Regardless of the region of origin, bruschetta is always a good choice.

Chef sent out a complimentary bruschetta to get our taste buds tingling (and tingle they did) – although technically the origins of this appetizer are found in central Italy, rather than the northeastern region of Veneto.

The Mezzi Ravioli al Vino Rosso, where good pasta meets good mushrooms - need I say more?

We purchased the Mezzi Ravioli al Vino Rosso ($17.99) – home made ravioli stuffed with prosciutto, Swiss chard, and Parmesan, smothered with Sangiovese porcini mushroom sauce, and sprinkled with asiago cheese. Paired with a glass ($4 half-glass, $7.50 glass, $30 bottle) of the 2008 Modello delle Venezie, Masi, the earthiness of the mushrooms and the wine amplified one another with ease.

The Pollastrini Plini e Boni is pure 15th century bridge between the Middle Ages, the Early Renaissance, and the Early Modern Era - both historically and culinarily.

We also ordered the Pollastrini Plini e Boni ($20.59) – a 15th century recipe made to be eaten just like they did – with one’s bare hands! This dish is an entire game hen grilled and seasoned with cream cheese, ground almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and saffron stuffing – then topped with a Trebbiano wine sauce and served with lemon and a Veneto salad.  (Veneto is a region known for its spice trade.) The recommended wine of choice is a good one: a 2006 Valpolicella Ripasso, Masi Campofiorin ($6 half glass, $11 glass, and $42 bottle).

Finally, we finished it all off with their house-made spumoni gelato ($6.59): a beloved holy trinity of layered strawberry, chocolate hazelnut, and pistachio gelato complete with cherries, chocolate chips, and pistachios and served up with raspberry and chocolate sauce. Very much worth leaving room for!

(Note also that they offer a 3-course regional tasting menu for $29.99 and three half glass regional wine flights for $12.99.)

The next region, you ask? Well, starting tonight and running until September 19, it’s a taste of Sicilia: a Sicilia menu designed by Chef-Partner Luigi Mavica, who is originally of Randazzo, Sicily. (Remember to bring in your passaporto and receive a gift of Lemon Olive Oil.) 

Once again, below please find Il Fornaio’s regional-re-cap for the second half of 2010, if you will:

Toscana: July 5-18 (Gift: Cannellini Beans)
Veneto: August 2-15 (Gift: Prosecco Stopper)
Sicilia: September 6-19 (Gift: Lemon Olive Oil)
Umbria: October 4-17 (Gift: Calendar)
Piemonte: November 1-14 (Gift: White Truffle Olive Oil)
Sicilia: December 6-19 (Gift: “Finitio!” Translation: Haven’t you got enough already?)

I still plan to taste my way through each region … as always, stay tuned, dear hedonists.

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.

Given that, the Poetry at Sooke Harbour House contest has been extended for one month – until 4:59 p.m. (PST) on Monday, September 13th.

Simply email a relevant poem (one entry per person, with the poem no more than 14 lines in length) to hedonista@heedthehedonist.com with the words “Poetry At Sooke Harbour House.”

Write a poem, win, and get $200 worth of redeemable coupons here.

The winning poem will be selected by your Hedonista in collaboration with none other than Sinclair and Frédérique Philip and their Sooke Harbour House team; the winning poem will be published here on Heed the Hedonist as well as on the Sooke Harbour House website and will receive $200 worth of coupons (courtesy of Sinclair and Frédérique Philip), redeemable all at once at Sooke Harbour House.

So get inspired and write, dear hedonists!

(Your Hedonista is watching you!)

Why, you ask? Because it’s a California-heavy restaurant and catering chain of some 20-odd restaurants and your Hedonista is typically not a chain gang fan, but rather a supporter of local, artisan fare: they use all local purveyors for their fresh ingredients – all meat, fish, produce, etc. are delivered fresh between 5 and 6 days a week – as well as import various ingredients directly from Italy to Seattle.

The entranceway to Il Fornaio: where rustic Italian meets kitschy Italian.

Yet Il Fornaio still surprised me – it’s creative, at a good price point, and actually pretty darn good. Highlights include:

Their interior design transforms to urban-chicness (here, their lower floor).

Apparently the Tuscans put bread in everything – literally – so we sampled both the Pappa al Pomodoro (cup: $4.99, bowl: $5.99 – tomato and bread soup enhanced with fresh basil, sage, onion, and Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil) and the Panzanella ($8.99 – Il Fornaio hand-formed filone bread and heirloom tomato salad complete with cukes, red onion, celery, fresh basil, red wine vinegar, and Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil). These antipasti e zuppe dishes were nicely paired with a 2009 Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Teruzzi e Puthod – one of the first DOCG white wines, this organic wine, made with Savignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio varietals from the slopes of San Gimignano, is light and crisp, with floral notes and an almond finish.

Samples of their chestnut-laden Pappardelle di Castagna (right) and Mezzelune Cacio e Pere (left) - the chestnut pasta was absolutely perfect and should be a regular item on the menu (ask Chef-Partner Franz Junga for it).

For pasta – all their fresh pasta is made in-house, with their dried pasta imported from Italy – we sampled small plated versions of the rich and creamy – yet vegetarian – Mezzelune Cacio e Pere (half-moon favioli stuffed with grilled pears, mozza and parmesan cheeses, and topped with an asparagus crescenza cream sauce and sprinkled with toasted walnuts (full plated serving: $18.99). And my absolute fav: their Pappardelle di Castagna (full plated serving: $18.59 – a fresh pasta made with chestnuts and tossed with Italian sausage, porcini mushrooms, tomatoes, crushed red peppers, and Trebbiano wine). This chestnut pasta is delightfully unique – they should really have it on the menu year-round. The wine pairing – chosen by Il Fornaio Manager (and acting sommelier) Mike Neumann from a pre-set wine menu designed for the Toscana menu – was a 2009 Bolgheri Rosato, Scalabrone, Guado al Tasso the (balanced) acidity cut the creamy cheesiness of the sauce for the ravioli, while the red fruit flavors of strawberry and raspberry complemented the nuttiness of the chestnut pasta.

