Treats and Sweets on Trendy Chestnut Street
San Francisco's Marina District is home to mainstream chains such as the Gap and Pure Beauty, but its main drag, Chestnut Street, is a delightful mix of boutiques, wine bars, coffee houses—it's a shop-o-holic's dream—plenty to peruse and lots of places to nibble and nosh.
For those with a sweet tooth, Portland-based Moonstruck Chocolate Company recently opened a chocolate café on Chestnut Street. The company’s hand-crafted, artisan truffles are sold throughout the country, but at the café you’ll also find a sumptuous assortment of specialty chocolate and espresso drinks for every age. In addition to stand-bys such as café lattes, café mochas, and Mexican hot chocolate, Moonstruck offers blended milkshakes and other creamy, cold confections including the Brown Cow and the Chocolate Chai. Water and tea are also available.
Of course, the real draw at Moonstruck are the truffles, which have been enjoyed in such prestigious venues as the White House. There are dozens to choose from; the classic collection includes the Almond Tower, with carmelized almonds and hazelnut praline cream in a dark chocolate coating, and the Coconut Cream, with coconut ganache inside a dark chocolate shell. And there are plenty of gift boxes and samplers to purchase as well.
Moonstruck Chocolate Café
2109 Chestnut Street
(415) 563-6654
Monday through Thursday, 7:00 am – 10:00 pm
Friday and Saturday, 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sunday, 7:00 am – 8:00 pm
www.moonstruckchocolate.com
And who doesn't love a good cupcake? No, not the prepackaged “Ho Hos” of your youth, but the real, freshly baked McCoy. At Kara's Cupcakes you can get them—in a wealth of flavors—without even turning on the oven.
The shop's charming pink, green, and brown striped awning displays Kara’s logo of a pink-squiggle-topped cupcake etched on the window. Gaze into the glass case at the colorful cupcakes and only cupcakes arranged in rows before you. I dare you to walk away.
Kara and staff bake these beauties from scratch daily, using local, and often organic, ingredients, from premium, artisan producers such as Guisto’s Organic Flour, Gilt Edge Creamery, Clover Dairy, Scharfenberger Chocolate, and Petaluma Farm Fresh Eggs. Flavors range from Sweet Chocolate, a chocolate cupcake with a sugary bittersweet frosting, Buttery Buttermilk, a buttermilk cupcake with a creamy Madagascar bourbon vanilla butter-cream frosting, to Banana, Coconut, Kara’s Karrot (carrot), and Java, a buttermilk or chocolate cupcake topped by silky espresso butter cream. There are also several filled cupcake varieties.
Is your mouth watering yet?
You can get the cupcakes individually for $3.00 ($3.25 for filled) with a cup of Flying Goat Organic coffee, milk, organic iced tea, or water, or you can order them by the dozen with 48 hours’ notice for $36. Kara also makes mini-cupcakes, perfect for the kids, for $48 for two dozen. And if you’re looking to give a memorable holiday present, order Kara’s gift package—24 cupcakes with a glass bottle of fresh, chilled organic milk all packed up to go for $85.
Yum!
Kara’s Cupcakes
3249 Scott Street at Chestnut
(415) 563-CAKE
Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-7pm; Sunday, 10am-5pm
email: info@karascupcakes.com
www.karascupcakes.com
