Food + Fashion--For Reals?

One question I get a lot is, "So, is everyone at that fashion school of yours, like, totally anorexic?" And honestly, when I first started there, I was shocked at the offerings at the café--chips, donuts, cup o' noodles, etc.--because I was picturing the girls of The Devil Wears Prada and assuming that no way in hell were fashion-school girls eating this stuff.

Well, for y'all's info, I was wrong. Sure, many of my peers at school are toothpicks in skinny jeans...but it's only the very rarest of them that brings Ziploc bags full of carrots from home to eat between classes. Quite the contrary: apparently, most of the people I see every day subsist on exactly the kind of food that Nicole Richie would die before letting pass her lips:

Yep, the real meal secret of fashionistas is salt + sugar, shaken together in a bag and served in massive quantities. Washed down, of course, with multiple Diet Cokes (the fashion girl's bottled water). Oh, and let's not be prejudiced in our reporting here; what about fashion students of the male persuasion? Those very fabulous boys prefer Subway (handily located across the street, at a Shell station. So very chic.).

We all know how models give that annoying line about eating whatever they want and never exercising and jsut having magical metabolisms...well, judging by my peers, maybe it's true after all. Fashion and logic never go together, after all. Just a little--dare I say--food for thought!

> r r <

It Was Inevitable: Designer Yogurt

I've had a little yogurt lid tacked up on my fridge all summer that came from a yogurt I got at Harrod's in London. Not only is it called Rachel's, but the full title is "Rachel's Low Fat Natural Bio-Live Yogurt, 450g." I'm a big fan of plain low-fat yogurt (all of the above are essential: full-fat is gluey, fat-free is watery, and sugared or fake-sugared is just nasty). I'm also a big fan of the metric system (I STILL don't know how many damn pints are in a quart). Obviously, this yogurt lid is a pretty good summation of my character. But I thought it was a U.K.-only thing (those Europeans really have their mini yogurts down. I'm so jealous.), until I got a message informing me that Rachel's is not only available at my local health food store (supposedly) but also now has new trendalicious flavors:

Anyone remember my big essay on trendy beverages? Well, it looks like yogurt can now be your new portable status symbol. The proof is in the magical ingredients that are mandatory for check-me-and-my-glowing-health-out snack bling--in this case, not only tired buzzwords like green tea and chai, but woah-nelly POMEGRANATE ACAI. You know that's destined for Jessica Alba's trendsetting little paws. And if you read the fine print, this yogurt has all kinds of organisms and whatnot that will keep you forever young and also end global warming and probably get rid of herpes while it's at it. Hot damn. Get thee to thy Whole Foods, early adopters, since your iPhones have lost their cache!

> r r <

Everyone is Doing It

Happy Monday!

Wanna know why I'm so happy? I can't even begin to tell you...it couldn't be because I watched a three hour cheezoid movie about Charles Manson and then walked home at midnight by myself.

Nor could it be because I was a sex sandwich (and not in a good way) last night--as both people that live on either side of me were having loud, passionate sex whilst I sat and watched Law and Order reruns with my pooch.

It might be because I need focus to do a good job with work, and these days finding inspiration and conversation about food is easy to do.

Doesn't it seem like everyone cooks these days? I remember the old days when I was a sophisticate with my knowlege of haricot vert and squid ink pasta. Now I am a dime a dozen. Never fear, I rejoice in this new found love for good food--it can only mean fabulous things for me and my belly.

The book that will tell the tale: The United States of Arugula

This website proves that it is hard to get visits without a few recipes: HEYA HIFI

The master at writing about it: Michael Ruhlman

Someone who makes art with it: Aya Brackett

Someone who cooks it: .:tt:. (hey...how'd that get in there??)

These ladies LOVE food: Food Porn (not for the faint of heart or the under-aged, this is REAL PORN. Seriously. Don't look if you don't like porn. I HAD to look. Research. I swear. Research.)