For the secondi, we once again sampled small plates of their Pollo al Mattone alla Diavola (full plate: $19.99 – a partially de-boned marinated and grilled half chicken, served with their Tuscan salad and roasted Yukon Gold spuds) and their Merluzzo alla Livornese (full plate: $24.99 – baked wild ling cod filet, with a filone breadcrumb and basil coating, and accompanied by olives, capers and tomato sauce, served with fresh sautéed vegetables and those Yukon Gold spuds. Paired with the “Big Rediness” of the 2007 Super Tuscan Mazzoni, this was pure flesh ‘n’ potato heaven.

Manager Mike Neumann acted as our sommelier for this media tasting.

Finally, for dessert – or dolci – we tucked into their Bongo Gelato ($8.59 – their housemade profiteroles filled with vanilla ice cream and served atop a bed of crème l’anglaise with warm chocolate sauce) with a surprising pairing: a bottle of 2006 Chianti Rufina, Frescobaldi Nipozzano. Made with a Sangiovese varietal grown just north of Florence in the Rufina zone, the spicy vanilla and dark red fruit notes of sweet plum and raspberry made this the perfect mate to a very sensual dessert. (It’s tough to beat wine and chocolate.)

What’s more, they have a promotion they run called the Festa Regionale (Regional Festival) – an education and palate-pleasing trip through the numerous culinary (not to mention cultural) regions of Italy. As a result of this program, every month they feature a new dinner menu from one of the 20 unique regions they have identified. A “Passaporto” is provided to each patron for each six-month period, with a different region to be featured each month, as well as a take-home gift with every meal. The current regions (and gifts, which are subject to substitutions) of this period, which began this month and runs through to December 19th, is as follows:

Their house-made profiteroles are worth saving room for.

Toscana: July 5-18 (Gift: Cannellini Beans)
Veneto: August 2-15 (Gift: Prosecco Stopper)
Sicilia: September 6-19 (Gift: Lemon Olive Oil)
Umbria: October 4-17 (Gift: Calendar)
Piemonte: November 1-14 (Gift: White Truffle Olive Oil)
Sicilia: December 6-19 (Gift: “Finitio!” Translation: Haven’t you got enough already?)
(Note that you can sign-up to get emails of these monthly menus, as well as your very own passaporto.)

You get a stamp in your Passaporto and the gift when you dine within these monthly time periods and purchase an item from the regional menu. Get all six regions stamped and Il Fornaio promises to give you one “hand-painted, imported Italian ceramic plate” a $20 gift card invite to next year’s Festa Regionale and enter you to win a trip for two to Italy (just give the Passaporto to the manager).

I’ll try to taste my way through … stay tuned, dear hedonists. Might even visit Veneto this week….

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.

Spinnakers chef - a former logging camp cook - really knows her stuff.

Remember that game Spin the Bottle? (And yes, there’s an app for that.) I suspect most sommeliers are good at that game, which reminds me (once again) of my “sensual sommelier” Brian Storen, currently Vancouver Island’s Sommelier-At-Large. A few months back, after the Sips tasting, Brian invited me once again to a media tasting with Hobo Magazine editor and UVic Fine Arts Faculty member Brian Hendricks (a.k.a. Brian #2). The venue? Spinnakers Gastro Brew Pub & Guesthouses (the same operators as Sips Artisan Bistro and James Bay and Vic West Spirit Merchants). I was also invited to a weekend media stay at the Spinnakers Guesthouses, which I eagerly accepted.

Co-diner Brian (#2) made a fabulous dining companion – we geeked out on all things literary.

Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub & Guesthouses – the brainchild of Publican Paul Hadfield, and Canada’s first “purpose built, in-house gastro brew pub” – is a unique blend of foodieness and publiciousness by the sea. With its enviable waterfront location, its wood-paneled interior, and its selection of local and organic produce and it seems wild (if possible), free-range, or at least hormone-free meats, Spinnakers is truly a gastrologist’s dream. (And they make their own beer, Malt Vinegar, mineral water, and chocolates, too!) Brian Storen’s 7-course menu, complete with his own tasting notes of our very own round of Spinnakers Spin the Bottle – not to mention the plates, which were brilliantly created and prepared by Chef Alison Ryan is depicted below (we even sabered a bottle of champagne – whoopee!). ‘Twas a palace-sized experience for the ol’ palate with Ali (chef), Brian (somme) and, er, well … Brian (co-diner) as we sat at the bar that saddles up to the kitchen itself.

Librettist and somme Brian Storen takes a wine taste.

Librettist Brian Storen (Canada’s Sommelier of the Year 2005, enRoute Magazine, Air Canada):

Sabouring the … moment: Deck side eroto-pre-descent into mounted battle Napoleonic tradition of running a sword along the circumcised seem of a bottle of Okanagan Falls Blue Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir -Chardonnay Brut,  agitating barometric pressure to an ejaculatory climactic point of contact between bottle neck and blade thereby releasing testosterone to raging troops of history, alternately the loving embrace of the contemporary present moment.

Pre-ambulation: Memory, images, dream fragments, relationships commingle; eating & drinking trigger aspects of who, what & how we’ve been in a gestalt of unrelenting truth. Hardwired to the trigeminal brain stem, the palate is portal to the soul invoking before thought, secondary aspects of the self that rarely see the light of our cognizant day. Through these mediums we introduce ourselves … with slightly gassed water from our well drilled under the building to an aquifer running below the Juan de Fuca Straight, shall we say surreptitiously sourcing the water tax-free from the Olympic Peninsula.

~1 Initiating trigeminal consciousness with Doc’s Pale Ale so acronymed after Paul’s oral surgeon brother Doctor Ian Hadfiled designed it in a soft yet piquant manner to mollify a scientifically unsubstantiated yet empirically legitimized feminine palate sensitivity to hops and gooey things, incisively guiding the tongue through a textural tango with to die for more petite Cortes Island Whaletown oysters massaging the tongue under a soft shower duet of Spinnakers IPA vinegar local golden beet mignonettes straddled by baked Bamfield Bull kelp beckoning the palate cleanse ‘nectarnal’  precision in Tugwell Creek’s Sparkling Methode Classic Wassail Mead burbling the wet dream ephemera of Whaletown mucosal viscosity with the diligence of nectar drunk bumble bees humming frizzante dexterity while they work, not caring how they get into the flower nor whether they ever emerge.

