Pinball Tour of Chocolatiers - San Francisco

After a long absence - I haven't stopped writing, just haven't written here in awhile - I am back with a slam-bang tour of a few San Francisco chocolatiers. If you're planning a trip there you may want to see what Dirk and I thought of these places we visited.
So here's the deal: On a recent vacation to San Francisco, Dirk and I found ourselves trying samples (or larger versions of samples…) of chocolate shops while circulating throughout the city on foot. We started out saying, “Let’s just stop at this little chocolate shop”, and ended up visiting several of them. I have compiled my list of winners and almost-rans in this blog. Not every store made this list, but most of them did.
Along with general observations of each store, I will list favorites. In addition, I made sure we tried at least one caramel at each location. To me, caramel is the vanilla ice cream of a chocolatier. If their caramel is meaningful, other confections are likely following suit! Let’s see how each place fared.

Recchiuti

We visited the Recchiuti store at the Ferry Building Marketplace, a bustling wharf location that contains dozens of stores and mini-restaurants. Recchiutti was filled to capacity, and it’s a small shop! Plenty of foot traffic crosses paths in this market.
We tried a box of varieties plus two sale boxes of Burnt Caramel.
Best of the bunch: honeycomb malt, a perfect blend of honey and malted flavors with a little kick of crunchy texture thrown in. The Burnt Caramel should have been called Burnt Cocoa. Although smoothly delicious with a dose of brulée in the middle, there was not a distinctive enough caramel taste to warrant the title.

Recchiutti founders probably wouldn’t agree with me. They think so much of their concoction that they conjured up a companion to it, Burnt Caramel Sauce. To me, it is of good quality, but not indicative of true caramel nature. Those of you who are fellow caramel lovers, you know what I’m talking about. This is chocolate, folks. A reliable basis for chocolate truffles; butter, chocolate, slight toasty flavor.. But not caramel. To be sure, there was butter and charred goodness, but no caramel per se. Oh well. We had better luck with other caramel endeavors.

Richart

Snootiness of the Richart shop associate aside, we loved the eclectic flavors of the Garden Collection. We were looking for something extraordinary, and found it in the collection, which consists of the following varieties. I’m devoting a lot of space to this, but it’s necessary when you consider the unusual nature of some of these flavor combinations. Disclaimer: I lifted some parts of the descriptions from their website and provided my own additional comments.

PUMPKIN COULIS ON A BED OF CHAMOMILE FLOWER GANACHE
The chamomile is very soft underneath the rest of the flavors. The pumpkin is subtle, intelligible really until you’re nearly done eating the truffle. Suddenly, you notice the unmistakable taste. Luscious.

BLACK TRUFFLE IN CRIOLLO GANACHE ON A BED OF POTATO COULIS
They describe the coulis section of this truffle as ‘recalling rich homemade potato purée', which I completely understood once I ate one. Even the flavor recalls potato purée. Very odd as it mashes with the ganache to produce a savory masterpiece.

CARAMELIZED CELERY ROOT COULIS ON A BED OF GANACHE FLAVORED WITH MILD SPICES
All I remember about this truffle is that it contained a burst of different flavors, yet it was quite mild in the end.

KALAMANZI IN SOY MILK GANACHE ON A BED OF CARROT COULIS
The kalamanzi is tangy, but I’m not a fan of soy since I found out last year that I’m allergic to it. But that carrot coulis provides a great bite! It’s worth it for the carrot-y finish.

PEAR COULIS ON A BED OF CASSIS DE DIJON GANACHE
Oh, yum. This is pear goodness. Pear is a perfect fruit to blend with savory flavors, since it is so subtle and mild on its own. It isn’t a tart citrus, nor a tangy berry or an all-American apple. This is the exotic yet somewhat intangible pear. What better to blend with the cassis liqueur=like texture? A beckoning finger made of fine smoke calls you to your pear-ish destiny.

ROASTED CORN PRALINE ON A BED OF CREAMED CHESTNUT COULIS
I admit it; for all of my adventurous spirit with food and especially desserts, I have never considered mixing chocolate ganache with chestnuts and corn. I wish I had, because the corn lingered in my memory longer than most of the others in this batch. Unusually smooth and rich, yet not sweet except for the slight smack of the corn.

