#49 – KEY LIME PIE at CULTURE

For the third year in a row, I’m going to attempt to eat every single item on Time Out New York’s annual 100 Best Dishes list. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100. Let the gluttony continue…

Let it be known that I have a soft spot for frozen yogurt. And now that it’s taking a turn for the healthier (although I have to raise my eyebrows at the likes of Pinkberry), it’s even better.

I’ve been to Culture before (it even made my own 100 Best list last year) and if I lived closer, I would be officially obsessed. As it is, I can only stop by on rare days when I find myself in this part of the Slope. I was quite a few blocks away for dinner at Talde one Sunday night and we made the trek down to Fifth Avenue for an early summer treat.

This is real yogurt that’s been frozen (all created on premises). Simple, wholesome, delicious. It’s strange that most of America is not used to that when tasting their fro yo. There is just the right amount of sweetness, but it’s balanced with natural tart pro-biotics.

To make it an American dessert, you can gussy up the confection with sweet (but still seasonal and natural) ingredients. I’m always drawn to their own creations like Strawberry Balsamic or Piña Colada.

The key lime pie is what most people (including Time Out) rave about and I had yet to try it. It’s their plain yogurt topped with a homemade key lime pie custard and crumbled graham crackers.

The sundae was creamy with fresh flavors and wonderful textures from the crumbs, but I felt like it was missing just a touch of sweetness. The yogurt was tart enough that an extra wallop of tartness didn’t help balance things. The graham crackers helped, but I wanted some marshamallows or something to hint at the meringue flavor of my favorite key lime pies.

Still I would have been happy just eating the yogurt plain here. I love the stuff they concoct at Culture. It’s some of the best frozen yogurt in the city. With or without toppings.

Would Culture’s Key Lime Pie make my Top 100 of the year? It was slightly too tart for me earning a 7 out of 10, but the yogurt here is thick and creamy and tastes like the real deal. On its own, it gets a much higher rating.