After head shops and cafes, the last thing State Street needs is another frozen yogurt joint. Yet, less than a month before the start of term, Illinois-based Forever Yogurt became the newest addition to campus’ main drag.
Red Mango is still probably the best bet if you value health and freshness in your sweet frozen treats; although it’s the farthest walk from my apartment, I remain most loyal to RM. But Forever Yogurt blows both Red Mango and Campus Candy out of the water as far as variety, with a Coldstone-caliber assortment of toppings as well as 16 yogurt flavors.
Walking into the overly spacious room, visitors may feel like Alice in Wonderland biting into an “eat me” shrinking biscuit. Most ice cream shops are cramped with tables, but Forever Yogurt has the atmosphere of a storage warehouse – if warehouses had pink-glitter tiling and Technicolor murals. Upon approaching the counter, FY employees will give the same treatment common at a Flat Top Grill or Build-a-Bear: “Have you been here before”? As if there is some complicated process in filling up a cup with yogurt and toppings.
Just as the true test of a pizza parlor is the quality of its cheese, I chose to judge FY on its vanilla. While limitless taste tests are allowed, here are a few tips that may streamline future fro-yo flavor-choosing: French vanilla is the creamiest of light-colored yogurts and pairs best with chocolate toppings. Their plain yogurt is called “Euro,” and it has a tart flavor that goes well with fruits. The cake batter seems appealing but is slightly eggy and artificial tasting. The rest is up to each individual to judge: Flavors range from turtle to pink lemonade to Greek black cherry.
The fro-yo at Forever Yogurt (or “for yo” as it perhaps should be dubbed) tastes closer to soft-serve ice cream than its Madison competitors. It seems redundant to boast that the yogurt is gluten free, but the fact that they use kosher ingredients could be helpful to some individuals on campus. The chain has one vegan/lactose-intolerant friendly option – dark chocolate with soy milk – but it isn’t clear yet if that flavor will be a fixture at the State Street location.
Then comes texture. There are about 50 toppings, ranging from kiwi to chocolate chips to Cookie Crisp cereal. Forever Yogurt-goers are charged by weight; 45 cents per ounce. Be warned, the cups (which are all large) create somewhat of an optical illusion, so be prepared to pay upwards of six dollars for a cup that runneth over with toppings.
Although FY has placed itself in a competitive hub (Campus Candy, Paciugo, the Chocolate Shoppe and Coldstone Creamery are within a one-block radius), there is little doubt that demand for frozen sweets remains high in this centrally located, five-way intersection of State. Plus, all rationality aside, it’s highly possible that Forever Yogurt will make a majority of its cash from late-night snackers: Its midnight closing time sets it apart from all other frozen treat vendors in the area, something I plan to take full advantage of – even in winter. More important even than their flavors, their convenient location and late hours are the ingredients for success in a college town.
Forever Yogurt, I now speak directly to you. However unnecessary your presence may be on our already ice cream-glutted campus, the students of the University of Wisconsin welcome you with open arms.
