Maison Bouche Chocolate - Oakland

Like all good chocolate snobs, I love my dark chocolate dearly, but what really turns my crank is a good milk chocolate bar, and Maison Bouche makes one of the best. It started when I found a few items from this small, Oakland chocolatier in my stocking on Christmas morning. No doubt thinking of my diet, our black Lab Lola thoughtfully relieved me of the Almond Praline bar James picked out (at Miette Patisserie at the Ferry Building in San Francisco) before we could even scoop the contents of the stockings off the coffee table - but she left me a package of salted caramels and a nifty little sampler pack of mini bars in all their different flavors. Impressed, I decided to go ahead and treat myself to a few more items from their website - including, of course, the almond praline bar I missed out the first time around, a milk chocolate one with caramelized crisp rice, and the milk chocolate "Fleur de Sel" since it's their most popular item (I'm always a sucker for that sort of thing.)

When I say I like a "good" milk chocolate bar - I'm actually talking about a dark one. Most milk chocolate you will find has a cacao content of around 35%, but the good ones are over 40%, and that makes all the difference. The flavor is rich and deep, with a buttery, caramelly smoothness. (Is that a word? If not it should be.) The Vosges Barcelona bar, and even Scharffenberger's milk chocolate bar are also good examples. (The Scharffenberger bar specifies 41% cacao content.)

The large size Noir Fleur d'Oranger bar, pictured above, became a gift for a new mom (hi Tracy!) but the smaller bars were all mine except for the few squares I shared with James. We made them last, and he agreed with me that this is indeed, the good stuff.

Maison Bouche's bars come in several different flavors (in five different categories!) - almost all are available in either dark or milk, and all are available in large or small sizes. The smalls are $6. and the large are $12. They're not cheap, but they won't break the bank, and if you savor them like we did - they'll last a good, long time.

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My Best Shot of 2009

I really don't consider myself to be much of a photographer. I try, but I am seldom pleased with my food photos, and when they do turn out, I usually feel like I just got lucky. Wanting to improve my skills in that area was one of my big motivations for attending BlogHer Food 09 this past fall. What I actually learned at the conference, is that in order to take really excellent photos I would need to dedicate a lot more time and energy to the process. Sadly, I just don't have enough of either to spare right now - but I am consoling myself with the fact that my favorite photo of 2009 is one I took on that very same day with my iPhone.

I snapped this at the crack of dawn (literally), on Sam's Pre-BlogHer Food Urban Hike. I'm not generally a morning person, but I got myself out of bed at 5:30 AM for this jaunt and I was glad I did. Not only was it a great way to see the city, but you'll never see the sky this color at any other time of day.

Taken at the corner of Columbus and Broadway - the lights are books, and words are stamped into the sidewalk below, falling out of the books.

See more great photos here, in the "Your Best Shot of 09" Flickr pool.

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The Del Marcos Hotel, King's Highway at the Ace Hotel and Shield's Date Garden - Palm Springs

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I travel out to the desert every so often for work. Last November, I had another chance to turn one of these trips into a short but sweet little getaway. I drove out the night before, and stayed at the Del Marcos Hotel on my own dime, to avoid the 5 AM wakeup call that would have been required otherwise.

The Del Marcos is an architectural landmark, the first project designed by well known local architect William Cody, built in 1947. It's very modern in its design and decor, and must have been really cutting age at that time. Arranged around a small swimming pool, it appears to have been originally designed as an apartment building. Overall the effect is charming and comfortable, and the staff are friendly. It's not as luxurious as some other places you might find, but it was perfect for my purposes. The rate was only $109. - and they have cheaper rooms, I splurged. This room had a full kitchen in addition to the area you see below, with a bar and outdoor patio. Free wifi and loaner bikes too.

The landscaping and decor is perfectly in tune with the climate and the architectural style of the hotel. The salt water pool (which I didn't photograph because I didn't want to invade the privacy of those around it!) was small but cozy and very warm. I planned to go in, but just didn't get around to it. For dinner I ordered takeout from Thai Smile, on Palm Canyon drive, and swung by the liquor store for a beer to go with (which made me feel like a bit of a derelict.) The panang curry and green papaya salad were just ok - next time I might try Peppers Thai instead.

