Sauced to near perfection

I don't like to be difficult when it comes to food, but as a vegan, it can be a challenge at times, especially during special celebrations. Like the Boy Scouts, "BE PREPARED" needs to be a vegan's motto when eating out. Preparing for my friend's wedding rehearsal dinner at Buca di Bepo in Palo Alto was no exception, as I checked their on-line menu before heading out. I knew what I could order, and knew that cacao-me would save room for dessert. Their Double Dark Chocolate Cake sounded decadently divine, and I wanted a slice.

I did not know until arriving, however, that a set meal had been pre-ordered because of the size of our party. Because no accommodations had been made for vegan-me, I was free to create a meal that suited my needs. Our server Allan was very accommodating and was able to substitute dishes to accommodate my food choices. Though it took a little time for my salad, my vegetables, and my marinara noodles to arrive, all was tasty and satisfying. But there was room for dessert.

Tiramisu was the set-menu dessert and it arrived like all things Buca, in one large family-size serving dish. Allan was apologetic when he informed me that unfortunately there were no vegan desserts he could serve me. Hmm... I really wanted chocolate. What would I do? When I asked him if I could substitute the Tiramisu for a slice of Double Dark Chocolate Cake, he reminded me that it was not vegan. He laughed when I told him that chocolate cake is my vegan exception, and proceeded to bring me a slice.

I was in awe when the large plate arrived. Three thick layers of a lightly frosted chocolate cake were swimming in a rich chocolate sauce. "Ooos" and "ahhs" could be heard from around the table. This would be good. And it was. Yet, it wasn't just good - it was excellent!

Though the top layer of frosting was a tad bit too sweet when sampled on it's own, the moist dark chocolate cake was dense and had a wonderful bittersweet bite which was highlighted by thin layers of a subtly sweet chocolate ganache. Together these components formed a wonderful chocolate trio, but what brought this fresh, house-made dessert to the next level was the specialty Sambuca sauce, or as the menu calls it "our sinful chocolate Sambuca sauce." (Sambuca is an Italian anise-flavored liqueur.) This rich dark chocolate sauce was not drizzled on the cake, but around it. This unique sauce added a whole new depth of flavor, which was intoxicating, creating a "to die for" chocolate quartet, and raising me to my feet for a standing chocolate ovation.

Overall assessment: 4.5 cacao beans (out of 5)
The Sambuca sauce is probably what makes the Double Dark Chocolate cake at Buca the BEST restaurant chocolate layered cake I've sampled thus far. Now if it were vegan, it would be just about perfect!

(review date: 2009_09-18)

Cake YES, but the drinking chocolate...

I was in Davis visiting a friend, and with a book and a little time to kill, I came across Ciocolat while looking for parking downtown. Known for its “extraordinary desserts,” this little French inspired cafe provides a homey, Old World charm, perfect for an afternoon of reading or quiet conversation.

And the Chocolate Decadence Cake doesn't disappoint either.

Made onsite, “in the back,” the clerk shared it was her recommendation as the most dense and intense chocolate dessert they sell (over the Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle cake). A half-inch layer of neutral dark chocolate cake supported a dense sweetly bittersweet ganache, which was sprinkled with unsweetened cocoa and delicately decorated with 3 chocolate covered coffee beans. Together, each component complemented the other. Individually, however, the cake was rather flavorless, the ganache a bit too sweet, and the unsweetened cocoa was bitter, though together the trio soared. Only the coffee beans were brilliant flying solo.

While overall the cake was good, the Mexican Hot Chocolate was unfortunately lousy – weak in flavor or a little “too mild” in the cinnamon taste as well as the chocolate bite. When I asked the barista about it after sampling, she made the excuse that they were running low on the powder they use, which she mixed with soy milk for me. Not a good excuse, but "c'est la vie!"

Overall assessment: 3.5 cacao beans (out of 5)
For a surprised happen chance discovery in Davis, a good piece of chocolate cake made it a good afternoon. But rather than drinking chocolate, next time I'll just settle for a glass of cold water.

(review date: 2009_09-10)

Starring the Chocolate Cake

One of our international staff this summer has roots in Oaxaca, a state in Mexico famous for its chocolate and its chocolate mole (mole negro). Being the chocolate aficionado I am, I needed to check out this cuisine and found Oaxacan Kitchen, a beautiful little “bistro-style” cafe off the main drag in Palo Alto. While the menu offers a wonderful variety of vegetarian and vegan options for vegan-me (I had the excellent Ensalada Mixta and Negro Mole on the side to sample), it was all about the dessert – the Oaxacan Kitchen’s Chocolate Experience.

