YOGA-URT OPENING
Even though I’m the furthest thing from being a vegan that one can be, I don’t think it comes as news to any of you that I am a major foodie. So I was really curious to try this new take on a cold, wet, soft-serve dessert. And I took always-wanting-to-eat-healthfully Maria along for the ride.
Photo by Karen Salkin.
The brand new Yoga-urt in Glendale is billed as “LA’s First All-Organic Non-Dairy Soft Serve Bar,” which I’m sure many of my readers will be thrilled to learn about. (I’ve already happily shared the news with many of my personal vegan/kosher pals in LA.)
It’s in an adorable little area of Glendale that neither one of us had been to before—Kenneth Village. We loved it! You go through a gorgeous residential neighborhood to get there, and then you come upon this darling little street, with everything you need, (including a great little Italian restaurant that we had dinner at after. And before, too, actually; we had to go back and get more Yoga-urt to finish our meal with!)
I’m not a fan of anything non-dairy, (which usually is, such as ice cream,) especially a frozen yogurt, so I went to the opening with a big dose of skepticism. But we both really enjoyed what we tried. Maria actually went nuts over it! If I hadn’t known better beforehand, I would have assumed it was the real dairy thing.
Photo by Karen Salkin.
We were guests at the invitation-only opening, so we didn’t have to choose flavors to taste; they were offering it all. But me being the picky eater that I am, I wanted to try only the chocolate, peanut butter, and vanilla. I topped them with mochi, fresh bananas and strawberries, flaked coconut, sliced almonds, and coco nibs, and it was all very yummy!
Maria, on the other hand, tried everything! Ev-er-y-thing!!! And exclaimed over each flavor. She’s the Yoga-urt expert now.
She’s a big meat-eater like I, (I’m Jewish and Maria’s Italian, so we basically don’t have any other choice,) and she loved this non-dairy dessert! She said it tastes just like real frozen yogurt! And, outside of there being no cheesecake bites, (which is my favorite yogurt topping,) it was basically the same as the real thing!
Part of the entranceway chalkboard. Photo by Karen Salkin.
They also make smoothies. And have some spiritual gifts, too. And, if you want to sit down and enjoy your snack on-premises, there’s a patio in the back, and one right in front, with colored chalk at the table so that you can add your doodles to the chalkboard wall. You know it was way too hot for me outside since I had to forego that activity, which I love! Guess I’ll just have to go back there when this heatwave dies down.
The owner, Melissa Shulman, was telling us that she had planned to open a yoga studio originally, but wound-up doing this instead. Hence the moniker, Yoga-urt. I said she should still open a yoga place, adjacent to the this yogurt-ish one. Then everyone could have dessert after the work-out, without feeling guilty!
