Swirlberry froyo hits A2

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South U and now Swirlberry on State Street. (Yogo Bliss also is working on a State Street store, in the old Ritz Camera space.)

Swirlberry is owned by Nico Leo and Gaal Karp and was developed with the help of Plum Market owners Matt and Marc Jonna, who have a licensing agreement to sell it there.

Made to the owners' specifications in a dairy in the Midwest that Leo declines to name, Swirlberry comes in about half a dozen flavors, as well as several flavors of nondairy sorbet. The sour tang is a much-prized attribute among true believers, making the "Original Tart," the most puckery, the best-selling flavor. Leo refuses to brook comparisons with other froyos, and he's particularly irked that he gets compared to Pinkberry. And what about the two ice cream shops, Ben and Jerry's and Stucchi's, across the street? That just makes him laugh: "Not an issue. We're not in competition. While you can doctor things up to make it a dessert," at twenty-nine calories an ounce, he says, Swirlberry is so healthy that "people use our product as a meal replacement."

If you want to keep the calorie count low, exercise restraint at the self-serve bar. For 65 cents an ounce you can mix and match any of the flavors and add whatever topping you want from a vast selection of fresh fruits, nuts, cereals, and candy. Fresh strawberries are the favorite topping, says Leo, and mochi is, he admits, is decidedly the least favorite. Mochi is a Japanese confection made from rice flour with a gummy texture.