A flourless chocolate cake, Oaxacan drinking chocolate infused with cinnamon, and chocolate ice cream were beautifully served on a plate as a complementary trio dessert. The cake was to die for excellent with a rich and dense dark chocolate flavor and texture which paired well with the subtle sweetness and smoothness in the ice cream (which I sampled as chocolate is my vegan exception). Though the bites of ice cream I had with the cake and sampled alone were good, others thought the ice cream excellent. I gave them the rest as I savored every bite of the cake, along with the drinking chocolate. The cinnamon accents of the drinking chocolate complemented exquisitely the bittersweeet depth of the cake. While the drinking chocolate was creamy, it was a bit too subtle in its milky chocolate flavor for my tastes. It was best enjoyed with the cake.

Overall assessment: 4.5 cacao beans (out of 5)
The chocolate cake stars with a wonderful supporting cast, making the Oaxacan Chocolate Experience a true winner in my chocolate review book.

(Review date: 2009_08)

It's a Bittersweet Chocolate World

"Whoa! Now that's bittersweet." A rather appropriate first reaction to my first sip of bittersweet drinking chocolate during my first trip to Bittersweet Cafe in Oakland.

I had heard about Bittersweet Cafe and their drinking chocolate when I returned from Italy this summer, and was looking forward to my first visit to this chocolate destination. Though my first Bittersweet sampling was different than what I had previously enjoyed in LaVerna and at Ghirardelli, I was not disappointed.

My experience with drinking chocolate up to that moment had been in the "classical" tradition, which is sweet and creamy and made with milk. Bittersweet drinking chocolate is made in the French and Belgian tradition, with the darkest chocolates, and finished with water, rather than dairy making it vegan! Thus, the liquidity of this European-style chocolate drink is similar to coffee - not as smooth and creamy as the classical style - and while more watery in texture, it is far from watery in taste.

Though this warmed chocolate delight was served without a spoon, I asked for one so to slowly savor each sip. As I gently joined the light brown froth, which filled the cup to the brim, with its rich dark contents below, the intense smell of fresh ground chocolate filled the air. When the chocolate brew first enlightened my palate, the initial bittersweet bite was unexpectedly expected. I knew that this would not be a sweetened chocolate drink, but I was surprised by the deep earthy flavor, which I had previously enjoyed only in a good chocolate bar.

I asked the chocolate baristas the percentage of cacao in their Bittersweet drinking chocolate. They did not know but guessed it was about 72%, with four types of dark chocolate used. The classical drinking chocolates I was familiar with had only 53-58% cacao.

Cacao percentages refer to the total cacao content in a chocolate, which is everything derived from the cocoa bean. The three cocoa components are: (1) chocolate liquor = the unsweetened chocolate, which contains no alcohol and is a smooth liquid made of the ground up center (nib) of the cocoa bean; (2) cocoa butter = the fat of the cocoa bean which is not a dairy product, making all dark chocolate vegan; and (3) cocoa powder - the cocoa solids resulting from pressing cocoa butter out of chocolate liquor.

72% cacao in Bittersweet drinking chocolate means that the remaining 28% is made up of sugar, vanilla, and other ingredients. Since higher cacao content indicates that the chocolate is less sweet with a more intense chocolate flavor, knowing the cacao percentage helps the chocolate connoisseur select a chocolate to satisfy their cravings - milk, sweet, semi-sweet, bittersweet. Though research on the health benefits of chocolate and higher cacao content continues, it is still best, I believe, to consume chocolate, like everything else, in moderation.

After gracefully sipping my first spoonful of Bittersweet drinking chocolate, I wanted to slurp the rest of it down. It was so good, so addicting. I decided however to slow it down, enjoy the experience, and savor each spoonful as I sat by the cafe window, read for my thesis, and relished the intense chocolate flavor of my afternoon treat. It took me an hour to get to the bottom, and because I believe it is a crime to waste good chocolate, I licked the bottom of the cup clean! (I have no shame when chocolate is at stake.)

While the Oakland location on College Ave near the Rockridge BART station is not too far from school, I plan to check out the San Francisco and Danville locations and to try their other drinks, which include Spicy drinking chocolate, which comes with a kick of pepper and a hint of cinnamon and rose, as well as "The Classic." Bars, pastries, and t-shirts are also featured in the store as well as online.

With an ambiance conducive for studying and quiet conversation, Bittersweet Cafe is a great place to spend an afternoon. At $3.95 plus tax for an excellent cup of an intense chocolate delight, the price is also reasonable.

In some ways my looming unemployment is a blessing. It will definitely limit my drinking chocolate consumption this semester for everything is best in moderation, including chocolate.