What I Want for Valentine's Day

I am all about chocolate and always have been. In the mid-80's, my parents moved to Belgium for 3 years and I agreed to let them go if they sent me shipments of Belgian chocolate (purportedly the best in the world). I still have one deep velvet heart box from those days that I keep sea shells in. Well, spoiled I was. After that experience, most chocolate tasted like Crisco to me and I wasn't even able to eat M&M's for a few years. Luckily that was a long time ago and my palette has dulled and my standards have dropped. Until, that is, I discovered Eclipse Chocolat Cafe on El Cajon Blvd, not far from the Grove.

I was first introduced to Eclipse when a customer of ours named August mentioned that he works there. My business partner then came in with their caramels one day and I have never, not ever, tasted anything so good. Honestly. I am prone to exaggeration but not in this case, I swear. Then August brought me a chocolate lavender sea salt something-or-other bar and I was hooked. Their chocolates are all made on the premises and are remarkably fresh. You don't know fresh chocolate until you've taste theirs. The exotic ingredients they use, including rose petals and violets, are amazing. It's almost as if you can't taste those flavors but you can smell them. It's like your mouth is infused with the smell of flowers in a good way!
The salts they use are also exotic...they push everything over the top.

So, If you have a love in your life who is crazy about chocolate....you must check this place out! Also, they have chocolate drinks that I've heard are heavenly and happy hours where they serve truffles with every glass of wine. Awesome.