Fall Luxury Salon in pictures

Here we are eating chocolate again! Tea Time is happy to share pictures from the 2012 Fall Luxury Chocolate Salon along with a little commentary. If you've been a loyal reader (please!) you know we have mentioned Meetup in past posts. In fact, that is how JK and Angela met, courtesy of the SF Bay Area Chocolate Meetup group. This year our group hosted a table at the Fall Salon where we quizzed people with chocolate questions and tried to entice them to join us in our quest for fun and chocolate.

The Fall salon is focused on gift giving for the holiday season (even if you're just giving chocolates into your mouth, that counts) allowing businesses to show off their fall flavors and featured gift boxes/sets.We don't have pictures of everyone, but we tried to get a good cross sampling of the variety available at this event, which in turn shows the niche businesses that spring up to fill your every food desire (dare we say 'need'). Enjoy!

We sold water as a fundraiser to buy chocolate for our next event.

Meetup! Come, join us!!

Rest your eyes on Silver Jewelry.

Just out of the picture, spin the wheel, 'wine' a prize!

We haven't tasted their pickles...

...but the jerky is Excellent.

Feve 24-piece box of beauty and flavor!

Feve won 3 Gold Awards at Salon.

Winner Gold- Top Toffee in Salon and Best Comfort Food/Snack.

Okay, don't take it away, I'll talk, I'LL TALK!

Food and conversation--Tea Time motto!

Mary, owner of Saratoga Chocolates is an inspiring business owner!

Jade Chocolates, Winner Gold- Best Flavored Chocolate Bar

Dressings, vinegars and flavored oils from Gourmet Blends.

Amano- tasting school.

Best in show dark chocolate/tie for Best in Salon Gold.

Sixth Course- 3 Gold Wins

Gold Winner- Most Luxurious Chocolate Experience (Tie).

A specialty market niche filled- Claire's Florentines!

That seaweed popcorn, YUM!

Such cuteness and creativity!!

Happiness is Aloha and Plumeria Flours.

Socola- Gold for Top Artisan Chocolate and New Product.

Butterfly Brittle- a wide variety of brittle flavors, to satisfy your tastebuds.

Gold Best Traditional Chocolate.

The Chocolate craving crowd served by CocoTutti.

Smitten Artisan Truffles had an unique approach, sampling the filling. Salted Caramel, yum!

 Yes, a chocolate fountain!

Gold Winner for best presentation/packaging of chocolates. 

     

Snake and Butterfly, beautiful and tempting.

Tea infused chocolates-nice!

Gold Winner Best Milk Chocolate/bar.

The smiley Toffeeology Trio. Farm Fresh to You Co-op in the far back right.

Toffee-the best of all worlds.

Great presentation of product.

You can learn more about the medal winners of the Fall 2012 Luxury Salon here, just click on the medallion for this event. Guests to this salon were treated to something for everyone, from popcorn to jerky to jalapeno flavored chocolates. We will be sharing some posts about vendors from this event with a product that inspired us, as well as more about the speakers who shared their chocolate wisdom to standing room only crowds.

   

You may not live near a chocolate salon, but you Can make a chocolate event happen. If you join a Meetup group in your town (or get a group of friends/family) and simply pitch the idea of a Chocolate Potluck. This is a free event (unless you pay to rent the venue) where members/people make/bake/cook/buy their favorite chocolate themed food. It could even be chocolate milk, or chocolate beer. Angela likes to find something savory to make, once it was ribs with a chocolate bbq sauce sprinkled with seaweed/cocoa nibs. Hmmm, maybe it's time to cook those again.