~2 Grazing the fields at Saanich Organics while massaging upper palates with our contralto toned light hopped estrogen rich Spinnakers ale candied Wilbury Farms Metchosine hazelnuts nestled in ovums of Happy Valley goat cheese & roasted Saanich Organics beet rafts floating Dragonfly Farms spinach salad with two recovering accountants Tim Watts & Bob Ferguson’s Naramata Bench 2007 Pinot Gris left on skins 6 hours thereby inducing sunset hew and subtle skin tannins to this “mouse that” roars white wine for red wine drinkers” composed of perfect grapes fermented in perfect science in a perfect winery (literally Bob’s garage) situated in a perfect vineyard in a perfect enophilic dream of growing grapes; rendering its utterly beguiling rhubarb, strawberry, pomegranate nose mélange into a spanky clean and lean mouth watering entrancement with the omega-3.

An omega-3 orgasm (really).

~3 Fishing theme out of roaming imagined 19^th century streets of London, glass in hand circa invention of the beer that would survive sea journeys to colonial troops in India through our subtle straw hued, Pacific Northwest style high hopped Spinnakers IPA impugning somnambulistic perfection in ethereal pineapple sage hinted apple overtones to the subtle hum of a sunlight afternoon shoreline snooze after diving diva like into tongue coating omega 3 density of semolina & kelp dusted braised locally line caught sable fish pendulant in Bamfield bull kelp and brassica bathing trunks swimming through islets of white wine braised Cortes Island Whaletown savoury clams drenched by God in chef Alison’s Platonic essence of Sun Wing Farms parsley infused compound butter to the risk and imagination of house smoked Sooke trout, Seabluff Farms Jerusalem artichoke, bintjes potato & leek ragout accompanied by believe it, Salmon Arms Larch Hills Vineyard 2007 Mad Angie (Madeleine Angevine) cresting the briny aforesaid with its voluptuous mouth feeling persimmon and melon conjuring the sensual illusion of drinking Renoirs painting of the pear shaped ass ‘nude.’

The lovely lamb, served up on a bed of parsnip purée and topped with candied carrots ... mmmmmmmmmmm.

~4 Fantasizing the bodies of words into image whilst Spinnakers Belgian style Abbott Ale parodying a brown robbed Cistercian monk humbly proffering an aged amber eyed canine water dog love nose nuzzle to Spinnakers Fog Fighter Ale braised neanderthalic cuts of Dragonfly Farms lamb shoulder shoulder chops in the same farm’s spinach roasted with rosemary infused babes honey candied carrots on Seabluff Farms parsnip purée Giordano Venturi with Marilyn Schulze’s ingenious Cobble Hill contralto libretto 2006 Sole Rosso of Pinot Noir & Zweigelt foisted from that ancient Kimmeridgian-Tithonian schist of the vineyard they grow in purporting an autumnal leafed keenly ripened blackberry and current embrace of the individual residuals in Jurassic history, youthful vigor, oxalic acid and ninja coaxed playfulness with the porcine: perhaps the most experientially concrete, archetypically symbolic, personally metaphorical inducing Pinot Noir in the world furthering depth perception with triple pairing referencing a theme of spirituality in the earth, on the plate in the glass with:

~5 Our Spinnakers E.S.B. bittered in old English fashion named one of Canada’s top 10 beers by MacLeans Magazine and my father’s favourite beer when he was alive. Convening feathered fealty to a sweet morning dew avian concatenation ‘To Frank’ emerging pre-Cambrian to the shores of north Duncan, Lyle’s Cowichan Bay Farm duck breast nesting belly down on eschatological pyres (referring metaphorically to the end of ordinary reality and reunion with the Divine) of hand lumber jacked braised kale corniced with Salt Spring Island’s Blossoms Blue Cheese cake massacred with bullets of sweet house pickled cherries penetrating the hearst of to the duck: Oliver’s B.C.’s 2007 Stoneboat Vineyards Pinotage crossing the idiosyncratic alter enological ego boundaries of pinot noir & cinsault, to witness the earth, bramble and spice olfactory escalator’s ascendance into gossamer strands of first black currant and melted purple crayon sylphs riding bare back through a heaving pack of saddle mounted black currant minions to Sisyphusian grace grown to a paradox of scientifically perfect, sun withered, low hanging, warm earth coated old canine scrotum density in a singular sweaty bovine enological gem for Canada.

Duck breast on kale, complete with sweet pickled cherries and cheesecake - schweet!

To the cheese cake: Venturi Schulze Vineyards Brandenburg #3 after Bach’s Concerto composed of Sylvaner grapes slowly cooked down 2 days in a big vat in the vineyard, reducing volume thereby catharting glucose, subsequently aged 2 years in a solera of chestnut, alder and ash barriques from Giordano Venturi’s home town Modena genuflecting a profound testament to necromantic veracity. Fireweed honey esters roil up the glass, pungent with frankincense and myrrh smoked ancient stone and wood shafts funneling the languorous movement of an opulently overripe apricot shedding its skin before slipping into a gooseberry lined bed and the trembling embrace of a post pubescent fig tree, commingling their rhapsodic liquid essence in the twice blessed womb of myth & imagination. Suddenly I’m 10 years old, standing blindfolded in front of the main entrance to Westminster Abbey, my mother imploring in her perfect soprano “ My Redeemer Liveth” solo pitch “Breath Brian” as she flings open the doors shoving me through. I am staggered by the Kaleidoscopic smells of ecclesiastic mystery and ancient history extrapolating magnificence from:

~6 A vicarious tour of our Chocolatier Crystal Duck’s world famous selection of hand made Guittard chocolate truffles paired to beers slightly wicked ‘aphrodisiac’ raspberry and pepper  infused dark chocolate truffle: Spinnakers Blue Bridge double hopped IPA deferring to the singularity of Victoria’s blue lift bridge marrying Esquimalt to the city.  At 9% alc, 2 Blues and your under the bridge looking for crack cocaine ‘Thymless’ induced same on same wit and tenor to the palate of dark chocolate and thyme truffle: scaling rock with Spinnakers Nut Brown Ale ‘just a little stout’ dark chocolate, stout and barley truffle: draped in ermine cloaked Ogden Porter.