So sit back nation, it's time empty your bowls of plastic and polyester food--there's a revolution going on.

.:tt:.

Lark Cake Shop, A Review

Occasionally we like to have another voice of reason. This voice of reason comes from John Southern, an architect and an avid eater (that's what I said, AVID). Please sit back, relax, it's not my voice you will be hearing your head all day...

.:tt:.

“Let them eat cake”-- According to Wikipeda, it ain’t Marie Antoinette.


Living in what I refer to as the “Silver Lake Lowlands”, any new culinary opportunity is observed with the same type of anxious optimism usually held by peoples under siege. It’s not that we don’t have options down here, it’s just most of them tend to be on the low end of the culinary totem pole. I mean, how many papusas or pho bowls can one eat before the taste buds tire and shrivel from too much salt and MSG? We also don’t have much in the way of dessert options either, which is why the addition of Lark Cake Shop on Sunset Blvd. is such a welcome treat.

Lark, owned by Colleen Standish, has established itself in a commercial strip just south of Micheltorena St. normally associated with auto-body shops and Latin American storefront churches. After eyeing their sign during construction, I found that they’d opened while I was away in Berlin. An attack of the late afternoon munchies forced me and my date to drop in one hot and steamy Wednesday afternoon.

Enough chit-chat already! On to them’ baked goodz!

Lark specializes in cupcakes, frosted cookies, and fancy cakes, all of which earn a prize in aesthetics and sugary-sweet goodness. The staff is super nice and is quick to offer up samples from the on-site bakery, which is cleverly on view through a large glass window. What gets though me are the prices. Cupcakes are currently pegged at $1.90 (tax incld.) which for the quality and size is remarkably fair. In a neighborhood that is quickly gentrifying (which means we’re going from cheap to posh in the blink of an eye) this is a welcome addition that will no doubt pull in hipster and long-time residents alike.

My date, Emily, and I each ordered a cupcake to sample the standard fare of the house. I chose the coconut-nut vanilla frosted cupcake, while she picked a delich’ chocolate-frosted dream that was surprisingly light on the taste-buds, despite its rich appearance. The coconut was crisp and the icing cool, sugary, and fresh- sweet relief on a hot summer day. I ordered an espresso to compliment my snack and it came out frothy and smooth, rather than the usual bitter and oily combo that one finds at Backdoor Bakery and Casbah. Emily, an avid baker herself, is a tough critic when it comes to baked goods, and she agreed that Lark beats the pants off other bakeries in the area, due to its homegrown taste, and reasonable prices. I couldn’t be happier with the place since it now means another “sweet” destination in a neighborhood that needs more.
The bonus is that Lark is open late- 7pm weekdays and 10pm on the weekends. This means that whether you’re on your way home from a tough day at the office, or out for a walk after dinner, Lark is going to be a constant temptation, that’s heavy on the taste buds, but light on the wallet.

Oh! I also forgot to mention that it’s next to Stark- a waxing spa, so the ladies (or the frictionless inclined gentleman) can pamper themselves with fuzzy coconut cupcakes after their “Brazilian” and lament what was lost.

Eat and Enjoy!

Lark Cake Shop
3337 West Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026. (t.323.667.2968)

Tasca, A Review

I put the best thing I've ever had in my mouth last night...and it WAS in fact food (I always knew it would be).

Of course that lead in has you gripping the edge of your seat (especially if you are my father) but alas, like a good journalist, I will make you wait for the payoff--as I in fact did.

A few months ago this very cute, albeit way too-cool-guy gave me his card saying that he is a chef at Tasca, a tapas bar. His name is Nano Crespo, and once I got passed the name (and the sunglass wearing inside the building) I put the card in my wallet and thought I would visit when I had some time.

What with all of the restaurant openings in Los Angeles, I've gone broke and gained 13 pounds--so Tasca was down far on the list. (Coincidentally, I met Tiffany from Top Chef and she said she was heading over to Craft for dinner last night). But my friend CH invited me to dinner, and I never turn down a free glass of wine.

