Smorgasbord

Sweet, Savory and Sustainable

    Gourmet organic chocolate heaven has arrived. The jewel-like nuggets tempt from where they’re showcased on single-tier cake stands under glass at Chocolatier Blue in Berkeley. It is here that Chris Blue, chocolate alchemist supreme, handcrafts—and retails—his eponymous seasonal selections.
    Blue, a graduate of Chicago’s French Pastry School, started his chocolatier career in that city, with the legendary Charlie Trotter. For his own decadent creations, he uses single-origin Amedei chocolate from Tuscany (made from 100 percent Venezuelan sun-dried cocoa beans), cream from grass-fed, free-grazing cows and seasonal fruit from the Berkeley farmers market. Depending on the time of year, you might get a passion fruit with caramel truffle, a cinnamon and chili blend, a burst of tangerine, a blast of peppermint or a snifter of eggnog.
    The artisan nature of what Blue does goes beyond his melt-in-the-mouth concoctions. Boxes and packaging are eco-friendly and green. He uses vegetable ink for printing. Unboxed, his chocolates cost $1.50 each; boxed they’re $2 each or less. A gift box of six, for instance, will cost you $12; a gift box of 52 sells for $80.
    Chocolatier Blue, 1964 University Ave., (510) 705-8800, www.chocolatierblue.com. Open noon–7 p.m. Wed.-Thu., noon–9 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 1 p.m.–6 p.m. Sunday.

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  From decadent PC chocolate to delightful PC fast food: Amanda West set out to prove, at Amanda’s Feel Good Fresh Food in Berkeley, that burgers and fries can be delicious and nutrition. Why, she asked, was sustainably raised meat the domain of upscale restaurants? She would change this by putting American comfort food on the good-health map and keeping it affordable. Her original burger, made with naturally raised beef, costs $3.75; a regular portion of her baked “fries” is $1.50. Her plates and packaging are, of course, 100 percent biodegradable. 
    Amanda’s Feel Good Fresh Food, 2122 Shattuck Ave., (510) 548-2122. Open 11 a.m.–9 p.m. daily.       

                                                             —By Wanda Hennig
—Photography by Amy Perl