The best part of Valentine's day is all the high end chocolates go on sale. All for me, none for anyone else.
The four Chocolate Holies - day after Valentine's, day after Easter, day after Halloween, day after Christmas. Although those tend to be crap chocolate - and modern logistics keeps the supply better tuned to the demand so more and more, the stuff you see day after is pretty low-end. Me? I'm in it for the Peeps. A Peep roasted over slow coals is like a toasted marshmallow brulee.
Actually, those look delicious. We're spoiled here, though. We got Theo, we got Fran's, we got Dilettante and we got Seattle Chocolates, which has a "broken bin" where you pay about 20 cents on the dollar for, like, really good chocolate.
Seattle's is amazing. I'm a bit jealous about the broken bin. Hershey's and Nestle can go suck a bag of dildos. They wanted to change the laws to allow candy to be labeled chocolate if it contained no cocoa butter, and instead was made of vegetable oils. Fuck those guys
You'd probably dig the hell out of Theo. It was started by a cancer researcher at Fred Hutchinson who decided he wanted to make some chocolate (it's named after theobromine, not a dude). They've got about 6,000 sqft where beans become bars. They never separate the cocoa butter from the solids. Their bars are in the grocery store here for $2.99. In LA they're in the Whole Foods for $5.99.
The lead chocolatier at Theo - Autumn Martin - went on to open a specialty store called Seattle HotCakes, which are unbelievably decadent, delicious, and JUST THE RIGHT SIZE. Oh my freaking god does she know her chocolate! My old circus used to occupy one half of the Theo Chocolate Factory building in Fremont (Seattle), and we would be rehearsing to the smell of chocolate... and every day, after they closed for tours, they'd bring the leftover chocolate to us. Our aerialists started running away with their fingers in their ears when they'd see Autumn come through the doors with fresh samples, broken bars, etc!!! So much good chocolate...
Theo is amazing but I'm amazed they're still in business with how they operate. Have a friend who has been working there for a couple of years now - wouldn't mind making a move over there at some point. The chocolate rules and he has boxes of free chocolate because it was broken or had cosmetic defects. Now about this Seattle Chocolates bin you're talking about...
Ohhhhhhhhh. Neat. I've not ordered from them before, I may have to make an order before it gets too hot. Voges is one of the companies that supplies Trader Joe's' so I can get at least some decent stuff out here without paying shipping. I love the bacon bars, BTW. I'd suggest you try one, honest. I personally liked the milk bar better than the dark bar, and all of my friends loved the smoke and stout bar. Otherwise Lindt is now in the local mega marts and is a good starter bar for people wanting something that tastes good, is not too expensive and is available locally. Green and Black's chili bar is also worth a taste. I fully expected to hate this one, but it was interesting. Not bad at all. But I normally go for the plain chocolate bars in the 60-80% dark range. Definitely going to try that Theo stuff next month when I get the craving.
Vosges is awright. If I'm buying at that grade I'll generally go with the endangered species bars; they have a better balance. Generally green and black over Vosges, just 'cuz it's a better value. My wife won't eat Lindt. Too waxy. I dunno... I'm not entirely sold on Swiss chocolate. Theo does this. It's not... well, it's not what you'd expect. And it's something you eat a crumble at a time.
I'm in it for the Brach's jelly beans at Easter. They're pretty low grade candy, but when hiking they make great pocket snacks. They don't freeze and can be dumped into a mittened hand. And they remind me of a happy part of childhood.
Glucose testing is something every pregnant woman must endure in order to rule out gestational diabetes. The drink is awful. Nobody likes it. Fortunately, as my wife discovered, you can substitute 50 Brach's jellybeans. The results are only medically valid with Brach's, because that's what was tested, and occasionally she'll use them with mothers that are seriously not into the glucose drink.