Pinkberry on the Brain

For the past 2 weeks, the few friends I've come in contact with either on the phone or over lunch have all asked me one question: have I been to Pinkberry?

Unbeknown to me, there seems to be frozen yogurt revival in Los Angeles--one friend thinks this "fro-yo" craze could potentially sweep the country. It might be the 1980's all over again when TCBY appeared in strip malls everywhere. Let me know if a Pinkberry shows up in your neighborhood—currently, they have shops in LA and NYC.

Well, regardless of frozen yogurt's current popularity, perceived of otherwise, I must confess I'm rather ambivalent of this form of frozen desert. Those who know me well in food know I'm completely committed to ice cream. I love the creamy goodness of ice cream and wouldn't think of being unfaithful to it with other forms of frozen treats that seek to reduce its sweet richness with a lighter, lower calorie alternative.

But I'm also a person who likes plain yogurt with fruit and granola for breakfast, and I'm open-minded enough to try to its frozen equivalent, not as an ice cream replacement, but as a snack in its own right.

So, A. and I went to Pinkberry for Friday lunch—an end of the workweek treat. I got a medium-size cup of plain frozen yogurt with 3 toppings. The toppings I chose were blueberries, blackberries, and granola—my tried-n-true yogurt topping combo. A. got the same thing, but picked 3 fruit toppings: kiwi, mango, and blueberries. (Pinkberry also has green tea frozen yogurt.)

Flavor-wise, I found Pinkberry’s yogurt pleasantly tart—how I like my yogurt, soft or frozen, to taste. Its texture was smooth; while icy, it wasn’t grainy. The fruit toppings were generous applied, which I appreciated, especially with berries that tend to be a pricier fruit. All in all, it was light and refreshing, satisfying without being filling. Pinkberry wasn’t ice cream, but it was still good in its own way.



Pinkberry has 5 locations in the Los Angeles Area.

868 Huntley Dr.
West Hollywood

7123 Melrose Ave.
Melrose & La Brea

6th & Berendo
Koreatown

10911 Lindbrook Blvd.
Westwood

12044 ½ Ventura Blvd.
Studio City

www.pinkberry.com