TOMATO ON A BED OF BASIL GANACHE
OK, this was a no-brainer, right? Tomato with basil and…chocolate? The idea of this one was easier to digest, so to speak, than some of the others. It was good and I liked it, but I can’t say it’s sticking in my memory banks to dredge up again, like that corn combo.

This was truly a taste experience. I can’t say that each chocolate was a resounding success, but they were all worth exploring. I’m sure others may find that they like some of the ones we found less exhilarating.

I’ve given more than enough space to Richart, especially considering that it was not my favorite store. However, I have to devote one more paragraph to their decadent, true-lover’s preferred caramel.
The caramels came in a variety of ways. We chose the nine-pack; three with dark chocolate coating, three with milk chocolate and three with white chocolate. I wouldn’t kick any of them out of bed, but the seriously superlatively best one was the dark chocolate, no doubt about it. Perhaps it’s the aficionado in me, the one that favors 99% Teuscher bars and the like, but that dark chocolate melded with the saxophone-inspired lazy trailing caramel dancing down my tongue made me fall in love with my husband all over again. Not that I need inspiration to stay in love with him, but that's a different blog.

Cocoa Bella

Cocoa Bella is in the Union Street shops area, located in the Marina and Presidio neighborhood. It was the last chocolatier shop we visited. I am sooo glad we went in there, because as it turned out they had one of my all-time favorites! It was not a caramel, believe it or not.
We tried a variety of chocolates from a slightly bored young male attendant. There appeared to be several bored young male attendants from which to choose, so we just chose the first one we saw. We tried a Crème Brulee that was an amazing, praiseworthy substitute for the dessert after which it was named. The crowning glory of this shop though, hands down, is the Pralineur Van Coillie Amandel Vanille, a light caramel buttercream rolled in biscuit flakes. Wow! This white chocolate-coated experience danced on the tongue before sliding affectionately into our memories.
Cocoa Bella allows you to order online, using a ridiculously complicated barrage of shopping techniques to place your order. It’s worth every “What the hell is this?” moment though, just to get Amandel Vanille from San Francisco in your Chicago (or New York, or Chester, VA or Fort Worth, Texas) home!

Schoggi

We visited a place called Schoggi, which was located next to an eclair shop that we also visited. My husband loves eclairs, and claimed the shop here contained the best he had ever had. I had a bite and had to agree that it was pretty amazing. I don't like eclairs, so for me to restrain myself from a second bite, it had to be memorable.
Anyway, back to Schoggi. I can't say much about this place because I neglected to write down the particulars, and once we got home, all was lost. I do remember having a decent key lime pie truffle, and Dirk and I both liked the caramels. Since any caramel details would be murky at this point, feel free to try the place yourself and let me know what you remember! The Schoggi environment was tasteful if a bit sterile in nature; very clean and polished, with beautiful signs, but lacking a coziness that you want to see in a chocolatier. Richart suffered from the same affliction. I suppose they want you to get in, order and get out. At least, that's the feeling you get. No lingering here! Schoggi at least has some seating. Richart's sight lines led you into the door and right back out.

Well, there you have it; my synopsis of possibilities in San Francisco chocolatiers. This turned out to be a profitable week of visiting, chocolate-wise. Here is to our next yummy venture into the cacao bean!

Portage Park, Part 1

We moved to Portage Park last December, and since we have explored many restaurants in the area. For our first few months, we were convinced we moved to a culinary wasteland. We ordered in a great deal of pizza and Thai, most from our old neighborhood. When we ate out, we would return to our favorites. Something about a new neighborhood in the dark of winter had us seeking out the comfort of familiarity. Ten months later, our dining out choices are mainly centered within walking distance from our house. This is the first of a series to answer the question, 'What's out there?' The best place to start is with our most recent find.

