, and you know, maybe they should have stuck with that name since it seems to really fit the bill. The space itself has a very bare feel, as though no thought was put into the decor. And then there are the yogurt choices, no wait, the yogurt choice, there is only one, plain, a la Pinkberry. The good news? The yogurt was delicious.
It was tart, refreshing with bright tangy flavors.
17499 Ventura Blvd. Encino, 91316. 818-461-0346.
Yum Yum Yogurt has a very different feel then some of the newer yogurt shops.
I was reminded of a mom and pop burger shack, complete with wood paneled walls. Along with eight different yogurt offerings, including the ubiquitous plain, they also had about 20 different kinds of toppings.
If yogurt doesn’t strike your fancy, they also have a full menu of salads, sandwiches, burgers and dogs. I found the yogurt to be quite good.
16545 Ventura Blvd. Encino, 91316. 818-783-5931
When you enter Hollyberry (Formerly Snowberry) it’s like walking into a little jewel box.
Peach and green walls, blown glass light fixtures and chrome chairs give it a “ladies who lunch” kind of sensibility. Their menu consists of four regular flavors: plain, peach, vanilla and pomegranate, along with a small selection of gelatoes. The plain yogurt was very good, but oddly, the peach tasted almost exactly like the plain. Oh yeah, and toppings, here you get about 20 to choose from.
14425 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, 91423. 818-817-2350
I felt like I stepped into a full fledged ice cream shop upon entering Humphrey’s.
My first impression was how friendly the service was. It’s the kind of place you’d take your kids on a hot summer day. Along with ice cream, frozen dipped bananas, a full sandwich and salad menu, they carry three frozen yogurt flavors: tart vanilla, sweet vanilla and chocolate. I tried a combo of the vanillas and couldn’t really tell the difference between the two. While the yogurt was okay, it was certainly not stellar. They get huge points for their toppings which include real chocolate chip cookie dough bits.
4574 Van Nuys Blvd. Sherman Oaks, 91403. 818-906-2490.
Limelite felt a bit different the the other shops.
There was house music playing, a big graphic print on the main wall, colorful resin chairs and a large green leather couch to kick back on. The yogurt, on the other hand, was pretty standard. Three choices: plain, mango and chocolate along with a selection of about 30 toppings.
15030 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks 91403. 818-728-8358
If you feel like you’ve stepped back into the 80’s, you might be at Studio Yogurt.
Of all the shops I visited, this one felt the most like an old Penguins. Not so much in the decor but in the yogurt flavors and topping choices. On the day I visited there wasn’t a plain/tart yogurt in sight. Instead there was a selection of 10 flavors including Irish Cream, Cake Batter and Cheesecake. There are fat free/sugar free option, and for those less calorie conscious, there’s ice cream too.
12050 Ventura Blvd. Studio City, 91604. 818-508-7811
Menchies sets itself apart by being 100% self service, which is just fun, I don’t care if you are seven or 70.
There are four machines, each with two flavor choices. And you get the option to swirl the two flavors together, fancy! There are more than 40 toppings and for $1 they’ll hook you up with a waffle cone bowl. Since it’s self service, they charge you by the ounce, 39 cents to be exact, including toppings.
I thought the topping quality was a bit better than the yogurt, but at the end of the day the yogurt and the experience were both pretty darn good.
4849 Laurel Cyn. Blvd. Valley Village, 91607. 818-985-9150
If you are a “fro-yo” aficionado, and you know who you are, then you’ll find that perfect spot and stand by it ’till the end. But for the rest of us who just want a cool spot to sit and enjoy a frozen yogurt on a hot summer day, we’ve got it made. With a shop on every corner you are sure to find one serving up something that will satisfy your yogurt craving.
By Erinn (see more of her posts). You can find more of Erinn's writing at her own website Sunday Dish.
Pauline says:
June 23rd, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Nice fro-yo coverage, Erinn. I’d just like to point out that there is a Red Mango in Northridge! Northridge may be a little too north to be considered in the Valley, but the Red Mango there is only about 5 miles away from PureNaked.
Francesca Smith says:
June 24th, 2008 at 8:26 am
wow, thanks for the thorough report. like pauline, though, i thought it would be a travesty if this post didn’t even mention red mango…it’s very similar to pinkberry in a lot of ways (same sort of decor, toppings, and flavors), but i think it’s much tastier.
matt k. says:
June 24th, 2008 at 9:39 am
wow, great reviews of yogurt. Haven’t tried many of them, so next time I’m in the valley, I’ll know where to go. Thanks!
matt k. says:
June 24th, 2008 at 9:40 am
btw, I agree that Pinkberry is quite good as the “original” (even though Red Mango was technically first in Korea) tart yogurt. It’s still my personal favorite. I don’t see what all the hate (on chowhound/yelp) is all about.
lad1818 says:
June 24th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I remember those Danny pops! Raspberry yogurt covered with chocolate. They were great.
