Most people find themselves adapting to the tastes of those in their environment. I don’t even think it’s a conscious effort in most cases. We just see people enjoying a certain food/beverage/activity and think, “Hmm. That looks interesting,” try it for ourselves, and then all of a sudden, we’re one of the masses.
For example, I was never really a beer drinker before living in Boston, and then, was introduced to the fact that Samuel Adams has an ale for every season. There is light and lemony Summer Ale for lazy June nights or (best of all) Pumpkin Ale for the crisp New England falls. Anyway, people in Los Angeles don’t really care about good ole Sam that much, and I think I reveal myself as a transplant every time I ask for it in a bar.
One thing Angelenos do enjoy? Frozen yogurt. When I lived in LA several years ago, I was obsessed with Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt. There was a Penguin’s on the corner of my old street in West LA and I would often takes walk there to imbibe in a delicious sundae-that-is-not-actually-a-sundae. Chocolatey goodness without the guilt!
Since I moves back to California, my frozen yogurt obsession has resurfaced in full force, but in my absence, a new type of froyo has emerged that is LACED WITH CRACK. (Not really, but it’s so addictive that it may as well be.) And it can be found at a dealer known as Pinkberry.
When I first tried Pinkberry’s frozen yogurt, I didn’t even like it. Now I love it so much that I cannot even imagine what it must feel like to not enjoy Pinkberry. It’s like not liking … coffee or air or John Hughes movies. I have no idea what they put in this stuff. Some people say it’s not even yogurt. According to the website, “Pinkberry is swirly goodness. It’s a love affair with chilly bliss.” Usually, I would scoff that this description doesn’t really elucidate what Pinkberry actually is, but you know … YES, it IS a love affair with chilly bliss! It IS swirly goodness! I can’t think of a better way to describe it.
Not only is Pinkberry amazingly delicious, but there are only 100 calories per half cup, which makes it a favorite with all of the body and health-conscious types here in southern California. I was once at a Pinkberry eagerly awaiting my turn to order, while the woman in front of me asked the girl behind the counter, “So … are there more calories in yogurt chips or chocolate chips? I mean, which one is HEALTHIER? How many grams of sugar are in chocolate chips?” (I bit back my own response: “Try FRUIT, lady. I guarantee you strawberries are healthier than chocolate chips.”)
If you live in LA or New York City and haven’t tried Pinkberry, go. Go now. Start with a plain with strawberries and kiwi. Oh, and they have mochi – you just have to ask for it. I recently decided to cut back on my Pinkberry consumption, not because it was too caloric or too expensive, but because I thought that if I ate it too much, I’d lose my taste for it, and I cannot imagine anything sadder.