After my work obligation was completed, I decided to take the long way back to Palm Springs from Indio, down Highway 111 (aka Palm Canyon Drive). It took a little longer than I'd anticipated (almost an hour) so I don't know if I'd do it again, but it was an interesting experience. It takes you from Indio all the way through all the desert cities, back to Palm Springs, and eventually to the 10 Freeway.

About five minutes in, I saw Shield's Date Garden coming up on the left. It's kind of hard to miss with the giant knight sign. I'd heard "date shakes" are a local specialty out there, and that Shield's is the place to get one, so I was already considering stopping when I saw this...

I didn't actually sit through the movie, but I hear it's quite a hoot. This place is straight out of the 1950s from top to bottom, including the movie from what I hear. They're planning a re-do, and I'd recommend getting there before then if you can, to enjoy the considerable retro charm. I headed straight for the soda fountain counter and ordered myself one of those shakes, and recommend you do the same. Sadly I couldn't drink much of it because some recent dental work has left one of my teeth ridiculously cold sensitive, but what I had was tasty. They make them with their signature "date crystals" which they also sell in their little retail shop. I picked up some dates and other treats to bring home. If you pick up their brochure - complete with recipes - you'll learn more about dates than you ever wanted to know. They sell about five different varieties, including the most desirable "Medjools" in various styles and sizes of containers. They've also developed a "blonde" and a "brunette" date that are only available there at the farm.

Further down the road, as I was turning off of South Palm Canyon Drive to go to Koffi, I spotted some hipsters sitting in the window of what looked like a sit-down coffee shop across the street. Seriously - it was the hair and glasses that gave them away. A closer look revealed it was the King's Highway restaurant at the Ace Hotel.

The Ace Hotels are a newish mini-chain of budget friendly hotels catering to the design-happy crowd with whimsical decor and amenities like vinyl record players and scooter rentals. So far they're located in Portland, Seattle, Palm Springs and NYC

The Ace is a re-do on an old Howard Johnson's motel, and when the coffee shop was renovated - they left the original layout and structure in place. They replaced the furniture with a mixture of modern and natural wood, and left the floor rough. It's a great look.

I took a seat at a booth and ordered the Lobster BLT sandwich and iced tea. In my experience, lobster salad sandwiches usually sound better on a menu than they taste, but my optimism was rewarded this time.

The service was friendly and prompt, the menu was interesting and affordable (with lots of vegetarian options), and the sandwich was delicious. After lunch I walked over to the lounge area and peeked at the pool. Both were pretty darned cool looking. Factor in the fact that Koffi is right across the street and there are a number of good thrift shops within spitting distance, and you've got yourself quite a combination in my book. If you like your hotels a little quieter, and want to be a little closer to downtown Palm Springs, the Del Marcos might be a better spot. Either way, I'm happy to report, it's hard to go wrong.


Shields Date Gardens
80225 Highway 111
Indio, CA 92247
(760) 347-7768

The Ace Hotel and Swim Club
701 E Palm Canyon Dr
Palm Springs, CA 92264
(760) 325-9900
I recommend eating here even if you don't stay.

The Del Marcos Hotel
225 West Baristo Road
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(800) 676-1214

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2009 - The Year that Was...

and I'd like add "with any luck will never be again" - but like last year, as I look at the photos I realize I don't have all that much to complain about. 2009 wasn't really so bad for us, as it turns out, but it was pretty rough on some friends and family members, and the worries have taken their toll. It was a tough year for many people I think - it feels like we're all hoping for something better from 2010.

I haven't been a very good food blogger this year, I'm afraid. We didn't do much eating out, and what we did do was a little more casual on the whole. Our only local fine dining experience - at El Bizcocho for June's Restaurant Week - was such a bust that I never even bothered to write about it, and I haven't yet made it to Kitchen 1540 or Addison - the top two places on my must-try list.

Instead, we were frequent customers at the bar at Farm House Cafe, and we've beat a well-worn path to the Tortilleria Salsa Market down the hill in El Cajon. Tender Greens in Point Loma is also a new favorite, though I don't get over there as often as I'd like. We also spent more than a few enjoyable nights at the Riviera in La Mesa and Starlite Lounge downtown - but that may have had as much to do with the company as the food (and Starlite's Velvet Diablo cocktails.)

