In search of my chocolate elixir

It might have been the divine mystique of La Verna, but that one cup of Italian-style drinking chocolate in the summer of 2009 became my chocolate elixir. It sparked a quest in me to find a drinking chocolate at home that would rival that Tuscan moment.

My journey for the "perfect" drinking chocolate has brought me to many places, and more often than not, I've been disappointed. Even in North Beach San Francisco, the places I visited did not serve an Italian-style drinking chocolate, but instead featured an American hot chocolate, made from powder, and most often, branded "Ghirardelli."

Nothing against Ghirardelli, mind you, as it is a San Francisco tradition, and thus, it was my first stop to find a drinking chocolate after returning from Italy. At the time, I was still a novice in drinking chocolates, but my palate knew what it was desiring. Ghirardelli's "Decadent Drinking Chocolate" may have had a pleasant bittersweet bite, living up to its description as "intense chocolate flavor in every rich velvety sip," but this American cup of chocolate was not "it." It lacked the rich dense texture and balanced depth of chocolate flavor for which I longed. And for $4.95 a cup, it felt like a big tourist rip-off.

It was in Oakland, at Bittersweet Cafe, that I found my first drinking chocolate in the states that began to revile in taste what I enjoyed in Italy. Made with water rather than milk, this was more "European" than "Italian," but it had a balanced bittersweet chocolate bite that I enjoyed, even though it lacked the thick consistency for which I longed. For a local place with locations (at the time) in Oakland and San Francisco, this was very promising at $3.95 a cup, though out of the way for me to get to regularly. Though I enjoy a cup of their standard Bittersweet (and have a frequent buyer card to prove it), I knew I would continue to search until I found a place that was "just right."

At Oaxacan Kitchen in Palo Alto, I discovered a different kind of drinking chocolate that I have come to also enjoy - Mexican-style drinking chocolate, which adds cinnamon and often chili, reflecting the origins of chocolate. Experts believe that the Olmec people in Mesoamerica were the first to crack open a cocoa pod from a cacao tree around 1200-200 B.C.E. The Aztec and Mayan civilizations inherit this "food of the gods" and use cocoa beans to make a drink known as "chocolatl," which is said to mean, "bitter water." The beans were dried, crushed, mixed with water, and flavored with chili or vanilla, served on special occasions -- hot for Mayans, and cold for Aztecs.

The version of Mexican drinking chocolate at Oaxacan Kitchen was served warm, infused with cinnamon, and accompanied by chocolate ice cream and a "to die for" flourless chocolate cake. While the drinking chocolate was creamy, it was a bit too subtle in its milky chocolate flavor for my tastes. The cinnamon was nice, but a dash of chili or cayenne would definitely have enhanced the flavor profile and would have added the spice it needed.

With a friend in town in the fall of 2009, I had the opportunity (or excuse) to check out a few more chocolate places in San Francisco on my hunt for a good drinking chocolate. On the San Francisco Gourmet Chocolate Tour, I was exposed to many new fine international chocolate destinations that I didn't know existed downtown.

On our 3-hour tour which began at the Ferry Building and ended near the Powell Street BART station, we visited two places that offered drinking chocolate. The first was Leonidas in the Crocker Gallery on Post Street. To be honest, it has very watery and weak in chocolate taste. Not a repeat performance for me, though the truffle from this Belgian chocolate company was very nice.

The other place on our tour that served drinking chocolate was Cocoa Bella in the Westfield San Francisco Centre on Market Street. After sharing about my disappointment at Leonidas, the chocolate barista assured me that their drinking chocolate would definitely suit my chocolate palate. Because it was getting cold and this was our last stop, I decided to order a spicy drinking chocolate for the road. Made with milk and spiced with cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, it had a smooth slightly creamy texture and a nice kick that needed to be slowly sipped. The flavor was fine (what I had expected at Oaxacan Kitchen but didn't get), yet it was not rich and thick, and found me still not totally satisfied. I probably should have ordered their "classic" with dark chocolate instead.

