Finding Santa Barbara Chocolate

My 2-weeks in Santa Barbara were wonderful.  And the coursework wasn't too bad either!  With class sessions in the morning, we were given much free time, and I used some of my time to search for some Santa Barbara chocolate treasures.

One of my greatest finds was Our Daily Bread Bakery and Cafe.  Though tucked away off the main drag of State Street, this spacious, quiet little cafe is just down the street from the historic Presido and is worth the detour.  It features a nice selection of vegan (and gluten-free) bakery items, but most important, they serve a beautiful vegan chocolate muffin.

One reviewer who is not even vegan, called their vegan chocolate muffin "amazing", and "one of the best muffins in the world."  And vegan-me would have to agree with the sentiment.  It was fantastic.

It was light and airy, with a fluffy cake-like texture and rich balance of chocolate that was not overly sweet.  Though it did not have that muffin-dense consistency, it had a nice crisp top which oozed over the top and distinguished it from a "cupcake".  It was also huge, and I devoured it, but for $2.85, it was a wonderful bargain. 

Overhearing the conversation the servers had with their customers, you could tell this was an establishment for locals being off the main road.  And if I were in the area, I know I would definitely become a regular and enjoy many of their other vegan offerings.

Another chocolate find near downtown Santa Barbara, in the heart of the tourist traffic, was at The French Press.  I happened on this place as I was looking for a local coffee house to plant myself for some time of journaling and reflection.  (No Starbucks or Peets for me if I can help it.)  I loved the ambiance and drinks of The French Press (FP) so much that I ended up going there three times during my stay. 

On my first trip I tried their mocha and chocolate croissant, which is one of my latest non-vegan chocolate indulgences.  To be honest, both were okay.  Though served up beautifully, the mocha could have used a bit more kick, and while the croissant was flakey with a good dark chocolate flavor (when you found it), it didn't have enough chocolate for my liking with a small strip down the middle. 

What called me to return to FP was an item on the menu which I saw after I ordered my "usual".  That was their chocolate chai.  Specializing in fine tea as well as coffee, I figured that their chai was something worth sampling.  Thus, I returned a few days later to give it a try.  I loved it, and needed to return for another fix before heading home.  Though the weather was HOT, it was definitely worth the 1.5 mile trek down the hill to FP from the Old Mission where we were staying.

With a beautiful design from the soy milk froth, the chocolate chai at The French Press was beautiful to behold.  With a spicy-sweet chocolate aroma, it smelled inviting.  And when sampled, it brought joy to the pallet and warmed my soul with utter delight.  There was a nice strong kick of chai which created the spice buzz on the back of my throat which for me is a sign of good chai.  But there were also clear undertones of bittersweet chocolate which were drawn out by the balance of spices.

I'm discovering that chocolate chai is a wonderful alternative to a plain hot cocoa, or a mocha when you're not wanting the caffeine.  It satisfies those afternoon cravings but is not too sweet, and with the spice kick, it provides that "pick me up" when the day drags. 

To make their chocolate chai, the French Press combines their brewed chai tea to chocolate sauce.  They then add steamed milk (in this case soy), and top with froth.  Simple, but seductive; something I could try at home, but something I definitely need to find back home in the San Francisco Bay Area.  But until I do, I found a chai cocoa mix on my trip home from Santa Barbara which will have to satisfy my emerging chocolate chai cravings. 

My experience at and purchases from Sweet Earth Chocolates in San Luis Obispo will have to wait for another post.  But with local, organic, and Fair Trade products, and numerous vegan options, it is definitely a small business that gets two thumbs up from me!  More in an upcoming post.

Celebrating Chocolate Cake Santa Barbara Style

Being with Franciscans is always full of food and fun, and though we are in a two-week summer institute, this time in Santa Barbara has been no different. To celebrate birthdays in our class, we had a dinner gathering at the home of one of the locals who is in our class.  Her home is in the Santa Barbara hills with spectacular views.

Though it was not my birthday, Lyn made it a point to make sure that one of the cakes was chocolate because she knew how much I love chocolate cake.  (So thoughtful, huh?)

Many people tell me that they know where to find the best chocolate cake.  And usually I humor them as I grimace and sample a cake that is typically dry, with frosting that is too sickenly sweet.  But the cake we had in honor of Keith's birthday (see picture above on right) was probably one of the best bakery chocolate cakes I've had. 

The cake comes from Jeannine's in Santa Barbara, which is celebrating their 25th anniversary in the community.  Though a bit cheezy, their theme, "Fall in Love", does reflect my sentiment for their Texas Chocolate Cake.  It was a cake I have fallen in love with!