Dessert: truffles paired with beer and gin paired with sorbet. (Could life get any better?)

~ 7 Finalizing the tale with pure brian over kill by revealing the palate as orgasm to the soul raspberry apple sorbet in Victoria Gin. Struck by a sneaky release of vibrant florality pluming in the inoculated mouth as you breath into what you’ve swallowed. Interesting the self deceptive prejudices we have about price and perception of relative value: not unlike the experience of going on a blind date with low expectations and being shocked by the humble perfection of it all. Paradoxically terroire is the penultimate expression of this distillate. You smell, taste, feel the earth, the sun, the rain, hear the dragonfly hum through the leaves, even the occasional dog peeing against a fence post, syncopating the illusion of innocence into a sultry mélange of flowers, rampantly opening to the racing acidity of a food perfect innuendo from the Old West Saanich Road Vineyard where the gin is produced in the only legal wood burning copper pot still in the country. Superb without knowing it, there is an entire scope of experience in animated hyperbole that defines the liquor itself as simultaneously monastic in depth yet joyful in behaviour on the palate, with food, through the body: ultimately spirit reflecting spirit.

Buena Note on bended knees! (Brian Storen)

Now, after all that, you may be planning on imbibing a plenty. Fear not, for their Guesthouses – both contemporary (4 garden suites and a separate, self-contained bunglaow) as well as 5-roomed heritage (circa 1884) – are only (perhaps teetering) steps away, with many of the rooms boasting a double Jacuzzi soaker tub, fireplace, and private patio. You don’t get breakfast in bed, but they come pretty close: a basket of juice, in-house baked pastries, and the local morning paper. And you’re welcomed with house-made chocolate truffles and Spinnakers Aquifer mineral water, to boot. With all that they make in-house, it’s no surprise that Spinnakers typically always has something going on. You can check out their Events Calendar to plan your night there (or overnight, depending on how you roll). If you do, however, be sure to ask if Brian’s working that night – he may just play Spin The Bottle with you.

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.

Sooke Harbour House is truly a seaside oasis.

Sooke Harbor House is more than just a picturesque, garden-laden seaside inn with world-class food and wine menus that change on a daily basis. It’s more than just a sought-after venue for destination weddings and corporate retreats.  Sooke Harbour House – located on the southern coast of Vancouver Island – is a spiritual place laden with history – from a migratory camping ground of the T’sou-ke First Nation to Spanish and British occupancy in the 1700s and 1800s, to an auto camp and teahouse in the 1920s, with construction of the Sooke Harbour House taking place in 1929 to operate as a dining room and inn. Fifty years later, Frédérique and Sinclair Philip purchased the property as-is: a single house with 5 small guestrooms, no private guest bathrooms, and a small dining room.

It's easy to spend an hour or two in the library.

Seven years later, they built on 10 additional guestrooms, complete with fireplaces, dens, and two-person soaker tubs. Two years after that, in 1988, those original five guestrooms built in 1929 were renovated to match the style and offerings of those ten rooms built back in 1986; and, in 1998, 13 more rooms were added for a total of 28 rooms, each of which has been uniquely designed with such themes as First Nation, garden, ocean, and culinary and decorated by Frédérique with works from local artists and artisans; the room rates range in price depending on the room and time of year from approximately $260 to $660 a night. As if the soaker tubs -located in some rooms both inside the rooms and outside on the secluded decks – Sooke Harbour House also offers in-room spa services through its Sea-renity Spa service.

The gift shop is heavy on the local arts and artisan crafts.

The quirky, Escher-esque halls of the inn – remember, that’s a lot of renovations, dear hedonists – make up an art gallery that features over 150 local artists and artisans. There’s also a library worth an hour or two of your time.  There’s even a gift shop – both virtual and actual, too. About three years ago they added the Sooke Harbour Farm, an organic farm just over 2 acres in size that they lease that supplies the inn’s kitchen. Until then, they always had their edible landscape on the ground themselves, chocked full with over 200 edible herbs, greens, flowers, and vegetables. Then there’s the seafood available in the ocean.

The Cornucopia here abounds.

It’s a place where you can truly escape reality for awhile and focus on what arguably really matters: your dreams.

Although Sooke Harbour House may not be a place where all of your dreams come true, it certainly comes close. It’s the kind of place where all of your dreams could easily be conceived – in perfect clarity, no less.

The Thunderbird Room.

Their wine cellar: always expanding and contracting.

Brian Storen – my sensually seductive sommelier crush-at-first sight who’s now become a dear friend and new-found member of my food and wine geek-ridden adoptive family – introduced me to Sinclair and Frédérique Philip, the owners and innkeepers of Sooke Harbour House (Sinclair is also the Wine Director and Frédérique the Art and Design Director), who in turn offered me a media dinner with the two of them, a one-night stay in their fabulous Thunderbird Room (that’s room #25, the “Bird’s Nest Supreme King”), and breakfast. (Brian has a long-standing relationship with Sinclair and Frédérique Philip and Sooke Harbour House; he was their past sommelier and can on occasion still be found working there a day or two every week. If you’re lucky, you’ll dine on a night he’s working the floor.) Their wine cellar – which can hold up to 15,000 wines – has won the Wine Spectator Grand Award since 2000.

They offer a 4-course dinner at $74.95 (CDN) per person as well as a Multicourse tasting menu for $120.00 (CDN) per person (excluding beverages, taxes, and gratuities) with wine pairing another $80.00 (CDN) per person. Tasting notes of the surreal dinner with Frédérique and Sinclair (as well as with Brian, who intermittently graced our presence as the sommelier that night):

Lingcod, sole, mussels, and barnacles - oh my. (FYI: It tasted even better than it looks here.)

