BY KAREN YOUNG
There’s new frozen treat heartthrob in town. The name? Frozen Crush — Italian ice with a fro-yo twist. As the first establishment of its kind in Los Angeles, it’s co-mingling right next door to Pinkberry in Northridge.
If you’re from the east coast or spent any time there, you know about Italian Ice. So as luck would have it, my first visit was on a rainy day with east coast transplant Lisa Lillien (a.k.a www.hungry-girl.com), who is obsessed with all things food — and Italian ice.
Yog-a-Blend orange and chocolate. Photo: Danielle Gruen Photography
“It ROCKS! I love it – no matter what time of year it is or what the weather is… It’s a totally LA way to get my NY Italian Ices!”
That’s some good street credo from a food and Italian ice expert.
Yog-A-Swirl. Photo: Danielle Gruen Photography
Sara Laucius opened Frozen Crush in November 2009 because she missed Italian ice (or “water ice” as it’s also called) from her hometown in Philadelphia. Sara says her demographic target is kids and teens, which brings in a good amount of adults as well.
With that in mind, the décor is a departure from the techno-mod, neon and pastel hued yogurt shops which are popping up on every other corner. Frozen Crush has a wall of bright colored grafitti art, a couple black leather couches, tables and chairs, a flat screen TV with an XBOX, as well as a classic Ms. Pacman table with over 40 old school games. Think dorm or frat game room.
Choose from 16 ice-riffic flavors! Photo: Karen Young
Frozen Crush features 16 flavors of Italian Ice which are made on the premises. Some of these refreshing flavors include: Cherry, Lemon, Mango, Peanut Butter, Cotton Candy, Blue Raspberry, Coconut and Root Beer. Order your Crush alone or have a Yog-a-swirl or Yog-a-Blend — swirled or blended with fat free fro yo.
We taste tested almost all 16 ice-riffic flavors. Top choices were peanut butter, mango, strawberry, coconut and chocolate. I had peanut butter blended with yogurt. Oh, frozen goodness — it was rich and luscious. Lisa had the mango with the yogurt swirled through it and on top. Mmmm. Kind of that “creamsicle” thing. Get creative and come up with your own —peanut butter cup ice blended with strawberry ice and yogurt — PB & J, anyone?
Hang out, talk, watch TV or play XBOX or Ms. Pac Man Photo: Karen Young
Frozen Crush’s Italian Ice alone is less than 1/2 the calories of yogurt – and is fat-free, cholesterol-free, dairy-free and gluten-free. There’s a few choices of sugar-free flavors too. If you choose to add yogurt to your ice, that’ll up it 14 calories an ounce. A five-ounce small Italian Ice is 61 to 71 calories depending on the flavor. Add yogurt and that’ll bring the calorie count up to 250 calories. Sugar-free flavors are a third less calories. Check out the nutritional count on the Frozen Crush website.
Yog-A-Blend Peanut Butter. Photo: Karen Young
Want Frozen Crush for a party? Just ask. There’s a mobile cart ready to roll.
Frozen Crush is located amidst a shopping and eating destination — Costco, In-n-Out, Petco, Marie Callendars, El Torito and Quiznos, to name just a few. Run some errands, eat a meal, get a Crush.
Who doesn’t remember their first one?
Frozen Crush 8850 Tampa Ave.Unit 102 Northridge, CA 91324 (In the Costco Shopping Center) (818) 882-8486 Sun-Thurs 12pm – 9:30pm / Fri-Sat 12pm – 11pm www.frozencrush.com Prices: $2-$8 (quart)
Karen Young is the Editor/Publisher of My Daily Find.
About Karen Young
