{"id":1088,"date":"2010-04-20T12:40:24","date_gmt":"2010-04-20T12:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/the-best-chocolate-in-the-world.html"},"modified":"2010-04-20T12:40:24","modified_gmt":"2010-04-20T12:40:24","slug":"the-best-chocolate-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/the-best-chocolate-in-the-world.html","title":{"rendered":"The Best Chocolate in the World?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am a chocolate fan. You might even say I’m a chocoholic, expect I try hard to eat chocolate in moderation. Some of my favorite chocolates come from Europe (Valrhona<\/a>) and South America (Chuao<\/a>), but I think the best chocolate I have ever tasted comes from San Francisco, California.<\/p>\n

\"xox-truffles-5.jpg\"<\/span>No, I’m not thinking about Ghirardelli, which is surely San Francisco’s most famous chocolate. Rather, the best chocolate in San Francisco, and quite possibly the whole world, is made in a little store within a couple of miles of Ghirardelli Square. It’s called XOX Truffles<\/a>, and it resides at 754 Columbus Avenue.<\/p>\n

As the name of this store indicates, they make truffles here (small lump of soft chocolate, usually flavored). That’s about all they sell, other than coffee to complement a truffle treat. You can buy truffles to be eaten “cafe-style” on the premises, or you can buy them to-go. Either way, you’re in for one of life’s most exquisite treats. By the way, I’m not the only one who thinks XOX Truffles makes some of the best chocolate in the world. The company has been recognized by food and chocolate experts, including Chocolatier Magazine<\/i>, which ranked XOX in the top ten in America<\/a>.  <\/p>\n

XOX Truffles offer a tantalizing array of flavors<\/a>, including: caramel, lemon, dark chocolate, orange, and raspberry. My favorite is probably the dark chocolate. I like my chocolate “straight up.” But the runner up is a flavor I never would have anticipated or thought I’d like: Earl Grey. The bergamot flavor of Earl Grey tea delicately enriches its chocolate base, without overwhelming it.<\/p>\n

Now it is possible to order XOX Truffles online<\/a>. But it’s quite pricey, owing to the elaborate shipping strictures employed by the company. If you’re curious about this, check out the “Please read prior to ordering” page to marvel at the effort made by XOX Truffles to preserve the quality of their chocolate when shipping, especially during warm weather seasons. You can tell from their shipping policies that XOX Truffles is utterly committed to quality. <\/p>\n

If you’re feeling especially wealthy and self-indulgent, go ahead and order some XOX Truffles online. I expect you won’t be disappointed. But my recommendation is that you wait until you can buy them from the store in person. Nothing I’ve ever tasted beats the fresh truffles of XOX. And they’re surprisingly reasonable when purchased in person.<\/p>\n

Would I make a trip to San Francisco simply to enjoy XOX Truffles? Not unless I won the lottery. And since I don’t play, this is unlikely. But I would go out of my way to enjoy this delicacy whenever I’m in the San Francisco area, without fail.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am a chocolate fan. You might even say I’m a chocoholic, expect I try hard to eat chocolate in moderation. Some of my favorite chocolates come from Europe (Valrhona) and South America (Chuao), but I think the best chocolate I have ever tasted comes from San Francisco, California. No, I’m not thinking about Ghirardelli,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[116,118,117],"class_list":["post-1088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-recommendations","tag-chocolate","tag-san-francisco","tag-xox-truffles"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Best Chocolate in the World? - Mark D. Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/the-best-chocolate-in-the-world.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Best Chocolate in the World? - Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I am a chocolate fan. You might even say I’m a chocoholic, expect I try hard to eat chocolate in moderation. Some of my favorite chocolates come from Europe (Valrhona) and South America (Chuao), but I think the best chocolate I have ever tasted comes from San Francisco, California. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1088"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1088\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}