Tucked behind a Dunkin' Donuts at Addison and Austin is Sami Swoi, a mecca for comfort food. The menu consists of some of the best Polish food in the neighborhood. Start off with one or both kinds of borscht. The red is vegetarian, warm with several small polish ravioli resting on the bottom. The broth is warm, beet-y, with a small amount of vinegar to add some zest. The white is a thin cream base chock full of chunks of smoked sausage. Creamy, smoky, and hearty.

The sweet cheese pierogi are handmade, smooth, each with a slightly different shape and size. Served with a side of sour cream, they are fast to disappear.

Entrees range from seafood to schnitzel. Most dishes are heavy on the meat, as a good Polish restaurant should offer. Try the Gypsy Pork Strips, served in a skillet with vegetables. Pork is cooked in spices and very tender. Another meat option is is the Vienna Pork Schnitzel with Mushrooms and Egg, topped with a healthy dollop of parsley butter. Ah, just writing about this makes my stomach growl. Perfect comfort food, the breading is slightly crispy, pork tender, and the roasted mushrooms piled to the side are a perfect complement. And then there is the egg. One sunnyside up egg covering the entire schnitzel. By the time you break the yolk, you are ready to swear off bacon and eggs for breakfast. And then, if you are crazy like me, order a side of buttery dumplings.

Now, for those that don't eat meat, or don't want to indulge in the above mentioned heart-stopping dishes, there are several fish options. Salmon, Trout, and Tilapia are options. The Sauteed Trout with Almonds was recommended, and while the taste is good, the fish is a little dry. The Tilapia seemed more moist, with a cream sauce.

They have a small bar with several Polish Beers, but skip that and order the fresh squeezed juices. If you can't decide which to order, there's always the Fruit Kompot, a Polish juice made by boiling apples, strawberries, and peaches.

This will be a tough winter for us. Will we able to keep up with the caloric intake of our dining out choices? We'll let you know this spring.

When you have to brunch...Victory's Banner

I admit it; I'm not a big breakfast eater. I know you're supposed to eat a substantial breakfast in order to be healthful and all that stuff, but I just can't do it. Whenever I eat a large breakfast, I end up eating a large lunch, dinner and several 'substantial' snacks in addition. I can't help it; eating begets more eating in my lack-o-willpower mind! So I keep it very simple and safe most mornings.

However, I am married to someone who looooves breakfasts, brunches and anything else he can ingest before noon. There are times that I compromise and agree to go out to brunch on a weekend day. If we wait long enough it works for me, too. By 11:00 AM or noon, I'm actually starting to get hungry, especially if we've gone to the gym beforehand. When this happens, I often push to visit Victory's Banner.

Victory's Banner is an all-vegetarian breakfast and lunch establishment that's run by students of the Spiritual master Sri Chimnoy. Their promise is to serve you 'joyfully', which they certainly do. They're a very laidback yet helpful bunch of people.

Since this is my first contribution to our food blog, I'll also confess here that I'm quite choosy about what I eat. I don't eat red meat or poultry (couldn't stop eating seafood, though), I don't ingest anything partially hydrogenated or that contains corn syrup-type stuff, blah-betty-blah-blah. I'm also sensitive to a few foods. So I have problems now and then taking myself out in public for a decent meal. This is one reason Victory's Banner appeals to me. I know that anything I order here is going to be scrumptious and good for me, to boot! They make incredibly delicious food that virtually anyone, no matter what they prefer, will delight in eating.

I know what you meat-eaters are thinking. How can I possibly enjoy a meal that doesn't include animal flesh? It's not as difficult as you may think. Dirk is a hard-core carnivore-omnivore (check out his Hot Doug's post and you'll know what I mean), yet he tells me he 'barely' misses the meat. In fact, he often orders their Stripples, a non-meat bacon alternative. Despite the masochistic nipple torture moniker (well, that's what sprang to mind for me), stripples do taste similar to bacon. You do need to get past the scary neon-pink marble look of stripples though, so be prepared.

