Chocolate Salon in San Francisco

[rio marie]

Hey everyone!

If anyone is in the San Francisco bay area this Saturday it's the 3rd annual Chocolate Salon at Fort Mason. over 30 chocolaties and confectioners will be there along with winerys. I plan to go so I will give you an update. I've been wanting to go for the past 2 years they have held it. So this year I am going.

Rena

[Lior]

Hi! Do you mind taking photos? I would love to see what it is like! How they set up their tables/stands etc. and of course the chocolates! Lucky lucky you!!

[rio marie]

So I went to the Chocolate Salon on Saturday and it was great! There were a lot of different chocolatiers there many of them going from bean to bar as in Sacred Chocolates. They produce what is called 'Raw' chocolate where it's roasted over a longer period of time to perserve the healthy benefits of the cacoa bean. I went to another chocolatier company that has (according to there website and pic on the website) over 150 different flavors. I tasted there rootbeer float bon bon. I don't think it was a truffle as I tasted a butter cream rootbeer flavor and then vanilla cream flavor but it was tasty they also has a apple pie bon bon. The only truffle I did taste that was in my opioion yuk was a tequlia and lime truffle. I won't say what company it was but I don't drink anymore so maybe that's why I found it appalling. I was reaching for my water bottle real quick on that one. I bought a bacon bar that has pop rocks in it, uuummmm not to sure about that, and I did buy a heart shaped chocolate for the Raw chocolate company. I'm not sure if I should put the name of the compaines down or not, let me know and I will. I found it to be quite rewarding in more ways then one as I have made a discion to start my own business. I haven't said anything yet but I'm getting laid off from my work on April 30th. After 28years with this company they are centralizing all the divisional office's to two locations both are back east so as a result I'm losing my job. What better time to start my own business right! Anyway, I did take picture Lior but I used a disposable camera if you want I can mail them to you if you don't mind givin me your address. There were alot of differnt displays all were quite uniquie but after a while I couldn't take anymore pics because there were so many people there. So that's it. I hope they have it next year, As I was exitng the event I heard a lot of poeple saying stuff like "I ate so much chocolate to last me a year!" or "I'm done come pick me up" to " I'll never eat a another piece of chocolate again!" but funny thing is they all had bags for chocolate they all bought and we all know that later on that night they will be diving into those box's of chocolates

I'm out I have to go to work as the days whine down to the end of my career there. Anything else you want to know just ask and I'll see if they had it there.

Peace!

Rena

[cmflick]

It sounds great! Thanks for the summary.

I like going to chocolate shows just to see what other people are up to, both in terms of flavor and presentation.

I wonder if anyone else has any pictures that they could post...

[Truffle Guy]

We went to the show (our first) and enjoyed it. My company is called William Dean Chocolates. The highlight was having Joseph Schmidt introduce himself to me and take me aside for a few minutes to talk, he was very complimentary and it was a great feeling to have a legend take notice of our work. We purposely didn't bring an inordinate number of samples as we wanted to get feedback from potential customers and not just be part of a chocolate "buffet". We had a great time and response and had sold out of everything by 3pm (except for a few of our 20 piece boxes). It was nice seeing a crowd that appreciates Pate de Fruit, we sold about 30 boxes in just a few hours and I wish my local customers had that same taste.

There were some really interesting companies with some unusual products, I wish I would have had more time to circulate. I missed Carole Bloom who was there and wish I could have met her.

As I mentioned it was our first show and we have a lot to learn but we were very happy with the response we received. There were some awards given and we were happy to be one of the winners. Here is the link to the awards if you want to see if you recognize anyone (egullets own Christopher Michael won 6 awards). SF Chocolate Salon Awards

Edited March 26, 2009 by Truffle Guy (log)

[Chocolot]

A huge congratulations to Art and Clark at Amano chocolate. They won a lot of categories.

[Art]

A huge congratulations to Art and Clark at Amano chocolate.  They won a lot of categories.

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Thanks Ruth!

The Chocolate Salon this year was incredible. Previously, the Salon was held in a smaller venue in Fort Mason. There were so many people last year that it was elbow to elbow. It would take 15 minutes to go from one side of the room to the other. They'd only let someone in when someone left making for some very long lines.

This year, the venue was easily 3-4 times the size of the previous one with twice as many vendors. This was wonderful since it allowed there to be space between everybody's tables and people could spread out a bit. In addition, people could actually walk easily around the venue.

It was really exciting seeing all that was being made. We were so busy though that I was only able to get away from our booth very rarely and then only for a couple of minutes at a time. In fact, I was only able to sample one other vendor's truffles, that is XOX Truffles. I have to admit, that was on purpose as their truffles are really good and I always make a point of sampling them at the events where we cross paths.

The number of people who came to the show was far more than what we anticipated. We ran out of samples around 3:00pm as did many of the vendors. In some respects, this is a good thing in that it indicates the number of people and where the show is headed. Next year, we plan on taking twice as much chocolate as this year.

All in all, it was a great show for us. Winning a few awards was really a nice treat but most importantly, we really enjoyed meeting so many great people and with the larger venue, it really worked in so many ways.

-Art

[Carolyn Tillie]

I found it to be quite rewarding in more ways then one as I have made a decision to start my own business.  I haven't said anything yet but I'm getting laid off from my work on April 30th.  After 28years with this company they are centralizing all the divisional office's to two locations both are back east so as a result I'm losing my job.  What better time to start my own business right!  

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You are starting a chocolate-based business? Tell us more!

[rio marie]

I was wondering where my post went now I know!

Yes I am going to start my own business. I've checked out the commercial kitchen space and I think that's the route I'm going to take. I just don't have the start up money to get a store front. I'm now in the process of getting my list of confections and recipes together to see how much to charge etc....

I'll post again when I have more info....

Rena