ShopEatSleep

Pinkberry peanut butter and jelly waffle sandwich. Photo courtesy of Pinkberry.

Pinkberry frozen yogurt is widely considered the standard by which all other tart-style frozen yogurt has been measured. But the froyo mainstay (as much as that can be said!) is shaking things up, not only by offering Greek yogurt, but also by having a secret menu.

Available only in Southern California stores starting tomorrow, Aug. 17, mention the words “old school,” and you can get a peanut butter frozen yogurt and jelly waffle cookie sandwich with a carton of milk for $3.95, while supplies last. These waffle cookie sandwiches have been available only in select stores until now, so this is a treat. It seems like a nice twist on the traditional ice cream sandwich.

And be on the lookout for new Pinkberry frozen yogurt flavors cherry and butter pecan, set to launch in stores next month.

Correction: Cherry is currently in stores, as is peanut butter. Butter pecan will be in stores beginning in September, when cherry will most likely phase out.

Pinkberrygreek cucumber, sunflower cracker, olive oil and chili combo

Pinkberry, the company that re-introduced frozen yogurt to the masses in 2005, is upping its game by offering a slew of interesting combinations featuring Greek yogurt. No, it’s not frozen, and yes, Greek yogurt is everywhere these days, but Pinkberry’s truly is in a league of its own.

Dubbed Pinkberrygreek, this version is creamier, smoother and less tart than some of the other products out there, including Chobani and Fage, both of which I eat on a regular basis (I did a side-by-side taste test, too). While the vanilla flavor is a bit too sweet for me, the plain is quickly becoming my new favorite Greek yogurt. What’s also attractive is the fact that the yogurt comes from one farm, Fair Oaks in Indiana, and every batch traceable back to specific herds.

There are a couple of topping combinations for the Pinkberrygreek that I really like. The first one is sweet, with raspberries, blueberries, chocolate granola and cinnamon-infused honey. This special honey, a punched-up version of the already interesting sage blossom honey used in all Pinkberry stores, is what makes this flavor combination. The second topping recipe is savory, one that’s really unique. The cucumber, sunflower seed cracker, olive oil and chili powder combo (pictured above) sounded strange at first, but it totally works and would make a great afternoon snack.

Pinkberrygreek berry, chocolate granola and cinnamon honey combo

Pinkberry is also going to start offering power bowls with acai, quinoa and oatmeal. My favorite recipe is, once again, a savory one, with Greek yogurt, quinoa, sesame crackers, oranges, pumpkin seeds and agave. The sweet and salty combo is the best of both worlds, and you get lots of protein to boot.

Pinkberrygreek power bowl with quinoa, sesame cracker, pumpkin seeds, oranges and agave combo

If you want to try some of these new flavor combinations but can’t find them in your local store, head over to the Brentwood location where all the new stuff is first introduced.

Note: This tasting was hosted.

Pinkberry Swirly Gram. Courtesy of Pinkberry.

Looking for a cute Valentine’s Day gift? You may want to consider Pinkberry’s Swirly Grams, which can either be actual froyo or a gift card packaged up with heart-shaped balloons and hand delivered. The frozen yogurt comes in a single serving size ($10) or a five-serving size ($20), and the gift card can be any amount you’d like plus a small packaging fee. Choose from three flavor combinations: original with toasted almonds, strawberries and dark chocolate crisps, chocolate with brownie bites, raspberries and shaved milk chocolate, and the new blood orange with blood orange pieces and a waffle cookie. Order online through Feb. 9 and in store through Feb. 10 for delivery between Feb. 11 and Valentine’s Day.

Enter to win your own Swirly Gram complete with a $10 Pinkberry gift card by leaving a comment on this post stating why you want Pinkberry for Valentine’s Day. Contest ends Sunday, Feb. 6 at 11:59 p.m. PST. I’ll pick one winner at random to be announced the following day. Good luck!

