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Chocolate on the Cheap
On our Chocolate Tours you'll usually find us talking about why we should be spending more money on chocolate. Especially if that money is going to companies (like Askinosie) who reward struggling...
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Salt & Chocolate
Salt and chocolate is a beautiful combination that is all the rage in the artisan chocolate scene. We must talk it up a fair amount on our Chocolate Tours, because a customer recently asked me if I've...
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A Chocolate Report from the Fancy Food Show
I spent today turning down mildly flavored bottled waters, organic margarita mixes, acai goji energy bars and sea salt everything - only to focus on chocolate bars and confections at the Fancy Food...
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Candy Darling open in TenderNob
This year has been a big one for Andy Warhol in San Francisco. First, the Contemporary Jewish Museum showed "Warhol's Jews," a series of 10 portraits by Andy Warhol. Next, the De Young will be opening...
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Original Beans
Original Beans has been in the news lately because of what many consider its exorbitant price - $14.95 for a standard 3 oz bar. True, it's more than double the cost of fine chocolate bars like...
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New Good Things
Do I ever get tired leading the same Chocolate Tour, week after week? No, because the incredibly talented chocolate makers we work with are always coming out with something new. We love tasting what's...
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The Dragee: then and now
What confection sounds more glamorous than the French dragee (dra-jay)? I envision myself lounging on a divan, with a kir royale in one hand and a bundle of the classic sugar coated almonds in the...
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Rogue Chocolatier
He's 24, doesn't have a driver's license and considers himself a bit of a rogue. As in, "operating outside normal controls" - not a thief. Meet Colin Gasko, a true bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturer...
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Maison Bouche
I have a soft spot for France. Like many a food enthusiast, I spent a year there in college and returned not only with a beret - but a new love for fine chocolate, gourmet cheeses and Cote du Rhone. A...
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Neo Cocoa
The chocolate media darling of the year is undoubtedly Christine Doerr's Neo Cocoa. I first sampled these unique truffles at the San Francisco Chocolate Salon, where Neo Cocoa snagged a first place for...
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Chocolate Visions
The holiday shopping season has officially begun, and when in doubt, I choose the gift of chocolate. I know what I want - something local, handmade and incredibly delicious. But sometimes we get swayed...
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Aged Sake & Chocolate
Chocolate & beer? Sake & cheese? Innovative pairings are all the rage. Today's foodie has no patience for rules that once gave us very little choice when dining. As in, if you're ordering...
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Tour Guides Take on Tempering
This past Superbowl Sunday, rather than tending a chili and shopping for beer, I took my tour guides to a chocolate cooking class with Richard Festen of Baking Arts. Chocolate thermometers in hand, we...
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Perfect Afternoon in the Haight
1. Denim shopping at Villains Vault2. Summer Sale at Behind the Post Office3. Dinner and a cocktail at the Alembic4. Chocolate and wine pairings at Coco-luxeLet’s talk about #4…my tour guides and I...
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Afternoon Pick-Me-Up
Hooker's Sweet Treats. It looks like Martha Stewart has ventured into the TenderNob and transformed 442 Hyde into a farmhouse chic coffee and chocolate bar. Cobalt blue walls, antique wooden tables, a...
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The Xocolate Bar
If Mexican artist Frida Kahlo owned a chocolate shop, it would probably look something like this. Vermillion walls, gold trim, a crystal chandelier. Chocolate medallions painted with luster dust sit...
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Talking Chocolate with Mary Loomas
Last Friday Mary Loomas of Saratoga Chocolates joined Gourmet Walks on our third Celebrity Chocolate Tour in San Francisco. Our guests have had a great time on these special summer tours. (If you...
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The Year in Chocolate: 2010
The Year in ChocolateBay Area 20101. OpeningsLet’s start out with some happy news. Chuck Siegel no longer has a commute. Charles Chocolates opened a flagship shop in Westfield Mall this year, closing...
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Dandelion Chocolate
There is a new bean-to-bar chocolate maker in town, and this one has a name we can all pronounce. It's Dandelion Chocolate, the inspiration of two Stanford pals who sold their tech company, Plaxo, and...
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Gourmet Walks at Christopher Elbow
Just as the weather is getting sunny and warm-ish in San Francisco, shops and restaurants are telling us it's fall. For my local Starbucks, that means the return of the outrageously sweet Pumpkin Spice...
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Don't Miss The Sixth Course
Judging a Chocolate Salon is no easy task. Yes, it's lots of "free chocolate," but not all of it is good and after an hour you'll long for salad and a spin class. But what keeps me coming back is...
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How to Eat Chocolate Every Day and Stay Thin!
The #1 question we get as a Gourmet Walks Chocolate Tour Guides is “How is it you don't weigh 400 pounds?” This month we’re venturing into women’s magazines territory with our tips on how to enjoy...
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Mother's Day Indulgence: Chocolate & Wine
Breakfast in bed is nice, but I prefer something a little more celebratory and romantic to mark Mother’s Day and all the work we mothers do. If you’re a chocolate lover (and what mother isn’t?),...
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Wine Country Chocolates
We know where to go in San Francisco for the best artisan chocolate, and we'll take you there on our much-loved Chocolate Tours. But if you're visiting wine country, what should be on every chocolate...
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2012: The Year in San Francisco Chocolate
Ever noticed that the SF Chronicle has a Beer column, a Cocktail column and a Cheese column – but nothing regularly devoted to chocolate? Gourmet Walks is here to fill the void with news on the...
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