Soup: The Nelson Carrot and Coriander Soup – complete with house smoked cheddar cream, garlic chive, cilantro pesto and a delectable bite of grilled sardine, paired with my thus far fav Vancouver Island vineyard, hands down: Venturi-Schulze Vineyards of Cobble Hill’s 2009 Millefiori, a cool fermented marriage of Spanish Ortega & German Siegerrebe varietals. Millefiori means “1000 Flowers” in Italian, which, given the both tropical and fruit flower quality of this wine, combined with a citrusy finish, complemented the herbed cream and fish in the soup.

Salad: The Sooke Harbour House Salad – A beloved regular on the menu, this salad features the wild and organic greens and blossoms from their landscaped garden, served with an Okanagan cherry vinaigrette and maple-fennel candied walnuts. (Again, the Millefiori worked beautifully here, picking up the sweet maple and cherry, the sour of the vinaigrette, and the soft bitterness of the greens and blending them with ease.)

Seafood: B.C. Seafood Trio – Sablefish, wild rice fried oyster, and grilled scallop, served on a bed of spicy miso coleslaw with fennel frond sour cream, sea asparagus, and radish pod salad with a honey chive vinaigrette. Wow – a veritable menage a trois a la mer – that was washed down nicely with a glass of Quails Gate Kelowna Vineyards outrageous blend of 2009 Chasselas, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc.

The lamb loin - a veritable eternal spring.

Duck: Cowichan Bay Farm Duck Confit – Served on three types of stone ground mustard, this duck was presented with braised cabbage with a sage pomme Duchess, blackberry jus and a rosemary oat gremolata. Paired perfectly with Salt Spring Island’s Gary Oak Vineyards esoteric 2009 Pinot Noir/Zwiegelt Rosé.

Fish: Pan Fired Pacific Lingcod Served with Petrale sole, Salt Spring Island mussels, and gooseneck barnacles in a carrot-fennel sauce with a calendula petal, basil rouille on Bordeaux spinach crepes, sautéed Ragley Farm baby carrots and bok choy straight from the Sooke Harbour Farm. Brian’s pairing with Okanagan Falls Blue Mountain Vineyard’s state-of-the-art 2008 Gamay Noir was a great choice.

Lamb Loin: Roasted Loin of Silver Spray Farm Lamb – served in a chervil and meat stock reduction with a pea, mint, and tomato vinaigrette on a Warba potato roesti, complete with sautéed kale and golden beets, this dish rendered a cacophony of stimuli for the 10,000 or so taste buds. And the Similkameen Valley Herder Vineyards 2008 Meritage Bordeaux Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petite Verdot only added to this sensual stimulation.

Oh, and their breakfast ain't too shabby, either.

Cheese: Plate of Artisan Cheeses – Chef de Cuisine Sam Benedetto’s selection, here: Moonstruck Farm Cheese from Salt Spring Island, made from raw, organic, unpasteurized jersey cow milk: White Moon and Beddis Blue as well as Hilary’s Cheese Company in Cowichan Bay: St-Michel and Red Dawn. Once again, Venturi-Schulze … only, this time, their dessert wine: the 2007 Brandenburg #3 – which Brian has coined – somewhat aptly – the “leg spreader.”

Creme Brulee: last but by no means least, we finished with a Chelan cherry crème brulee, served with a side of mint marinated fresh cherries and pared deliciously with Tugwell Creek, Vancouver Island Meadery Vintage Sack Mead.

Sinclair (who has a Ph.D. in Political Economics) met Frédérique (who has a Masters in Economics) – when they were both students at the University of Grenoble. They raised four children at Sooke Harbour House while living in the basement of the main house for 16 years. (Now, as “empty-nesters” they have recently acquired a home nearby.)

The motto of the armorial bearings of the Canadian Governor General's Award in Celebration of the Nation's Table: EXCELLENTER MENSAM APPONERE,meaning “To set the table with excellence.”

The Philip Family totem: carved from a 400-year-old-tree and created by the Newman Family, it erected in September 2007.

The dinner with Sinclair and Frédérique  – which took place only a couple of days after they were two of the fourteen recipients of the Governor General’s Award in Celebration of the Nation’s Table Nation’s Table – an award that was bestowed by their Excellencies the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada and His Excellency Jean-Daniel Lafond at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on June 23, 2010. The purpose of the award is to recognize and hono(u)r the efforts of Canadian citizens in improving the quality, variety, and sustainability of all elements of Canada’s culinary culture. The 14 recipients received this newly-created award based on 6 categories: Creativity and Innovation, Education and Awareness, Leadership, Mentorship and Inspiration, Stewardship and Sustainability, and Youth.

Frédérique and Sinclair were awarded the Governor General’s Award in Celebration of the Nation’s Table Nation’s Table under the “Mentorship and Inspiration” category for their 30-year-plus commitment as a philosophical incubator for regional and sustainable food practices that has resulted in an internationally-renowned inn and über chef-creating machine. From art to artisans and foodies to food philosophies, these two are now very active in the international Slow Food movement (they focus their establishment with “conscientious luxury.” (Just one of many accolades; they also recently were awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from Vancouver Magazine last May.)

Sooke Harbour House is also the kind of place that inspires poetry. Literally. The poem below was conceived and inspired by my post-dinner outdoor soaker bath tub – that’s bath tub, not hot tub, dear hedonists – located on the secluded, covered deck of my room:

The moonlight view from the deck tub.

Hourglass Evolution

The moonlight beacon
suspended so firmly
in an ebony sky
shares its luminescence
with the slumbering sea
in hourglass form
suspending time.

Hypnotic moonlight
lucid as my visions
beckons me to sopor;
come dawn, my moon dreams will
accept evolution
and thus become
reality.

To say this place is inspirational is an understatement; for, not only did the Canadian Governor General just awarded its owners and innkeepers a national award for such inspiration, but I personally solidified plans to finish one book I’ve been attempting to write for years and outlined another by the time I left the warmth and hospitality of Sinclair and Frédérique’s fairy tale inn!

The deck tub - need any more be said?

