Post a Comment On: Confessions of a Restaurant Whore

So lately I've had a mad chocolate jones. I don't know what it is. I just can't seem to go a few hours, much less a day without a little melt in your mouth lovin'. And it's not normal. Because I've never been one of those people who has "needed" chocolate or been super crazy for it. Sure, I liked it as much as the next person, but I've never wanted to have it pumped into my bloodstream like I do now. Must be that tastebud shift that happens every seven years. Or maybe I've been brainwashed by those Oompa Loompas that keep coming to hang out with me (OK, so maybe I've been really fucking busy and tired -- that doesn't mean I'm having a psychotic break, right?).

In any case, I thought what better place to meet up with the lovely Catherine, than Bittersweet Cafe. An entire cafe devoted to chocolate. You see, the thing about chocolate is that it has all kinds of feel good chemicals in it (it even replaces the chemical you lose through tears). In case you haven't been paying attention, Cat's been dealt quite a bit of shit from the universe lately, so I thought what better than some chocolate to ease the pain (or at least dull it a bit)?

That's how we found ourselves at Bittersweet, where we'd both been before. When you've got two people, though, you can have a little more fun.

On my visit with Cat, we opted for their decadent brownie, along with some chocolate shortbread. As I had a performance that evening (and was fading fast), I went with a cappucino sans sugar. And it was some good cappucino. What is shameful is that I have yet to try any of Bittersweet's chocolate beverages. Considering I drink hot chocolate on an almost daily basis this is kind of ridiculous. Plus, you can even get a homemade marshmallow in your drink -- pretty bitchin', right? In any case, I don't drink coffee all that often, but I wasn't disappointed that I chose to have some there, since they are supplied by the very awesome Blue Bottle Coffee Company. (OK, and, by the way, if you happen to spill your just purchased HOT COFFEE on your INFANT, and they start SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER, the correct thing to do is RUN to a DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY. The lady next to us, however, thought that asking her friend "do you think she's OK?" was a sufficient solution. Crazy bitch.)

As for the brownie -- it was divine. Dense, chewy and not too sweet. Just as a brownie should be. I enjoyed the shortbread even more. It had raw sugar rolled around the outside and I detected a bit of cinnamon. It also had a perfectly balanced sweetness. I had half a mind to stuff my pockets full of the little round tasties.

What really will bring me back to Bittersweet, though, is their mini cupcakes, which I tried on my first visit. Now I really fucking love cupcakes. Theirs did not let me down. And I just about humped the clerk when I realized they came in an itty bitty bite size because, really, who wants a cupcake designed for consumption by an elephant? Wait, don't answer that. The point is that the cake itself was fluffy and moist, while the frosting was creamy and sweet (hmm, sounds like someone I knew back in college, but I digress), but not cloying as so much frosting often is (and which is why I normally scrape most frosting off). My cupcake was chocolate with vanilla frosting, but they have other combos as well.

As Catherine and I dished about our writings, we were interrupted by a man who was dying to know who we wrote for. He was very nice, and his two daughters were about as educated about food as a 4 and 6 year old possibly could be -- they kindly informed us they wanted to be a "soup chef" and a "pastry chef." Rad. But since Cat and I also needed our girl time so we could make out, we were happy enough when they finished their treats and moseyed on out. Still, it was nice to see a new generation of savvy diners being formed right before our eyes ("Daddy, I think this is a bit too rich for me," the littlest one opined).

We also bumped into Chuck Siegel, of Charles Chocolates, and his two daughters (whom I happen to teach. Pretty sweet, right?). He sells his wares at Bittersweet -- oh yeah, did I mention they have an incredible selection of confections from all over the world for purchase? Yeah, it might actually be a level of heaven.

Bittersweet hasn't let me down yet. My next plan is to go for a hot chocolate tasting. Just line those bitches on up and start drinking. That's normal, right?

xoxo
Joy

"To eat is a necessity. To eat intelligently is an art."
-- La Rochefoucauld

P.S. I just finally added "fucking" to my spellchecker in Blogger. About time right?

P.P.S. I just got the scoop on the reason behind my beloved Sante leaving the Slow Club. All I can (and will) say for now is not cool, dudes. So not cool.