Tart Wars...The Final Frontier

Come to the dark side, the tart wars have begun! I recently reviewed the delectably naughty “tart” frozen yogurt from Robeks in Westport. But it seems that frozen-treat warriors from across Fairfield county are trying to use the force to take over Robek’s extra-terrestrial powers! Trader Joe’s now has its own brand of the tangy frozen dessert and Stew Leonard’s in Norwalk is mounting its own battle against the cosmic powers of Robek’s supremacy. The question is, does either foe stand a chance at tart superiority? I think not.

To me, dessert that doesn’t ooze with molten chocolate better be worth its weight in galactic credit! The tart from Robeks does: it has just the right, frosty consistency, without being too creamy or too icy. The flavor is sharp without a sour aftertaste. It is, as mentioned before, the perfect treat.

When I heard that Trader Joe’s, a store that I adore and trust implicitly, had come out with its own version of tart frozen yogurt, you bet your light saber I was there in a jiffy, buying 3 quarts of it, sight unseen. Little did I know that I was about to be cosmically disappointed! Trader Joe’s “Pleasantly Tart” isn’t - and that’s that. It’s too creamy and only mildly tart, making it taste more like ice- cream-gone-bad than plain frozen yogurt.

Then I heard that Stew Leonard’s - the biggest dairy store (that’s what they call it) in the world - was also trying to recreate the tart-gasm that Robeks shamelessly provides. I did not walk, I did not run, I leaped into my dwarf spider droid and sped down the Post Road to Stew’s. Skeptical, and hurt beyond belief by Trader Joe’s slight, I carefully licked my half filled spoon. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. It was good…very good. It had almost the right consistency and very good flavor. And yes, it was worth spending over $100 that I didn’t need to spend inside the store so I could get my tart delight for free!

So, if there is a Tart shortage in the world, and Stew’s still has a supply, I will give in and have a scoop. Yet, in the best of all galaxies, where the Tart wars rage on, I still stand by my original article. No shift to the dark side here, Luke. Robeks still rocks my cosmos.