Maybe it was all the chocolate eggs and bunnies from Easter,
but we’ve got chocolate on the brain and considering there’s a chocolate
festival this Saturday, the timing could not be more perfect. San Diego definitely knows how to make good
chocolate. We’ve highlighted two of our
town’s most famous chocolatiers (Eclipse Chocolate and The Elegant Truffle),
but this city’s got even more cocoa-themed eateries that are worth a visit and
all the calories.
Did you know that chocolate dates back to the Americas in
1900 BC?! It’s only fitting that San Diego would have a festival that
celebrates the history of this sweet food and how far it has come. This is the 5th year that the ChocolateFestival is taking place at the Maritime Museum on Saturday, April 3rd. The indulgent and educational fun starts at
11:00 AM and winds down at 4:00 PM, and promises to be fun for the whole
family. Where else can you have an
experience that involves touch, taste, smell, and chocolate, no less! The kids will love the scavenger hunt and
games (complete with prizes for both) as well as the crafts, like making your
own chocolate pizza (for $5). The
adults will love the wine and chocolate, and beer and chocolate pairings (who
knew chocolate and beer would go together?).
There will also be demonstrations of different chocolate creations and
kitchen tricks you can do with chocolate.
The Mars Chocolate History Ambassadors will be there to demonstrate the history
of the cocoa bean using authentic 18th century tools, cocoa pods,
and cocoa beans.
If you can’t make the festival, we’ve lined up some other
must-see destinations to satisfy any chocolate craving, from ice cream to
truffles to chocolate-dipped everything!
First stop is The Chocolate Haus in Pacific Beach. This adorable shop is known not just for heavenly
homemade truffles, but also for killer homemade ice cream and cookies. The owners are Pacific Beach husband and wife
who use local ingredients with no additives or preservatives. The staff is always warm and welcoming and ready
to answer questions about their tempting treats. It’s hard to chose just one thing, so
multiple visits might be in order, especially when it comes to their ice cream
sandwiches and also their light and crispy homemade brittles that are dipped in
dark chocolate.
The Aztecs were known for always flavoring their cool chocolate
drink (it wasn’t eaten as a food until the Spaniards got ahold of it) with
chili powder, sage and even flowers. Chi Chocolat in Liberty Station pays homage to the Aztecs (perhaps unintentionally)
by creating unique truffles with exotic ingredients like curry, chili, lavender
and rosewater. For those feeling
decadent, you can order the Jules truffle which is made of dark chocolate
ganache and infused with butterscotch and edible gold! They also serve mocha flavored coffee drinks
where the lovely presentation is just as important as the taste. This charming chocolatier has expanded into a
café and also offers tasty sandwiches.
For those who can’t get enough chocolate in any form, then
head over to Beach Sweets, a locally owned Ocean Beach retro-candy store. This place is bright on color and has almost
any candy imaginable. The real star,
however, is the homemade chocolate fudge and the hand-dipped chocolates. In fact, the store’s motto is “Everything is
better dipped in chocolate.” Beach
Sweets prides itself on new chocolate dipped concoctions like gummy worms and
Rice Crispy Treats. They own their own chocolate
machines so everything is made fresh in-house, and if you stop by you must try
the simple perfection of their chocolate covered marshmallow.
The cacao seeds were once so highly valued that they were
used as currency in Mesoamerica. We
might not be able to pay for things using chocolate nowadays, but I think we
can all agree on its delicious importance in our society. Why not center a vacation around chocolate? Start by booking a stay with Mission BayVacation Rentals, and then spend your time deciding who has the best chocolate
in town. After all, a vacation is the
one time you’re allowed to indulge.
