sf chocolate salon

WHAT IS A SALON?

A Few Useful Definitions (from sf chocolate salon):
1. An assembly of guests in such a room, esp. an assembly, consisting of the leaders in society, art, politics, food, etc.
2. A hall or place used for the exhibition of works of art.
3. A shop, business, or department of a store offering a specific product or service, esp. one catering to a fashionable clientele

i went to the 3rd annual san francisco chocolate salon on saturday, march 21. it was almost overwhelming to be in the large room surrounded by all...that...chocolate. almost. now, i didn't get to every table but i did make my way around the whole room. there were a lot of small, local business there, showcasing their creations. there were all kinds of truffles and molded chocolates there...classic to....um, "eyebrow raising" flavor combos. i saw fabric decorative boxes that look like chocolate, chocolate liqueur, chocolate beauty products, "healthy chocolate" and even chocolate frosting (photo from sf station).the tastetv awards were announced yesterday and neo cocoa won the award for best truffles. their truffles were by far the most beautiful. i sampled the freshly zested lime. while the lime flavor was pronounced, it wasn't my favorite truffle of the event. (photo by food gal.)

if i had to give out the award for best truffle, i would give it to the first one i tasted at the salon: chocolate cognac by coco delice. Imagine intense, dark chocolate elevated to the next level by the smooth cognac.

the award for best flavored chocolate was given to marti chocolatt and i agree with this choice completely. she was obviously very popular at the salon because by the time i got to her table at 3:30, she was out of business cards and several samples. luckily, i was able to try a few things: purple yam, starfruit, goat cheese, coffee. the flavor combinations were very interesting and i spent more time at her booth than any other. most of the samples i tasted were a fusion of chocolate and filipino produce. this is what her table looked like...

Another highlight of the salon was the brazil honey cake by kika's treats. the moist, flavorful cake was enclosed inside a crisp layer of dark chocolate. i couldn't believe it when i found out there are no eggs or dairy in this cake! kika makes her treats at la cocina, an incubator kitchen for female entrepreneurs.