Real ones will remember the days when Pinkberry and Red Mango, two fro-yo chains of the early aughts, ruled Manhattan. As of this summer, a “big yogurt boom” is afoot again, New York Magazine declared, pointing to Madison Fare and the resurgence of the longtime staple, Butterfield Market, both drawing lines on the Upper East Side. Now, savvily-marketed Mimi’s, opening later in August, is poised to be the next big name in New York fro-yo, located on a prime Downtown strip at 231 Lafayette Street, at Spring Street, where Soho meets Nolita.
When Amber Linz moved to New York, she noticed there was a cup-sized hole in the frozen yogurt market, so she ditched the tech world in favor of her passion for righting the wrong: “All of the big chains make frozen yogurt with literally powder and water; it’s not real milk and yogurt — full of nasties!” She and her partner, Saul Katz (who worked on Chargrill Charlie’s, an Australian chain), want to make clear they aren’t looking to recreate those earlier chains. Instead of targeting the children’s market with candy toppings, they want to go all in on a more mature, health-forward brand with a considered space — down to the store’s DJ-curated playlists and plantlife.
So while the self-serve set-up may be 16 Handles in style, the fro-yo uses milk sourced from upstate, in flavors like the original tart, raspberry, chocolate, and specials like açai, salted-caramel, cheesecake, and more. A rotating toppings bar features locally-sourced, seasonal produce from Natoora — crème de la crème produce used by your favorite New York restaurants — alongside sauces like matcha. “It’s frozen yogurt, not as you might expect it; it’s not sticky and slimy, but a high-end, beautiful experience,” says Katz. A fro-yo comeback seems ripe for the moment. So much so, they’ve already signed a second lease in another neighborhood — still under wraps.
A wine bar owner is opening an Italian sandwich spot
Keith Pulitano, behind one of San Juan’s coolest wine bars, El Vino Crudo, later expanded with Malavita, an Italian specialty shop, with products hard to find in Puerto Rico. Now the native New Yorker is bringing Malavita to Brooklyn, opening at 614 Manhattan Avenue, near Nassau Avenue, in the old Baoburg space, in Greenpoint, later this year.
“We’re doing quality sandwiches, deep cut Italian dishes, bangers only wine list and…there’s a yard!” Pulitano, who’s also a part of the Two Bridges wine shop, Magazzino, announced on Instagram. They’ll do a preview pop-up with their friends at Lucia Alimentari, from noon to 4 p.m. on August 2, 301 West Broadway, in Soho.
A longtime Tribeca bar relocates
Anotheroom, a 25-year-old bar staple of Tribeca, will relocate to 141 West Broadway. The original location was owned by the same family that owns the property where the Odeon is located. But, as Tribeca Citizen reports, after the wife died, her son has since sold the building, which means Anotheroom had to find a new home.