{"id":5880,"date":"2014-12-04T13:52:39","date_gmt":"2014-12-04T21:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/?p=5880"},"modified":"2024-06-07T12:40:12","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T19:40:12","slug":"the-just-right-salon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/events\/the-just-right-salon\/","title":{"rendered":"The just-right salon"},"content":{"rendered":"

I love the SF Chocolate Salons<\/a>. They are great occasions to try artisan chocolate and meet local chocolatiers. There are always some new local chocolatiers and some without a retail presence, so shows are the best way to check out their wares and find ones you like.<\/p>\n

But they can also be overwhelming, especially the spring International Salons<\/a>, which fill a large pier in Fort Mason with big crowds, amplified presentations on the floor, and lots of vendors \u2014 too many vendors for me to try them all (and that\u2019s with me eliminating all non-chocolate, non-SFBA vendors). I always miss somebody I wish I\u2019d had a chance to meet.<\/p>\n

The 5th annual SF Fall Chocolate Salon<\/a>, held Nov. 22, 2014, was different. It was held in a smaller venue at Fort Mason, and with just enough local artisan chocolatiers there so I was actually able to visit everybody I wanted to, meet new chocolatiers, catch up with show veterans, and try some really good local chocolate.<\/p>\n

It was not too big, but it was also not so small that I felt it wasn\u2019t worth the price of admission ($20 in advance). There were still too many chocolates to sample, but that\u2019s a good problem, right?<\/p>\n

\"Endorphin
Cacao plantation owner, Warren Ogden, explaining Endorphin\u2019s chocolate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Almost raw<\/h2>\n

Our first stop in the door was new-to-us Endorfin Chocolat<\/a>,<\/strong> an Oakland-based chocolate maker whose chocolate is one step beyond raw because while it is unroasted, it\u2019s fermented.<\/p>\n

We sampled their Turkish Coffee, which is a 64% bar with a unique texture, somewhat crumbly, not snappy like tempered chocolate, but not soft like raw chocolate. If you\u2019re interested in the health benefits of cacao, but can\u2019t get excited about raw chocolate, this might be the bar for you. The coffee flavor also helps give the bar a more chocolate-y taste, which I often find lacking in raw chocolate.<\/p>\n

\"Endorphin
Endorphin Absinthe bar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I also tried their Absinthe bar, which is flavored with the ingredients that go into Absinthe liqueur (like wormwood and hyssop), but doesn\u2019t contain alcohol. It has an herb-y, slightly licorice flavor, but I didn\u2019t like this one as much. It seemed like a drier bar, almost chalky, and grainy. With a decadent-sounding name, I wanted a bar with a smoother, creamier mouth-feel.<\/p>\n

While we didn\u2019t meet Endorphin\u2019s founder this time, we did get to talk with his booth-handler, Warren Ogden, who\u2019s starting a cacao plantation in Ecuador and hopes to be one of Endorphin\u2019s suppliers when his trees bear fruit. He was able to give us the high points about Endorphin and its founder, Brian Wallace (whose chocolate education includes attending Ecole Chocolat<\/a> and extensive study in Costa Rica).<\/p>\n

A unique offering from Endorphin is their chocolate subscriptions, like CSA boxes from local farmers. \u201cEndorphin offers monthly CSA\u2019s\u201d explained Warren. \u201cIt might be special bars or hot chocolate mix, always with a letter about the source, what\u2019s behind it, and recipes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Note: Endorphin is doing a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for packaging and equipment. Deadline is Dec. 14.<\/p>\n

Animated chocolate<\/h2>\n

The next chocolatiers we talked to have the mouth-feel concept down pat.\u00a0Quail Point Chocolates<\/a><\/strong> makes chocolates using a French formula that involves liquid dairy (which is causing them some problems with law enforcement) and creates very creamy ganaches.<\/p>\n

\"QPC
Pretty chocolates that taste pretty good.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

