San Francisco Chocolate Salon Awards

Chocolate Salon Awards

After over 4,000 attendees on Saturday savored the delectable offerings as part of the national Chocolate Stimulus Plan, The Awards for the 3rd Annual SAN FRANCISCO CHOCOLATE SALON have been selected by a team of expert panelists (I don't think I'm an expert, but I know what I like). All awards can be seen on the Salon website. Check out the Second Place and Honorable Mentions. And remember, this is all a matter of taste.

Best Dark Chocolate: Amano Artisan Chocolate
Best Milk Chocolate: Amano Artisan Chocolate
Best Truffle: Neo Cocoa
Top Artisan Chocolatier: Amano Artisan Chocolate
Most Luxurious Chocolate Experience: Dolce Bella Chocolates
Most Artistic Designs: William Dean Chocolates
Best Flavored Chocolate Bar: Marti Chocolatt
Most Delicious Ingredient Combinations: Jade Chocolates
Best Traditional Chocolate: Guittard Chocolate Company
Best Dark Chcoolate Bar: Amano Artisan Chocolate
Best Toffee in the Salon: Poco Dolce
Best in Salon: Amano Artisan Chocolate
Best Organic or Fair Trade Products: Divine Chocolate
Most Gifted Chocolatier/Chocolate Maker: Amano Artisan Chocolate
Best Comfort Chocolate Product: Kikas Treats
New Product Awards: This was a really hard category, and the Judges were split between:
XOX Truffles
Chopita
Sterling Confections
CJ's Bitz
Christopher Michael Chocolates
Choffy
Marti Chocolatt
Brix Chocolate
Neo Cocoa
Best Wine or Beverage: Van Gogh Chocolate Vodka

I can't wait for next year. In the meantime, if you find yourself in the following cities at these times, be sure to check out the International Chocolate Salon.

Upcoming Chocolate Salons:
July 12, 2009: Seattle September 2009: Chicago October 11 2009: Los Angeles

For more information, go to ChocolateSalon.tv

Read more about Amano Chocolate, my pick from the Fancy Food Show and the chocolate that scored so high in so many categories at the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon.

San Francisco International Chocolate Salon

What can I say. Over 4,000 people attended the San Francisco Chocolate Salon this past Saturday. I'm so glad I got there early (note to self: remember to go early next year) before all those people arrived. There certainly was enough to satisfy even the most devoted chocoholic.

I was a Judge, so I picked up my form right away. I was surprised at all the categories. I'm a purist at heart and many of the categories had to do with what was added to the chocolate or how it was packaged, but that didn't daunt me. I was up to the challenge, and, after all, I should be expanding my horizons. Some of the categories ranged from best dark chocolate bar to best truffle to best new chocolate product, to most interesting ingredient. I'll let you know the categories and winners when I get them on Thursday.

So out I went ballot in hand. So many choices! There were Honey-vodka truffles from XOX. Beautifully shaped truffles and elegant boxes with great tasting cayene tequila truffles from Neo Cocoa, interesting flavored bars from Jade Chocolates including Dragon's Breath. Very hot and spicy! And so many more. I was taken by the Chocolate Guinness from Socola, a great accompaniment for my Chocolate Guinness cake last week. I enjoyed talking with the two sisters Wendy and Susan Leiu abut their hand-crafted truffles with local ingredients including Straus Cermery butter and cream.

Tcho was there, and they produce some of my favorites bars. Sterling Confections had the most incredible artistic 'loaves of many colors.' There were chocolates beautifully boxed in Tiffany colors. Poco Dolce had Tiles of chocolate. Interesting concept and great taste. Suggestion by the folks there was to break them up and do a tasting. Dolce Bella of Saratoga had my vote in several categories. Smooth, luxurious truffles. Divine Chocolate billed itself as Heavenly Chocolate with a Heart, and I certainly agreed.

I could go on and on, and probably will at another time when I go through all of the exhibitors at a later date. So I made my first pass, tasting small amounts, thinking of the categories. Although I thought I had taken good notes, I found I had to go around a second and even to some chocolatiers a third time, in order to reach a decision. This judging was much harder than I thought it would be.

I reached my own conclusions and handed in my ballot, but I look forward to Thursday and finding out what the consensus of all the judges was. I'll post as soon as I know. In the meantime, I have some very sweet memories of a great hall of chocolate! The International Chocolate Salon goes to other cities. Be sure and put it on your calendar if they come your way. I particularly liked that so many local chocolatiers were included at the San Francisco Salon. I loved meeting new chocolatiers and tasting new chocolate!

It was an event to die for......

San Francisco International Chocolate Salon

Just received an email with new chocolate additions to the 2009 San Francisco Chocolate Salon.

TCHO, Tifa Chocolate, Yelp!, Omnivore Books, The Sweet Beauty Organic Chocolate Spa, ARTworkSF, and PlayFirst's "Chocolatier" video games (Decadence by Design).

The Chocolate Salon is Saturday, March 21st, 2009 from 10am-6pm and is the premier artisan chocolate and confections event on the West Coast, with over 30,000 square feet of discoveries and delights at the Fort Mason Center's Herbst Pavilion in San Francisco.
Advance Tickets are $20 ($25 Door).

See the new Chocolate Television video from past Salons featuring L'Artisan du Chocolat, Quady Winery, XOX Truffles, and the San Francisco Chocolate Factory.

The Third Annual San Francisco International CHOCOLATE SALON participants include over 50 chocolatiers, confectioners, wineries and other culinary artisans, such as: Amano Artisan Chocolate, Jade Chocolates, Coco-luxe Confections, Guittard Chocolate Company, Saratoga Chocolates, Marti Chocolatt, The Tea Room chocolate, Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, Choclatique, TCHO, The Xocolate Bar, Dolce Bella Chocolates, William Dean Chocolates, Dove Chocolate Discoveries, , Omnivore Books, Sweet Beauty Organic Chocolate Spa,Chocolate Television, The New York Times and TasteTV, and many more. All this in over 30,000 square feet of Chocolate, Wine and Confections.

For Tickets: Contact: www.SFChocolateSalon.com

Chocolate Salon Author Book Signings:
Carole Bloom, "Truffles, Candies, and Confections"
Celebrity Chefs, "Sexy Dishes: A Guide to Who's Hot in the Kitchen"
Anita Chu, "A Field Guide to Cookies"
A.K. Crump, "The Cafes of San Francisco, 3rd Edition"

*** UPCOMING LUXURY CHOCOLATE SALONS **

- Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon (July 12, 2009)
- Chicago Luxury Chocolate Salon (September, 2009)
- Los Angeles Luxury Chocolate Salon (October 2009)

For more info: www.ChocolateSalon.TV