22-04-2025
Thor's Skyr brings an Icelandic treat to Phoenix
When I heard about a new restaurant serving Icelandic food, my first thought was of Scandinavian fish dishes. But this new Grand Avenue cafe is all about the yogurt.
State of play: Icelandic restaurateur Unnar Danielsson opened Thor's Skyr last month near downtown Phoenix.
As the name implies, the menu revolves around skyr, a traditional yogurt that's basically fermented milk and "something Icelanders survive on during cold winters," Danielsson told the Phoenix New Times.
Thor's Skyr began as individual cups sold in grocery stores, but Danielsson branched out.
In January, he introduced an automated smoothie kiosk at an LA Fitness in Escondido, California, and he plans to open more inside other gym locations, including in Scottsdale.
Zoom in: The menu is smoothie-centric. Bowls start with a skyr base, blended with fruit, nut butters, seeds and protein powders.
After everything's blended, it's topped with treats like granola, chocolate chips, fruit, nuts and coconut flakes.
They've also got shakes and sandwiches, and you get a complimentary waffle and drip coffee with your purchase.
The bowls are low-fat and high-protein, with plenty of gluten-free options.
Best bites: I'm not a big yogurt guy, but it turns out I didn't have to be. I meant to get something with skyr, but instead ordered the Hammer Smash Acai Bowl with banana, peanut butter, chia seeds, dates and almond milk, topped with cacao nibs, sliced banana, crushed almonds and shaved dark chocolate.
I also had a thin waffle topped with honey and raspberries.
The verdict: The bowl was very tasty — sweet but not overpowering, bursting with different flavors — unsurprisingly, it's very peanut butter-forward — and with the toppings adding texture to the blended mix.
