Another Threeway Coming Up!

Our sexy evening of wine, chocolate, and cheese earlier this month sold out a few days prior to the event so I've decided to schedule another one before the end of August. Normally these just come along once a month, but evidentally our chocolat libido has been high as of late, so we're gearing up for another Threeway next Wednesday, August 26th! And this one's thematic! Check it:

Join myself and informal guest star from Stone for an hour-long experience of three truffles, three cheeses, and three locally brewed beers from Stone Brewing. That's right, folks... this time we're changing it up and going all brews! Beer googles make everything happen so much smoother anyway.

All nine tastes for just $20 a head. And don't forget your 10% discount on all other chocolate purchased that evening. We're closing the event at 24 guests and we've got 14 so far to don't hesitate. Call us to make an RSVP at 619.578.2984.

Summer Eats and the Caprese Tomato Brulee

We're ripping through taking reservations for our next Prix Fixe dinner on Saturday with only one table left at our 6.5 seating. No worries for you slackers, though, there is plenty of space still left at 4.5 and 8.5. What's everyone so exited about, you ask? Well little ol' me has been doing some recipe testing and here's what's coming. Check it:

That's our Caprese Cherokee Heirloom Tomato with Brulee Crust & White Chocolate-Balsamic Drizzle. Looks amazing, no? Well it's pretty mouth watering if you ask me. But that's just the beginning of the good eats we're featuring. Take a look at the whole dinner line-up here.

Don't forget to place your reservations in time! As always, we hold tables with a credit card and have a 48 hour cancelation policy. Call the cafe direct for more info: 619.578.2984

August Summer Harvest Dinner

Its that time of already... temperatures are rising, beaches are calling, and the heirloom vegetables of Southern California are ripe for the picking. What's a chocolatier to do? Sounds like a lovely time for a Chocolate Tasting Dinner!

With Luigi's Pizzaria open next to the cafe now, there are a lot of new folks around here these days. For you faithful bloggers out there forgive me for sounding like a broken record, but I think I can hear at least one tiny voice in the back of the crowd feably asking, "What's a Chocolate Tasting Dinner?"

For just $25 bucks a person (tip and tax extra, of course), cafe patrons with the proper RSVPs can come and enjoy a three course dinner. But not just any old prix fixe... no, no, no... surely you all know me better than that by now! At our dinners, each course features a chocolate or caramel component! I know a few of you are thinking this is strange, but with this being our 16th multi-course dinner, some of my friends are insisting that that makes me America's foremost authority of chocolate savory food. Well, I doubt that, but I've certainly seen a lot of interesting cocoa-laden concoctions by now.

So what's up next? With summer in full swing, I can't help myself but exploit all it has to offer. Join us for our next dinner, Summer Harvest, on Saturday August 22nd. Check it out:

Spinach and Articoke Dip with Cocoa-glazed bacon & flatbread (optional starter)

Caprese Salad with Brulee Crust of Heirloom Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil, & White Chocolate-Balsamic Drizzle

Ricotta-Parmesan Ravioli & Sage Brown Butter Sauce with Shaved Fennel Bulb and Chile-Burnt Caramel Hazelnut

Summer Berry Bread Pudding of Raspberry & Blackberry with Cocoa Nib-Infused Creme Anglaise

We have seatings at 4.5, 6.5, and 8.5 and as always, space is limited for our dinners. For reservations, call 619.578.2984!

Until then, take a look at what we featured last month, with pictures courtesy of our friends at Kaleb Scott Photographs.

Steamed Mussels with Crispy Salumi and Herbs

Roasted Corn and Potato Chowder with Shrimp Demilgaze and Cocoa-glazed Bacon

Fried Crabcake with Poached Egg, Hasty Pudding, and Chile-burnt Caramel Hollendaise

Caramel Apple Pie with Vermont Cheddar and White Chocolate Semifreddo

Truffle, Wine, and Cheese Threeway

Back in June, myself and my sexy staff here at Eclipse expanded the defintions and terms of our employments and indulged in a Threeway. Much fun was had by all, bellies were filled, and everyone walked away a bit tipsy. Wait.. what?... get your mind out of the gutter! No... of course not! We hosted a Threeway Tasting of truffles, cheeses, and wines.

Ok, ok... eyes up here, folks. Are you with me now? Good...

If you missed it, you missed out. Luckly for you we're doing a repeat performance next Wednesday, August 5th from 7-8pm. For just $20, guests will enjoy three lovely cheeses paired with three tasty drinks paired with three exotic truffles. The whole experience is an hour-long guided tasting and discussion on the anatomy and construction of chocolate complete with my undivided attention. What more could you ask for?


Still confused? Take a look at the food porn shot below showing one of the Threeways at our next tasting: Maui Brewing Coconut Porter with Double Coconut Caramel Truffle with Cahill Porter Cheese.