On our way to the car after our chocolate tour, my friend wanted coffee. Being near Philz, I knew this is where we needed to go. While I wasn't planning on ordering anything, the barista, Jacob, hearing of my drinking chocolate obsession, made up a cup of their hot chocolate "on the house" to demonstrate that they do serve a good chocolate, not simply an overly sweetened hot cocoa. Though already on a slight chocolate high, this third drinking chocolate ended up being the day's best. Though not thick and creamy in texture, it was a balanced bittersweet brew. The fresh sprig of crushed mint added a wonderful depth to the already rich dark chocolate flavor.

When Philz opened in Berkeley, just blocks from my school, I would make periodic stops for their "hot chocolate." While not exactly what I crave in a "drinking chocolate," it does satisfy my palate, especially when my first choice in Berkeley isn't open! At Cioccolata di Vino, the owner, Rebecca, uses her homemade chocolate ganache as the base for her "drinking chocolate," which she then infuses with a touch of vanilla. It is wonderful, and though not rich, thick, and dark like I savored in La Verna, the Italian cafe atmosphere of this little local restaurant, does satisfy my spirit on many levels, especially when she allows me to study there in the afternoon and enjoy her chocolate chip cookies, fresh from the oven. (It's hard to believe, that with all my visits there, I don't have a picture of me and a cup of her drinking chocolate!)

To be sure, during the first six months of my quest, I did locate some good quality drinking chocolate in the San Francisco Bay Area. Though nothing was "perfect" when compared to my experience in La Verna, I felt satisfied -- satisfied, that is, until January 2010 when my drinking chocolate tastes went on an international tour. Three weeks in New Zealand and Australia changed my expectations and standards, and you'll find out how in my next blog post tomorrow. The drinking chocolate search continues.

Not all chocolate cakes are created equal

With a friend in town, we were in search of some excellent dessert. Having been voted Palo Alto’s Best for over 15 consecutive years by Palo Alto Weekly, The Prolific Oven looked promising. Four locations in the South Bay also allowed for lots of options for a chocolate break, no matter where we explored.

I asked the counter barista to recommend the chocolatiest dessert, and a slice of their Chocolate on Chocolate Cake was served. Though this cake is the most popular on the menu, my chocolate palate was disappointed as it lacked the deep dark bitter sweet bite and rich texture I appreciate and have come to expect.

While the “American Style sour cream chocolate cake” was pleasant, it did not however pair well with the frosting. The cake on its own was fine, but the semi-sweet chocolate frosting had a waxy, “not quite real,” too-sweet taste that made me pause as I needed to try it a few times to figure out what was wrong. I actually scraped some of the frosting off the cake and left it on the plate. And if you know me, you know that leaving good chocolate on a plate is a sin! This however was not good chocolate.The heaviness of this pseudo-chocolate frosting overpowered the light, moist airiness of the cake. I was surprised to find that the cake is described as “rich” because for me it was everything but.

My friend however tried their Chocolate Mocha Cake. Though not my first choice in a chocolate cake, this cake does have an overall better taste than the Chocolate on Chocolate. Both desserts begin with the same “American Style sour cream chocolate cake,” but while it doesn’t pair with the Chocolate on Chocolate frosting, it is complemented by the cream cheese frosting in the Mocha Cake. Though there is a subtle coffee flavor in the frosting, a brown sugary flavor dominates which actually plays off of the subtle sour cream bite in the cake and cream cheese in the frosting to create an overall very good cake. While I liked the chopped chocolate on the edge, my friend, who chose wisely and whose cake I highjacked as mine bit the dust, did not, and let me polish it off.

Overall assessment: 2.5 cacao beans (out of 5).
With a few chocolate options, there are choices to be had, but for me, it will probably be German Chocolate or Chocolate Rum next time. However, if you’re looking for a good deep dark chocolate cake, keep looking – and definitely not here.

(review date: 2009_10-16)

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)

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)