Finding Fro-Yo Near and Far

April 13, 2007

by Lizzie Komar

I’ve always had a weakness for ice cream. As a youth, it was the ice cream promised at the end rocky hikes that seemed to go on forever that carried me through most adverse rustic situations, and it was ice cream that made the mosquito bites less itchy and fireflies more beautiful on balmy summer nights. Ice cream was always the default dessert on vacations, and in the winter as others clutched tight to their mugs of steaming hot chocolate, I, with frostbitten fingers and numb lips, continued to choose ice cream over all other desserts.

Of course I’ve accumulated a number of ice cream loyalties over the past couple of years. There was the love affair with the Cone Zone, a shop that was known for its fresh chopped strawberries which were blended into the ice cream, and there was the brief stint at Temptations where I always ordered mint chocolate chip with crumbled Oreos. But overall, I have found that the ice cream that excites me the most is the ice cream you can be creative with. One day, when exploring the Boston University area with a friend, snack time hit and we had a craving for a frozen treat. As we considered Jamba Juice (too fruity), Coldstone (all of that singing and banging gives me a migraine) and the Boston outpost of the JP Lick’s (been there, done that) it became quite clear that we needed to try something new and different. Maybe it was expedition into the concrete jungle of BU, or the thrilling ride on the green line, but we were ready for a tasty adventure. And after some hunting and talking to BU students, we finally reached an oasis, the Angora Café.

Located officially in Brookline toward the west campus of BU on Commonwealth Avenue, this little place looks like nothing more than your common coffee shop. Tables line the walls and a nice couch and coffee table is set up in the center of the room. Hailed for its healthy lunch choices such as the low fat flatbread pizzas and made- to-order wraps, rolled up in delightfully warm and fresh pita, Angora gives its patrons a lot of options. However, the one option to trump all options, the crowning glory of this café, is without a doubt, the create-your-own-frozen yogurt. On the wall above the counter, reigning over all, is a monumental board with all 51 mix-in choices. Because of the vast array of options, it’s impossible not to find that one ingredient that you’ve always dreamt about mixing into your frozen yogurt, but were never provided with the option. You can throw in anything from fresh fruit to graham crackers to actual wedges of cheesecake, brownies, or candy bars. Once you choose your mix-ins, all of the treats are thrown into a massive and intimidating metal pump-like machine that transforms the elements into a creamy, soft serve-like texture with the hint or satisfying crunch of the rich flavors that you have chosen. Everything becomes smoothly distributed, giving every little blended spoonful a burst of flavor and intrigue, crunch and cream. At Angora there is only one size for the frozen yogurt—but don’t frett, the portions are generous, and it’s worth the price: at about $4 a pop, a dessert at Angora is more than satisfying.

Alas, the trip to Angora is a bit of a hike, but if you know what’s good for you, it will be a hike you’re willing to make. And if, by chance, you’re not able to get to Angora, you can always swoop down to JP Lick’s in Davis Square and pick up some of their newly released soft serve frozen yogurt, which, although less creative, is indeed reminiscent of Angora. Offering four flavors each week, JP Lick’s always includes vanilla and chocolate and rotates in two more exotic flavors such as chocolate chip cookie and cheesecake. To tell the truth, this is some of the best fat-free soft serve I have ever come into contact with.

So friends, when snack time hits and you find yourself craving a frozen treat, I urge you to get creative and enjoy these two wonderful locales that let you call the shots. Being able to choose and tailor your tastes and desires is an experience that we many times don’t appreciate as much as we should. Once you get to enjoy a frozen yogurt flavor that you have created yourself, right down to the number and strawberries to the amount of M&Ms thrown in, you’ll never return to that pre-made, boring and bland “vanilla” farce of a flavor.