Allow me to dish about the breakfast entrees. You were wondering when I'd get to that, right? I'll start with our favorites. I adore the Eggless Wonder, which is a lightly stir-fried tofu and vegetable dish. It's created by lovingly combining marinated tofu with broccoli, onion, tomato, mushroom, zucchini, potato, goat cheese and brown rice into a piping hot mixture that satisfies your by-now starving stomach. The goat cheese is what really lifts this dish from the potentially mundane into the zone of Fulfilling and Nourishing. Being the allergic / sensitive soul I am, I always ask them to leave out the onions. Unlike some stuffy places, the VB wait staff acquiesces with a smile. You will get the feeling that they actually want you to be happy and satisfied upon leaving their restaurant.

Dirk almost always gets the Satisfaction Promise, which consists of two eggs scrambled with spinach, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and feta. He says it's a hearty combo of flavors. All of their egg dishes are nudged into breakfast-lover contentment by the addition of warmed hearth bread and grilled potatoes. BTW, they use Phil's eggs (cage-free, vegetarian-fed!), so you can rest easy knowing your eggs didn't come from some ill-fed, miserable chicken.

VB also offers many omelettes, including a soy sausage and Gouda which has gotten rave reviews in our circle of family and friends (again, several meat-eaters in the group loved this one). For the sweet-toothed among us, choose from pancakes, French toast, or waffles. I suggest either version of VB's French Toast. One is touted as their 'Award-Winning' French toast. Believe it! It's served with peach butter and warm maple syrup (genuine, of course). They also dish up Raspberry French Toast with powdered sugar, which bursts with juicy raspberries. The pancake menu includes oat bran for the health-conscious sweet tooth, apple pecan, and chocolate chip (also features a kid-size portion - smart move!). Waffles come in similar flavor combinations, for those who prefer their sweets in a checkered pattern.

You have an option of ordering granola, yoghurt, and hot oatmeal if you want to keep it simple. Once you sit down after inhaling the scents around you, you'll probably pass on those and run through the heartier menu choices. Drinks include a reasonably good coffee, a thick hot chocolate (recommended by me!), and a selection of wonderful teas. I often order the organic ginger tea, a powerful ginger boot to the brain that provides a natural kick- I mean, pick-me-up. If you aren't feeling like coffee but want to remember that you are, indeed, awake, choose this. Ginger is great for your digestion, you know, so you win twice!

If you have a sweet tooth but don't wish to devote your entire meal to a sugary entree, I vote for one of VB's homemade muffins to begin your meal. On occasions that Dirk and I are there together or with family / friends, we order a muffin or two to temporarily satiate our appetites while we're waiting for the rest of the meal. The chocolate muffin is fragrant and cocoa-ish; mm-mmm. The raspberry muffin uses the same succulent raspberries that are swirled into the pancakes. Yum!

There is one downside of visiting Victory's Banner. Ever since some traitor went on Check, Please! and regaled the audience with how wonderful VB is, the place has been extremely crowded on weekends. Before that, they were reasonably busy, but not outrageously crowded. If you don't arrive before 9:30AM or so on a Saturday or Sunday, you'll probably have to give your name and wait around for a table to open up for your party of whatever. If this was a giant restaurant, it probably wouldn't be an issue. They would have a waiting area / room for their guests who had to wait for a table. However, VB seems determined to stay in their present space, which is no longer large enough to hold their famished fan base. They have a dinky little waiting area (translated - a small bench) that holds three or four people. So you'll be spilling out into the street if it's warm, or literally be standing amongst the tables if it's cold, doomed to stare at patrons eating a luscious breakfast while your knees grow weaker and weaker. I have witnessed people waiting actually trying to stare down the lucky people sitting at a table. I suppose they're trying to shame the people at the tables into leaving.

Unless someone decides to use a table just to sip coffee and stretch out to read the Sunday paper on a busy Sunday (I've seen that too - come on people, where are your manners?), then those of us waiting simply need to relax, say a mantra to ourselves, and be patient. You will get your turn, too! Then it will be your choice to decide whether or not to begin your meal with a delectable muffin while you wait for the Promise of Satisfaction. Namaste, and bon appetit!