“Poetry At Sooke Harbour House” Contest: As I was leaving this glorious place, Frédérique handed me several coupons for distribution to my readers (each coupon resembles the Canadian $20 bill, with a Sooke Harbour House twist). This inspired me to hold a poetry contest where the winner receives coupons worth $200 in Sooke Harbour House “dollars” to be used all in one visit (normally the coupons are $20 off, redeemable one per reservation). So … have you ever been to a place that moved you to compose poetry? If not, do you want to discover such a place for yourself? If so, please email a relevant poem (one entry per person, with the poem no more than 14 lines in length) to hedonista@heedthehedonist.com with the words “Poetry At Sooke Harbour House” in the subject heading by 11:59 p.m. (PST) on Friday, August 13, 2010. The winning poem will be selected by your Hedonista in collaboration with none other than Sinclair and Frédérique Philip and their Sooke Harbour House team; the winning poem will be published here on Heed the Hedonist as well as on the Sooke Harbour House website and will receive $200 worth of coupons (courtesy of Sinclair and Frédérique Philip), redeemable all at once at Sooke Harbour House.

Who could ask for more?

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.

With its 20 participating restaurants - and counting - Flavor of Seattle can save its cardholders as much as $500 if they eat once at every participating eatery. The membership cards are activated online and are good for one year.

The Flavor of Seattle – a marketing alliance cooperative for small, local restaurants who lack their own savvy marketing departments – was founded in 2008 by foodie entrepreneur Julien Recoussine. Julien worked in the tourism industry at Disney World in Florida for ten years before moving to Seattle in 1995; once in Seattle, he worked as a pastry chef at Hoffman’s Fine Cakes & Pastries in Kirkland, then in sales, marketing, and advertising for the Eastside Journal, and does consultancy work for dot-coms and start-ups (online advertising) as well as consulting with advertising companies for Entertainment Book and for Fish Bowl Advertising. He loathes deep-discounted coupons – which he sees as devaluing the experience and meal – and wanted to create an enticement to try good, local restaurants for the first time (and hopefully get them hooked so they become repeat customers). Given that Seattle is chocked full of a plethora of unique neighborhoods and that Seattleites tend to “eat close,” Julien is encouraging we “eat around” a bit more; in other words, still eat local … just not too local. For $35, you get a one-time $25 off a bill valued at $50 of more (not including tax) at any one of 20 participating restaurants (and counting) such as Olivar (Julien gave your Hedonista a card, which I confess I have yet to try, but certainly will).

Want to get you own card? This Thursday, July 15, dear hedonists, you can get a card and enjoy good food while helping to mitigate what is perhaps the worst oil spill in Earth’s history – the May-June Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Flavor of Seattle, MVMGR Real Estate, and Stigmare Couture Marketing have partnered to bring you an “evening among the clouds” at the Columbia Tower Club (so business casual, please) to benefit The Nature Conservancy (a leading charity aiding the Gulf of Mexico oil spill zone). You can find this Oil Spill Wildlife Rescue event on Eventbrite. Tickets cost $35 a piece and will get you the following: hors d’oeuvres, 10 raffle tickets per guest, a performance by magician “Ace of Illusions” Nathan Jester, and a Flavor of Seattle local dining card (a retail value of $35 in and of itself, complete with over $500 in restaurant savings.) Pat Cashman will Emcee, Karen Anderson, State Director of The Nature Conservancy and Kathy Fletcher, Executive Director for People For Puget Sound will provide updates on what’s happening on both coasts.

Flavor of Seattle was a leader in getting this July 15 event off of the ground. Given it’s penchant for supporting local restaurants, why are they a lead sponsor for a tragedy that is taking place on the other side of the United States? Because Flavor of Seattle’s founder, Julien Recoussine is a French-born-U.S.-nationalized Rotarian with friends who moved to Seattle from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Those friends mentioned how, both after the hurricane and now, after the oil spill, restaurants are one of the first businesses approached to help – and they accept the challenge. Further, Seattle understands the critical connection to wildlife as a region’s cultural identity and thus relates to the current plight of Americans on the other coast.

So head on out an support a love of wildlife – and local cuisine.

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.

Street level's "analog ambiance" fits Ken Gordon like a vinyl record on a turntable.

Ken’s place – Street Level Espresso – opened on September 10, 2008, replacing an outgoing coffeehouse (that apparently went by the name of Ambient’s). Ken dubbed his establishment “Street Level Espresso” for two reasons: (1) because the space has a series of large, floor-to-ceiling glass-laden doors that open right  up to the – yup, you guessed it – street level, and (2) because, according to Ken, espresso is “the closest thing to whiskey neat” in the coffee world.

Situated in the heart of Victoria’s financial district – which means a stone’s throw to three of the major banks and the downtown shopping mall – Street Level Espresso draws in über pedestrian traffic. Ken is a purist coffee mixologist, which means the menu and ambiance of his cafe are very back-to-basics.  Menu-wise, Ken sells coffee and its variants – no pastries, cakes, salads, or sammys (for that, you can go next door to the Dutch Bakery & Coffee Shop, which has been around since 1956 and offers those comfort-food pastries made in-house from a recipe book dating back at least that long ago). Ambiance-wise, Ken’s café is a white-walled, red-accented, metallic-counter topped, retro-outfitted hole-in-the-wall with less that 10 seats and no bathroom (once again, for that, you can go next door to the 50-year-old-plus Dutch Bakery) – a set-up which, says Ken, “avoids the heroin addicts.” The interior design is made up of artwork that is exclusively framed black and white photography from local artists and Street Level’s music is played on an old vinyl-playin’ turntable that’s been turned on its side and propped up against the back wall. Ken stated his back-to-basics philosophy on coffee (and life) simply:

“I like to keep it analog.”

Ken - a natural performer - poses with his leaf-laden cappucino.

Perogy Cat is intrinsic to Street Level's brand (and is NOT drawn by drunk children).

He also has a friend by the name of Gareth Kyle Gaudin who provides all of his graphics in the form of a cartoon character dubbed “Perogy Cat.” Perogy Cat – a jaded-yet-sassy pillowcase-shaped feline – adorns the walls in the form of retail signage and every single to-go cup in the form of black-ink stamp art. As Ken puts it:

“My graphics look like drunk children make them.”

