For months I’ve steered clear of the raging frozen yogurt war here in Southern California. I’ve read about it ad nauseum, and I’ve witnessed the explosion of fro-yo shops in countless strip malls around Orange County.
What is it?
To those of you unfamiliar with this phenomenon, you can blame Pinkberry. This trendy oh-so-L.A. shop brought frozen cultures to the fast-food forefront. Skinny girls across the land cheered and got in line.
Splendidly sour
This stuff is not faux ice cream. It’s really yogurt – in all its splendid sourness – frozen stiff, sweetened with fruit juice, and typically topped with healthy things like fresh fruit and granola. Hence the giddy squeals of tiny 20-somethings. (no bread or empty carbs in sight)
Close to home
A tangerine sign on a nearby street has been calling to me for weeks. It’s a trendy sign, with a funny word on it: Cantaloop. While the copy editor in me cringed at the spelling, the color and the artful typography got me curious.
I checked it out online, then gathered up co-workers Kelly and Jill for a field trip on a freakishly hot, almost-summer day. The interior was roomy with trendy furniture in orange and dark wood. The servers greeted us and handed out samples. On the menu:
- Blueberry pomegranate
- Mango
- Peanut Butter
- Natural (plain)
- Chocolate
- Vanilla
I sampled the blu-pom, peanut butter, and mango. All were great with either a lot (blu-pom) of sour or very little (peanut butter).
We found coupons online here. And yes, we will go back. Yum.
And a shoutout to Jill who generously shared some of her pictures to pair with mine:
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- Mine: two yogurts plus three toppings.
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- Love the modern decor with tangerine chairs and minimalistic table.
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- Jill’s: blueberry pomegranate yogurt with more berries and almonds.
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- A vast bar of toppings with almost too many to choose from.
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- Cantaloop’s interior is roomy with modern furniture and lots of natural light.
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- Buy nine and get one free, the punch card says.
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- Two reasonable price points: sans toppings or with up to three.
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- Michael gets an order ready while Kelly checks out toppings.
I refused to go to Pinkberry for the longest time…until recently. Wasn’t too impressed. I’m more of a Golden Spoon gal.
Shhhh… don’t tell anyone…
I went there again today on my way to work.
Half plain, half mango with kiwi, strawberries and almond slivers.
Next time, mango and pom-blueberry mix.
Ha! I thought of you, Jill, as I picked up Ami for dinner and pondered another go-around at Cantaloop. I passed and thought, maybe tomorrow.