Day off = Lunch at Hot Doug's

One of my favorite things to do on a week day off is visit the mecca of encased meats, Hot Doug's. If you are a carnivore and you live in Chicago, you need to know about this place. The owner and chef is Doug Sohn, a Kendall College Culinary graduate. You don't normally use chef and hot dog stand in the same sentence, but you will soon understand.

Hot Doug's has limited hours, Monday through Saturday, 10:30 - 4:00. The first four times we went was on a Saturday, and the lines were out the door and around the block. Then we went during the week. The first few times, no wait. While Fridays seem to be the busiest day of the week, the wait is only about five minutes as opposed to the Saturday wait time of up to an hour. Doug himself works the counter, taking your order with a smile and occaisionaly a wisecrack. Despite the crowds, he and his staff find a way to remain well-tempered and helpful.

Friday and Saturday only, Hot Doug's serves Duck Fat Fries. These are worth any wait in my book, though aren't for everyone. We went with some friends one time and taste tested both regular and duck fat fries. It was almost split as to who liked which better. Needless to say, their regular fries are outstanding too. The duck fat adds a richer, creamier flavor to the fries. You must try.

Regardless of the fries, the sausages are what will keep you coming back. If you don't eat meat, be warned, you will only have two choices; the Veggie Dog and the Veggie Corn Dog. This makes it difficult for Babette to share my enthusiasm, as she only eats fish. We requested Doug make some fish sausages to expand. His response was that while it is more difficult to make and store fish sausage, he is experimenting with smoked salmon and lobster sausages.


Now, back to the sausages. Today, being a weekday away from work, I made the trek down. Every week they have a Celebrity Sausage, named after the celebrity du jour. My first visit I had a Sauternes Infused Fois Gras Sausage with truffle sauce. I still have dreams about the flavor combinations. This celebrity sausage was named after Alderman Joe Moore, the miguided Chicago alderman who initiated the city wide ban on fois gras. (We'll address this ban and ethical issues relating to foie gras in a later post.) Today's celebrity sausage was the Yvonne DeCarlo, honoring the passing of Mrs. Herman Munster herself, which is an Atomic Bomb Spicy Pork Sausage with Chipotle Dijonnaise and Pepper-Jack Cheese. They also have a weekly game sausage. Today, there were two. Headlining was the Cognac-Infused Smoked Pheasant Sausage with Truffle Sauce Moutarde and Fromage D'Affinoise. The second game sausage, at the bottom of the specials list, was the Smoked Alligator Sausage with Spicy Remoulade and Blue Cheese.

Now if you know me well enough, you know that it would be absolutely impossible to for me to get only one sausage at a place like this. I ordered the Smoked Pheasant sausage yet passed on the Yvonne DeCarlo (too spicy) and the Smoked Alligator (Alligator is for Taste of Chicago and visiting my Uncle in Florida). I opted for the Catalonian Pork Sausage with Saffron Rouille and Manchego Cheese.

While the Catalonian Pork Sausage was the wild card, it was by far the best of the two. Nice, smoky flavor, a little tougher, and not as salty or fatty as most pork sausages. It was similar to a Spanish Chorizo in texture. The Manchego cheese was a brilliant idea, bringing the slightly briny flavor into the sausage. The Saffron Rouille was a light mustard that had only faint saffron taste. The Smoked Pheasant sausage was a disappointment. While still very good, it was a bit too top heavy in flavors. The creaminess of the D'Affinois and the intensity of the Truffle Sauce Moutarde really overpowered the Pheasant. I took a few bites of just the sausage, and found it to be excellent, but far too subtle in flavors to pair with the monster taste of the ingredients.

Of course, to round out my meal, I ordered the Duck Fat Fries, which were, strangely, too salty. I managed to finish them, how, I will never know. I also put my support into the place by buying a Hot Doug's T-Shirt. I was disappointed to find that they were out of extra large. I brought the large home and tried it on. My two sausage and duck fat fry lunch made the large too small. I guess I will have to return it soon. Darn. Maybe they will have an XXL by then to go with my next order.

The New Blog!

After much deliberation, Babette and I have entered the blogosphere. What a better topic for us than food and drink. Travel maybe? Stay tuned for our further gastronomic adventures.

Bon Appetit

Dirk