We sat in the very tiny space (it's soooo Spain that way) and met the owner right off of the bat. She's young, yields a light accent from somewhere outside of Los Angeles and is very nice; in fact the whole staff is very nice.

We started with the Brandade, which is salt cod, reconstituted and mixed with a thickener (in this case mashed potatoes) and made into a dip. It was fair. My dining partner was immediately turned off as it looked like "hairy mashed potatoes" and tasted like "kitty food". It is authentic, it's true.

The owner sent an amuse of truffle potato chips that were very good; highly scented with truffle but lightly flavored. That is the wondrous thing about truffles, they speak more to your nose than your palate; it is confusing enough to the brain that you only think you are tasting what you are smelling, but if you taste very carefully you will see the flavor has little to do with the smell.

Next we had the potatoes stewed with chorizo, another classic Spanish dish. Chorizo is one of my favorite meats of all time, and this chorizo was no exception. The menu claimed to braise the meat and potatoes in Sherry, but I didn't taste any here. What I did taste were exploding flavors of very fresh, piquant paprika and smolderingly earthy, cumin. The flavors were phenomenal. These are two flavors that die in our kitchen cabinets in the United States, as our paprika is weak and our cumin stale. Preserved in the chorizo it held its flavor from table to mouth. What I didn't taste were the potatoes as they were so starchy they didn't want to stay on the fork. I would suggest using small yellow potatoes with the skins on or making crispy potatoes out of the russets they are using in the dish.

But alas we are to the finale and what a finale it was. I'm no sucker for things like, "vanilla scented" or "red wine and demi glace braised"; in fact I'm jaded from all of the bad "vanilla scented" sauces I've experienced outside of a pastry or dessert. THIS is the "vanilla scented" to kick all of the other "vanilla scented" sauces out of the water.

I'll leave it up to the waiter to explain; "Red wine and Demi Glace Braised Short Ribs with Butternut Squash Ravioli and Vanilla Scented Cream Sauce." I almost didn't order it because it is THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER. But my dining partner had stopped by earlier in the evening and smelled the short ribs a braisin'; so she asked to have them included in our tasting.

I’m glad she did otherwise I would have left the restaurant less than enthusiastic. I probably would have written this review like Frank Bruni wrote about Harold’s restaurant last week..."eh, ‘tis okay." But now I can boast that the most perfect dish I've eaten was consumed at a little unassuming wine bar that only recently got its license.

The first bite is always the best, and I'm glad to have savored it like a chocolate truffle. I cut a ravioli in half, scooped some short rib on top and laid it on my tongue. It melted right then and there and I went with it. Forget about the sunglasses inside, this guy is my new crush! It's like he knew that I, personally had been offended by so many "vanilla scented" sauces that he sat out to make one that I would approve of. And approve I do.

I think I'm in love...with the meal of course.

.:tt:.

Algabar, A Tasting

There is a new tea house in town, Algabar Home and Life. It is one of the most beautiful places you will step your two little pieds. It is co-owned by my friend Gail Baral and her business partner Robb Wain, and is truly a classy place.

Gail knows her tea after having traveled to China and Japan on many occasions, she makes the best cup of tea I've ever had. If you stop by the shop, she will ask you a few questions and brew a special cup just for you while you browse. If you have tea questions (does it have caffiene, brewing temperatures, or even recipes for tea cocktails) she will be happy to oblige.

I attended the first tasting that was held at her store jointly with (alas!) my favorite preserver/chocolate canner/syrup making purveyor, Robert Lambert. The food was exquisite, composed by chef Crispin Kitto and menu designed by Kim. The event was just lovely, and everyone involved is quite talented.

I have been working with an importer to develop recipes with her products and the product that I have included in almost every recipe is, of course, Roberts. Today I offer my favorite recipe thus far.

