Cuisine Scene: All Things Chocolate
Few cities are as equipped to celebrate International Chocolate Day–Sept. 13–as Long Beach. Like so much of its dining scene, the International City offers a wide-open, inventive, sometimes surprising range of chocolate creations–sweet pastries to spicy drinks, dinner desserts to dinner itself–hailing from and created by those from all over the globe: France, Mexico, Vietnam, Philippines, Belgium, Italy, etc. reminding us that the world can be a very sweet place.
CHOCOLATE-WINE PAIRING: ROMEO CHOCOLATES
At this point, Romeo Chocolates isn’t so much a local chocolate shop as it is a treasured civic resource; the place where chocolate and art meet, deliciously. Chef Romeo Garcia’s tiny creations are masterpieces of flavor and construction. Since Romeo believes chocolate is more than something to pop in your mouth, he enhances the experience through things like chocolate making workshops for adults and kids in Bixby Knolls (345 E. Carson St.), as well as his popular chocolate and wine pairing parties, held semi-regularly–the next is Oct. 15 at 209 Temple Ave.
PAIN AU CHOCOLAT: DOLY’S DELECTABLES
Chefs Julie Do and Son Ly’s charming bistro offers quality breakfast and lunch items, but it’s their bakery items that captivate, many with a decidedly chocolate bent–chocolate almond croissants, brownies, chocolate chip muffins. Still, DoLy’s Delectables (245 E. Broadway) is perhaps best known for their version of the pain au chocolat, a French masterpiece said to have been introduced to the country by Marie Antoinette. A kind of cross between a puff pastry and croissant, this light pastry is filled with creamy, rich chocolate filling.
CHOCOLATE CROISSANT: RENAUD’S BAKERY
Located inside Gelson’s Market, Renaud’s Bakery and Coffee Bar (6255 E. Second St.) produces such delicious bakery items SO faithful to its French heritage, that customers have been known to joke that just one bite will make you feel as though you’ve died and gone to … Paris. While Renaud offers all sorts of chocolate options–the Chocolate Decadent Cake complete with chocolate mousse and glaze is noteworthy–including this traditional chocolate croissant; a light pastry made of rolled dough and surrounding two melted 41% dark chocolate bars.
CHOCOLATE CAKE: BUONO’S PIZZERIA
Being that it is well known for serving some of the best pizza and pasta in the city, you might be surprised to learn that Buono’s (250 W. Ocean Blvd./401 W. Willow St.) chocolate cake–long a staple of its menu–is a sort of revelation. One slice alternates dense chocolate cake with moist moist chocolate filling that is decidedly airy, giving the confection a richness of flavor that is both intense and light.
MEXICAN MOCHA: VIENTO Y AGUA
This Belmont Heights favorite has the feel of your very cool, artistic friend's basement, with lots of comfortable nooks, furniture, art and conversation. Viento Y Agua’s (4007 E. Fourth St.) full menu of coffee drinks–as well as a curated selection of sandwiches and bagels–is anchored by the Mexican Mocha, which is offered hot, iced or blended. Combining a rich, but not overly sweet, chocolate base with espresso as well as cinnamon and spice, this mocha has a delicious, dusty flavor that almost demands to be sipped and savored.
MOLE POBLANO: LOLA’S
There are lots of mole sauces–Lola’s devotes a whole section of its menu to them–and not all of them contain chocolate. Located on Retro Row (2030 E. Fourth St.) and in Bixby Knolls (4140 Atlantic Ave.), Lola’s Mole Poblano is likely what you think of when you think of the dish: 23 ingredients including Guajillo chillies, toasted nuts and, yep, Mexican chocolate, creating a burnished, rich, thick sauce that sticks to chicken deliciously. The sauce takes hours to prepare as many of the individual ingredients have to be prepared separately.
