Nana Joes - Ocean Beach Granola Bar; San Francisco - Oct. 2, 2019

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Nana Joes
Ocean Beach Granola Bar - Almond Butter, Coffee and Cocoa Nibs bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Cowboy Country Theme Week.

Today's Ocean Beach Granola Bar Almond Butter, Coffee and Cocoa Nibs bar was from Nana Joes (San Francisco, CA).

Today's vegan, Certified Gluten Free, Non-GMO Project Verified granola bar was a light, crunchy and semi-sweet (sweetened only with maple syrup)—with subtle hints coffee (Organic decaf Equator coffee) and cacao (nibs). Almond butter helped hold these ingredients together and contributed a faint nutty note.

Ocean Beach is a long stretch of beach, where San Francisco meets the Pacific Ocean. It's truly inspirational and ruggedly beautiful, at sunset or anytime you want to feel sand between your feet and smell fresh sea air. Is San Francisco really cowboy country you may be asking? The short answer is yes.

Cowboys in San Francisco?
Ocean Beach alone has an interesting cowboy-related history. In 1769, the first Spanish explorers (with the Portola expedition) likely set foot on Ocean Beach with their horses. The Spanish soon established early ranches (ranchos) with cattle and horses in what is now California; and Spanish vaqueros (cowboys) contributed heavily to present day cowboy culture.

In 1902 Bill Cody (Buffalo Bill) lined up with his entire Wild West ensemble on horseback at Ocean Beach (with the original Cliff House in the distance on the right).

Today, Mar Vista Stables in Daly City, CA, still rents horses to riders who wish to ride near/on Ocean Beach and to exercise their inner cowboy and connect with nature. Inland a ways you'll find live bison and horses in Golden Gate Park. Traces of the old west live on.

Downtown San Francisco seems an unlikely setting for cowboys. But, a short stroll down Valencia Street in The Mission District, changed my mind. I spoke to a woman with a cowboy hat on who was getting ready to relocate to Bali. Then I saw the West of Pecos restaurant (complete with a set of swinging saloon doors), with a menu that included chocolate mousse with chipotle for dessert.

I thought this was a fluke, but then I saw two men with cowboy hats talking across the street where I was waiting to get into a movie at The Roxie theater ("Setting the Bar" about chocolate makers working with cacao farmers in South America).

And still more cowboy chocolates we missed...

Fondue Cowboy - Chocolate Fondue 
Unfortunately, I found out about Fondue Cowboy (in the SOMA district of San Francisco, CA) after it was too late to visit. In the future, I hope to try their "Happy Trails" Dark Chocolate Fondue with Cayenne.

Cowboy Toffee - Rose Toffee 
As we say goodbye to this cowboy country themed week today, I couldn't resist highlighting this special Texas Rose Dark Chocolate Toffee from Cowboy Toffee Co. (Ranger, Texas) (pictured at right).

Decorated with rose petals and sprinkled with bee pollen, this is one beautiful toffee. It's a shame I didn't discover this in time to feature this week. Definitely will seek this out next Cowboy or Cowgirl themed week. We should probably do a whole week on chocolate + cowboy/cowgirl theme + Texas.

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tinyB Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Almond, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate brigadeiros - Oct. 11, 2018

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

tinyB Chocolate
Four-piece box of Brigadeiros

1.) Dark Chocolate Almond - Good ++

2.) Coconut and Cream - Good

3.) Dark Chocolate and Sprinkles - Good ++

4.) Milk Chocolate and Milk Sprinkles - Good

Weight: 2.6 oz. (73.5 g.) in total box of 4 pieces

Calories: 240 calories (per tinyB) in 4 pieces 

Cost: $ N/A - gift/sample from tinyB Chocolate

Purchased from: Sample box was supplied by tinyB Chocolate 

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Almond Theme Week. 

Today's box of brigadeiros from tinyB Chocolate (San Francisco, CA) were made in San Francisco, by Renata Stoica who was born in Brazil.

What is a brigadeiro? Think of this popular confection as a Brazilian cousin to the American chocolate truffle. Brigadeiros have a smooth, creamy texture, and no hard shell. (They are related to other Latin American confections that are carefully stirred and cooked in a pot on a stove.)

