Last summer’s fro-yo war continues, this year in truck form. Competing with Berry Froyo as of July will be a combination fro-yo–and-coffee truck called Joyride. There are two flavors: original and Buzzed (original, but caffeinated). Expect organic, seasonal fruits for toppings, as well as bittersweet chocolate croquants, coconut shavings, and jaggery, a sweet Sri Lankan palm syrup. “I love everything from the hot-dog vendors to haute cuisine on food trucks, but there’s so much out there that’s just really, really unhealthy. Frozen yogurt is actually pretty healthy,” asserts co-founder Lev Brie.

Joyride will also serve Brooklyn-roasted Stumptown coffee and a selection of specialty drinks like the “flat white,” a New Zealand drink that’s “in between a macchiato and cappuccino,” Brie says. Follow the truck on Twitter to track its launch and location.

“The South has always been better at cocktails than the North,” says Shoolbred’s Robert Morgan, who plans to channel New Orleans in his new bar-restaurant, Ninth Ward, as of next month. The East Village spot will feature regional beers like Abita, as well as traditional NOLA cocktails such as the Sazerac. Morgan and his three partners (including Shoolbred’s William Ivey Long) road-tripped south to decorate the space. “We salvaged as much as we could” from New Orleans, Morgan says, including a stained-glass window that once graced a convent, an intricately carved wooden fireplace mantel, and many window shutters in various states of disrepair. The basement space has four wooden alcove-like booths and leads to a Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil–esque ivied brick courtyard with fountains and a brass shrouded woman. …

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