Yes, I know this is a beer, but its delicious and unusual... and as such is everything I hold near and dear to my little foodie heart.

Space is limited to just 24 people, and we've already got 16 RSVPs so call us already to save your space: 619.578.2984

New England Seafood Dinner

With summer in full swing, we've decided that it's high time to celebrate with a feast of delectable seafood, so the theme for our next dinner is New England cuisine. And the thing that comes to mind first when I consider all the tasty vittles from the North Atlantic Coast is the delectable crab cake.

Ah... crab cakes. One of my personal favorite meals. There's just something deliciously enticing about the subtle oceanic tones of crab meat: buttery and rich with a hint of the sea. Plus they're also pan-fried in butter and when has that ever gone wrong?

It's actually been quite some time since our last dinner (four weeks already!), and there are a few minor changes to the upcoming menu since I first announced it weeks ago. All improvements, of course. Take a look:

Exclusively for Saturday, July 25th, with seatings at 4, 6, and 8pm, for just $25 our guests will enjoy:

Roasted Corn & Sweet Onion Chowder with Cocoa-glazed Bacon

Pan-fried Crab Cakes (or Roasted Vegi & Quinoa Cakes) over Mixed Greens with Poached Egg and Chile-burnt Caramel Hollendaise

served with Herbed Hasty Pudding

Chile-Burnt Caramel & Apple Pocket Pie with White Chocolate Semifreddo

We will also feature:

Steamed Mussels with Crispy Salumi and Herbs (optional starter for just $12)

Call ahead to RSVP as space is limited! 619.578.2984

Sea Salt Nib Icecream Sammies and the New Dessert Tasting Platter.

Look at it. You know you can't resist the siren call of the Sea-salt Nib. You want it in your mouth. It's ok. It can be our secret. I won't tell anyone...

"Sea Salt Nib???" I see you all looking around. "All I see is a deliciously amazing ice cream cookie sandwich". To which I respond: Can't it be both? You are, in fact, looking at the first Sea-Salt Nib Ice Cream Sandwich complete with chewy Cyprus sea salt and cocoa nib-flecked cookies between a gooey layer of banana-brown sugar gelato. And it's all part of the current Seasonal Dessert Tasting Platter.

But that's not the only exciting addition around here. After all, it is getting hot outside. The temps here in Sunny San Diego have been climbing for a few weeks and what's more refreshing than a frozen treat to cool the palate? Well wait no more cocoa-kiddies, I've got brand new temptations for everyone.

If you've been to the cafe recently, you will have noticed a change in our Dessert Tasting Platter. I know its a shocker, but Will Gustwiller, owner of Eclipse Chocolat and over opinionated/stubborn chocolatier extradinaire, has finally given in to popular demand. Previously, our platters have been oriented to be "collections" of four little desserts perfectly sized for two to share with each collection changing every eight weeks to reflect seasonal ingredients, but the continued interest in making substitutions and omissions has finally worn away at my cold, chocolate-dipped heart. Take a look now!

Wha... what's this? Is it the Apocalypse already? I haven't even BEGUN my Bucket List! Are those SIX offerings on the dessert platter sign?

Yes, tis true. From here on out, guests enjoying our dessert platter experience will have their choice of four of the six available desserts. Love our bread puddings? Well get a whole platter of them; we've got at least two different flavors at a time! Or double-up (or triple or more!) on your favorite item. There's more where those came from... and it'll be the tastiest Apocalypse ever.

Extravaganza Results!

So I got a Facebook message from a long-term client and thus friend telling me of a prophetic dream she had last Friday. She dreamt that she had won the Extravaganza raffle and was so excited about the experience that she rushed to the cafe within hours to purchase two boxes of cupcakes and thus two possibilities to win the grand prize. Hours earlier to her message, I had drawn the two winners so I was charmed to hear of her unsual psychic talent of fortune telling. Call it what you will, but Victoria Olson will be eatting lots and lots of cupcakes this summer. 72 free ones throughout the course of the summer to be exact!

Christine Speidel, if you're out there reading this, your name was drawn, too! I suppose I will have to email you directly since as of yet I have had no indications that you are similarly endowed with the powers of precognition.

I'm still waiting to hear from the instant winners, so if you found one of those medallions in your cupcake make sure to email us! In total, 65 people entered the raffle.

All in all, the Cupcake Extravaganza went off fantastically thanks to my fantastic barista staff and the incredible Autumn-Cupcake Mamma-Teemsma. Besides you folks buying out flavors fasters than we could refill them, everyone seemed to be quite content with the selection, too!

If you missed it, we will continue to rotate all 28 flavors daily, featuring 8 or more cupcakes each day until they sell out. Also, don't forget that any cupcake flavor can be made into a Full-Sized Cake that serves 12-15. Orders require 48 hours notice and are $60.