338397 Mon Oct 30 17:18:37 -0800 2006 20 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 1982877 I’ll rant at the end so those that wish to skip said rant ... can. I didn’t have the chocolate fondue but thought I would pass on that they are offering it on Friday and Saturday, IIRC. The shop is known for their chocolates and also sells baked goods, Buona Sonoma gelato, two types of hot chocolate and other coffee drinks. The best item I tried was the tiramisu gelato, a really boozy, rich, excellent tiramisu gelato with bittersweet chocolate on top. It not only tasted like good tiramisu, it looked like it. The pumpkin looked gorgeous promising deep goodness, but delivered very little pumpkin taste, if any. Their chocolate looks amazing ... like thick, deep, dark fudge. A cherry gelato was full of plump, whole cherries. Melanie who tried the goat milk-based and the regular chocolate gelato wrote ... “The oh-my-god flavor here is the dark chocolate made with Redwood Hill goats milk --- deep, dense, smoky, and so rich and mouth-filling.” The Marin Independent Journal wrote of the gelato ... “ It's made in small batches in Sebastopol by Bill Capriola, a former lawyer who changed careers and apprenticed with a gelato master in Italy. Mostly organic and locally grown ingredients are augmented with classic Italian flavorings; for instance, you'll find plenty of syrup-drenched Amarena cherries in the cherry vanilla. Pistachio is the real deal, thick with nut paste. Try the stracciatella (chocolate chip) or vanilla dolloped onto one of shop owner and confectioner Veronica Bowers' fudgy, bittersweet chocolate brownies.” http://www.marinij.com/lifestyles/ci_4073721 The only other place that it seems to be sold is the Wednesday Santa Rosa farmers market ... too bad. I’ll have to see how loathe I am to step foot in La Dolce V again ... even for great gelato. The European hot chocolate is $3 or you can buy a ‘shot’ for $1.50. That means half a cup. So I ordered a shot of both. One is French hot chocolate the other spiced with orange peel, ginger and vanilla. It is so mildly spiced that I had to ask if they gave me the spiced or two shots of the French. It is probably the best version I’ve had of European hot chocolate, not overly thick or too overdone like the other Bay Area European hot chocolates which make me feel like I’m drinking hot pudding. La Dolce V had nice balance. I’d recommend the ‘infused’ spice version because I did detect a little orange taste which was pleasant. I forgot that ‘infused’ is usually code for little flavor, so there wasn’t much ginger of vanilla taste. This shop uses the word ‘infused’ a lot. I tried two chocolates - banana flambé Ripe organic bananas, caramel and dark rum with bittersweet chocolate Nice banana taste, no caramel, dark rum or bittersweet in evidence. This had a thicker shell than the other chocolate which was nice. Sometimes the thick shells are too thick and make it hard to eat with soft ganache. At La Dolce V the shell worked well with the ganache. - Renaissance: Fruity extra bittersweet ganache infused with a tea of specially blended fruits and flowers. Dipped in bittersweet chocolate ... Yep, ‘infused’ didn’t taste much here. . These had a thin shell and a pretty purple stamp on top. My idea of bittersweet is not this. Until I just copied the description on the menu, didn’t know it was supposed to be bittersweet. Melanie tried many of the flavors and described them in this post: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/26755 The flavors change, but other flavors listed are: raspberry rose, mint, jasmine, black forest, citrus, earl grey, mocha, pate de fruit, chai spice, bittersweet butterfly, lavender honey, truffles, malted milk, rum raisin, ginger stuffed fruit (apricots, figs, and plums stuffed with almond paste and sealed in extra bittersweet chocolate} and passion fruit. Thee are also pretty chocolates that look like malted milk balls and sugared almonds and such in glass jars. The website discusses their piccolo and tesoro bars. There are some pastries like brownies, cupcakes, biscotti, shortbread, I would have bought much more but the reason I didn’t leads to the rant ... There is too much silliness in this shop - no signs on the chocolates or gelatos to indicate flavor - a new pair of latex gloves is put on for each scoop of gelato - the type and colors on the back wall beverage menu are so muted they are difficult to read - Although the website explains the “V”, IMO it stands for the vapid and vacuous staff ... and this is the toned down post. I sat on this for a day and edited out the more, uh, passionate opinions about La Dolce V. There is a printed menu of the chocolate available that day which is kept hidden behind the counter. You have to ask for it. Top row, first chocolate from the right is ... give me a break. Put a sign on it. No menu for the gelato. The flavors are recited and it seems to be an effort to recite the whole approximately eight flavors. Otherwise you are expected to express an interest in a gelato and they will favor you by telling you the flavor. That business with the latex gloves is