You say snowstorm... I say fro-yo-storm. Because even the most freezing of freezing temps can't keep this lactose intolerant girl from slinking into the UES's bevy of frozen yogurt spots... and slinking out with enough free tasters in my belly to equal a small size cup (at least).
And until it becomes illegal (god forbid), I'll keep doing it.
Want in?
Here's where and where-not to go for your free-ish Upper East Side frozen yogurt fix.
Orange Leaf (83rd & 3rd)
On a good day (read: short staffed), the counter person will give you one or two sample cups, and not pay attention while you stuff your face with a million bites of ultra-creamy goodness. On a bad day, they'll walk you over to the self-serve machines and limit you to two. Warning: the super-richness always hurts the stomach.
Verdict: GO anyway.
Tasti D'Lite (85th & Lex)
A ridiculously strict one-sample-only policy means that even when you act really, really nice and ask to try two flavors, they still cram them into one taster cup. I mean....?!?!?!? BUT, after countless years in the biz, Tasti D' still beats the competition with its airy deliciousness. Plus, the prices are so comparatively low that you won't even feel guilty shelling out for a pint–or quart.
Verdict: GO...and buy.
Swirl Whirl (78th & 3rd)
I waited nearly a decade for this place to open its doors, and when it did, the bright lights and spacious interior seemed promising. But after one visit, I vowed NEVER to return again. Not only did the yogurt taste like chemicals, but samples were absurdly tiny. Next.
Verdict: Stay away.
Pinkberry (82nd & 2nd)
Everyone knows I pretty much hate all major food chains (that includes you, Chipotle). But somehow Pinkberry has managed to avoid my wrath. Maybe that's because 100% of the times that I go, I'm greeted with a huge smile and immediate sample offering. In fact, the staff is SO nice, that I don't even feel an ounce of guilt prancing out with a taste of every single flavor under my belt. Not. One. Ounce. All that and I feel oddly healthier post-experience.
Verdict: Sure!
16 Handles (also 82nd & 2nd)
Long lines. Huge possibility of running into someone I don't want to talk to. Pre-teen hangout vibe. Two sample max policy. Germs. Nothing that seems remotely healthy. Um, I'd rather eat a potato to satisfy my sweet tooth than be subjected to this misery.
Verdict: Definitely not.
Just Salad (83rd & 3rd)
Nope- this place is NOT just salad. And their nearly hidden yogurt machine just so happens to churn out some of the most delicious, just-tangy-enough goodness in town. I'll even venture to say that I've popped in for a soup or salad just so I can savor one overflowing taster cup of their frozen treat on my way out. So why haven't I bit the bullet and paid for this one? The serving cups offered are WAY too small. DUH.
Verdict: GO.
Yogurtland (69th & 1st)
"Welcome to Yogurtland. Are six bazillion sample cups enough for you ma'am?" The crown jewel of the Upper East Side. Heaven on earth. I will gladly walk eleven streets and two avenues from my apartment to this unbelievable frozen yogurt mecca. As if the truly unlimited self-serve sampling program isn't enough, Yogurtland's constantly rotating array of *deluxe* healthy-sounding seasonal flavors is to-die-for. Homebaked Lemon Cookie! Black Sesame! Taro?! And then, just when you can hardly take it anymore and are about to go into diabetic shock, you look up to see a poster about an upcoming Free Yogurt Day. There. Are. No. Words.
Verdict: RUN THERE.