Brioche French Toast with Blood Orange Glazed Foie Gras

1 whole Cardamom Pod
1 Egg
2 T Cream
2-3 Slices of day old Brioche, 1" thick
10 oz Foie Gras, sliced into scaloppini’s (1/4" slices)
Robert Lambert Blood Orange Syrup
Mascarpone, whipped (optional)
Raspberries,
glazed with a little bit of the Blood Orange Syrup
Butter for frying

- Beat the egg with the cream and then grate 1/4 tsp of the cardamom
into the mixture. Pour in 1 T of Robert Lambert Syrup and set aside.

-
In a hot sauté pan, melt some butter and caramelize each piece of foie gras on
both sides.

- While the foie gras is caramelizing, heat another
sauté pan to medium high heat. Once it is hot, place some butter in the pan and
dredge the brioche through the egg mixture. Cook the pieces of bread on medium
high heat until caramelized on both sides.

- While the brioche is cooking, pour in Robert Lambert's Blood Orange syrup (enough to cover one side of all of the pieces of foie gras) and glaze the scaloppini’s for 30 seconds.

- Plate the french toast and place the foie gras pieces on top. Dust
with a little powdered sugar and serve with a dollop of whipped mascarpone
and raspberries tossed with a little of the syrup.

This is not low fat. In fact if you have heart issues, this is the dish that will stop the blood flow. This is the dish to eat before you fast. I would like to think Gandhi ate a plate of this stuff before he stopped eating. I would like to think it but am sure he didn't as Gandhi would never eat foie gras.

This is the meal I would request at my hanging.

If I could only eat once a month, this is the dish I would eat.

If I had to come back as a meal, this is the meal I would come back as.

Please eat responsibly (like perhaps with a glass of champagne).

.:tt:.

This Is Why, I'm a Chef

Because I'm the sane one in a world of crazies like this guy:



(click on picture to find out why.)

.:tt:.

Harry Potter Jelly Beans, A Taste Test

Alan waited for me to try most of them--but he just had to taste bacon and rotten egg. I knew bacon would be gross...but I had no idea rotten egg would be so literal. The taste of sulfer stayed around long after the egg ripened.

Moving on the dual taste test.

We started with black pepper. I knew this has possibility, but I wasn't expecting to down right LIKE it. It's fabulous!

Next we decided to try something gross and we moved on to booger. I expected sweet boogers and I got sweet boogers. It was a spit out.

Afterthat we tested soap. Soap tasted like rose soap. YUCK--but not too yuck. Quite sophisticated. I finished it.

Earwax came next. This was a surprise. We discussed the actual taste of earwax and determined that it is bitter. Earwax jellybeans however, taste like cardomon and vanilla. I think someone might have joked that it tasted like "earwax of an Arabic grandmother."

We tried dirt next. Dirt tastes like dirt. But god made dirt, so dirt dont hurt.

We had to take a breather--and after half an hour or so, we tried grass and then earthworm. Grass was fine, but secretly I was hoping it would taste like pot...you know "hey man you got some grassssss"--it didnt'... But that's a million dollar idea right there--POT JELLY BEANS.

Earthworm was WEIRD. It tasted like hybiscus tea. But Alan nearly lost it--and had to spit it out. Apparently the earthworm jelly bean doesn't taste like hybiscus tea, hybiscus tea tastes like earthworms.

And finally vomit. No really--I didn't vomit--I ate vomit. It reminded me of something...I couldn't quite put my finger on...

And then it came to me...

"College!"

.:tt:.

YUMMO

This is something I could wrap my mind around.




official press release here.

Geddit? In Japan only.

.:tt:.

Martha Stewart Copped Out

I try to stick with themes. This morning, the theme that arrives time and time again, are wine glass tags.