In San Francisco, Pizzeria Delfina, Boulette's Larder and Hog Island Oyster Co. continued to impress me, and Coi Lounge blew me away with refined techniques, innovative flavor combinations, relatively affordable prices, and a comfortable atmosphere. I also experienced macarons at Paulette's and ice cream at Humphry Slocombe and donuts from Dynamo - all worth a trip if you happen to be in the area. Former food blogger Brett Emerson's Contigo in San Francisco was another highlight, with it's comfortable atmosphere and authentic, eclectic Spanish menu. It also gave me a great chance to catch up with a good friend I hadn't seen in almost ten years.

Our two trips to Vegas yielded great culinary experiences at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Lotus of Siam, not to mention Luv It Frozen Custard. I can't believe I still haven't written about L'Atelier - will remedy that soon!

In LA we had a chance to check out The Hungry Cat, sister restaurant to the one we enjoyed so much in Santa Barbara in 2007. We also got a kick out of LA Mill coffee, and experienced the chaos of San Gabriel Valley Dim Sum for the first time at Ocean Star.

One notable development this year was the improvement in both the number and quality of culinary events around town. The Cooks Confab events really hit their stride, with a marvelous seafood event at the Hotel Del this Spring, a beer event at Stingaree, and the Street Food extragavanza at the Mercato just a few weeks ago. Jeff Jackson's Celebrate the Craft at the Torrey Pines Lodge was amazing thanks to the talent and passion of local chefs, purveyors, wine makers, beer brewers, cheesemakers and breadbakers. San Diego's Urban Slow Food chapter also stepped it up a notch with monthly happy hours at local restaurants and fun events like the cheesemaking class taught by Alesmith's Peter Zien a few months ago at Fixtures. Beer Week was also a serious happening this year, with multiple tastings, parties and beer pairing dinners scheduled daily.

Trying to keep things positive, I'm capping off the year with a list of my ten best eating experiences of 2009, in no particular order...

I hope 2009 was kind to you, and 2010 is even better!

1. Properly experiencing the delicate floral heat of Szechuan food for the first time at Ba Ren during the Beer Week dinner.


2. Biting into the perfect Fudgsicle at the SF MOMA's rooftop garden cafe.


3. Lunch over a game of Scrabble on a rainy day at 8000 feet at the Bearpaw High Sierra Camp (while the smells of baking bread and carrot cake wafted through the room.)


4. Andrew Spurgin's perfect rendition of the Tijuana bacon wrapped hot dog at the Cooks Confab Street Food event.


5. The amazing meal (especially the scallops) Olivier prepared for us at James' 40th Birthday Party at Farm House Cafe.


6. Noshing on translucent Nova lox and real live New York bagels from Barney Greengrass on the patio in the sunshine at last year's New Year's Day brunch.


7. The insane abundance and chaos of Dim Sum brunch at Ocean Star in Monterey Park.


8. The spectacular and not-at-all overwhelming nine course tasting menu at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas (which I was lucky enough to experience twice.)


9. Eating the first vegetables harvested from our new garden, which has turned out to be one of my greatest joys in life.


10. The surprise of the "upside down tomato tart" at Coi Lounge in San Francisco, which Sam and I both thought sounded boring at first, but ended up being one of the most interesting dishes I've ever tried.

also rans: the Spring Vegetable Ragout topped with a Perfect Egg at the Publican in Chicago; Spiaggia's chicken under a brick , also in Chicago; the doughnut ice cream I made for the kids this summer; the "eggs and bacon," foie gras macarons, mini hostess cupcakes and other delights served up by Andrew Spurgin at the 20th Anniversary Party for Waters Catering; James' posole at the last Posole party - which I think may have been the best he's ever made; the Spring fava bean and pecorino crostini and Amarena hot fudge sundae at Pizzeria Delfina on California St. in San Francisco; the red velvet cupcakes, mussels, pizza and ice cream sandwiches I enjoyed with a gaggle of my very best girlfriends at Blind Lady Ale House on my birthday.

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