I just wonder when this yogurt scene will implode upon itself, and which shops will remain standing. It’s a great product, but there must come a point when the bandwagon collapses…
Still, when I need a fix, I head to Farmboy for the self-serve. I didn’t know that Menchie’s was self-serve too, I’ll have to give it a try. That place always looks packed.
Anyway, interesting write-up.
Ohiogirl says:
June 24th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Penguins! Oh I miss that place. The cheesecake yogurt was divine - and you got graham cracker crumbs on the bottom so you could pretend it was cheesecake.
Must find cheesecake yogurt again…! menchies may be far from me but at least they have it : )
SourPuss says:
June 24th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Why no mention of Cefiore?!?!
They have locations on Ventura in Encino and on Lankershim in North Hollywood.
They’ve been around as long as Pinkberry has, and they have the 2nd most locations in So Cal.
If you go, try the waffles, not waffle cones, actual fresh made belgian waffles, topped with frozen yogurt and fresh fruit!
Mike says:
June 25th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
If you go to Humphrey’s you don’t go for the yogurt, you go for their AMAZING ice cream cookie sandwich! The thing is the size of a discus and tastes like heaven.
As for yogurt I like Purenaked. Most people don’t realize that the business next door, Coral Tree Cafe, owns it.
Erinn says:
June 25th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Hi all,
Thanks for the positive feed back.
Pauline and Francesca, I do believe you all were right in that I was remiss in not going to Red Mango, that is a must do on my list!
OhioGirl, I miss Penguins too, I actually used to work there back in highschool! My favorite flavor was also the cheesecake with the graham cracker crumbs…
Oh, and SourPuss, I did think of going to Cefiore. I used to work right down the street and I did enjoy their plain yogurt (although not the green tea.) Maybe I associated it with a bad work experience and have therefore wiped it from my memory banks! Thanks for bringing it up.
Mike, I agree about Humphreys, my daughter has been bugging me to go back to try other stuff.
Boy, I ate a lot of yogurt over the last few months!
Froyo fans says:
June 25th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
With all the froyo i’ve tried so far in so cal, Cefiore Acai berry and Rasp-pomegranate really got me
Evan says:
June 27th, 2008 at 10:19 am
For people that miss Penguin’s, there’s still a location on Olympic at Westwood (I think another one on Olympic in BevHills also, around Doheny). Strangely, the Penguin’s on Olympic and Westwood has a sign saying that they serve Bud’s Frozen Yogurt–Bud’s is a place on Ocean Park and 28th in Santa Monica.
It’s not hip like Pinkberry or any of the new fro-yo places, but I really like Golden Spoon. Shame that there don’t seem to be any north of the South Bay.
Chip says:
June 29th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
It’s not in the valley — but nothing beats TCBY on Montana. The Penguin’s that is left on Westwood is atrocious, last time I went. And all this new froo froo yogurt is for the birds. TCBY peanut butter flavor rocks my socks!
Living in Texas, these were THE yogurt places to go to. The one in Santa Monica on Montana is the only one I know about on the west side.
C.
Los Angeles : Dining News Elsewhere: Food Exports, Cask Beers says:
June 30th, 2008 at 11:04 am
[...] – All you need to know about FroYo. [la.foodblogging] [...]
ohgrl says:
July 10th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
There’s still a Penguin’s in Northridge…as a matter of fact, it’s right across the street from Red Mango in the LA Fitness/Albertson’s/REI plaza @ Devonshire & Reseda.
jonathan aumentado says:
July 18th, 2008 at 10:10 am
I like that new place Yogurt Haven next to Peet’s Coffee in Studio City because their peanut butter flavor is the best I’ve tasted. I always go to Studio Yogurt, but I like Yogurt Haven, too.
nicole says:
July 19th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
erin, you missed the greatest little secret! i love that new place Yogurt Haven, i heard they got best of la this year! six flavors and soo many toppings! oh my God, their smoothies are just soo freakn delicious, imma have to go get one right now!
Sonya says:
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:53 am
I remember Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt! What a throwback. It was pretty good for me until I had a batch that made me so sick. To this day I still remember the overwhelming experience in a movie theater’s bathroom stall. Oh boy.
Now, I’m in Atlanta. There’s a place called Yoforia and it’s pretty darn good. It’s simple and good. Only 4 flavors. 25 calories per ounce and nonfat. Only 3 locations. They have a hip style.
nancy says:
August 15th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Here I sit with my Penguins. I cannot believe I used to eat this in the 80’s! It is sooo darn sweet! Next time, I’m going back to Red Melon!!!
Yay!
Great blog!!
Ashley says:
March 4th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Wow! Thank you! I always wanted to write in my site something like that. Can I take part of your post to my blog?
Zagat Buzz - Latest Restaurants and Nightspot Openings, Dining Trends, Events and Industry Buzz says:
March 4th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
[...] – All you need to know about FroYo. [la.foodblogging] [...]
Grade Acai says:
March 16th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Is it a 30 day riskless trial?