Wine glass tags are just as they seem; little markers for the wine glass so that it doesn't get mixed up with another guest's wine glass. I thought to myself, "who puts their wine glass down?" But then it became obvious to me that when one ducks into a closet for a quick snog at a cocktail party, most people put their glasses down. It then occurred to me that you have just exchanged a lot more than spit--so why the shy behavior suddenly? BUT then I thought further and realized that it may come down to philosophy; HIS glass may be half empty.

First it started with a perusal of an old Martha Stewart Magazine. Someone requested "smart and simple" ways to make wine glass tags. The first mistake was to assume "simple" thought I. But Martha disappointed. She suggested buying silk flowers with the bendy stems to wrap around the glasses.

EWWW. Doesn't that seem a fright? I can imagine a rose growing up the side of your Burgundy and tickling your mustache.

Then I saw these, and suddenly the flower seemed downright avant garde!

I remember the good old days, when it was appropriate to drink out of "red cups" and you could just Sharpie your name on the side. Those were simpler times.

I'm not even gonna talk about these.

I've been wracking my brain to come up with a better idea. And then I had it. We've lived centuries without wine glass tags--therefore WE DO NOT NEED WINE GLASS TAGS.

As I always say, keep your wine glass close and the wine bottle closer.

.:tt:.

NYT Agrees With 5%C

If the New York Times Style section says it, it must be true. Therefore, their agreeing with my recent assessment of Diet Coke Plus means that I AM RIGHT, and boy howdy, do I ever like being right. Just so you can see how the NYT is totally mackin' on my style via interviews with actual people:

Anne Slowey, an editor at Elle, still recalls the best [Diet Coke] she ever
had, near the Great Wall of China. “If I want the Diet Coke of my dreams, I have
to go to Beijing,” she told me. But Diet Coke Plus? It rubs her the wrong way,
as it does many. “I just don’t want someone mixing vitamins in with my vice,”
she said. Especially if you can taste them. The other day, Ira [the
author's husband] popped open his first can of the stuff. Ptooey. “I don’t
care for the aftertaste,” he said. “It’s like having a sweater on my tongue.”
With that he ceremoniously poured it down the drain.

Take THAT, health.

> r r <

What?

Champagne has added sugar?

I have done a lot of research on Champagne (particularly tasting research) and I've never known that sugar is added right before bottling.

This Champagne doesnt.

Ayala owned by Bollinger, is placing a sparkling rose on the market that does not have the added sugar known as "dosage"; the equivalent of three level tablespoons of liquid sugar. It is used to balance flavor, but Ayala has found a way around it.

Ayala claims that the dosage is not necessary if the fruit is perfectly ripe.

The difference? An average bottle with the dosage is 534 calories with the new wine coming in around 390 calories.

This means one thing to me; I can drink ONE more glass. Any opportunity to drink one more, is alright by me.

Ayala Cuvée Rosé Nature

.:tt:.
Read the whole article here.

What the Chic are Swigging

Have you yet seen the tall bottles of kombucha staking their claim on large areas of shelf at Whole Foods & associated yuppie vegan stores? Do you know anyone who swears by the stuff? Have you tried it yourself, or even reached the ultimate stage of the pyramid and declared yourself addicted? Several months ago I hadn't even achieved Step One yet, and somehow I now find myself at about Step 3.5 (drink it occasionally, wish for it often). How did this happen? I started working at a chic boutique with ladies who are ahead of the pack not only in fashionable clothing, but in fashionable foods and, especially, drinks. Fashionable drinks? Seriously? Oh ho, my friends, absolutely. Every once in awhile, a new beverage comes along that makes special claims that somehow vault it not just to popular status (e.g. Vanilla Coke) but to exclusive status. It's not sold everywhere, it's not drunk by everyone, and it's very probably expensive. Before I get into the complex cult of Kombucha, let's take a little trip down memory lane (or creek, if we want to be liquid about it) and remember couture drinks of yore.

