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 | San Francisco Chocolates Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 11 |  |
 | |  |  | Chocolates: BAY AREA CHOCOLATE | Tip Rating:    |  |  | |  |
You need to bite into the World of Bay Area chocolate! Here's a short list of delicious options. RoCocoa's Faerie Queene Chocolates 415 Castro St (415) 252-5814 www.faeriequeene.com Joseph Schmidt Confections 3489 16th St (415) 861-8682 www.jschmidtconfections.com Recchiuti Confections Available at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market and fine gourmet and retail locations locally -- Real Foods, Whole Foods, Dandelion, Sue Fisher King, Bi-Rite, and online at www.RecchiutiConfections.com XOX Truffles 754 Columbus St (415) 421-4814 Stocks vegan soy truffles! www.xoxtruffles.com/xox/how_to_order.htm Teuscher 255 Grant Ave (415) 398-2700 _
California is one of the largest manufacturers of chocolate and chocolate confections in the country. Northern California is home to Nestle, Guittard, Blommer and Scharffen Berger -- four of the 10 companies in the nation that import and roast their own beans. Joseph Schmidt, the S.F.-based chocolateur, distributes to 3,000 accounts in gourmet shops and major department stores like Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue nationwide, plus upscale shops throughout Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom. (Pictured here: Joseph Schmidt inspects his chocolate Transamerica Pyramid.) Scharffen Berger takes one year to produce what Hershey cranks out in a single day. Recchiuti distributes to Williams-Sonoma, Red Envelope, Dean and Delucca and Neiman Marcus and many gourmet stores. Awesome chocolate bars, chocolate-covered graham crackers and assortment boxes. Leave a Comment Theme: Food and Drink
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| | | | Chocolates: It's chocolate, it's chai, it's Chocolate Chai! | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Years ago I tried powdered chocolate chai from Trader Joe's, and frankly it was subpar. It also gave me a headache, strangely enough. So I haven't been rushing to try it again. But then I found Bittersweet, a chocolate cafe on funky Fillmore Street. Not wanting to break my cocoa tasting streak around San Francisco, I headed in for one. I changed my mind mid-sentence and ordered the chocolate chai. Perhaps it would be better from a cafe than a tin can? Um, yeah it was. And no headache to boot. It's a cozy brightly-decorated place with comfy seats in the back. Think a less-slick Starbucks.
The chocolate chai, of course. They also serve the kind of drinks you'll typically find at any coffee shop, as well as chocolate bars and gift tins and baked goods.
Typical coffee-and-baked-goods prices. Not cheap, but not outrageous. Leave a Comment Theme: Food and DrinkAddress: 2123 Fillmore, SF, CA 94115Phone: (415) 346-8715Directions: Take the #22 down Fillmore in the Pacific Heights area. There's another one in Oakland at 5427 College Ave.Website: http://www.bittersweetcafe.com
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| | | | Chocolates: Great chocolate shop in Noe Valley | | | | | |
I highly recommend Chocolate Covered Sweets and Gifts in Noe Valley, run by the very friendly Jack. When I visited, he was just about to move to a larger space down the street on 24th. He sells not only artisanal chocolates from around the world, but kitschy lunchboxes (I would have bought the *Nsync one if didn't already have it!) and very cute gift tins that feature blue-tinted photos of street signs from around San Francisco. If you bring him a photo, he'll custom make a tin for you and fill it with whatever sweets you ask for.
Jack had samples of triple-dipped hazelnut candies, and that's all it took for me to buy a tin for my hosts. OMG, I'm still drooling thinking of those.
Well, the tin of chocolate hazelnut treats was a bit pricey at $13, but Jack has chocolates for all price ranges. Leave a Comment Theme: Food and DrinkAddress: 4069 24th Street, SF, CA 94114Phone: 415/641-8123Directions: You can take the J Church train or the #48 bus to get to 24th Street in Noe Valley.
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| | | | Chocolates: Highly recommended chocolate shop on Columbus | | | | | |
My host said to me one morning, after a hard climb up to Coit Tower (hey, it's tough work being on vacation), "Let's get some hot chocolate." I don't need to be told twice. We stopped at XOX Truffles, an award-winning chocolate truffle shop that offers a free-truffle-with-each-drink deal. Not that they'd need to. I'm sure they could just as easily sell those truffles on their own. But the "free" sample is a nice touch.
I got the Kahlua truffle. It was gone too soon. :-> My friend, gawd bless her, asked for hot chocolate with nonfat milk, and was rightfully mocked. But you know what? I didn't miss the fat. It was still smooth and creamy the way hot chocolate ought to be.
Usual prices, think Starbucks pricing. Leave a Comment Theme: Food and DrinkAddress: 754 Columbus Avenue, SFPhone: 415.421.4814Directions: It's on Columbus in North Beach, and there are several buses and cable cars that will take you there or very close by.Website: http://www.xoxtruffles.com
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| | | | Chocolates: Craving Fresh Chocolate Fudge | | | | | |
What makes San Francisco so special for me is the variety of independent retailers and unique shopping neighborhoods. This little shop is a real neighborhood chocolate shop that makes it's own fudge and other chocolate treats right on the premises, and wow, you can really taste the freshness. In town for business and between meetings I had a severe craving for something sweet and luckily for me, my taxi driver knew of this neighborhood gem. With 7 or more flavors of fudge it was hard to decide, but I decided to indulge in the Fudge Noir, a dark chocolate fudge. It was the best I have tasted in a long time and the chocolatier was on hand and happy to answer my questions. Apparently, the secret is in the temperature and the timing when adding the dark chocolate.
If you're fighting a severe choco-craving or simply scratching your head trying to find a gift for your favorite chocoholic, then this is the place for you. In addition to fudge, nut clusters, turtles, truffles, hand-dipped glaced fruits, fun and curious chocolate shapes and a whole lot more.
I spent less than $40 and my craving was well and truly satisfied and I picked up some thank you bars for my clients and some truffles and a "Luscious" t-shirt for my wife too. If you're looking for gifts there is something for every budget here, (Chocolate CD's at about $6 or a 25 truffle assortment for just under $50). Theme: GiftsAddress: 2250 Union Street, San Francisco CA 94123Phone: 415 922 5711Directions: Cow Hollow on Union Street between Steiner and FillmoreWebsite: www.goldleafchocolatier.com
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