In a town dotted with frozen yogurt shops, a potential challenger has arrived. It offers the aforementioned dairy product, but in its natural state, dolloped into cups and adorned with toppings from mangoes to muesli.

If Europe comes to mind, owner and Washington native Laura Smith will be happy. The 24-year-old spent the summer of 2009 teaching in Switzerland. "I saw this yogurt bar," she says, "and thought, 'Why don't we have this in D.C.?' "

So when she returned she approached her father, David, a real estate broker, with the idea of opening one. He liked it and helped her secure a space in Dupont Circle that most recently had been a camera store.

In December, they opened Yola. With its exposed brick, high ceilings and 48 seats, the cafe is a lovely place to linger, although everything on the menu is well suited for carryout. The eco-friendly vibe is conducive to Internet surfers (free WiFi) as well as to the creative set: A wall-mounted chalkboard invites pensive patrons to scrawl an idea or two.

As the Web site notes, this is food for thought. Choose from an array of flavored yogurts - black cherry, peach and chocolate, to name a few - then select as many toppings as you'd like to build a parfait ($4.25 for 12 ounces; $5.50 for 16 ounces). Drizzled with honey, the fluffy, Greek-style version (99 cents extra) is a treat.

Between spoonfuls of creamy, tart lemon yogurt mixed with dried cherries and sliced almonds, I wondered whether the average diner would take to this concept. Locavores certainly should: Smith gets her yogurt delivered weekly from Blue Ridge Dairy in Leesburg and Trickling Springs Creamery in Chambersburg, Pa.

Also on the menu are smoothies and a rotating variety of sandwiches. The Green Smoothie, which includes banana, broccoli and orange juice, packs a nutritious punch ($4.50 for 12 ounces). Sandwiches are made by Mindy's Catering in the Palisades and come small ($5) or large ($7.49). Sliced chicken with avocado and havarti on ciabatta is a satisfying combo. All are wrapped in cellophane and ready to go.

The "la" in Yola stands for latte, the house version of which has good, deep espresso flavor ($3.25 for 10 ounces). The coffee is by Counter Culture. Nibbles made by Topless Bakery, such as oatmeal cookies and dainty though slightly dry tea cakes (99 cents to $3.50), also are available.

It's too soon to tell whether this type of yogurt will catch on like its colder counterpart has, but one thing is clear. The term "fresh, never frozen" has new meaning.

-Catherine Zuckerman (Good to Go, Feb. 23, 2011)