My favorites in this 4-piece box were the Dark Chocolate Almond (upper right in photo) and Dark Chocolate and Sprinkles (lower right in photo). The company also offers a variety of other tempting flavors, including Raspberry and White Chocolate, Cinnamon and Dark Chocolate, and Half Dark and Half Passion Fruit.

Eaten fresh they are creamy, sweet and wonderful. Store in the refrigerator to prolong life.

Ingredients for the base chocolate were: organic sugar, organic milk, organic butter, organic chocolate + flavor inclusions (most of which are organic).

Bridge Brands Chocolate - Save Me, San Francisco bar - Nov. 29, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Bridge Brands Chocolate
Save Me, San Francisco Chocolate bar
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 153.3 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and California Dreaming Theme Week, where we're featuring several chocolates that reflect what (some imagine) life is like in various California hot spots.

San Francisco is a popular stop on this tour. Chocolate makers like Ghirardelli and Guittard have San Francisco roots dating back to the 1800s. And there are many, newer smaller craft chocolate makers (and many more chocolatiers) in the Bay Area. That includes those producing novelty chocolate items, like today's "Save Me, San Francisco" bar.

If you recognized this title as a song/album from Train, the American pop rock band from San Francisco, you'd be correct. The song included lyrics like: "I've been rock and roll and disco, won't you save me San Francisco..."

Yes, San Francisco is a great place, filled with great chocolate; and even if the place doesn't save you, you'll enjoy a good ride and meal or two in this favorite city by the Bay.

Today's bar may not have been high-end craft, single origin chocolate. But the wrapper and sentiment was worth the purchase. The dark bar had a complex and pleasant aroma, and had reasonable depth in flavor. (It wasn't all sugar and rich cocoa.) It included some faint fruit (cherry jam), earth, malt, spice and tropical date and coconut/brown sugar notes.

The San Francisco Chocolate Factory - Chocolate by Numbers 38% Milk - Nov. 28, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

The San Francisco Chocolate Factory
Chocolate By Numbers
38% Milk Chocolate "dreamy chocolate"
Good
Weight: .125 oz. (3.54 g.) / 1 oz. (28.35 g.) total box of 16 pieces
Calories: 19.5 calories for 2 pieces
Cost: $1.49 (estimate) for 1 box of 16 pieces
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and California Dreaming Theme Week.

Today's small box of 38% Chocolate By Numbers Milk Chocolate was from The San Francisco Chocolate Factory (San Francisco, CA).

The company's "Chocolate by Numbers," themed boxes and tins of button- or disc-shaped round chocolate pieces are available in different percentages of cacao solids: 31%, 38%, 55%, 72%, etc.

Round, thin discs offer several benefits: they feel good on the tongue and offer more immediate/better access to creamy texture and chocolate flavors than a thick bar. The pieces (16 in this small box) also can be easily shared by a group of tasters.

These small rounds could be used for a side-by-side chocolate % comparison tasting, for those wanting to know more about cacao. Or they could be used as pairing chocolates with different foods and beverages.

The San Francisco Chocolate Factory also has a wholesale business and is involved in private/custom labeling and brand partnerships.

Humphry Slocombe - Vietnamese Coffee sundae - Mar. 30, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream
Vietnamese Coffee Hot Fudge Sundae
Very Good
Weight: unknown
Calories: unknown
Cost: $8.75 for one 2-scoop sundae

Welcome to Day #5 Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

Today's chocolate came in the form of an ice cream sundae. The original plan for today was to make a Vietnamese Coffee-Mocha drink; but a trip to the San Francisco Ferry Building (a food lovers playground) changed all that.

A quick walk by Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream (San Francisco, CA) caused a double take, when I saw "Blue Bottle* Vietnamese Coffee ice cream" on their menu.

Minutes later, I was ordering: "One scoop of Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee ice cream sundae + a second scoop of Tahitian V*n!ll@ ice cream + Hot Fudge and Bourbon Caramel toppings, please." All these ingredients added up to one delicious sundae.

This may not have been a traditional Vietnamese coffee drink, but I hope you'll cut me some ice cream slack here.

*Blue Bottle (Oakland, CA) is a Bay Area-based coffee company.

