Tag Archives: portland

The Case for Specialty Chocolate Shops

On Market Street in San Francisco’s financial district, a yellow sign outside Fog City News proclaims, “Yes really: 200 amazing chocolate bars to choose from!” Beneath it, a clipart finger points into the store. Follow it and you’ll find yourself in another world. “We’re like a wine store for chocolate....

Meet the Maker: Mark Bitterman of The Meadow

Disclaimer: this guy does not make chocolate. I know what you’re thinking. Didn’t she say this was “meet the maker”? So who’s this? Well, this is Mark Bitterman, owner of the fantastically lovely shop in New York and Portland. I first met Mark at a conference in Denver in 2009, where he...

Mast Brothers Stumptown Coffee bar

I’ve tasted chocolate that had distinct coffee notes, and I’ve also tasted coffee that tasted chocolatey. If you stop to think about it, that makes some sense. Chocolate and coffee are both tropical fruits that are fermented, dried and roasted. (Chocolate goes through a number of other steps beyond roasting,...

Theo Chef Sessions limited edition confections

The idea of limited edition is kind of like eating seasonally. Something that’s limited edition is less likely to be taken for granted, though you run the risk of turning it into something precious. Or, worse, a marketing scheme. Thankfully, in the case of limited edition things that are actually...