<--OK, perhaps not exactly couture. But in my first grade class, anyone whose mom let them have Yoo-Hoo in their lunchbox was TOTALLY cool. And look, it even had special claims way back when!

Voss Water came along and perhaps was an originator of the luxury beverage boom. It was really expensive, came in an impractical glass bottle, and somehow imparted major class to anyone carrying it. Was there ever even a special claim? Or just the claim--its value not to be underestimated--that it was really expensive? I know Voss is still around, but it's not a big deal anymore. And I think it's actually gotten cheaper.

I remember when VitaminWater was the new hip thing. Kind of like when Boca Burgers first came around and were so magical because they were meatlike but not meat. And now there are like 827364 kinds of veggie burgers, and you can get Bocas at Burger King. So much for cache. Same thing with VitWa. They're trying to stay cool with new VitaminEnergy, which I'm sure will be popular enough among the pseudo-health-conscious, but still not exclusive enough to qualify as a boutique bev. The way I can tell? VitWa vending machines are everywhere and it's always on sale at CVS. The kiss of death? See below:

And who could forget the recent pomegranate craze? Started off with Pom Wonderful juice that Whole Foods mommies splashed into their San Pellegrino to ward off the plague. Pom then tried to get portable with these highly impractical ("reusable!") glass Pom Teas (perhaps thinking that if it worked for Voss, why not Pom?). I think the bev-toting elite tried to embrace it, but it just didn't fly. Now that pomegranates are in everything from hand lotion to smoothies at 7-11, the glamour is gone.

Which brings us back to the modern day and the reign of kombucha. When I first started working here, the girls introduced me to it by saying "it tastes bad, but it's super good for you!" I tasted a little in a paper cup, and I actually liked the stuff. Mainly because it tastes like organic cheap champagne, and I dearly love cheap champagne. This is because it's fermented with some kind of magical culture thing--which, BTW, looks like a giant scary mushroom blob. As for health benefits, "No clinical studies have been performed that demonstrate any specific curative properties of kombucha, but anecdotal reports suggest protection against cancer and other ailments." The bottle says that the maker started marketing it after his mother cured herself of breast cancer with it. If you want to get down and dirty, here's some deets: "Advocates believe kombucha works by assisting in the phase II liver detoxification pathway, leading to efficient elimination of endogenous and exogenous bodily wastes." Delightful. In addition to lots of different acids and enzymes and stuff, kombucha "also contains vitamin groups B and C, beneficial yeasts and bacteria." Mmm, beneficial yeasts! Anyway, it comes in various colors (all organic fruit purees added to the kombucha mix) and for sure fits all the specifications for a boutique bev: cures cancer, is brand-specific (my cronies drink only this kind, Organic Raw Kombucha, rather than competitor Kombucha Wonder Drink), is only sold at froofy health shops, and empties your wallet with one blow ($3.39 each! For REALS YO!). I see this one sticking around for the long haul--it's just gotten started.

A Look To The Future:

Now, I'm not sure if everyone's seen the clearly-aimed-solely-at-women ads for new Diet Coke Plus, or if non-Angelenos are missing out (since they're still in the regional testing phase [and god knows L.A. is the obvious place to introduce such a product]). If you haven't, let me sumamrize: Coke is trying to hop on the beverages-as-health-aids wagon, perhaps trying to neutralize the utter toxicity of their product (not only is aspartame questionable, but caffeine is addictive [duh] and leaches calcium from your bones [not duh, but scary and true] AND the carbonation ALSO leaches calcium from your bones. Annnnd tons of women drink liters of it a day. In a few decades we're all going to need multiple prosthetic limbs.) So yeah, I guess I can see the reasoning in trying to add at least a little nutritional value to Diet Coke, but I'm not convinced that it'll have enough cache to be the new Kombucha. And I for one am not even going to fool myself into drinking it for health; no, no, I'll stay old school, hardcore, and drink my toxic chemicals with glee and without pretense of any benefits. Whatevs--I'm sure I'll be OK if I chase it with a little Kombucha.