XOX Truffles - Honey Vodka, Amaretto truffles - Sept. 25, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

XOX Truffles
1.) Honey Vodka truffle - Very Good
2.) Amaretto truffle - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) (estimate) for 4 truffles
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 4 truffles

Cost: $1.00 per truffle (20-piece quantity price)
Purchased from: XOX Truffles, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of French Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's two chocolates from XOX Truffles (San Francisco, CA) were not from France, but they were "created with a French attitude" and were French inspired.

Chef Jean-Marc Gorce (formerly of Fringale restaurant (San Francisco, CA) and partner Casimira N. Tobilla founded XOX Truffles. Their tiny shop in North Beach, contains a display case full of different truffles, some flavored with alcohol (champagne and cognac truffles are popular choices).

True truffles may appear a little rough hewn and humble on the outside (like their namesakes that grow in the ground); but these had great chocolate flavor and a fabulous creamy, buttery melt.

The Honey Vodka truffle had a sweet, boozy lilt, and the Amaretto truffle's nutty flavor unfolded into an almond-flavored liqueur trip. Bon voyage.

Fall Chocolate Salon - San Francisco - Nov. 15, 2015

Fall Chocolate Salon 2015 - San Francisco, CA
Sun., Nov. 15, 2015

This year's Fall (6th annual San Francisco) Chocolate Salon was held at a new venue—the General's Residence, in Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA.

This historic building provided an attractive, multi-room space for chocolate makers, chocolatiers, craft spirits makers, perfumers, vintners and others to display their offerings. (And the views of Aquatic Park, Alcatraz and San Francisco Bay weren't bad either.)

Amano Artisan Chocolate (Orem, UT) was displaying new packaging (and larger bars). I enjoyed discussing single origin bars and new bars with flavor inclusions with founder Art Pollard's two sons.

There were plenty of great Bay Area chocolatiers there. I picked up some velvety Pumpkin Spice Truffles and very tasty Nib Brittle from Neo Cocoa (San Francisco, CA); truffles from CocoTutti; tiny individually wrapped caramels from Kindred Cooks (Campbell, CA); creamy, flavorful chocolates from Alexander's Patisserie (Mountain View, CA); and artful pieces with layered flavors from flying noir (Oakland, CA).

While in search of some smoky and umami flavors, I picked up a bottle of great, complex Bourbon (made from corn and rye) from Raff Distillerie (Treasure Island, San Francisco). What a great aroma; and I'm looking forward to sampling it with chocolates. I also enjoyed the spirits (a crisp Gin with citrus notes; a well-rounded Rhum Agricole; and an Absinthe with French roots) from Sonoma County Distilling Co. (Rohnert Park, CA).

I enjoyed saying hello to Alter Eco (San Francisco, CA) and The Tea Room Chocolate and Tea Co. (San Leandro, CA).

And, after nine years of eating different chocolates, I still love meeting new creative people who are making chocolates. New chocolate conversations this year were had with Firefly Chocolate (Windsor, CA); Endorfin Foods (Oakland, CA); Starchild Chocolate (Willets, CA); Fera'wyn's Artisan Chocolates; and Cowboy Toffee Co. (Oakdale, CA).  

Winter Fancy Food Show - SF, Jan. 11, 2015

Winter Fancy Food Show
San Francisco, CA -- Jan. 11-13, 2015

The Winter Fancy Food Show (San Francisco, CA -- Jan. 11-13, 2015) was held this week. I saw as many of the 1,300 exhibitors from around the world as I could (in both halls of the Moscone Center Convention Center). I scouted for trends and new products, and spoke with colleagues and friends.

If you are part of the specialty food and beverage industry, I recommend attending this show at least once. Two full days are preferable than trying to do it one; but it's a bit easier if you focus on one food category, say cheese, or olive oil. Or, in my case, chocolate.

Chocolate: something for everyone
The chocolatiers and makers at this show ran the gamut -- novelty, classic, artisan, big and small. And the products range from chocolate bars, truffles and confections to chocolate being used as an inclusion in another food or dessert item -- energy bars, kale snacks, cookies, you name it.

It was great to see classic companies like Idaho Candy Co. (Boise, ID), maker of the potato-shaped,  Idaho Spud candy bar, the Cherry Cocktail and the Old Faithful. This is still a family run company after 100 years. Amazing. (Photo of three brothers at right.)

