the candy men

One of my favorite places is the Scharffenberger Chocolate Factory. It may not have edible trees, or a waterfall that churns the chocolate, but it is the closest thing most people will ever get to meeting Willie Wonka. Last week they announced they sold the business to Hershey. I am more than a little sad.

The two guys who started it were looking for a change. One was a physician; the other a wine maker. They had a passion and came up with a plan. One worked at as an apprentice for a small European chocolate maker while the other sought out the finest beans from the cacoa tree. They came back to the Bay Area and used their kitchens to mix and blend and taste until they had something they liked. From there they found themselves with one of the finest dark chocolates around, and set out to build a chocolate factory.

They will give you a tour of their factory (for free even) -- just make a reservation and remember to wear closed toe shoes. Let you taste the chocolate and show you how it is made. When you walk into their factory the smell is heavenly and real. Everyone who works there is happy. And really is it any wonder why? They turn out in a year a little more than Hershey turns out in a day. They can control the quality that way.

They mostly sell to restaurants and bakeries. But you can find their chocolate and other products at high end grocery stores like Whole Foods. They recently introduced a milk chocolate which is still 41% cocoa. You can pick up a couple of bars at your local Trader Joe's. And of course, if you get a chance try their dark chocolate too.

On Valentine's Day 2004 they opened their cafe. You can literally have a three course meal of chocolate. I highly recommend the pancakes with chocolate nibs -- they don't even really need syrup. And of course save room for dessert. The brownies are fabulous.

We made sure to visit one last time before we headed to Chicago. It is less than a mile from where we live. I am sure things won't change right away, but I suspect one day I will utter the words, I remember when...

background noise :: look at miss ohio, gillian welch