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Eats - Chocolate
If you don't like dark chocolate, stop reading.
Richart
393 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA 94108
415/291-9600
Truly an odd experience every time. Richart is a family-run
business out of France that specializes in distilling one flavor
and inserting it into interestingly textured tiny chocolates about
3/4" square by 1/2" deep. It's very similar to perfumery, and their
line of chocolates reflects this.
The store on Sutter St. in San Francisco is
near Wilkes Bashford where I got my Yohji Yamamoto (I know
this is shameless label-dropping, but a) it's the only one
in the bay area, and b) it kicks ass). We only stop by if
the cute little bear is working there. He's invited us to
their special events, and did I mention he's really cute?
The store itself looks like a perfume shop, which confuses
a lot of people. Those that venture in like we did one day
are well rewarded.
Prices are what you'd expect from a boutique
chocolatier. One box of what amounts to about 70 lozenges
runs $74.50, but there's nothing like it anywhere.
Online Chocolate Orders
Chocosphere.com
Super selection, including my favorite Cote D'or. The website isn't fancy, but
service is very caring for an online store.
| Side note: I ran into a candy
maker at the Lone Star in San Francisco last fall. He mentioned
that the outer coating of See's candy is actually good-quality
chocolate (Guittard or Callebaut, I think), but that what's
inside is kind of mediocre ("crap" was his term). I have
to agree. The only See's I buy now are the marzipans, which
have dark chocolate as a coating and just marzipan within. |
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