A free afternoon brought me to 4th street in Berkeley for a time of reflection and of course chocolate. I heard that
Chocolatier Blue served hot chocolate at their Fourth Street location and wanted to try it out. While I have been to their downtown store, which serves their beautiful collection of chocolates, their store front just off the 80 freeway is also a "parlor" and serves ice cream, sorbets, and frozen treats, along with hot chocolate.
The sun was out. It was a beautiful day, made better by a wonderful cup of hot chocolate, which I enjoyed on their outdoor patio. They use 70% cacao with whole milk (no non-animal milks, unfortunately), creating a fruity, smooth, bright and floral undertones to the chocolate. I chose no marshmallows as I didn't want extra sweetness.
Overall, it was a nice cup, made better with a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie that they served me warm from the oven. It was slightly "undone", as I like it, gooey and buttery (definitely not vegan), with sweet vanilla notes. There were warm, oozing chunks of semi-sweet chocolate, which melted all over my fingers when eating, but I wasn't complaining.
Definitely not a vegan experience as my "chocolate exception" kicked in today, with no plant-based milks and butter overload in the cookie. Yet it was a nice treat. Though both the hot chocolate and cookie were wonderful, I know that there are vegan options out there which would be just as yum. I just need to keep looking for them. The hunt continues.
Overall, it was a nice cup, made better with a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie that they served me warm from the oven. It was slightly "undone", as I like it, gooey and buttery (definitely not vegan), with sweet vanilla notes. There were warm, oozing chunks of semi-sweet chocolate, which melted all over my fingers when eating, but I wasn't complaining.