QPC chocolates are a perfect combination of art and science in the service of pleasure. They use high quality ingredients like Cacao Barry chocolate from France and organic dairy products to make subtly flavored truffles, enrobing their mousse-like ganaches in dark chocolate shells of just the right thickness, that are then decorated with pretty transfers. I confess, I wouldn\u2019t care what flavors they were selling, I would eat them all.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not just me. At the Salon, Dan Galvin, QPC owner\/chocolatier, told me that in a little over a week, they had to finish a big job for Pixar. \u201cWe were the employees\u2019 favorite at the Pixar market [an annual for-employees-only event involving local chocolatiers],\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we sold more in 1-1\/2 hours there than we sell the entire day at the Salon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because they were the favorite, Pixar contracted them to do their Christmas gift to all employees and talent. \u201cWe\u2019re doing custom boxes with custom flavors,\u201d Dan said. And it represents a huge opportunity for them: \u201cThis one Pixar job is 4 times our annual volume.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Quail
If you\u2019re lucky enough to see Quail Point Chocolates at an event, buy whatever they are selling.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dan and his partner seemed super happy about this gig, not just because it\u2019s so big or that Pixar employees voted them their favorite. It\u2019s also personal, because \u201cwe\u2019re 2 software geeks,\u201d Dan explained, and they love Pixar animation.<\/p>\n

Legal frustration<\/h2>\n

Their legal problem seems like a typical bureaucratic nightmare \u2014 small business struggling with regulations that don\u2019t really fit applied by entities that don\u2019t really understand what\u2019s involved. It seems that selling their chocolates wholesale to corporations, like Pixar and the New York Times,<\/em> plus retail at farmers markets doesn\u2019t fly with the powers that be. \u201cNapa County is now enforcing California\u2019s wholesale law,\u201d Dan explained. \u201cSo we had to pull out of the local farmers market. I looked into the small kitchen exception, but it doesn\u2019t work for us because you can\u2019t do dairy with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

So if you want Quail Point Chocolates (and you do), your options are to find them at events (next scheduled event: the Sacramento Chocolate Salon,<\/span> Jan. 31, 2015),<\/span> visit their website<\/a> (it says shopping cart coming soon, but maybe if you plead with them via email), or be a very lucky Pixar employee this year.<\/p>\n

\"Chocolate
Chocolate is fun for the whole family as mom and dad help out son David at Fera\u2019wyn\u2019s booth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A family affair<\/h2>\n

Next to Quail Point, Fera\u2019wyn\u2019s Artisan Chocolates<\/a><\/strong> was doing brisk business in their holiday truffles and their perennially popular limoncello and caramel coffee chocolates.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s holiday treats included pumpkin pie spice, mint frost, and gingerbread. The gingerbread was the best, with molasses flavoring the white chocolate ganache and a piece of crystalized ginger in each truffle to give it some zing. The pumpkin pie spice was sweet and maple flavored. David explained, \u201cI used maple whiskey, so it seems sweeter than it really is.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mint frost is a simple refreshing mint melt-away with a dusting of confectioner\u2019s sugar. David said his goal with the mint was to \u201cnot be overpowering; I try to be subtle with flavors.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, Fera\u2019wyn\u2019s husband-and-wife team of David and Joana Whittingham, made the event even more of a family affair with David\u2019s parents visiting from Australia to help not only at the booth, but in the kitchen too. Even after a long night of prepping for the show, Paul Whitingham, father of the chocolatier, was mixing with the crowd, offering samples and pointers. For their Naga Chili, he said, \u201cIt works well with wine, because it\u2019s complex. You taste the chocolate first; it\u2019s when you swallow it, is when the big burn comes!\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to ordering chocolates on their website<\/a>, you can also buy Fera\u2019wyn\u2019s chocolates at the Walnut Creek Farmers\u2019 Market on Locust Street\u00a0, Sunday mornings. [UPDATE: Fera\u2019wyn\u2019s has moved to North Carolina.]<\/p>\n

Cool chocolates<\/h2>\n

Another mint chocolate \u2014 and one that I recommend for mint lovers \u2014 was at Charles Chocolates\u2019<\/a><\/strong> booth. It\u2019s part of their winter season collection, which also included a maple truffle (maple syrup reduction in the ganache and maple sugar candy sprinkled on top), pecan fleur de sel caramel, orange zest truffle and a cinnamon spice truffle.<\/p>\n