pure silliness ... open case ... put gloves on ... weigh gelato ... remove gloves. Repeat procedure for next customer. Both chocolate and gelato are sold by weight. The small cup of gelato was $4 and the tiny chocolates worked out to about $1.50 each. Even though I wasn’t wowed by the chocolate given the quality, I felt the pricing was fair. That $1.50 hot chocolate shot is a nice thing. I had a bad knee day and was using my cane. The only other time I used a cane and was treated this shoddy was at Aqua. As far as I knew, there was one customer in front of me. Three other people who came in after me were served first and they paid so little attention to what I asked for that the gelato flavors were almost wrong. While finishing up the one customer in front of me, I was asked what I wanted. When I said gelato, I was told they would serve me as soon as they were finished with the current customer ... uh, then why ask me what I wanted in the first place? I walked over to the gelato case, another customer walked in pointed to the vanilla gelato and they served her and asked me what I wanted. “What are the flavors?” I asked. I was told they would tell me after serving the customer who knew what she wanted. I guess being psychic to know what the unlabelled flavors were would have helped. I sat down to wait and rest my knee ... then they waited on another customer. “Oh, you should come over here, this customer wants to know all the flavors”, the clerk called over to me. She then proceeded to scoop the other customer’s gelato and told me I’d be next. When they finally got around to me, they started to ring it up and as an afterthought asked if there was anything else I wanted ... well, yes ... I heard you tell another customer that there was a chocolate menu. So the clerk says “Yes, there is”. It wasn’t a comment, dear. Do I have to do a follow up question and ask to be handed the menu? Yes, I did. There was a long silent pause while I waited for the menu and was stared at until I had to ask to be given the menu. So I say that I’ll read it over eating my gelato and come back, but right now I’d also like a shot of each type of hot chocolate to go. In the middle of this ... she waited on another customer. I picked up my gelato and took a seat waiting for the hot chocolate. That’s where another customer proceeded to tell me in a huffy manner, THEY planned to sit there. Being totally pissed by this time, I said I was sitting there for the brief time it took to get my hot chocolate and with my bad knee I was only going to move AFTER my hot chocolate was served. My hot chocolates were plopped on the counter and I took them to another seat by the window. While eating gelato, another person who had stopped by during a jog had their hot chocolate served to the table. So looking at the menu, I decided on the two chocolates and had planned to buy some cookies and maybe the nonpareils. I figured that maybe I was just tired and made a mistake. Maybe those other people were there before me after all. So they are finishing up a customer and I get back on line to buy the candies. I see a couple park their car and come in after me. The server totally ignores me and walks over to that other couple and starts to wait on them. I was too furious to speak, but the look on my face and probably the flames shooting out of my eyes made the server stop dead mid-sentence “Is there something you want?” I’m just speechless and thinking “No, I’m just standing on line for the hell of it”. At that point I got the chocolate and was in no mood to get something else. I’d say maybe it was a bad clerk, but the whole preciousness of the place ... that business about making it difficult to decide on a flavor unless you know to ask for the secret menu ... I think it is the place. Either put a sign with the gelato/chocolate flavors or hire a staff that supports this type of set-up and is willing to chat with the customer about what is available. I’d prefer the former. Also, reading another post, the chocolates are put in a paper bag and not a box unless requested and then there is a charge for the box. For two chocolates this is fine, but if the price is $55 a pound for chocolates ... figure the price of the box into the total ... charge $60 a pound and hide that box charge in the total cost. It is like Ici charging for the ice cream cone. Little things like that are annoying. The shop itself is comfortable a mixture of formal dining room tables and stuffed brocade couches with a crystal chandelier for some lighting. If you order the hot chocolate to drink in the restaurant, it is served in a pretty tea cup. If there was any other regular retail source of Buona Sonoma gelato, it is highly unlikely I’d ever step in La Dolce V again. La Dolce V 110 North Main St. Sebastopol www.ladolcev.com 707-829-2178 Hours: 8 am – 6 pm, 7 days a week Open ‘til 9pm on Friday and Saturday Petit Dejeuner @ La Dolce V Chocolatier in Sebastopol http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/313669 Buona Sonoma Gelato in Sebastopol http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/313849 Mon Oct 30 17:18:37 -0800 2006 