I wish I had a better picture of the uncut cake, because it was beautiful, with a deep dark chocolate buttercream frosting, and covered with marbeled chocolate shavings on the side.

The cake itself was an incarnation of beauty for the taste buds as well.  It was dense and dark, but wonderfully moist, with a rich chocolate taste that stood up as yum on its own.  In other words, even without all the filling and frosting it was simply an excellent cake, one of the indications that this cake is a true work of art.

The chocolate fudge filling provided a wonderful complement to the dark chocolate undertones in the cake and was not overly sweet.  Though the sweetness factor of the frosting could have been turned down a notch for me (as I love a bit more bittersweet bite), it was a far cry from the standard chocolate frosting that screams more of sugar than chocolate.

I had one slice, and was done for.  It was a very rich cake, but oh, what a delight.  A spiritual chocolate high, which went well with the fun and laughs we had that evening.  

Overall, this cake was near perfection, and for $45 for an 8 inch round, it should be!  Vegan it definitely was not.  But in celebration of birthdays and the wonderful community we are sharing with our Franciscan brothers and sisters, it sings of all that is good in chocolate.

Viva La Fiesta! Viva La Chocolate!

I am in Santa Barbara for a 2-week summer institute with the Franciscan School of Theology.  We are blessed in being able to stay at the beautiful historic Old Mission, but we are doubly blessed in having the 88th celebration of Old Spanish Days occur while we are here.

On Wednesday, August 1st, we were given VIP seats to the "La Fiesta Pequeña", which officially opens the festivities and is held on the steps of the mission. This event featured traditional songs and dances of Fiesta, with tunes of the Californios, Flamenco, Spanish classical, and Mexican folklórico dances. It was a great celebration with a near full moon lighting up the sky and "Viva la fiesta!" echoing through the crowd.

With a day off from our studies today, I decided to visit the activities occurring downtown and to hunt for some chocolate.  I was successful and very satisfied in my search, as I discovered a new drinking chocolate and an "almost famous" vegan chocolate cupcake.

One of the highlights of the Fiesta is the Mercado de la Guerrero, which features merchant stalls full of Mexican arts and crafts (along with the Marines, Red Cross, and DirectTV).  In the food court area, there was music and dancing on the stage, with people elbow to elbow enjoying Mexican-themed foods sold by local charities and businesses.

I however was on a Mexican drinking chocolate hunt, and found only one booth that had anything similar.  La Bella Rosa Bakery Cafe had food, but it also served champurrado, which was noted as "a chocolate-flavored hot drink".  While I thought I knew Mexican drinking chocolate, I've never heard of champurrado before, and asked the server what differentiated it from a regular Mexican hot chocolate.  Very simply, champurrado is thickened with masa and often uses different spices.  It is very filling and hearty, she said.  With a love of thick Italian drinking chocolate, I knew this would be my kind of drink, and so for $2.00 I purchased a large 12 ounce cup.

Though it came in a styrofoam cup, I was very impressed by this traditional Mexican chocolate drink which is typically served in the morning and evening, and is very popular during Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and at Las Posadas (the Christmas Season). This drink came warm, and had a seductively spicey (though not very chocolatey) smell, with a creamy froth.

While I cannot fully identify the spices in this chapurrado, it sang of chai tea with a tinge more cinnamon and chocolate undertones. It was very good -- not very sweet, with a nice balance of spice to create a complex, but homey-feel on the palate.  Though I was drinking this on a hot Santa Barbara summer day, there was a warming comfort to the drink, which I could imagine sipping at home on a cold evening.

After a few sips, I could feel myself getting full from the masa in the drink, and decided to keep sipping, while enjoying the music and hunting for a chocolate dessert to go with this drink.

I found the perfect compliment a few blocks away at Crushcakes, which featured a vegan chocolate cupcake as part of their daily vegan cupcake offerings.  I had seen Crush Cupcakes compete on the Food Network's Cupcake Wars, and also saw their bumper sticker while driving to Santa Barbara.  With a motto like "Make cupcakes not war", you know you gotta visit.  And I'm glad I did!

Their vegan chocolate cupcake was beautifully moist and light, chocolatey, and not very sweet.  It was almost salty, which was good, as it paired well with the very sweet frosting that had a vanilla marshmallowey flavor and fluffy texture.  I found that after taking a bite of the cupcake and then sipping the champurrado, the spiceyness of the drink drew out the chocolate of the cupcake and mellowed out the frosting to create a well-balanced afternoon of chocolate goodness.  It was nice.

On their own, the champurrado and the cupcake were good.  But together, it was magic - a nice pairing of chocolate desserts, and a wonderful to celebrate Santa Barbara.  Viva la fiesta!  Viva la chocolate!