Vanilla Sky News

I've heard for a while that the frozen yogurt cafe, Vanilla Sky, at the corner of Restaurant Row and Austin St. was going to be turned into another kind of restaurant. I didn't think it was going to happen so soon. But this is what it looked like today....

Saturday Night on Restaurant Row

Here's some pics I took last Saturday night on Forest Hills' Restaurant Row (70th Road). It's just great to see things really hopping in our neighborhood, especially during these summer weekends. I was especially impressed with how lively Vanilla Sky was on this warm summer evening, just the type of place people gravitate to during the Dog Days of Summer to cool off, as you can see from the picture.. You may not love frozen yogurt, and you may think we're over-saturated with fro-yo places right now (and you may be right), but you can't argue that: 1) it was a really smart move to open Vanilla Sky on that particular corner, and 2) they did a great job pulling it off. It's a really fun and inviting place they built, especially on a warm summer night...

Our Cups Runneth Over

Given that we find ourselves in a Yogurt Glut of perhaps Biblical proportions, what with the recent opening of Red Mango and Vanilla Sky, perhaps it comes as no surprise that all this yogurt activity is having ripple effects on the shops that originally staked a claim to the yogurt hungry of Forest Hills.

I noticed over the weekend that Oko has put up a sign advertising "New Management."

And Yogo Monster in the Austin Street Mall has also made some changes... 

Yogo Monster has switched to the ever-popular "self-serve" format a la 16 Handles and Red Mango, etc.

One thing 'The Monster' has going for it is outdoor seating.

Vanilla Sky's Opening Day

Here are some photos from yesterday's opening of Vanilla Sky, Forest Hills' new cafe/frozen yogurt place at the corner of Austin St. and 70th Road (Restaurant Row). I have to admit I'm not much of a frozen yogurt connoisseur and don't get very excited about it (see my Tweets), but I liked their's—the flavors I tried tasted more like regular ice cream and less like yogurt. And the place is really really nice. Very modern and sleek, with great touches. I especially liked the fact that they also sell other things like sandwiches, coffee and smoothies (see their menu below). So, Forest Hills has more than just another frozen yogurt shop in Vanilla Sky. We have a full-blown cafe that's really cool and fun, and with outdoor seating to boot.

A great summery touch - enjoy your fro-yo and other treats in their "green" outdoor seating area

Loved their cool-looking furniture. Very modern.

They had a variety of gourmet sandwiches, sodas and waters.

Vanilla Sky Opens Today

The new frozen yogurt/cafe opens today at the corner of Austin Street and Restaurant Row (70th Road), just in time for today's Street Fair on Austin.

Vanilla Sky Opening This Week?

On their Twitter feed they said the opening would be sometime this week, and, not sure if this has anything to do with it, but I did see a large tractor trailer ice cream truck parked across from it yesterday morning. So, still no definite word but it looks like the opening is imminent.

And please, don't waste your time with negative comments below about the place before it has even opened. Ok, ok, yes, we have too many yogurt places, that is true. But you might actually find you like this one best. At least give them a chance!

Vanilla Sky Sign

They've put up the new sign. I guess it should be opening pretty shortly. I, for one, am much more interested in their coffee and any other snacks they might have than their frozen yogurt. Not sure if they got the permission for outdoor seating, but that would be really nice, too.

Vanilla Sky's Unveiling

The plywood around the Vanilla Sky at the corner of Austin and 70th Road (Restaurant Row) has been taken down giving us a good idea of what the new frozen yogurt/coffee place will look like:

Vanilla Sky Outdoor Seating

I for one hope they get the approval since I love to be able to eat outside during the nice weather (as opposed to during blizzards and monsoons). I was trying to recall if Europan had outdoor seating and I really think they didn't (not that I would have eaten there much if they did, but it would have made it a bit more of an attractive alternative).

Vanilla Sky Progressing

Walking around Forest Hills these days it really is striking how much new construction is going on, especially along the main shopping drag of Austin St. The latest I've noticed is the corner where Europan used to be has been encased in plywood as they near completion of the frozen yogurt/cafe Vanilla Sky:

Newest Frozen Yogurt Place

This is coming to the space where Europan was. From what I hear, there's one in Astoria I believe. I haven't tried it though. (This is what happens when I get sick - supposedly this sign has been up on the store for a few days. So sorry for the delay! Thankfully, a reader sent this in.) Oh, and by the way, I don't know what a webside is either, in case you were wondering.