Chocolate Anyone?

There is a chocolate gem in Emeryville that has secretly been giving locals the royal treatment and this place is too good to keep secret!   Charles Chocolates Factory Store and Chocolate Bar on Hollis Street in Emeryville will knock your socks off.

Right now they have a summertime classic gone posh with their “Charles Chocolate S’mores”.  No longer will s’mores be reserved for camping.   These s’mores have a healthy slab of bittersweet chocolate and a square of homemade marshmallow that is browned to perfection (that perfect brown color that we all strive to achieve).  Talk about bringing back those campfire memories.  Although I must say my memories with marshmallows tend to be of the blackened variety, so I enjoy these much more.  You can only get these treats through August, so don’t wait too long.

They also offer a free guided factory tour where you can watch the chef make the chocolates.  The tours are every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm.

The fun doesn’t stop there.  They have the most unique summer movie series I’ve ever seen.  It’s a tradition at Charlie’s Chocolates, and they show eight free movies on the second and fourth Friday in June, July, August and September.  But you don’t just sit and watch a movie, they actually pair amazing food to go along with the theme of the movie.  In addition to “cooked to order” s’mores and a different flavored caramel corn for each movie, they bring in some fantastic catered food to complement the whole experience.

The movies start about 9 p.m., and the food and snacks are available for purchase starting at 6:30pm. They also serve coffee and their famous hot chocolate.  Here is a list of the movies coming up, along with the companion dinner:

• July 10 – Soul Food. Soul Food Truck. Pecan Praline Caramel Corn.
• July 24 – Tortilla Soup. Taco Truck. Mexican Chocolate Caramel Corn.
• August 14th – Babette’s Feast. Caramel Corn with hazelnuts and chocolate.
• August 28th – Ratatouille. Creme brulee prepared by Charles Chocolates.
• September 11th – Pizza. Pizza for sale by Rotten City Pizza.
• September 25th – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

They don’t provide chairs, so you need to bring your own chairs, couch, blanket, or whatever you’d like to sit on.   This event has become popular, so you should make reservations to guarantee your spot. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/67610

For those who enjoy a good chocolate fix on a regular basis, the good news is Charles Chocolates is only a five minute drive from OakWalk (or 1.5 miles to walk it off if you prefer).

Enjoy, I know you will!

Article by Stuart Gruendl.  Stuart is the developer of OakWalk, and an Oakland native.