Pinkberry - Gaslamp (Downtown San Diego) Open!

Posted on Thursday 3 July 2008

The opening of this Pinkberry slipped under our noses.  We’ve been tracking the progress of the Pinkberry in Hillcrest which has been in construction for some time.  But apparently they went ahead with the opening of their first store in San Diego down in the Gaslamp district of downtown.

The store is located at:
209 5th St.
San Diego, CA 92101

619.231.4475

According to Pinkberry’s site somewhere in the Hard Rock Hotel? We are not sure.

None the less for all you San Diegans the rivalry is heating up now that Pinkberry has made its first appearance.

If you’ve tried the Gaslamp Pinkberry let us know what you rate it.
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (10 votes, average: 2.2 out of 5)

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spoon @ 8:42 am
Filed under: News and San Diego
Ce Fiore - Carson, CA

Posted on Saturday 28 June 2008

Hit up Carson for another dose of froyo at Ce Fiore, just newly opened!

20700 Avalon Blvd #B32
Carson, CA 90746

Right on the cusp of Carson Mall, this Ce Fiore sits pretty, across the way from burger joint, Five Guys Burgers. Step inside to cool, crisp pinks and whites - signature of Ce Fiore’s colors.

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The staff is more than friendly, and suggest flavors for newcomers. They offer the usual Ce Fiore suspects - acaiberry (one of our favorites), original, green tea, chocolate, and what’s this … Cherry? A little sweeter than the acaiberry, the cherry isn’t half bad.

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The toppings are beyond fresh. They taste as good as they look. From chocolate chips, to strawberries, almonds to kiwi, mochi to oreo, you might have a tough time settling on just three toppings. After testing the original with some mochi, Captain Crunch, and strawberries, I stamp my seal of approval for satiating toppings. The frozen yogurt consistency is standard Ce Fiore style, not too icy, not too creamy, a good balance of both. However, the original flavor is quite plain - a little less tart than the Pinkberry’s and the Red Mango’s of the world, yet still something about it rings OK by my book. There will forever be an ongoing debate about which is better, with so many frozen yogurt stores popping up nationwide. There will never be a clear winner. It’s always according to your taste and experience. But if you’re new to frozen yogurt, Ce Fiore is a good place to start. Especially on a hot day, you really can’t go wrong.

This location is conveniently located right next to a huge outdoor parking lot, so it’s great for taking your froyo to-go. We noticed sparse seating so far, not exactly great for large group hangouts. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of space, and a few good two-seaters for pairs. And I’ve gotta touch on the pink walls one last time. Something pleasant about the bright contrast I am quite fond of.

If you’re in and around the South Bay area looking for a froyo-stop, now you know there’s a Ce Fiore in Carson.

Been there? You know the drill, rate it!

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (21 votes, average: 3 out of 5)

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m0chi @ 10:41 am
Filed under: Los Angeles and Reviews
Free SWAG from Red Mango

Posted on Thursday 19 June 2008

There is no excuse for not taking a trip down to Red Mango in Santa Monica this Saturday.  They are offering free beach gear SWAG (beach bag, frisbee, beach ball, and more) for the first 150 customers.  The kick off begins at 12PM so don’t be late if you want to nab some free gear courtesy of Red Mango.

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Red Mango - Santa Monica
3101 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405

310.664.9600

spoon @ 9:34 am
Filed under: Los Angeles and News
Yogurtland - Cerritos, CA

Posted on Wednesday 18 June 2008

Where there is a crowd, there is a Yogurtland.  Yogurtland has strategically placed many of their stores in locations with high foot traffic.  A good business strategy in our books. But who cares about business strategy? What we care about is the froyo!

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At froyomind we’ve reviewed a few Yogurtland’s and have had hit or miss success. This particular location recently opened inside of the Los Cerritos Mall directly across from the movie theaters, coincidence? Perhaps.

Location:
Los Cerritos Mall

The store occupies an old Sanrio that long closed its doors, as you can imagine the store layout is very cramped.  The machines are aligned at the back of the store and when a long line forms be prepared to fight your claustrophobic fears.

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In typical Yogurtland fashion, you grab yourself a regular cup or a super sized cup.  Yogurtland offers a plethora of flavors from the typical plain to the flavored type for your choosing. Once you have filled up your cups you snake your way to the toppings section.  One thing that we have to note is the floor at this Yogurtland location.  We understand that when you have customers self serve their froyo it is bound to get messy.  But the floor at this location was atrocious, littered with bits of toppings and froyo drippings.  My sandals were fighting me the whole time I was in the store.

A good effort was made to keep the toppings fresh and clean and they do get some points for that. Once we finished topping our froyo’s they are placed on the scale for the grand total.  At $0.30/ounce two regular cups filled to the brim had a grand total of less than $10.00.

