Ice cream has, arguably, always been my favorite food- plain and simple. Even when I am stuffed to the point of sickness after a big dinner, I seem to always find room for the sweet treat to top it all off. Growing up, the promise of a swirl ice cream (as I so fondly called it) after a hot day at the beach always got me out of the sand and into the car. However,
as most of us grow up, the joy we got as a child after ordering a smooth soft-serve atop a sugar cone has begun to evolve into anxiety over the enormous amounts of calories, fat, and sugar in our beloved summer snack. Nonetheless, I could not silence my craving - but refused to stoop down to the boring taste of frozen yogurt, thinking all I could get was that tangy white stuff with a few blueberries plopped on top, like the varieties available at Pinkberry and Red Mango. I hated that for the price of a small cup with 1 topping, I could have gone to the store across the street and bought a whole pint of ice cream without having to walk the 6 billion blocks blocks to the stores... seems like way too much effort for a sub-par product!
I had almost sworn off the fast-food frozen yogurt eateries of NYC entirely when my faith was restored by a visit to
16 Handles. From the moment I walked in I knew the yogurt gods had answered my prayers:
16 different flavors of frozen yogurt stood in front of me, and, best of all, I could take as much or as little (ya, right) as I wanted because the whole place is self-serve! From Irish Mint, to Margarita, Cookies and Cream, to Blueberry, I could mix and match whatever sounded good, plus I could even add in non-dairy sorbets, and if for some reason I
did feel like having the traditional sour variety of fro-yo, I could get that too with the European Tart flavor.
The greatness of 16 Handles didn't stop at the yogurt itself though, once I had created the perfect mix of heavenly flavors (so, basically a sample of almost every kind,) I got to move on to choose from several fruits to add, from classics like strawberry, to more exoctic varieties such as papaya and mango. Last, but
certainly not least were the toppings - over 30 different fro-yo enhancers like cookie dough squares, chocolate chips, mini-marshmalows, candy bar pieces, various kinds of cereal and all the sauces necessary for the perfect sundae.
When I finished assembling my dessert, while I was excited to try my creation, I was anticipating the cost of such a hefty portion of deliciousness. All of my fears were assuaged when, after placing my cup on the scale, I found that the cost of this large helping of fro-yo, fruit, and candy embellishments cost less than a "medium" with zero toppings at most other places. The last test: taste. I took my first bite and could swear it was a spiritual experience (in the realm of food)! The yogurt tasted just like ice cream but in a smoother consistency. With the high levels of calcium, probiotics, vitamins and natural cultures,
you can even almost convince yourself that you're eating healthy (or at least definitely
healthier than you would be if you had gone to Ben & Jerry's) - even though it'll never taste like health food! So, in short, 16 Handles made me a believer in frozen yogurt, and as a result I find myself making the holy pilgrimage, perhaps embarassingly, a few times a week - but hey, with the low cost and lower calorie count, I can go every few days without committing a nutritional sin!
So, have you found your flavor savior yet?
Peace and Love,
la bohémienne
16 Handles153 2nd Ave (Between Ninth and Tenth Street)
New York, NY 10003
212.260.4414
Mon-Thu. 12:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
