Kakao Gift Cards Are Here!

Looking for the perfect gift? I mean, even more perfect than chocolate?

Look no further.

 

Kakao now has gift cards, so you can give Kakao chocolate this holiday season (or whenever) and know that the recipient will be able to pick out whatever treats they like.

Kakao gift cards are available in several sizes:

• $25
• $50 (with a $10 bonus, so the $60 card costs only $50)
• $100 (with a $25 bonus)

You get the picture, right? You might even want to get one (or more) for yourself.

And, in case you’re wondering, there are no fees, no expiration date, no catches. The only rule is that the cards aren’t redeemable for cash, just what we sell in the store (unfortunately not online, at markets, or at any of our other retailers). It’s just a great way for you to buy something you know will be used.

See you soon!

 

Winter Market Schedule

There’s a nip in the air that says summer is over, and so are the weekly farmers’ markets.

But fear not! The Winter Markets are coming, and here’s the schedule so you can get your Kakao Chocolate, as well as the other meat, produce and preserves to get you through these cold winter months.

All markets are Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The St. Louis Community Farmer’s Market is at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3664 Arsenal, 63116, just across from Tower Grove Park. The Maplewood Winter Farmers’ Market is at Schlafly Bottleworks, either on the patio (if the weather is nice) or in the Crown Room.

• November 14: St. Louis Community
• November 21: Maplewood (the perfect opportunity for your Thanksgiving hostess gift!)
• December 12: St. Louis Community (Holiday shopping)
• December 19: Maplewood (the last weekend before Christmas)
• January 9: St. Louis Community
• January 30: Maplewood (Valentine’s Day is in two weeks)
• February 13: St. Louis Community (perfect for Valentine’s Day)
• February 27: Maplewood
• March 13: St. Louis Community
• March 27: Maplewood (Easter is next weekend)
• April 10: St. Louis Community

See you there!

Come with Us to the Cashmere!

We’ve got a lot going on at the shop in the next month!

First, now that the summer farmers’ market season is over, we’re extending our Wednesday hours. Now we’ll be open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Stay tuned for a full Winter Market schedule on a future post.)

The next Kakao event is tomorrow night, November 5, when we’ll be displaying (and selling) our wares at the English Living showroom at 1520 Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis. English Living is hosting a special event showcasing Kakao and several other specialty stores in anticipation of Thanksgiving. We hope you can join us at this unique holiday event from 6 to 9 p.m.

Next up is the Natural History of Chocolate class at the Missouri Botanic Garden, next Tuesday, November 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. The Candy Making class last night was great fun for everyone — but then who could resist fresh-made marshmallow, caramels and peanut brittle? The Chocolate class next week will be at least as fun, and you can be sure everyone there will get some great chocolates to try.

On the evening of Thursday, November 12, we have a very special event here at the shop — Jen Sertl of Angelina Accoutrements will be here with an assortment of her beautifully restyled vintage cashmere. Each piece is hand-crafted to be one-of-a-kind. Truly beautiful stuff — we hope you can join us for some cashmere, chocolate and wine.

Further ahead, mark your calendars for:

• Date Night at Kakao, November 21 — a romantic evening with a selection of our house-made plated desserts
• Shopping Friday, November 27 — specials for our newsletter friends (sign up here)
• St. Louis Holiday Magic, Friday December 4 to Sunday December 6 – a huge shopping event at the Convention Center downtown
• Chocolate Tasting at Yellow Farmhouse – Saturday December 5 in Defiance, MO
• Kakao Holiday Open House — 4-9 p.m. on Friday, December 11

Stay tuned for more information, and we’ll see you at the shop soon!

Back to School

The past couple weeks have been busy – catching up, keeping up, and planning for the future.

I managed, for the first time in nearly two years, to take a vacation, and to the south of France no less. It was nice to get a change in scenery, and wonderful to have Shannon and Kate managing things at the shop (and three different markets) while I was away. Thanks again, ladies!

Of course on the trip I managed to visit a number of chocolate shops and pâtisseries and see how they do things in Provence. I learned quite a bit, just from looking around. I suspect — let me know if you know different — there’s a central bakery that makes all the fancy pastries and then ships them around to the little shops. Or maybe each shop has a pastry chef and they all went to the same school,  in the region, because as beautiful as they are, all the fruit tarts and chocolate pastries in all the shops look the same.

A couple of the shops made one or two in-house confections, like pates de fruits, but only one appeared to be dipping chocolates in the shop. It made me feel that what we have here at Kakao — all hand-made, in-house confections and pastries, made from all-natural ingredients — is really special, especially because you can come in and watch us actually dipping the truffles and caramels.

The other thing I saw was nougat. LOTS of nougat. Really amazing stuff. You can bet that we’re working on how to make that for you here in St. Louis.

In addition to learning, we’re also excited about teaching. We’re working with the Missouri Botanical Garden to offer two classes that are open to the public.

• Candy Making – are you a fan of our marshmallow pies, or our sea salt caramel? We’re going to be sharing with you exactly how we make these and other treats, on Tuesday, November 3, 7-9 p.m. Register here.
• Natural History of Chocolate – together with local chocolate connoisseur Kim Petzing, we’ll look at how chocolate is made, why it’s so good (and good for you) and of course sample some great chocolates. Register here.  