\"Charles
Charles Chocolates Mint Almonds<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chuck Siegel, the Charles of Charles Chocolates, explained that the mint oil in his peppermint cr\u00e8me, which is the same oil he uses in his mint chocolate almonds, is made with Mitcham mint from England. \u201c It\u2019s the cleanest tasting mint I\u2019ve ever had,\u201d he said. \u201cI tried to make my own oil, but it was awful.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey (Mitcham) are a mint farm \u2013 they make candies to promote their mint. I convinced them to sell the oil to us. We\u2019re the only ones,\u201d he said, in his self-deprecating way, \u201cbut maybe because no one else has asked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles Chocolates are carried by a lot of vendors, but to get their full line, you have to either buy online<\/a> or visit their shop & factory in the Mission.<\/p>\n

Speak softly, carry big flavors<\/h2>\n
\"Gate
Alexandra Whisnant of G\u00e2t\u00e9 Comme Des Filles talks about foraging for ingredients.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another modest chocolatier at the event, Alexandra Whisnant of G\u00e2t\u00e9 Comme des Filles Chocolats<\/a>,<\/strong> impressed us with her very fruity passion fruit and Meyer lemon chocolates. And also with her path to chocolatier \u2014 she\u2019s the only chocolatier I know of with an MBA earned with the intention of going into this business.<\/p>\n

Alexandra\u00a0started her food career at Chez Panisse, making pastries for a couple of years. After that, she bounced between the U.S. and Paris (\u201cDon\u2019t try to get it straight,\u201d she advised), during which time she got her MBA from Cornell University. Then, \u201cI got sidetracked into business consulting for a while,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

But she got back to chocolate (lucky for us), and in 2012 started doing pop-ups at caf\u00e9s in Paris. \u201cThen I got a space in the back of a chocolate shop in the 5th<\/sup> Arrondissement,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought up the business name in Paris. It\u2019s about treating yourself, spoiling yourself, and it\u2019s kinda girly too. Like my chocolates \u2013 they were even more girly than this when I started.\u201d<\/p>\n

Close to home<\/h2>\n

In 2013, Alexandra came back to San Francisco and moved the business here. She makes her ganache-filled chocolates without preservatives and using seasonal, locally sourced (\u201cas much as possible\u201d) ingredients, so each week there\u2019s something new on the menu.<\/p>\n

And she takes locally sourced to its highest level: \u201cI forage for ingredients,\u201d Alexandra explained. \u201dMy sister has a lemon tree, and 3 friends have passion fruit vines. I get coffee beans from Highwire<\/a> in Rockridge, and honey from the bees on top of the San Francisco Chronicle building.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0Bars serving alcohol & otherwise<\/h2>\n
\"Westland
Westland Whiskey bar by CocoTutti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two show-veteran chocolatiers introduced their new lines at the show, and both were bars.<\/p>\n

CocoTutti<\/a> \"4-cup<\/a>,<\/strong> known for their artistic and flavorful bon bons and caramels, debuted their \u201cCocoQuintets.\u201d Basically 5 connected pillows of chocolate, the bars at the show were filled with a liquid caramel of Westland Whiskey from Westland Distillery, a small-batch distillery in Seattle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were doing chocolate at a Yelp event,\u201d explained Elyce Zahn, CocoTutti owner and chief chocolatier. \u201cAnd met Anchor Distilling Company, who was there. They asked us to do tastes of their different spirits \u2014 because they can\u2019t always serve alcohol, but they can serve chocolate. So we did the whiskey bar for them [they distribute Westland Whiskey]. And now there are eight spirits that I\u2019m working with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Elyce
Elyce Zahn of CocoTutti arranges samples of her popular florentine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We have to say the idea of putting high-quality spirits into good chocolate is brilliant, at least as created by CocoTutti. The bar is a hand-painted miniature work of art, and when you break off a pillow and put it in your mouth, you taste the whiskey flavor but there\u2019s no burn. Then the melting chocolate in your mouth makes the whiskey taste linger, so you can appreciate it. I think this is a great way to market these high-end, small-batch spirits.<\/p>\n

