New Favorites: Go Greek Yogurt

I really like Greek yogurt. And from the looks of the ever expanding supermarket yogurt sections, so do a lot of other people. The grocery store varietal however is more "Greek-style," than truly Greek yogurt. None of it is actually made and strained in Greece. A new hopeful fast casual chain, Go Greek Yogurt, wants to authenticate the whole shebang by offering real Greek yogurt from Greece, Europe, Planet Earth. And from my first impression of the product, Go Greek may soon have all Los Angelenos yelling, "Opa!" (sorry, had to do it...).

When the Go Greek peeps invited me down to the Bedford Drive shop to sample their fare, I really didn't know what to expect. It's laid out very similarly to a Pinkberry - you pick a yogurt and then choose amongst a potpourri of toppings. What, aside from the healthier regular yogurt, differentiates itself from Pinkberry? It doesn't suck. The yogurt is actually really good and the topping offerings would impress even the dullest milquetoast. After choosing amongst three yogurt types (non-fat, reduced fat and regular; there's also a few frozen Greek yogurts, but I stuck to the non-frozen stuff), you move on to the ornamentations, all of which either originate from Greece (three honeys, seven marmalades) or local California purveyors (24 fruits, 20 "dry goods"). We're not just talking, YAWN, yogurt chips and recently defrosted strawberry either. Intriguing options like carrot or rose marmalade (both highly recommended), raw cacao nibs, flaxseed, dried cherries and goji berries, amongst others.

I fully prepared myself to have to grab lunch after my Go Greek visit, but the beautiful specimen you see above filled me up for hours. It definitely can be a time-strapped breakfast or lunch replacement. That said, it can also be a late morning or late afternoon filler - in between the normal U.E. gluttony (let's be honest...). Go Greek is the sort of place that will make you feel better about yourself, while not wanting to cut your tongue off with a Swiss Army knife. I look forward to the future Brentwood store, coming in early 2014.

If you're wondering, the Unemployed Eater Yogurt above there is the reduced fat yogurt, sage honey, blackberries, fig and raw peanut butter chews. And it is real. And it is glorious.