Yesterday, my daughter Sara and I indulged in a few hours of chocolate tasting for a great cause. Project Open Hand received all proceeds as thousands of people descended on a closed-off Beach Street between Larkin and Polk to sample the gigormous array of chocolate tastings at the 12th Annual Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festivall presented by Safeway Stores.
We bought 15 tastings for $20 and loved every morsel. These included: Ghirardelli Chocolate (Intense Dark Chocolate, 72% Twilight Delight, Mint Bliss, 60% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Caramel, Peppermint Bark and Eggnog, as well as new Dark & Raspberry and Milk & Caramel Prestige Bars, plus Decadadent Drinking Chocolate)…
• Chocolate Malts from Lori’s Diner
• Chocolate Coconut Mooncake from Ana Manadara Vietnamese Restaurant (owned by Don Johnson)
• That Chocolate Thing from Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
• Cost Plus World Market Wine & Chocolate Pairings
• Lacey’s Dark Chocolate Almond Coolies from Desserts On Us
• Fairytale Brownies
• Sweet Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Mini Cupcakes from Kara’s Cupcakes
• Nutty Fudge Brownie and Nut Free Brownies from Kyaya Cookie Company
• Kit’s Cookies
• Chocolate Truffle Cake with Whipped Cream & Raspberry from McCormick & Kuleto’s Restaurant
• Irish Coffee from O’Neill’s Irish Pub
• Safeway SELECT White Chocolate Macadamia Nut and Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
• Petite Brownie Bites, Petite Palmiers and Madeleines from Sugar Bowl Bakery
• Chocolate Cream Liquor from Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqeuer
• Victoria’s Chocolate Almond Toffee
• Starbucks free samples
• Chocolate Sorbeto and Dulce de Leche Gelato from Ciao Bella Gelato
• Caramello Chocolate Crunch Gelato and Blackberry Cabernet Sorbetto from Gelato Classico
• Ice Cream Sundaes from Ghirardelli Chocoalte
• Milk Chocolate Chip and White Chocolate Toffee Cookies from San Francisco Cookie Company
• And Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies from Project Open Hand.