The bars aren\u2019t in full production yet; Elyce said they were still waiting for more bar molds to arrive. So they are not listed for sale on their website yet, but you might be in luck if you attend one of the events CocoTutti will be at this season. Check\u00a0their website or follow Elyce on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Balancing yin with yang<\/h2>\n
\"Neo
Christine Doerr of NeoCocoa offered samples of their new Caramelized Crepe Crunch bar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The other local chocolatier at the show who was branching out into bars was Christine Doerr of NeoCocoa<\/a>.<\/strong> NeoCocoa is known for their award-winning shell-less truffles, so chocolate bars seems like a big change \u2014 from no shell to all shell in a sense.<\/p>\n

Christine explained that she was diversifying the line with the chocolate bars to \u201cget something with a longer shelf life,\u201d which means more distribution options for NeoCocoa. But there\u2019s also the fun part of it: \u201cGetting into some different tastes.\u201d<\/p>\n

NeoCocoa has a lot of lovely flavors in their shell-less truffles. I especially like the Zested Lime and Mocha Cinnamon. But the bars do offer an opportunity for not only new flavors, but new textures.<\/p>\n

\"Neo
Neo Cocoa\u2019s bars are so new, their real packaging wasn\u2019t ready in time for the Salon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We tried the Pistachio and the Caramelized Crepe Crunch bars. Both are high cocoa-content dark chocolate bars, not very sweet, but very satisfying if you like dark chocolate. Pistachios are mild-tasting, soft-textured nuts, which made for a nice contrast with the tempered dark chocolate, but the Caramelized Crepe Crunch is my favorite.<\/p>\n

The many sweet crunchy bits of Paillet\u00e9 Feuilletine<\/em> (the proper name for these caramelized crispy crepe pieces, which Christine decided against as the bar name because most of us \u2014 including me \u2014 don\u2019t know what it means) in each bite of dark chocolate beg to be chewed. This makes total sense to me because the very dark chocolate doesn\u2019t make for a melt-in-your-mouth bar. Chewing is the way to enjoy this bar.<\/p>\n

NeoCocoa chocolates are available online<\/a>, at local high-end grocery stores, and at events like the Salon.<\/p>\n

\"faux
Socola\u2019s 2014 Holiday Collection is called \u201c On a Faux Bear Rug.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3 places at once<\/h2>\n

We caught up with the very busy Wendy Lieu of Socola Chocolatier<\/a><\/strong>,\"3-5 who were at the Salon while at the same time, their caf\u00e9\/store<\/a> was open, and they had a booth at the SF Vintners Market for the weekend.<\/p>\n

Wendy told us that things are going great since opening their new place on Valentine\u2019s Day. \u201cWe are hiring more people,\u201d she said. And the store is no longer the lone storefront in the new building they\u2019re in: \u201cThe sandwich shop on the corner has opened, along with a gym next door. It\u2019s like we have body guards next door in the gym,\u201d she joked. \u201cPlus, they lift heavy things for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

With so much happening, she didn\u2019t have a new product at the show. \u201cWe\u2019re working on production now,\u201d she said. But they did have a full table of options, including their 2014 Holiday Collection: \u201cOn a Faux Bear Rug\u201d with 4 seasonal flavors, including a hazelnut praline which includes the now-familiar crunch of feuilletine.<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t make it to their shop<\/a> (which would be a shame because it\u2019s adorable), you can get Socola chocolates online<\/a> (they have a special \u201cbuy 3 or 4 boxes, get another box free\u201d promotion until Dec. 14).<\/p>\n

\"flying
flying noir chocolates resemble raku pottery.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fiery art<\/h2>\n