10264 rworange 1 1983166 I really enjoyed your description of the service at la Dolce V. It is so accurate! When I was there last week I actually commented to my friend that the servers were much denser than the chocolate gelato! I usually try to ignore indifferent service but they were the worst we encountered during our whole weekend trip. One last comment: the gelato sits uncovered all the time and some flavors were dried-out and darkened. When I ordered one (pumpkin) she immediately took mostly the disgusting crust so I refused it and said she should dig for the fresh part! Mon Oct 30 18:37:53 -0800 2006 1982877 48659 marlon 2 1987672 I was hoping the airhead, sullen gal who offered a taste of the dried out, freezer-burned gelato edges had been fired by now, but i guess not. My second trip there, the owner was present and helping others at the gelato case. Now, when she does it, you can understand how the system is supposed to work. She asks you what kind of flavors you like, describes the ones in the case that might be of interest to you, prods you to taste a sample, lovingly discusses the fields the goats frolic in, etc. Unfortunately, the rest of the crew don't seem to be up to that level of service and passion for the product. It wasn't like that at the former location. P.S. Do get the hot chocolate "in". It tastes so much better sipped from a porcelain cup than from disposables. Wed Nov 01 03:50:49 -0800 2006 1983166 10039 Melanie Wong 3 1987807 That is kind of the point. I can imagine in Sebastpol getting a staff that accomodates that type of set up is not easy. I would have LOVED the experience you described. But if that isn't possible, a change in the way the shop operates would be a help which would be as simple as labeling the chocolates and gelato. I probably would not have noticed the service as much if I wasn't so dependant on it. Wed Nov 01 05:12:18 -0800 2006 1987672 10264 rworange 4 1987897 I agree. With clueless employees, the shop needs to be as self-serve as possible. If you'd like to try more robust flavored local chocolates, made by a kind and friendly guy who's generous with samples, check out Gandolf at the Saturday Santa Rosa market. I ran into him again in Geyserville a few weeks ago. The hot chocolate plan didn't come to fruition, but the nipples of Venus are still his most popular seller. Wed Nov 01 06:49:34 -0800 2006 1987807 10039 Melanie Wong 2 2135931 confirmed. Fri Dec 29 04:03:19 -0800 2006 1983166 48370 PastaFace123 3 2135939 feel better? Fri Dec 29 04:09:30 -0800 2006 2135931 11225 rabaja 1 1983223 "the servers were much denser than the chocolate gelato!" Thanks. Sometimes I take these things personally and was wondering if I should have dressed better ... but it is a gelato joint, for heaven's sake. Glad to know it wasn't me. They had a chocolate pumpkin about the size of a large grapefruit that was filled with chocolates for a little over $20, IIRC. It looked pretty. The shop was interesting enough and had enough quality that despite my rant I might stop in again as long as I'm geared up and know what I'm getting into. But I'll really have to be in the right frame of mind. Mon Oct 30 18:54:37 -0800 2006 1982877 10264 rworange 1 1987788 Yes. La Dolce V was a true disappointment. The staff and the owner are insufferable. Hot chocolate good, but that's it. Too too expensive - not worth it. Wed Nov 01 05:03:10 -0800 2006 1982877 48366 ChefGirl412 1 1990003 Any great business owner would love to know of your unpleasant experience. Please do them the favor of calling them up directly and voicing your issues. I know that the owner of La Dolce V would be most receptive to anything you would have to say. Thu Nov 02 00:23:08 -0800 2006 1982877 50500 luvcake 2 1990238 Have talked with the owner; business continues to get worse, unfortunately. Thu Nov 02 01:57:00 -0800 2006 1990003 48366 ChefGirl412 3 1990307 Eh, maybe I'll write a letter anyway. I'm not so good chatting face to face and my only real issue is the labels. If I go there next time I won't go with any expectations of service. The product itself is up to the level of SF chocolate makers. Its my big bitch about Coco500 that people complain about the service and never drop a note to the restaurant about it. Who knows, if enough people complain maybe something will happen. I'm not so into telling people how to run their business ... no really ... unless I really care about something ... not that I'm passionate about the place but a lot of care seems to go into the product and maybe feedback might be helpful. Thu Nov 02 02:22:18 -0800 2006 1990238 10264 rworange 3 2013275 Going again this weekend, hoping for improvement. Geez, I hope so. Young girl knew zip. Sat Nov 11 06:34:45 -0800 2006 1990238 48370 PastaFace123 1 1992205 I, too, found the service unacceptable. The chocolates are good and so is the French hot chocolate. However, I will never go back to this establishment again. Thu Nov 02 19:40:50 -0800 2006 1982877 48370 PastaFace123 2 1993553 PastaFace - was this recently? Fri Nov 03 04:20:01 -0800 2006 1992205 48366 ChefGirl412 1 2007568 I stopped in there last Saturday morning