La Di Da so ho hum

Hanging out in Half Moon Bay this weekend, I decided to enjoy the sun while waiting to meet some friends. Next to my favorite bookstore, Ink Spell Books, which is one block down from Main Street off of Kelly, is a little local cafe called La Di Da Cafe. With the sun out, chocolate on my mind, and some time to kill before meeting friends, I decided to give this local business a try.

In the display case, they featured two chocolate delights: (1) a 3 layered double chocolate cake which looked rich, dense, and decadent, and (2) chocolate cupcakes. I asked the server if the cake was made "in-house," to which she replied, "No." When I asked about if they made the cupcakes on-site, the owner of the shop, who was just behind her, immediately responded in the affirmative. She said she makes them and that they are chocolate brownie cupcakes.

Always looking for chocolate delights made locally, I of course ordered the $2.99 cupcake as the owner herself enthusiastically placed it on a plate and said, "You will enjoy this."

I wish I could say that I did.

Topped with a homemade whipped cream and large chocolate flakes, the cupcake was dense and unfortunately a bit hard. The cream was nice and smooth, and you could tell it was homemade as it was a bit messy. Though the cupcake itself had a nice dark chocolate look, it tasted a little off. It's hard to describe.

One friend who tried it with me said it was salty. I wouldn't say it tasted salty but it was not sweet, yet also not very bittersweet nor chocolatey either. It lacked something to give it that chocolate edge and character. The texture didn't help. It was not "rock-like" but it also did not have the moistness of a cake nor the fudgeyness of a brownie. It was just hard and didn't even really crumble. Odd for a cupcake, even a brownie cupcake.

Overall assessment: 1 cacao beans (out of 5)
As much as I love homemade pastries at a local cafe, the chocolate brownie cupcake at La Di Da did not sing. I should have went with the "not made on site" chocolate cake which looked like an excellent chocolate delight. That will be for next time as I am always looking for an excuse to check out the latest selections at my favorite bookstore next door. And besides, trying the other chocolate will be another way I can support local businesses.
(review date: 2011_01-19)

Not worth the wait but when with a friend...

I was disappointed. Having traveled from SF to LA to visit a friend, I had been looking forward to the chocolate cake at Bean Town which received rave reviews, but unfortunately they were out. There was an empty spot which read, "Chocolate Mousse Cake," and after inquiring about that, one of the baristas said it would be ready in 15 minutes. Rather than have a brownie, I decided to wait and in the meantime, ordered a cup of Hot White Chocolate, a specialty of Bean Town which also received wonderful comments.

Never having had White Drinking Chocolate, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it in spite it being much sweeter than I typically prefer in chocolate. With its comforting chocolate smell and uniquely white froth, there was a natural creamy richness to this mug of warm goodness which comes from the cocoa butter in their white chocolate mix, as well as the soy milk which they used to prepare it for me. It was "nice," soothingly comfortable, and wonderfully complemented the conversation I had catching up with my friend in this hustling cafe full of lap tops and newspapers.

The 15 minutes of waiting for the Chocolate Mousse Cake, however, turned into 95 minutes as I went back to ask when the cake would be up. One of the counter assistants hurriedly rushed to the back and brought back a slice of cake, which I believe I have seen elsewhere before. "15 minutes," I thought. "How long does it take to defrost a Costco cake?"

Whether Costco or not, this probably pre-fabbed factory cake ended up being perfectly pleasant in satisfying my afternoon chocolate cravings with its smooth texture, mildly semi-sweet chocolate taste, and surprisingly light whipped cream topping with shaved chocolate twirls. Not necessarily worth the wait, but the company and comfort of this local coffee house made it an enjoyable delay.

Overall assessment: 3 cacao beans (out 5).
While the White Hot Chocolate was good, it along with the mousse cake were nothing to write home about (though they are being blogged). Next time in Sierra Madre, I'd order a mug again and hopefully enjoy it with their chocolate layered cake, or may be their dark chocolate brownie, which looked pretty decadent, and which I probably should have ordered in the first place rather than waiting for the cake.

(Review date: 2009_11-01)