Indulge your sweet tooth or win your sweetheart's undying gratitude with one of these San Francisco chocolate delights:
Scharffenberger Chocolate Maker is a boutique chocolate maker specializing in chocolate that tastes like cacao beans. Scharffenberger is located in Berekeley and offers tours by reservation.
Joseph Schmidt Confections makes beautiful chocolates that are always a welcome gift, but their softly-curved heart-shaped chocolate container filled with heart-shaped chocolate truffles is truly special. Visit their shop on 16th Street or look for them at high-end candy counters all over town.
XOX Truffles is one of the top ten chocolatiers in the United States according to Chocolatier magazine. In a small storefront on San Francisco's Columbus Avenue, former chef Jean-Marc Gorce works his magic with simple ingredients to create traditional hand-shaped chocolate truffles that often elicit exclamations of delight from his customers. Stop by the North Beach shop for chocolate truffles and coffee].
Recchuiti Confections: Chocolate-maker Michael Recchuiti's forte (in our opinion) is unusual flavor pairings such as rose and caramel or chocolate-coated "Key Lime" apples. Their shop is in the Ferry Building Marketplace.
TCHO: One of the newest chocolate-makers on the San Francisco scene, their Beta Factory Store is located at Pier 17 just off Embarcadero between Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli Square.
Ghirardelli: They're not new (the company started during the Gold Rush), but no discussion of San Francisco chocolate would be complete without them. These days, you can find their products all over the place, making them less of a treat to take home than they once were, but a hot fudge sundae from their soda fountain at Ghirardelli Square is still a chocolatey, gooey San Francisco treat.