and had a cup of hot chocolate. It might well be the best hot chocolate I've ever had. I was the only customer in the place, and the teen-age-looking girl who worked there was friendly and just fine. I didn't do any of the chocolate tasting others mentioned above, so I can't say anything about that. But in this off-hour time for a cup of hot chocolate, the service was fine. Thu Nov 09 02:00:24 -0800 2006 1982877 10724 Mick Ruthven 2 2010621 Visted last Sunday after going to the Farmers Market. Nobody was in the shop but me and my friend. Girl behind counter was talking to someone on her cell phone and barely recognized our arrival. Ugh,,,still a disapointment, unfortunately. Oh Well. Fri Nov 10 04:29:57 -0800 2006 2007568 48370 PastaFace123 1 2136051 Went there in my all-too-brief trip to Sonoma and SF. There were 3 people at the shop helping customers - the owner and 2 other girls. The shop was very busy Xmas eve and they helped the customers out very promptly. I really didn't have any issue with the service. Perhaps someone cue the owner in with the problems? Anyway all the chocolates and gelato are now well marked. The hot chocolate was ultra rich, and a bit more bittersweet than the American style (we weren't asked which the type we wanted). I didn't find the gelato to be that inspiring. But the vanilla bean caramel - that's another story. The best so far. The bittersweet chocolates really brings up the caramel flavor. I guess I am sensitive to bitterness and sourness so I can really taste it. The renaissance was very nice too - subtle floral tea flavor that just shines through. The only nit is the chocolate really melts easy. I kept them at the glove compartment in the car and on the way down to LA some of it melted partially already. Plus the serving suggesting basically tags them as good for 1-2 weeks (with refridgeration). Fri Dec 29 04:59:14 -0800 2006 1982877 46671 notmartha 2 2136085 Thanks for the update. If the gelato and chocolates are now identified, I'm a lot more likely to give it another try. Fri Dec 29 05:19:20 -0800 2006 2136051 10264 rworange 1 2136134 The names are identified but not the description. I don't know why they don't put the description on their website. But here they are from the little insert they put in my batch: Renaissance (pink flourish): Fruity extra bittersweet ganache infused with a tea of exotic flowers and red fruits Pave (lavender and pink plaid): Bittersweet caramel ganache Lavender Honey (bee and flower): Bittersweet ganache inflused with organic lavender buds and wildflower honey Jasmine (white daisy): Bittersweet ganache infused with organic jasmine blossoms and green tea Ginger: Bittersweet ganache infused with organic ginger and vanilla bean, topped with crystallized ginger Walnut praline: Caramelized walnuts ground to a paste and blended with bittersweet ganache, topped with a toasted walnut Earl Grey (white paisley): Bittersweet ganache infused with organic bergamot and black tea Chai Spice (orange swirls): Bittersweet ganache inflused with 7 aromatic spaices MOcha (coffee beans): Bittersweet ganache infused with freshly roasted organic espresso beans Vanilla Bean caramel (Flat heart): Soft and luscious caramel infused with vanilla bean Bittersweet (butterfly): Classic bittersweet ganache Banana Flambe (rounded heart): RIpe organic bananas, caramel and dark rum blended into bittersweet ganache Rum Raisin (geo dome): Milk chocolate ganache surrounding a rum soaked golden raisin Malted milk (half sphere): Milk chocolate ganache and malted milk Raspberry rose (berry): Bittersweet ganache infused with rose petal and fresh raspberry puree Passion (double heart) Milk chocolate ganache blended with passion fruit puree MInt (rectangle topped with gold leaf): Bittersweet ganache infused with fresh organic mint Citrus (round with citrus design): Bittersweet ganache infused with organic meyer lemon zest (or lime zest and toasted coconut) Black forrest (round with cherry design): Bittersweet ganache surrounding a cognac soaked dark Italian cherry Not all the varieties were there when I visited. I also picked up a hazelnut praline that's in a molded berry shape not on the list (the texture reminded me of kit kat bar - crunchy). The owner was very responsive to the email inquiries I sent her (was trying to make sure they were open Xmas eve, and also that they have plenty of the vanilla bean caramel), so I wouldn't hesitate to email her if there are any questions. Fri Dec 29 05:51:55 -0800 2006 1982877 46671 notmartha 2 2136932 Thanks for taking the time to write that up. I'll definately give the vanilla bean caramel a try. Just the signs would have been enough. There's a chocolate menu which has the descriptions, but not all chocolates are available at all times so it was playing a guessing game on what they had ... do you have? ... no ... how about? ... no. Nice to know about the insert too for descriptions. It would probably be helpful to have a few more menus printed up or the paper inserts available ... or as you said, descriptions on the website ... anyway, thanks again. Fri Dec 29 16:39:13 -0800 2006 2136134 10264 rworange