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To say utter my disappointment at their frozen yogurt is a bit of an understatement.  I could tell from the moment I pulled down the handle that their product was far too icy.  The froyo snaked out of the machine and refused to brake free when the handle was released.  Opting for my typical plain with mochi and some strawberries.  The icy-ness of their product really killed the experience and taste. The Irvine - Yogurtland has far superior frozen yogurt to this location.

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The toppings get an okay in our book, the store looks nice and it was very crowded.  Perhaps mall patrons are enticed by the novelty aspect of creating their own froyo creations.  On the other hand typical mall treats are rather pricey, and at $0.30/ounce Yogurtlands froyo is both affordable and fun.  We hope their products continue to improve in flavor for the sake of consumers.

What do you guys think of this Yogurtland?

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (24 votes, average: 2.33 out of 5)

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spoon @ 10:33 pm
Filed under: Los Angeles and Reviews
Cefiore - Chino Hills

Posted on Tuesday 17 June 2008

Cefiore celebrated the grand opening of yet another store and we had our people there to take it all in. Located in the new Across the street from The Shoppes at Chino Hills , this latest Cefiore expands their ever growing empire of froyo domination.

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The address of this particular place is:
3643 Grand Ave
Chino Hills, CA 91709

909.628.9200

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From what we hear it’s lives up to Cefiore standards in terms of taste and flavor. Their is limited seating in the store so take it to go and enjoy your shopping.

If you’ve tried it, let us know what you think:

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (25 votes, average: 3.24 out of 5)

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spoon @ 8:48 am
Filed under: Los Angeles and News
Swirl - Davis, CA

Posted on Sunday 15 June 2008

The latest scoop from one of our Froyomind readers, special thanks to all Froyomind contributors for giving us the low-down on your favorite froyo joints! Got your own take? Let us know!

Swirl Frozen Yogurt
231 E St. Ste 1 Davis, CA 95616
(530)758.5555

I’m from san jose, but i go to school at UC Davis. When I first went to Swirl in downtown Davis, I really did not like it at all. it was sour, i didn’t finish it, and the fruits were too tart for my taste. HOWEVER, upon going there AGAIN towards the end of the school year, i tried something that my friend suggested, and since then i’ve been back about 10 times! It’s summer now, and I crave it so much, but it’s a two and a half hour drive from where i am. i think you should DEFINITELY look into it. it’s a great atmosphere too! sometimes i get a lil disappointed with how much it LOOKS like they put on my yogurt, but i always come out satisfied. in fact, one time i asked for a large, and the server put yogurt on the bottom, my toppings (strawberries, fruity pebbles, mochi) on top, then covered it with more frozen yogurt and MORE toppings! my mouth is watering as i’m writing this.

there’s also another yogurt place around the corner called “yogurt shack” i’ve never been there. but i hear that their yogurt is sweeter because of the added sugar and their toppings are mainly candies and dry toppings.

i’d rather have my swirl =) but we’ll see.

Reviewed by k.c.

Tried it?

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (15 votes, average: 2.13 out of 5)

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m0chi @ 11:28 pm
Filed under: Central Valley and Reviews
Yogurt Lounge - San Diego, CA (Kearny Mesa)

Posted on Sunday 15 June 2008

Seems the froyo trend is catching on pretty quickly in a city that is known for being pretty laid back and casual. San Diego’s latest froyo spotting - meet Yogurt Lounge.

7317 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92101

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It’s right next door to Tea Station, so if you’re in need of a froyo and boba fix, why not save some room for both?

The pros: plenty of parking(as opposed to nearby acclaimed Yogurt World), indoor + outdoor seating, and self-serve for those of you who like to handle your own yogurt, because that’s just the way you roll. And being a stickler for cleanliness and peace and quiet, this yogurt joint is nice because it’s not too crowded, at least when we stopped by.

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Questionable: flavors, are they really as good as they sound? from thai tea to peanut butter, you get a variety to choose from, but how good is each? And in terms of iciness and texture, how is Yogurt Lounge when put to the test? Mediocre. The melt factor was a big let down, it seemed to get runny rather quickly, but it’s on par with the froyo you get at Yogurt World, some might argue they are one and the same.

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To our surprise, they don’t tout how “healthy” their froyo is at this location - and that’s refreshing to hear because maybe they’ve decided to be honest with the fact that their froyo is not the cureall for your digestive system or acne problems (yes, we’ve seen these slogans all too many times.)

Pure and simple - 38 cents an ounce. Which is competitively similar to all the self-serve frozen yogurt stores we’ve witnessed sprouting around California.

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Pretty standard toppings and something new, a wide assortment of syrups. Oh that sugary-goodness to add to your already hefty cup of sugary-delight, sure, why not?

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Any kid’s dream come true, right?

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Surprisingly, the pina colada and banana flavored froyo was not bad at all. Although, I could do without the faux thai tea, and the chalky taro.

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And there you have it, one more froyo joint for San Diego to choose from, load up your toppings, and let us know what you think!

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (14 votes, average: 2.14 out of 5)

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m0chi @ 11:02 pm
Filed under: Reviews and San Diego