Lots more coming up at the shop, too, with special Halloween treats, a Cashmere Trunk Show and lots more. And don’t forget the last Maplewood Farmers’ Market is this Wednesday, October 26. After that we’ll start on the winter market schedule, and post that later this week.

See you soon!

Fall Chocolate Unveiling

And not just chocolate!

Please join us this Friday, October 2, anytime between 6 and 9 p.m., for an open house and special tasting for our new fall lineup of chocolates and pastries.

We’ll have chocolate to taste, wine to sip, and music to enjoy — flamenco guitar, thanks to Lliam. And we’ll have some great new fall confections and treats available for the first time this year, including:

• Pumpkin Truffles – real pumpkin puree, nutmeg and cinnamon in a sweet cream and milk chocolate ganache, dipped in milk chocolate and topped with a toasted pumpkin seed. (Ask the couple who came in today to pick out truffles for their wedding – they tasted the freshly made pumpkin truffle ganache and changed their order to include these truffles.)
• Caramel Apple Truffles – apple syrup in a silky smooth ganache, dipped in semi-sweet chocolate and topped with a bit of caramel (I think, anyway; I’m still working on this one).
• Hot Chocolate – yes, it’s back! Real ground chocolate, our special cocoa powder, and just enough sugar make our hot cocoa the perfect cool weather drink. Unless you need a cold weather drink, and then you’ll want…
• Mexican Hot Chocolate – our hot chocolate mix, with a touch of cinnamon and TWO different ground peppers, to give you just a bit of extra warmth, right when you need it. Both of our hot chocolates are available in dry mixes to take home or in steamed milk to enjoy in our cafe.
• Pumpkin Marshmallows – seriously, these are amazing. Shannon came up with these fluffy little beauties that are unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before.
• What else? Shannon and Kate have been playing with fall flavors — apples, pumpkin, maple, cinnamon, and more. I can’t wait to see what they come up with for Friday.

You won’t want to miss Friday night at the Kakao Cafe, 2301 S. Jefferson, 63104. And don’t forget the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market on Saturday, which is hosting the Farm Aid Homegrown Urban Country Fair. And next Thursday we’re hosting a Lush Tub Show at the shop. See you then!

Green Homes and Other Events

We’ve got a busy couple weeks ahead of us, with great opportunities for you to experience Kakao Chocolate and get to know some of our friends and partners.

First up — tomorrow! — is the Green Homes Festival in mid-town St. Louis, sponsored by the Missouri Botanical Garden’s EarthWays Center and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. It’s from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the 3600 block of Grandel Square, just north of Lindell and west of Grand. You’ll see over 75 exhibitors and 28 expert workshops exploring solar power, home energy efficiency, transportation alternatives, recycling and composting, green homebuilding – even keeping backyard bees and chickens!

This popular St. Louis event continues to grow. This year they’re introducing Sustainable Stuff – The Green Craft Fair, showcasing resourceful artisan fashions, jewelry, home décor, toys and gifts, and will have a special area where kids can paint a Metro bus with Sarah Linquist, the Muny’s Master Scenic Artist. Kids (and their parents) can also build and race a solar car and print pictures with sunlight.

The Local Food Court will feature treats from Schlafly Beer, Local Harvest Grocery and Café, Atomic Cowboy, Cummel’s Café, Sweet Art, and, of course, Kakao Chocolate, where we’ll have our sea-salt caramels and marshmallow pies. 

And mark your calendar for a couple of other great Kakao events. Next Friday evening, October 2, we’re hosting an open house with special tastings of our new fall line of confections and pastries. We’ll bring back our popular pumpkin truffle (made with real pumpkin!) and debut our new caramel apple truffle. We’ll also have some other fall-themed treats developed by our amazing pastry chefs, like Shannon’s incredible pumpkin marshmallows. The open house, which will also include flemenco guitarist Lliam Christy, will be from 6 to 9 p.m. at our shop at 2301 South Jefferson, 63104.

The next week we’re excited to announce a Kakao Tub Show! That’s right, Tub — not trunk — as in bathtub, as in Lush handmade soaps ! You can find their fresh, handmade soaps, shampoos and fragrances in cool shops all over the world, and on the evening of Thursday, October 8, you’ll find them at the Kakao Cafe! Stay tuned for more info.

See you soon!

Chocolate and Coffee and…Dinner?

We’re still fairly caffeinated from our week of free coffee and $1 espresso drinks in the shop (2301 S. Jefferson, St. Louis). The specials were in celebration of our new hours: Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed at 3 on Wednesdays) and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We’re serving some fantastic regular coffee from local roasters Kuva, Goshen, Chauvin and Mississippi Mud, and have selected Kuva for our espresso drinks.

And on that note, we’re excited about a very special dinner at Local Harvest Cafe this Wednesday, September 16, featuring Kakao Chocolate and Goshen Coffee. Chef Clara Moore has a wonderful menu planned with both vegetarian and omnivore selections, including:

• Chocolate espresso square served with ginger soup
• Fresh greens with espresso vinaigrette and chocolate shavings
• Lamb braised in coffee and bittersweet chocolate / spicy chili with fresh cornbread
• (Menu subject to change — Chef Moore might be inspired in a different direction, after all!)

We’re helping by creating some special confections for the occasion, including the chocolate espresso bark and our Turkish coffee truffle, made with Goshen Black Dog Espresso blend.

You might be wondering how chocolate and coffee work for entrees and side dishes. Trust us, it’s great! