"Bowled" Over by Hot Chocolate

The sun had warmed the winter chill but with cloud cover in the afternoon, the air turned cold again. Spring had not yet sprung. I heard good things about Guerilla Cafe's Spiced Hot Chocolate, and with a cool afternoon breeze and a paper to write, I decided to allow a little hot chocolate to warm up the creative juices.

A small little coffee stop on Shattuck, Guerilla Cafe has a wonderfully cool, inviting eclectic personality. "Coffee, arts, and vibes" are its buzz words, and with an assortment of menu items and drinks from morning till evening, it is a wonderful place for writing, reading, day dreaming, or simply meeting up with friends. Unfortunately, it doesn't feature any chocolate desserts.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered the Spiced Hot Chocolate. My preference is a thick and creamy, bittersweet chocolate with chili flakes and cinnamon to warm it up and kick it up a notch. Served in a little espresso cup with a spoon and for me, it is perfect.

When my hot chocolate arrived, I was surprised and totally overwhelmed because what I received was not a CUP of spiced hot chocolate, but a BOWL -- a bowl "as huge as my face" (as one of my old co-workers would have phrased it.) No pepper flakes but you could see the swirl of chili spice powder which formed an "S" on the top. I asked for a spoon and began to stir before realizing I needed to take a picture (thus, the "S" is a bit blurred in the picture below).

I took my first sip. Hmm... Though it didn't have a strong chili kick, it definitely was a nice mild blend of warm spices. Unfortunately, it was not a bittersweet chocolate but a milk chocolate blend. In fact, it tasted more like milk than chocolate. And the spoon was totally unnecessary because it was not thick and creamy but simply milky. In other words, pick up bowl and gently sip. And that is what I did.

This was not an example of a fine drinking chocolate like I experienced in Italy or at Bittersweet, or even Ghirardelli. This was simply a hot cocoa, blended with milk and spices to give it a gentle kick. A nice warm treat for a cold afternoon.

Though disappointed with the milky chocolate flavor of this spiced hot chocolate, I was amazed with the size of the bowl, the generous portion, and the wonderful vibe of the cafe. The experience definitely warmed up those creative juices because I cranked out a book review in record time. Not a bad afternoon.

Overall assessment: 3 cacao beans (out of 5)
If you like your hot chocolate milky and mild (with a kick of spice), you'll be "bowled" over by the Spiced Hot Chocolate at Guerilla, especially its size. While it was "nice," it was far from my preferred little cup of thick and creamy, bittersweet drinking chocolate. I am learning there is definitely a difference.
(review date: 2010_03-09)