Ken’s background is welded to the coffee industry. With his beginnings as a barista at Starbucks in 1990, Ken soon worked his way up, training other staff within a year. Once he made it as far as he could at that store (i.e., manager), he began consulting others on how to start espresso operations – which, of course, naturally led him to his own operation – and so Street Level Espresso was born. Ken was also Canada’s third place Barista Champion (Western Regional) in 2007 while he was working at Victoria’s Habit Coffee & Culture and so he’s training his one and only employee – Mal Kryklywyj (pronounced [krik' levvy]) – in preparation for the upcoming Canadian Barista Championships; the Western Regional competition is to take place in Vancouver, B.C. on July 21st and 22nd. She just may have a shot (pun intended) if she’s using Ken’s blends and techniques, as the following tasting notes reveal:

This sign promotes Street Level's apparel (t-shirts).

Espresso ($2.50 CDN): Because two shots are better than one, double shots only is the rule at Street Level. Refreshing (as all espresso should be) with a citrus-front and smoky finish, Ken’s beans are 40% unwashed; the cherry casing dries around the bean and, left on, contributes a citric acid quality.

Cappucino ($3.25 CDN): Ken serves up this Italian-style coffee drink, made with espresso and hot milk with a steamed foam topping, with panache – and, once again, that citrus bite … not to mention that charming leaf design on the foam.

Mocha ($6.00 CDN): Mmmmm … mocha…. By far my most beloved of Ken’s beverages (but, hey, I’m a self-professed chocophile). With this drink, Ken pairs the citrusy bean with a chocolate from French chocolate maker Michel Cluizel (a personal fav chocolatier of mine). Cluizel’s Mangaro is sourced from a cacao plantation that was formerly a mango plantation until a hurricane knocked it down; again, the citric acid in the chocolate pairs with the coffee bean.

So the next time you’re in Vic, make it a double-shot at a place that’s very expressive of its founder.

(Better yet, add chocolate.)

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.

The English Inn is a turn-of-the-century jewel worth the trek to Esquimalt.

Talk about a jewel that’s not being discovered nearly enough – the English Inn – a boutique hotel with heritage-quality that makes it a popular wedding venue (apparently elopements are welcome, too). Located in Esquimalt, the English Inn prompts you to “Escape to the countryside, without leaving the city.”

And they mean it, too. Complete with nearly five acres of Sunken Gardens, and an Elizabethan-stylized village complete with outbuildings that include replicas of an entire Elizabethan street, Tudor-style manor houses, Shakespeare’s birth home, and Anne Hathaway’s cottage (which admittedly has seen better days), this place is an anglophile’s paradise.

Not planning on attending any nuptials any time soon (be is yours or as a guest)? No matter – for they have the “rosemeade dining room” and “lounge” you can haunt. It seems that the English Inn manor – originally constructed in 1906 – is getting a facelift and transitioning from “turn of the century” to “urban chic.” Now called the “english inn and resort” (just like the dining room and lounge, these words are all in lower case on the signage close to the inn, as opposed to the more traditional capitalization on the roadside signage), it seems that the English Inn & Resort is attempting to attract the 20- and 30-something crowd. For, if they can’t move their Esquimalt locale to the Inner Harbour, why not hip it up a bit?

The modern chic interior design seems an odd foreign anachronism with the impressive splendo(u)r of the Edwardian-Tudor Revival manor.

Why not, indeed. Their le nouveau décor modern seems to be the wrong angle – for nothing’s broke with the English Inn and thus nothing needs fixing; sure, the “Elizabethan World” is kitschy, but that’s part of its anachronistic charm (although Anne Hathaway’s cottage could use a good re-thatch). The property – in particularly the inn itself, in which the dining room and lounge are located, is absolutely turn-of-the-century gorgeous. All it needs is some aggressive marketing (Victoria, not Esquimalt-style).

(Hopefully this review helps.)

The English Inn is of the Edwardian half-timbered style and was originally called the “Rosemeade.” Designed by Samuel McClure (Vic’s most renowned residential architect and a none-time Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Company telegrapher), it was built in 1906 for Thomas Harry Slater – a Yorkshire-born realtor and developer who imported artisans from England and Scotland to construct his estate. From 1917-1933, this estate had numerous prestigious occupants, including Conservative Senator (later Sir James) Lougheed. In 1933 – the year of the death of its original owner, Thomas Harry Slater – the Rosemeade was acquired by Thomas Arthur and Marguerite Rickard. During WWII it was used for the naval officers (Esquimalt being Navy central) and dubbed “Stag Holm.” In 1947 it was re-branded as the Olde England Inne on Lampson Street. (The street name apparently came from the Lady Lampson, a ship that once moored in the nearby Esquimalt Harbour; the real Lady Jane Lampson was married to Sir Curtis Miranda Lampson, a deputy governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company and an advocate of the trans-Atlantic telegraph cable.) The kitsch arrived with later owners in the form of Mrs. Rosina Lane and her hubby Sam, who created the aforementioned “Elizabethan World.”

Today, this property is owned by LFC Lampson Hospitality Corp, a Vancouver, B.C. investment group.

The lamb, gnocchi, mushroom and broth = pure Elizabethan era (not to mention Edwardian era) comfort food.

The menu is your standard West Coast gourmet fare with a focus on sourcing, cooking, and eating local. The one-page menu offers everything from meat and macaroni to seafood and spätzle (also spelled spaetzle). Their lamb shank ($19 CDN), situated on a bed of squash gnocchi that floats (well, rests) on a sea of mushroom broth – melted in the mouth. The char ($24 CDN), perched on a mountain of spaetzle and roasted sunchokes and bookended with orange and fennel – was also deliciously satisfying in presentation, taste, and price point. (For one can easily spend several dollars more for the same meal closer to a given city’s financial district.)

But here, waaay out in the country, you can really get your money’s worth. The also have rooms for $99-$219 CDN a night range, depending on room and season. (Check out their photo gallery.)

So travel the less than 3 kilometres (under 2 miles) from Vic’s Inner Harbo(u)r, treat yourself to a high-end meal at a mid-range price, then work it off with a stroll of the grounds.

Trust me, you’ll be glad you started filling this place up,as it’s truly a piece of aesthetic history worth keeping around.

