On the Chocolate Trail

As a confirmed, and perhaps certifiable, chocaholic, I have begun to include exploration of chocolate when I travel. Most recently, on a business trip to Oakland, I enjoyed much delicious chocolate in the East Bay, all located within easy reach for quick fixes.

Serendipity planned to open a retail location at its new Oakland chocolate kitchen. Owner Betsy Schoettlin graciously invited me to visit and pick up some samples since I would not be in the area again before the November opening. The very enthusiastic chocolatier, Kristen Schweitzer, handed me a hair net as I entered, bragged about the 66% dark and 43% cacao milk chocolate made from French Valhrona and Argentinian El Rey chocolates. She also packed me a generous and tasty to go bag of truffles plus a dark chocolate bar. Once the store opens this chocolate wholesaler of four years will be offering tours. Despite the growth of the business, Betsy still responds readily and warmly to e-mail correspondence about the store and about their chocolates. What a serendipitous start to the day.

Seeing a large sign for Leonidas Belgian chocolate at the address for Lulu Rae Confections, I thought to skip it, as one can find Leonidas in many locations in the States and Europe. However, I decided to explore the store anyway and it turned out to be very worthwhile. Lulu Rae, also located in Oakland, sells bars and bon bons from many American and European chocolatiers, including Theo (from Seattle), Chuao (from San Diego), Vosges (from Chicago), Moonstruck (from Portland) as well as European chocolatiers such as Michel Cluizel (from France), in addition to Leonidas, . Only a retail site, Lulu Rae did not provide samples. However, it did offer an old world setting for enjoying baked goods, chocolates and assorted hot and cold drinks. If only I had had enough time to sit and enjoy it all.

When planning my chocolate day around my work tasks, I found Lisa Lerner Chocolates on line. Since the website only listed the address, I decided to stop by, especially since its Berkeley location was so close to my other stops. However, its wholesale address above the loading docks in industrial Berkeley, proved extremely difficult to find. In the end, I asked in a carpet store, whose attendant happily pointed me through his store’s back door. He explained that many women come looking for it. Once inside the correct address, it still took a hike up the stairs to guess at the location, now under the name Lyla’s. It turns out that Lyla’s, based in Mill Valley, now owns Lisa Lerner’s wholesale business. All of this created much chocolate frustration for me. Fortunately, the aroma of chocolate in the air from Scharffen Berger’s only factory, just a few blocks away, eased the search.

One of the few working chocolate factories open to tours in this country, Scharffen Berger works their artisan chocolate from “bean to bar.” Begun at Dr. Robert Steinberg’s kitchen with a toaster oven, hair dryer, coffee grinder, mortar and pestle, it now produces three million pounds of chocolate a year. Its location in an old brick building with its thick walls aids in managing the temperatures for the chocolate. The combined factory tour, Café Cacao and gift shop enable a full sensory chocolate experience. If you can not travel there, the web site features a virtual tour. Our articulate and enthusiastic guide, Deidre, provided factual information about cacao agriculture and chocolate production, using low tech props of laminated photos, bowls of beans and nibs, plus, most importantly, samples of chocolate. Following each of the steps of chocolate making–winnowing, roasting, conching, mixing, tempering–helps explain the expense of fine chocolate. Consider also the complexities of growing cacao in the equatorial belt, trees that live only thirty years, from flowers that pollinate only occasionally. I also learned that cocoa mulch made from the shell nurtures gardens, that chicken and goats eat the bean husks happily, that SB buys cocoa butter to add to its chocolate and that SB pays twice fair trade prices for the beans they buy from some 20 countries of origin. Though bought by Hershey’s in August of 2006, SB intends to maintain its annual production and its small factory quality standards. I recommend a relaxing stop in the café for chocolate drinks and desserts, tasty food and free wireless.

Bittersweet, The Chocolate Cafe, in Oakland, with a location in San Francisco as well, offers chocolate pastries, candies, a large assortment of chocolate bars, Bittersweet t shirts, all in a funky setting. The chocolate bars are organized into categories of Dark, Milk, Surprises and White. I enjoyed the entire experience but the highlight for me was the Bicerin drink listed on the menu. A delicious, hot, layered coffee, chocolate and cream drink from Turin, named for its special glass, is hard to find in the States. It is worth a trip to Bittersweet just to taste the Bicerin.

I definitely recommend finding any, excuse, even work, to travel to the East Bay, in order to to enjoy these chocolate delights.