I enjoyed seeing marketing innovators like Vosges (Chicago, IL). They had a beautiful booth, decked out with great images, greenery, flowers, and new flavor combinations.

Chocolat (Fredericksburg, TX) impressed with liquor/spirits-filled chocolates (liquid centers encased with a crunchy corn starch casing and covered with chocolate). Toffee is a competitive market, there are several good, gluten-free ones out there these days. I enjoyed catching up with local (Bay Area-based) Toffee Talk founders/owners. They make some great toffees.

And, even after eating more than 3,000 chocolates, I'm still discovering companies with new flavors, and meeting great new chocolate-makers, and single origin bar chocolatiers.

For example, Lourdes Delgado de Pandzic, President of Chchukululu Arriba Dark Chocolate, traveled to the Bay Area from Guayaquil, Ecuador. She was very interesting to talk with, and a great booster for her country and cacao farmers there.


Across the aisle from her, was Richard O'Connor, co-founder of Chocolate and Love (U.K.), maker of "organic and ethical chocolate." I also enjoyed their fun bar packaging that featured celebrity-look-alike dog images.

Trends
More gluten-free and organic offerings were on display. For someone like me who can't have wheat or gluten, but who loves good food, the pasta and baked good sections are looking more appealing with each passing year. E.g., Walkers Shortbread (U.K. company known for their shortbread, biscuits and oatcakes) will be offering gluten-free regular (and chocolate chip) shortbread cookies. Look for them in stores this spring.


Other trends called out in a Show Press fact sheet included the growing number of items with Asian flavors (think higher quality green teas, soy, wasabi, rice, etc.); more snack bars and spreadable products. The "Melt" chocolate spread (made with coconut oil) was very light and could be incorporated into a variety of desserts and confections, as could some of the nut butters we saw.

I'd been looking for items to create a Chocolate and Indian Snack Theme Week. And now, after this show, I have enough for a theme week in February or March on this site, ChocolateBanquet.com. (Think spicy cashews, mango chutney, crispy peanuts, lentils, cardamom and chai spices, etc.)

For more information, check out the Specialty Food Association website.

Sea Salt Escape bar - July 18, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
Sea Salt Escape bar
Good
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) in 1/4 bar / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 125 calories (estimate) for 1/4 bar
Cost: $4.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: de Young Museum (museum store), San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Almond Theme Week.

The Sea Salt Escape bar from Ghirardelli Chocolate Company (San Leandro, CA), seemed like the perfect choice for today's ramble around San Francisco Bay.

First, Ghirardelli history in the City by the Bay (San Francisco) runs deep. Second, I'll be spending time by the waterfront looking at boats (America's Cup, boatbuilding), thus a tie-in with "sea salt escape" reference. Third, I'll be walking the SF Bay Trail, and will be bird watching. And last, but not least, it's chocolate and almond theme week.

Earlier this year, I picked up a specially packaged edition of this milk chocolate bar with almond pieces and sea salt, at the de Young (art) museum in San Francisco. As part of promotion of the Dutch painting exhibit in town at that time, this Ghirardelli bar was packaged in a second/outside wrapper that came adorned with "The Goldfinch," a painting of a bird from 1654, by Carel Fabritius. I've only seen one goldfinch in my area, but maybe I'll get lucky and see another one in my walk around the Bay.

SF Chocolate Salon - Nov. 11, '12

San Francisco Fall Chocolate Salon
Nov. 11, 2012

Yesterday I spent hunting for new chocolates at the Fall Chocolate Salon in San Francisco. This event, one of two annual Chocolate Salons in the city, was held at Fort Mason. We were so focused on tasting, we scarcely gazed up at the sailboats and blue sky outside. Such is the power of chocolate.

I enjoyed attending parts of three talks. The first talk was about decorating chocolates, followed by Art Pollard (Amano Chocolate) speaking about Organic and Fair Trade. Pollard shared some of the challenges associated with certification and pricing.

Third, Elyce Zahn (CocoTutti) demonstrated the significance of ingredients in fresh and flavorful truffles/bonbons by handing out small tasting experience kits with starter components such as small discs of dark and milk chocolate, a fresh raspberry, a dab of sweet raspberry puree (yum); and finished raspberry and coffee flavored truffles.

