SF Chocoholic
San Francisco is known for a lot of things. The stunning bay, the breweries, the wineries of Napa Valley, the startups of Silicon Valley, and the Giants. You wouldn’t be shocked at all if I told you that we are known for our food. San Francisco is a hip and urban place to live, so our food definitely reflects that. For those of you that have a sweet tooth, instead of an urge to visit the latest Fusion restaurant with a good review on Yelp, let us recommend some great local places you can go to get your chocolate fix.
Chocolate is a big business, and not just around Valentines, when you buy your girlfriend an assortment from the local market. Homemade and handcrafted chocolate is not only delicious, but it’s a vibrant part of the economy in San Francisco. We’ve enjoyed a wealth of chocolate shops, dating back to the Gold Rush, when Guittard and Ghirardelli discovered cacao. Their earnings at the time could easily rival that of the current titans of Silicon Valley. Here are several ways that you can partake in the continued riches of chocolate available in our city.
Drink the best hot chocolate you’ll ever have
Dandelion Chocolate is a small batch, beath-to-bar factory in the San Francisco’s Mission district. The factory has a cafe inside that serves some of the best drinkable chocolate that you will ever experience. Definitely some of the finest that the Bay Area has to offer. Currently, there are only three flavors on the menu, but they deliver in taste, what they lack in choice. Choose from classic mildly sweet ($5.75), a spicy Mission Hot Chocolate ($5.75), or an European Drinking Chocolate ($4.50). Make sure to also order the Brownie Bite Flight ($5.50), and enjoy three unique brownies with their own great tastes.
Eat chocolates made to look like the finest jewels
The Plumed Horse Chocolaterie just opened in December, and it’s already making waves in the Bay Area. The company creates and sells chocolates that look like genuine gems and jewels. Angelica Duarte is the classically trained chocolatier that conceived and makes her stunning chocolates. Enjoy a Vanilla Infused Dark Chocolate with or a red swirled Fresh Jalapeno.
Play with your food
TCHO chocolates allows you to take a tour of their factory that will appeal to the kid in all of us. Take a 45-minute through the factory and discover how they take cacao from bean to bar.. They also hold special events that are hard to resist. For example, take their recent Chocolate and Beer pairing night. TCHO chocolates paired with Novel Brewing Company craft beers. Indulge yourself and worry about the calories later.
This is only a sampling of your chocolate options in the Bay Area. A chocolate tour is something that almost anybody should be able to enjoy. Your waistline might not thank you, but your sweet tooth certainly will.