439687 Sun Sep 09 19:13:54 -0700 2007 5 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 2925433 Flabbergasted is probably closer than puzzled, but today I stopped into Charles Chocolates Café intending to try several of their chocolates with the goal of choosing some for a small gift, that is if I liked them enough which was in question because I haven't been wowed with their offerings in the past (tried elsewhere). I walked in and up to the counter/display case. I asked the person behind the counter if they had offerings I could taste there, since I wanted to try several. He looked very puzzled and said something indicating that he didn't understand what I wanted. Thus started a very strange round of discourse during which he never once got the point that I wanted to buy one of several types and eat them right there. He kept getting this puzzled expression and asked things like, "you want one pound" (no, one piece), etc etc. I did try a sample of their fleur de sel and found it completely forgettable. Then I asked him which one that was (pointing to the two versions of fleur de sel in the case, one bittersweet) and he replied "it's fleur de sel". After a few more insuccessful tries to buy one of several types and eat them there I had had enough and just walked out. He had no accent at all and I saw no reason to think that English wasn't his native language. I think that's it for me and Charles Chocolates. Later I tried and then bought a box of Poco Dolce "tiles" of various flavored chocolate with sea salt. Just stunning and the opposite of my impression of Charles fleur de sel Sun Sep 09 19:13:54 -0700 2007 10724 Mick Ruthven 1 2925459 I've been to Charles Chocolates a few times in the last few weeks ... including today. For some reason, this guy who was on top of things yesterday totally spaced out today as you indicated. This isn't usual. Some of the Charles chocolates I found exceptional are the lychee tea ... better than the jasmine. Though the jasmine smells so wonderful I'm considering buying one to use as an air freshner for the car. The other tea flavors ... eh. The fleur de sel is only ok as mentioned. The espresso caramel is greatness. Not so thrilled with the meyer lemon or blood orange. The ginger is very pleasant. The orange marzipan is ok, if not amazing. I kind of like it and would include it if I bought a box. I still don't like the pate de fruit. I didn't like the cabernet at all. The peanut butterflies are nice. For some reason, the mojito I had as part of the tour wasn't as amazing as I rembered it. Only had two samples on the Saturaday tour. The $10 supplement includes 5 chocolates and a cup of hot chocolate. We didn't take them up on that. The hot chocolate is ok, but not hot enough and comes in a dixie cup. Not the hot chocolate experience I'm looking for. I didn't find the flavored hot chocolate better or more distictive than the plain. They are planning on changing the flavored hot chocolate every other month. The orange twigs are very, very good. Deep orange/chocolate flavor. Quite excellent and they are available as samples near the door along with the almonds and hazelnuts (good). There are some sort of caramel twigs with nuts that are amazing. However, I had them fresh made during the tour ... right from the enrobing line. Nice, nice, nice. If you go on the tour, go on Wednesday rather than Saturday when they have only a skeletan crew. Give them another chance. It was an off day. Everything I hated about the temporary SF store has been corrected. The staff is usually very nice and that particular guy was a real sweetheart yesterday. Sun Sep 09 19:24:09 -0700 2007 2925433 10264 rworange 2 2925469 >that particular guy was a real sweetheart yesterday.< He wasn't "not nice". He just couldn't comprehend anything, and I do mean anything. In any event I don't like their chocolates enough to go back; the ones you noted as very good don't appeal to me. It's Poco Dolce for me... Sun Sep 09 19:28:10 -0700 2007 2925459 10724 Mick Ruthven 3 2925491 Yeah, I meant he was on top of it yesterday. He even recognized my voice from calling in to reserve for the tour. As you mentioned, today I had trouble explaining to him I wanted a few chocolates. It took a few tries. From 'Chuck's' explanation on the tour, the caramels are French-style rather than American. When I have some time I'll write up the tour. It made me a lot more appreciative of Charles Chocolates and what they are doing and trying to accomplish. It almost reminds me of another thread of pro restaurant critics talking to the chef. I wonder if hearing Charles Siegel talk about the chocolate was a good or bad thing. It did color positively how I think about the company. That being said, my friend was a lot more impressed by Michael Mischner chocolates. You know, I caught a cold and I'm currently suffering. However for the past two days before I knew what was going on, I was in space cadet territory, totally out of things (see pro restaurant critic post, sheesh). I'm wondering if something is going around. There was someone working at CC who seemed to have a cold too. Maybe something like that is going on with the guy. Really, the staff there is usually helpful and on top of things. Sun Sep 09 19:39:09 -0700 2007 2925469 10264 rworange 4 2925677 Although I wasn't there today, I was there yesterday and go probably twice a month for a few of my favorites. I have a few thoughts about the above posts: Is is possible that the original poster seemed like he wanted more samples (i.e., not to buy his selection)? In the early days of the store they'd give out samples to a fault, which they don't anymore. There still is an ample sample selection. Maybe there was a misunderstanding in this regard? I don't know. As far as the chocolates themselves, I happen to love the dark chocolate fleur du sel. My other faves are the mojito, dark butterflies, mint, and if I'm really feeling thin, the little cones topped with the pate de fruit. I really don't like the lavender, but that is apparently a "love it or hate it" flavor. As an aside, while I'm not wowed by every flavor, I received via FedEx a surprise box of Jacques Torres chocolates from NY last week from a business vendor as a "thank you." While I was eating them (and yes I did eat them, they weren't bad) I kept thinking that these fools (the vendor) could have done so much better getting me a box of Charles Chocolates - they just taste so much fresher and cleaner. Back to the service - I stop in about every other week or so because for better or worse, it is very close to the gym I go to. I've never had an errant visit. It must have been an off day or a misunderstanding. Sun Sep 09 21:04:49 -0700 2007 2925491 13471 lmnopm 5 2925708 No, it wasn't expectations. The guy was truly in a different universe. He was a different person yesterday. I wasn't looking for samples. I just wanted to buy a few pieces. It reminded me of the temporary SF store where the staff didn't seem to be speaking English. I was sort of happy to see Mick's post because it kind of freaked me out. I was wondering what was going on. I thought maybe it had to do with it being Sunday and people (read Chuck) being off-site. Never was there on a Sunday before, but I was so impressed with the lychee tea, I wanted to try the rest of the tea chocolates. One of them had a pleasant smoky taste, but not sure which and I probably wouldn't go out of my way to find out. Oh yeah, honey lavendar. I liked that one ... mint ... that was the one I tried today and couldn't idenify. Yeah, for me, not crazy about the mint. Michael Mischner did have the superior lavendar chocolate though ... if one likes lavendar. I'm kind of thinking the poor guy has the cold I'm suffering from currently. It's taking a lot for me to focus and post. The room is kind of ... spinning. So far taste-buds haven't been affected. I'm sort of an easily identifiable peron once you see me. This guy who recognized my voice yesterday, squinted at me and asked "Where you here yesterday". I'm saying, the way I feel now, I understand. BTW, I didn't pick this up at CC. I've had this a few days now and it wasn't till I started coughing this morning that I knew what was going on. Sun Sep 09 21:25:17 -0700 2007 2925677 10264 rworange