Pausing for Pinkberry in Pasadena

Have you tried the trendy frozen yogurt yet? It’s been the craze in LA, now the SGV has it. Pinkberry moved into Old Pasadena this month on Fair Oaks, just a door or two south of Cheesecake Factory where the Badabing Pizza used to be. Saturday night in Old Pas, looking for a parking space, getting change for the meter (thank you guy at Jamba Juice), annoying my wife who wasn’t so keen on my stopping to satisfy my sweet tooth yet keep me on my diet. The store is small, tiny, and the staff makes yogurt cups (they only have plain or vanilla and green tea) faster than that place down the street, 21 Choices. It took me a good 45 minutes to get a nonfat yogurt there with bananas and stawberries.
The Pinkberry is real yogurt. It was surprisingly sour. My colleague described it as “tangy.” It swirls up nicely in a cup and you can pack it kiwi, strawberries or carob chips and almond slices. It’s a bit pricey — about $5 or more for a medium cup with toppings.
I can’t say I’m obsessed. Not sure it’s heroin chic. But I enjoyed eating something that has not yet landed in Northern California. Call it “Only in LA,” as the woman seated at the tiny table from San Francisco told me. The City By The Bay doesn’t have it. Love getting one up on NoCal. Then she mentioned Beard Papa’s, which I tried when visiting San Francisco last August. They’re these delicious cream-filled pastries that also come encased in semi-sweet chocolate. Guess what? There is a Beard Papa’s store on Baldwin Avenue in Arcadia, just south of Huntington Drive. Good for once a month. Definitely NOT on the diet, though.
Pinkberry, which is low-fat and low-carbs, may become a habit. Just keep it out of San Francisco.