Last year I offered a Best of the Bay Area Box for the holidays. Since the gift box did so well I decided to offer one again this year. This time it was the Bay Area Bites Box with the same theme of coffee, tea, and chocolate, along with other treats. The gift box included items from San Francisco and the South Bay.
The first item offered in the Bay Area Bites Box was a bag of The Beast blend coffee from Barefoot Coffee Roasters. This blend has notes of bittersweet chocolate and macadamia cookie. Barefoot Coffee focuses on sourcing coffees from sustainable farms and roast to order in small batches to coax out flavors which range from fruity to chocolatey to nutty. While sourcing the best beans they also try to bring awareness to important social issues that affect their partner communities. For those that did a pick-up option for the box instead of the shipped version we had a fun coffee meet-up at Barefoot Coffee’s Campbell location.
While brainstorming and doing research on my Bay Area Bites Boxes I spent an afternoon at Filoli Gardens and then had fun shopping in their gift shop. While shopping there I came across Kindred Cooks Caramels. The owner was selling bags of caramels and offering samples to try. She said she was interested in participating in my holiday gift box and that she sells caramel to Barefoot Coffee in Campbell, which is added to their espresso drinks. I loved how items started to become interconnected with one another for my gift box.
Kindred Cooks Caramels has taken the best family soft caramel recipe they know and produced a delicious treat they sell at farmers' markets and select local businesses. Kindred Cooks Caramels are handmade and gourmet, made fresh from the best ingredients. All it takes is just one bite and you'll be hooked. The flavors featured in my Bay Area Bites Box were an assorted bag of caramels; Traditional, Sea Salt, Sea Salt with Chocolate, Vanilla Chai, and Marshmallow with Chocolate.
Along with the coffee gift box I also offered a tea gift box option. While shopping at Redemption in downtown Campbell I came across a cute little bag of tea from North Fork Chai, which makes their product in Northern California from high quality ingredients. Everything is prepared fresh before they begin their small batch brews. They aim to operate in an environmentally friendly manner. For example, their tea waste becomes mulch for our gardens that give back. Featuring First Light Tea with notes of black tea, ginger petals, lavender, and hibiscus.
Every time I visit the Ferry Building in San Francisco I always stop at Miette Pâtisserie & Confiserie and pick up some of their shortbread cookies. While doing research and shopping in San Francisco for my Bay Area Bites Box I went to go check out their location in Hayes Valley. While picking up some of their shortbread I tried their chocolate cupcake with espresso butter cream frosting and sat outside. It was delish! The featured shortbread in the box was their Brown Butter Shortbread; a classic butter cookie with a rich, complex flavor made from browning Straus butter to a deep chestnut color and adding a hint of vanilla.
One of my favorite local chocolate companies is Dandelion Chocolate from San Francisco, who I also feared in my Best of the Bay Area Box last year. They have a location in the Ferry Building and in the Mission District in San Francisco. Dandelion Chocolate roasts and grinds beans from a single farm or cooperative at a time. Bean-to-bar classic dark chocolate with traditional chocolate notes. It’s a winemaker’s approach to chocolate. The featured chocolate bar in the box was a 70% Costa Esmeraldas, Ecuador 2020 Harvest bar; notes of molasses, chocolate pudding, and a hint of blueberry.
To go on with the theme of chocolate, for as long as I remember I have wanted to write a Chocolate Lovers Guide Book. Since I like Valentines Day so much and usually do a Valentines walk or gift box, this year I am doing a Northern California Chocolate Lover’s Guide gift box for Valentines. I got inspired while I was in San Francisco and Santa Cruz during the holidays. Stay tuned, it will be delicious!