Speaking of fruit, we marveled at some giant caramel and chocolate covered apples from Rachel Dunn Chocolates (Concord, CA), and some beautifully decorated, sizable dessert bowls made entirely of chocolate.

Newcomers to this Fall Show included Smitten Truffles (Portland, OR) and Marti Chocolatt (Los Angeles, CA).

Otho at Smitten handed us samples from 4 tiny vats of ganache used to fill 4 different truffles: Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Bean; Water Avenue Brazilian Coffee; Kalamansi (Lime) and Creme Honey; and Vanilla Caramel and Tahitian Vanilla Sea Salt.

Marti Chocolatt Chocolatier, Tonet Tibay, presided over a variety of exotic and well-executed flavored truffles -- that included Durian, Ube, Pandan, Pina, and Calamansi lime.

Socola delivered a few wonderful new flavors, as always. Their mint truffles were the epitome of fresh and natural tasting mint leaves harvested from the garden.


Snake and Butterfly (a Bay Area bean-to-bar maker) and Tea Room Chocolates (organic, tea infused bars, based in Novato, CA) had tables full of good chocolate choices, as did Amano Chocolate (single origin bars and drinking chocolate).

Saratoga Chocolates (Saratoga, CA) had a good line-up, including their Blueberry-tini chocolates (blueberries infused with blueberry vodka and coated with dark chocolate), and assorted truffles, dipped apricots and toffee squares.

Sixth Course's Wine and Spirits collection (sold out) was wonderful, as were their caramels, with skillful incorporation of local ingredients (St. George Single Malt whiskey), herbs (rosemary, and sage and brown butter caramels). A new line of candy bars will incorporate favorite flavors.

The selections at the Feve Chocolatier (San Francisco) table looked great, but at least 3 of their truffles contained wheat (a lovely thin wafer) -- that I can't have; so I had to pass on these.

Attractive bags of fresh toffee were available from several vendors -- such as Toffeeology and Toffee Talk, most with nuts, some with nibs.

Thank you to organizers and vendors and local chocolate Meetup group. Those chocolatiers mentioned above were a small sampling of the total; apologies to those I've not mentioned by name. Thank you to Elise for tasting company and good conversation throughout the day.

SF Chocolate Salon, Nov. 13, 2011

International Chocolate Salon 
Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA

One of the pleasures of living close to a major city like San Francisco, is being able to attend the Chocolate Salons that are held here.  This year's event was another opportunity to meet chocolate makers and chocolatiers from the SF Bay Area and beyond.

We had fun talking with Salon newcomer Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco); Nat from Madre Chocolate (on his way back to Hawaii); Art Pollard from Amano; and a few different toffee and brittle makers who were incorporating chocolate and cacao nibs into their offerings.

Saratoga Chocolates (Saratoga, CA) was featuring a Blueberry-tini item that will be tomorrow's entry -- just in time to be included in Chocolate and Blueberry Theme Week.

I also stocked up on a chocolate and bacon caramel item from Snake and Butterfly (Santa Clara, CA) for this week's bacon theme week, that will start in a 2-3 days.

And, I'm looking forward to writing about the Thai Basil chocolates from Jade Chocolates (Burlingame/San Francisco, CA), and other chocolates too numerous to list here.

We also had fun meeting a few winemakers and doing some impromptu tasting. The SLO crew from San Luis Obispo were pouring their "Sexual Chocolate" red blend. (Their mascot, a palm-sized turtle named Walter, was taking a nap in his crate by the time we reached their table.) It was a great opportunity to talk with some creative makers with great flavors who may not have a storefront.

ChocolateBet: July 1, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Mangarosa (Brazilian/Italian restaurant in San Francisco)
Fried bananas with 3 sauces - chocolate, caramel and rum sauces
~ 8 oz??
Very Good, except the light "breading" I had to peel off the bananas

Today, I parked at the top/roof level of the Vallejo St. garage, and enjoyed the view of San Francisco for a moment. From that roof, one can see part of the Bay Bridge, the SF Bay, Alcatraz Island, and other great sights. I enjoyed walking through North Beach; there are so many great restaurants to try for dinner. San Francisco is a great food and chocolate town. Note to self: do a search on top 10 chocolate towns. Nominations?