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.

A perfect ten dollars, that is.

As of this past Spring, Clive’s at Chateau Vic in Victoria, B.C. has a brand spankin’ new cocktail menu.

And Heed the Hedonist is on it!

Clive's Heed the Hedonist - a tiki drink complete with the glass (that, for the record, looks nothing like your Hedonista).

You read correctly, dear hedonists – Clive’s beloved bartender, Shawn Soole, added the Heed the Hedonist as a House Specialty in honor of our new-found friendship (and perhaps as a result of a pinch or two of my persistent and persuasive prodding). A tiki drink made with Bacardi Limon, Appleton Estate VX, Rhubarb Syrup & fresh lime juice, this drink is smooth and sweet, yet fresh and tart (just like your Hedonista). And selling for $10, this cocktail IS in fact a “Perfect 10″ (again, just like your Hedonista). If you close your eyes when you drink it, you can picture yourself on a tropical beach, complete with sand, surf, and – most importantly – SUN: a rare thing for us Pacific Nor’westers this “summer” thus far. To Shawn, it appears that nothing says “hedonist” better.

Just another (albeit biased) reason why Clive’s tops of my list for best cocktail bar in Victoria (with the Hotel Rialto’s Veneto a close second).

If only Shawn would add our website address under this fab tiki drink that’s now listed in their cocktail menu (hint, hint)….

Oh, and Happy Canada Day to all of my hedonistic Canucks out there!

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.

Well, actually, more like chocolate on them thar plains.

The plains of Minnesota, that is. (Who knew Minnesotans could make chocolate? Juuust kidding. Some of my best friends are Minnesotans. Really.)

Brian - whom your Hedonista met at the Admiral Metropolitan Market on June 4th - is a likable guy with equally likeable chocolates.

Your Hedonista was at the Admiral Metropolitan Market earlier this month and met Brian T. McElrath, who was staffing a table and offering samples of his chocolate.

For Brian T. McElrath makes chocolate – out of Minneapolis, no less - good, artisan, award-winning chocolate that is pleasing to both the eye and the palate.

Brian self-describes as “just a kid from the Plains” who was a “born foodie.” Hailing from Northfield, Minnesota, he practically grew up in his grandmother’s farm kitchen, which came complete with a potager just steps away from the back door. Says Brian:

“The farm was in southern Minnesota – Lake Crystal to be exact – which is close to Mankato and New Ulm.  They ran 80 acres, raised poultry, hogs, and sheep for wool.  They grew soybeans and corn.  But … [there was] 2 acres of garden, and picking eggs every morning was what got me started on real food from about age 5 until I was a teen. I visited many weekends and spent at least two weeks there in the summer.  They raised decorative gourds and what is now called festive corn that they gave us to sell in my hometown of Northfield.“

In pursuit of this passion, he got his educated from the California Culinary Academy (CCA), where he was introduced to European confectionery by Master Patissier/Confisier Denis Martig and was instructed in European pastry and chocolate handling techniques. After CCA, he spent 18 years as a chef at hotels, country clubs and a five star restaurant or two in both Minnesota and California; examples include Nicollet Island Inn and Interlachen Country Club. It was during these years that Brian realized his true passion and obsession: the re-invention of classic dishes through the art of flavor harmonization. (Note: The B.T. McElrath Chocolatier kitchens are housed in the original General Mills/Betty Crocker R & D lab space.) The rest is history: he is now the Founder and Chocolatier of B.T. McElrath Chocolatier, Inc., a venture which he started in 1996 with business partner Rick Shaeffer and his wife and business partner Christine, who’s the Visual Designer and Chief Taster, (the story of how Brian and Christine met involves peas, carrots and ice cubes). They incorporated the biz in June of 1997; Brian’s been working 16-hour days ever since (well, at least often). For passionate obsessions will do that to you, dear hedonists.

Brian's best sellers may be the bars, but my personal favs are the truffles, hands down.

His product line consists of truffles and the ever-popular 3 oz. bars (which currently retail for $4.95 at Metro Market). The Salty Dog bar – consisting of 70% dark chocolate, butter toffee, and sea salt – has taken on a life of its own and has become the cornerstone of Brian’s product line. Other interesting bar flavors include the Prairie Dog (40% milk chocolate, butter toffee, toasted almond, and sea salt), the Passion Fruit and Tangerine Bar (passion fruit and tangerine infusions into a blend of white and dark chocolate), and the Chile Limón Bar (chilies and lime infusions into a blend of white and dark chocolate). The bars are swirled and not thoroughly mixed, for an attractive marbled effect.

After a few complimentary samples, I determined my fav is his seasonal truffle line, which come in boxes containing five pieces: I had to pick up a box of his spring and summer seasonal Lemon Blossoms, which are gorgeous (and tasty) flower-shaped truffles made of a center of lemon buttercream (that’s made with actual lemons) enveloped with a marbled dark chocolate and yellow-colored cocoa butter ribbons ($9.95 at Metro Market, or $10.95 online) and I’ve since returned for a couple of boxes of his seasonal Peanut Butter Pavé, which consists of 70% cacao dark chocolate wrapping up a blend of peanut butter and white chocolate ($9.95 at Metro Market, or $10.95 online). The peanut butter is rich, nutty, and creamy, but not overly sweet. Although a few of his ingredients – colors, oils, etc. – might seem artificial and unnecessary, he’s truly an innovator who supports the local food suppliers. In other words, his end creations just might justify the means….

Brian is also working on his fall and winter holiday seasonal products, which include a Sweet Potato Pavé made up of white chocolate ganache, sweet potato, and spices and a carmelized Cranberry Pavé consisting of a tart, cranberry ganache complete with a layer of cranberry meltaway. Both of these anticipated tasties will arrive enrobed in 70% dark chocolate. He is also planning a new look to his 9-piece assorted boxed truffles, both all-dark and all-milk chocolate offerings ($15.00 at metro Market, or $18.95 online). (Note: all of his packaging is produced from Sustainable Forestry Initiative materials.)

So go satisfy your sweet tooth with this golden chocolate … while leaving a lighter footprint on the planet, to boot.

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.