**This contest is closed.**

Congratulations to Bryant Verador, winner of this contest!

UPDATE: Due to popular demand, online ordering for Swirly Grams has been extended to Feb. 11 at 12:00 p.m. PST, and you can purchase them in stores through Feb. 14 to deliver on your own.

From Bacon Today.

L.A.’s favorite hot dog: Farmer John has a fundraising campaign aimed at making the bacon-wrapped hot dog Los Angeles’ official wiener, and more importantly to donate food to local food banks. Between now and election day on Nov. 2, you can vote at www.votelahotdog.org, and for every signature collected in support of the bacon-wrapped hot dog, Farmer John will make a donation of 1 pound — up to 50,000 pounds — to local food banks. You know you’ve had your fair share of danger dogs after a late-night of debauchery, so a simple click to submit your vote and help food banks shouldn’t be too hard, right? Oh, and here’s Farmer John’s recipe for making your own bacon dog.

Macy’s Culinary Council: Macy’s in Pasadena is hosting James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur and author Takashi Yagihashi of Takashi restaurant in Chicago. He’ll be at Macy’s on Lake Avenue Oct. 7 to talk about his favorite recipes and gourmet techniques, as well as sign copies of his cookbook, which will be available for purchase the day of the event. You don’t need a reservation, but seating will be limited to the first 200 people. And a suggested $5 donation to benefit the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank will be collected at the door.

Macy’s
Furniture Department, Level 3
401 S. Lake Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101
Oct. 7, 6:30 p.m.

Pinkberry’s 100-store celebration: To celebrate the milestone of opening its 100th store, Pinkberry is holding a contest called “100 Stores, 100 Ways,” inviting Pinkberry fans to share favorite ways and places to enjoy the tangy froyo. To enter, you’ll have to explain in 100 words or less your favorite Pinkberry combinations, creative ways to eat Pinkberry and how Pinkberry has played a part in your life. Those 100 words could be in the form of a story, poem or song, and optional Flickr photos and YouTube videos can accompany the submission, too. The grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 Pinkberry VIPink Card, and 10 first-place winners will each get $50 Pinkberry gift cards.

Courtesy of Pinkberry.

From June 25 through August, Pinkberry will be offering a new flavor, as it tends to do in the summertime. This year it’s watermelon. While I normally wouldn’t bother reporting on a new frozen yogurt flavor, I was intrigued by the news that Pinkberry is recommending this new watermelon flavor topped with watermelon puree, diced watermelon and diced cucumber, which will be offered at stores upon its release. Adding a little savory vegetable action into the mix might not be such a bad idea, though I haven’t tasted it yet so I can’t say for sure. When I do, I’ll let you know what I think.

Oh, and to up the ante in the world of froyo, Pinkberry is introducing a daily happy hour from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to push its new flavor. Any size watermelon froyo, including swirls and side-by-sides, will be half-price during this time.

UPDATE: I just tried the new flavor, thanks to a special delivery to my office from Pinkberry, and I like it a lot. The watermelon frozen yogurt is nice, especially with the watermelon and cucumber pieces, which seem to cut the sweetness of the froyo a bit (a good thing for me). I’m not sure I’m a fan of the watermelon puree, though, but only because it froze into an icy mass after sitting on the cold yogurt.

Note: The frozen yogurt with toppings that was delivered to me was complimentary.

Now, 21 Choices frozen yogurt isn’t new, but in this latest boom of froyo led by Pinkberry, it has certainly been eclipsed. Granted, it doesn’t serve the same kind of tart flavors on a regular basis as Pinkberry does, but it does win points in the creativity category. With rotating flavors like Malibu rum coconut and Animal cookie and the option of “mix-ins” a la Cold Stone Creamery, 21 Choices is a genius combination of frozen yogurt and ice cream and toppings and yummy, yummy goodness all in one retail storefront. And best of all, there’s one right by my office!

Keep Reading