(swirlls.com) – Houston, Texas, between Metropolis and Gotham

How I heard of this place: I first heard of Swirll when my new friend, Albert, promised his children that if they finished all of the food on their plates, he would take them to Swirll for a special treat!

Type of cuisine: A frozen yogurt establishment that allows patrons to create a personalized, frozen concoction and pay for it by the ounce.

Ambiance: Brightly painted walls in pastel colors of the rainbow, the yellow, green, pink and orange can be seen from the parking lot, through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and welcome you in, as you enter the glass double doors. To your right is the cashier’s counter, where bored youth stand and await excited customers, ready to see the delicious damage the scales hold. To the left, and along the window-front, a white barquette with orange, round, cushioned, leather barstools and an open space of additional seating. Plastic chairs and tables are available, as are more rounded, orange, leather-cushioned reclined seats for comfort and ease as you enjoy your frozen creation in a cup. Fluorescent lights add to the brightness of the space, even in the late night hour. Walking to the back left, plastic signage offers guidance as you make your way through the steps, translated loosely, here: 1. choose a cup (size), 2. choose your flavors, 3. choose your toppings, 4. place cup on scale, 5. pay for your dream sundae, 6. enjoy. Along the wall opposite the entrance are self-serve frozen yogurts in twelve flavors. (Samples available upon request.)

What I ordered: This being the first time I have had frozen yogurt since it’s first bout of popularity in the 1980s, and with the abundance of flavors, I had to sample some of them! When I asked for sample cups, I was escorted by the high-schooler and asked which ones I wanted to try: non-fat tart taro, non-fat tart mango, low-fat red velvet cake, non-fat cookies & cream, low-fat cake batter, non-fat dark chocolate. I shared the samples with one of the seven in our party and he made his decision. While I was content after those generous samples, he shared his selection with me: low-fat red velvet cake, topped with white chocolate chips, Fruity Pebbles, M’n’M cookie dough and caramel sauce. Weighed at 43 cents per ounce, per creation, we paid up, received a new punch card and sat down to enjoy our delicious treats!

What I loved: Of the flavors sampled, my (shocking) favorite was the red velvet cake yogurt. I also really enjoyed the dark chocolate and the tart mango. The taro was a surprise as I had really only enjoyed it (other than the root, itself) in bubble tea. We also loved the Fruity Pebbles, my favorite cereal, as a crispy and fun addition to our cup of frozen yogurt.

Why I loved it: I loved the simplicity, the brightness and the joy on each persons face as he or she gazed upon the plethora of flavors and options available. I love that everyone, from age three years to 37-years old has something to celebrate and can make all of their sundae dreams come true!

Cost: Variable ($0.43 per ounce)