Cheers!

> r r <

[Note: for an interesting overview of the beverage market, drown yourself in this report.]

1OO!

One hundredth post, and it was done in conjunction with my favorite city. And my favorite glass of wine. And my favorite new drink. And in my favorite underwear.

I'm so sorry I've been gone. I have missed you 5%Celery. I have.

I do bring gifts with me though.

First a prediction: The "new" hot (as in faddish) thing will be yellow bell pepper sauce/soup. I'm just saying...my ESP is telling me. Quote me on that. Write it in your calendar. I've said it. I stand by it. Wait and see...

Second: I've found the best Bloody Mary ever--and it has about 5% Celery content. It is at a great little (and by little I mean to say there are FOUR, count them FOUR in Manhattan) place called Sarabeth's in the Upper West Side (and in three other locations around the city). Anyway, it is absolutely the place to go for three things:

1) Bloody Mary's with 5% Celery
2) Preserves with NO celery!
3) Pumpkin muffins...I'm not gonna make a joke about these. They are really good.

This is a teaser. I have intention to "talk" your ears off about my journeys as of late.

Thanks for listening, and remember you heard it here first; yellow bell pepper sauce--the wave of the future.

.:tt:.

Pinkberry: The Scoop

I know, that was a hideous pun of a heading, but you'll have to deal since it leads you to THE REAL TRUTH ABT: PINKBERRY YOGHURT <--(much more fun spelling than the American way). I hereby allow you access to nutrition info and secret tips! Ooh-wee!

[Intro: Everyone in L.A. knows that Pinkberry's spreading like herpes around these parts, and though I'm usually not a huge fro-yo fan--if you want ice cream, for god's sake eat ice cream--a reputable source told me it was "my kind of thing." So the other day I was heading back from the accountant's office for the store where I work, which entails a harrowing drive all the way down Highland from Burbank, and when I finally hit Melrose I spied a Pinkberry. I was starving from my strenuous drive, so I pulled a quick U (my signature move) and got in the queue. How impressive is it that I know how to spell "queue," by the way? I totally got it right the first time. Damn. OK SO SO SO I got my yoghurt; 'twas a plain flavor with blueberries; I adored it; 'twas v. sour and delectable and fantastic; yes, a small size is more than enough; yes, fruit is fresh and marvy, etc.]

REAL DEAL info (OOH-WEE):

-->Nutrition Facts--> While there is much myth and legend surrounding Pinkberry's health benefits and calorie count*, the plain facts are:

-The yoghurt has 25 calories per ounce.

-A small serving is 5 oz; a medium is 8 oz. For those who failed fifth-grade math, a small has 125 calories and a medium has 200 cal. Obviously, add on whatever berries/cereal/junk you put on top.

*Take, for example, the theme song that plays on the PB website: "..I don't feel like I'm cheatin'/ when I'm eatin' it...it's like a dream/Take that, ice cream...." Whatevs, you ARE cheating when you're eating it...cheating on your true love, ice cream.

--> Speaking Of Toppings!--> According to denizens of P-Ber (like Restaurant Girl, who details her fave combinations), in addition to the normal toppings, you can get MOCHI on your yoghurt! She even goes all hedonist and orders extra mochi without even using yoghurt as an excuse for them! What lines we can cross here! What boxes outside of which we may live!

--> L.A. Locales--> Koreatown, Larchmont, Bev Hills somewheres, Los Feliz, Melrose, Studio City, WeHo, West Olympic, & Westwood. Otherwise, you kin git yer fix at 3 shops in New Yawk Sittee. Speaking of sittees, remember that Harvey Danger song, "Flagpole Sitta?" Anyone know what in tarnation a sitta is? Gangsta talk for "sitter?" Why would you need a sitter for a flagpole? They're so well-behaved.

HAHAHA FROGHURT! I want to be in a froghurt frenzy.

> r r <