Chocolatier Karen Urbanek of flying noir<\/a><\/strong>, makes chocolates that look like miniature pieces of handmade raku pottery<\/a> with their hand-painted designs of colored cocoa butter and shimmery mica (an edible mineral). This makes total sense when you find out that she is also a practicing fine artist, who talks about making chocolate like she would talk about making art.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy chocolates are like a composition \u2013 just like a visual compostion,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I want them to be perfect. I\u2019m very fussy about what I do. But if a piece has a bubble, I might paint it with gold. It\u2019s like a technique for repairing ceramics; you don\u2019t want to waste the energy you put into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

And like an artist, she knows that the quality of her supplies affects the final product: \u201cI use the finest ingredients I can find,\u201d she explained. \u201cI buy my dark chocolate directly from a fair trade cocoa cooperative. It\u2019s all organic, single origin. I use local ingredients from farmers markets and Berkeley Bowl, and there are no preservatives.<\/p>\n

\"survival
flying noir\u2019s survival kit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI make small selections so you don\u2019t feel guilty about eating them quickly,\u201d she said, since there are no preservatives. She also offers a chocolate survival kit, which is a set of chocolates sealed in a tin. \u201cIt\u2019s long lasting because there\u2019s no ganache. It can keep for a year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI create my own recipes, and I strive for nuance.\u00a0I do everything myself, including the packaging,\u201d which is very pretty with a hand-painted band on each box, so they make for a unique gift.<\/p>\n

You can buy flying noir chocolates online<\/a>, at special events like the Salon, or at their commercial kitchen space in Emeryville.<\/p>\n

Drinking chocolate<\/h2>\n
\"Tea
The Tea Room\u2019s Drinking Chocolate comes in every flavor in their extensive line of tea-flavored chocolates.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finally, at the Salon we found 2 different versions of tea & chocolate. Show perennial, The Tea Room Chocolate Company, <\/strong>who are known for their tea-infused chocolate bars, unveiled their line of drinking chocolate at the Salon.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

We tried the Mate & Cacao Nibs 72% Extra Dark Chocolate Shavings Drinking Chocolate. The first thing we noticed when we opened the package was that the chocolate is not a ground powder, it\u2019s a variety of pieces of chocolate, from the size of a grain of sand\u00a0 to mini-chips.<\/p>\n

This means that you have to stir the chocolate into the hot water\/milk\/half-and-half much more than you do with other chocolate drinks. If you\u2019re lazy like me and don\u2019t stir it enough, the drink starts out tasting thin, even with the max. 3 Tbsp. of drinking chocolate suggested in their recipes, because the chocolate doesn\u2019t dissolve enough.\u00a0 At the end, it finally turned into a thick drinking chocolate.<\/p>\n

This might be too much work for me, but I did like the taste by the end, and the star anise in the mix adds a subtle licorice flavor.<\/p>\n

You can find The Tea Room chocolates online, at specialty food stores across the country and the world, and locally at Chocolate Covered<\/a>, Whole Foods in Potero Hill, and Berkeley Bowl.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Tea Room had their whole range of chocolate bars, drops and drinking chocolate at the Salon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We also checked out Tipsy Tea\u2019s <\/strong>chocolate-themed teas and complementary-flavored sugars. Owner Angela McAllister has given the teas clever names like Earl of Chocolate (bergamot infused black tea with cacao nibs) and Triple XXX Peppermint Tea (peppermint herbal tea with 3 kinds of chocolate: cacao nibs, dark and milk chocolate). The sugars are flavored with rose, lavender or vanilla to coordinate with the teas. For example, Angela suggested using the rose sugar to sweeten the Earl of Chocolate tea.<\/p>\n

But as the company name suggests, the focus is on using tea to create cocktails. They don\u2019t have a website as such, but Angela posts recipes for tea cocktails on their Facebook page, and sells the teas and sugars on Etsy.<\/p>\n

We tried the Triple XXX Peppermint Tea. I was leery\u2014I prefer black teas, and this one smelled strongly of dried peppermint\u2014but when I made it according to Angela\u2019s instructions (this is another tea that requires frequent stirring), I found it a nice, mellow peppermint with a hint of chocolate.<\/p>\n

Now to check Facebook for which wine or spirit I should add to make Triple XXX a tipsy tea.<\/p>\n

Local chocolatiers at the salon:<\/h2>\n