ChocolateBet: November 14, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
half of 3 pieces
Cerreta Candy Company/Cerreta's Fine Chocolates

1.) French Mint - Good +
2.) Dark Chocolate Orange - Very Good
3.) Roman Rum - Good +
Weight: .75 oz. (21.2 g.) for half of 3 pieces
Calories: 112 calories (estimate) for half of 3 pieces
Cost: $2.73 for 3 pieces
Purchased from: Cerreta Candy Company, in Glendale, Arizona

Stretching out my haul from last week's visit to the Cerreta Candy Company in Arizona, I enjoyed three more chocolates today. Splitting the chocolates with Alec meant I could justify tasting more than one. Thank you Alec for driving, so I could unwrap and pull apart chocolates on the drive up to San Francisco. My favorite was the dark chocolate orange; although it looked like the French Mint was a big seller at Cerreta's. Thank you also to Jerry "the Chocolate Man" at Cerreta's. (Jerry is part of the Cerreta family business -- one of four sons involved in running Cerreta Candy Co.; and from what I gather the one most closely tied to chocolate operations.)

FYI, for those in the Phoenix, AZ, area, Cerreta's also offers tours.

ChocolateBet: November 13, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Cerreta Candy Co./Cerreta's Fine Chocolates
Milk Chocolate Peanut Cluster
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.14 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 75 calories (estimate)
Cost: $0.91
Purchased from: Cerrata Candy Co., in Glendale, AZ

It's always a treat to buy chocolate from the source. I visited Cerreta's Candy Co. in downtown Glendale, AZ, with a friend this week, and picked up some chocolates. We missed the tour, but the manufacturing area was visible from the retail store area. (See image above.) Also pictured: a large chocolate Santa talking to an oversized chocolate bunny mold.

ChocolateBet: November 12, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Jungle Grub
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Snack Bar(s)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: o.88 oz. (25 g.) in 1 bar/4.4 oz. (125 g.) total pkg.
Calories: 100 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.49 total - for box of 5 bars
Purchased from: Sprouts, in Glendale, Arizona

This gluten-free, organic snack bar was fairly tasty. The picture of the monkey* + small bar size (100 calories) enabled me to justify eating this - despite being full already. Also, the "cookie dough" flavor was a reasonable facsimile of dough I remember sampling before I gave up wheat/gluten.

*Yes, I am a monkey liker.

ChocolateBet: November 11, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Alegio Chocolate
Caribbean - 66% cacao
Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.14 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 75 calories (estimate)
Cost: $1.95
Purchased from: Alegio Chocolate, in Berkeley, CA

The Caribbean (66% cacao) was a fine chocolate with a smooth, dark chocolate ganache. Alegio Chocolate is a small shop, located toward the back of a small group of shops, on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, CA. I made a mental note to visit the outdoor garden in back next time. It looked like a very relaxing place to enjoy some chocolates.

ChocolateBet: November 10, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Alegio Chocolate
Grapefruit (caramel + grapefruit)
Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.14 g.) in 1 piece
Calories: 75 calories (estimate)
Cost: $1.95
Purchased from: Alegio Chocolate, in Berkeley, CA

I like grapefruit and caramel, and this chocolate was a skillful blend of both. Thank you again to Robbin Everson, chocolate ambassador at Alegio. We received great answers to all the questions we had about chocolates they carry the day we visited recently.

ChocolateBet: November 9, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 package
Enric Rovira
Bombolas de pimienta rosa con chocolate negro
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.)/3.5 oz. (100 g.) total package
Calories: 145 calories (estimate)
Cost: $19.95 total package
Purchased from: Alegio Chocolate, in Berkeley, CA

I recommend a stop at Alegio Chocolate if you happen to be in the San Francisco Bay Area. This small store offered an excellent variety of unique and exotic chocolates. These tasty pink peppercorn flavored, dark chocolate pearls (from Spain) were so authentic, I could taste the tiny pieces of pink peppercorn skin.

ChocolateBet: November 8, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1 square
Savor...
Chocolate Rice Krispy square
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 4 oz. (115 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 400 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.75
Purchased from: Long Beach Aquarium Cafe (Scuba), in Long Beach, CA

There were many interesting things to see at the Long Beach Aquarium: fish, sharks, otters, starfish, and a few chocolate items in the Cafe.