By Isabelle Foley

Sentry Staff Reporter

Zinga, the new frozen yogurt store that opened in the Williamsburg Shopping Center, has converted me from a hater of all things fro-yo; now, I cannot get enough. I finally appreciate how good frozen yogurt can be. If you have always liked frozen yogurt, and are looking for a place less crowded and filled with middle schoolers than Tutti Frutti, look no further! If you are also hesitant to try the stuff after despising it the first time around, I suggest you give it another go. Zinga will change your mind completely.

I have to admit, I was skeptical at first. I did not think we needed another frozen yogurt place in the area, especially because I thought that all frozen yogurt was the same. When Tutti Frutti first opened, I spent 20 minutes waiting in line for $7 cup of melting fro-yo. I vowed never to spend my money there ever again. When I discovered that I would be reviewing a frozen yogurt shop, I wondered how I would be objective seeing that I could not bare to eat it.

Zinga is located on Sycamore Street, nestled next to Peking Pavilion in the Williamsburg Shopping Center. It is small, about the same size as Tutti Frutti, but not as claustrophobic. The first thing that struck me when I walked in was the “Fresh Baked Bottomz” stand. It is by far the most exciting thing I have seen in a mid-sized frozen dessert store. For only 50 cents more, you can choose a bowl with your choice of a large cookie, brownie, funfetti cake or waffle bowl as a bottom. I chose the chocolate chip cookie, which was chewy and delicious.

The next step is choosing your flavor. When you choose a baked bottom, it is probably best to steer away from the really fruity choices, unless you get the waffle bowl or funfetti. I decided not to mix two flavors and just stuck with a good helping of java. The flavor selection is not overwhelming, so it is easy to decide which flavor to get. There is the normal range of chocolate vanilla and the typical fruit flavors. Zinga also offers an amazing selection of toppings. It is all self-serve, except the small toppings, such as M&Ms, skittles and even cereals, are kept separate from the fresh fruits and cookie crumbles. The “Z Bar” offers 25 different dispensable toppings, and several more spoon-serve options.

The one down side (and a common attribute of most frozen yogurt places) is that there is no indication of the price rate. Obviously there can be no fixed price per bowl, but it is always helpful to display, for example, the price per ounce. When it came time to weigh, however, my nearly-filled bowl was only about $6, including the baked bottom and the toppings that I added.

There are other cool amenities that make Zinga just that much better. There is a TV that plays Nickelodeon (don’t worry, the sound is off!), so it is a great place to bring young kids. On the bar, there are also cups and dispenser of cold, fresh water, provided for free.

To sum up, Zinga is innovative, good quality and a great value. Do not hesitate to try it out for yourself. You might find that you have a new favorite place to buy frozen yogurt!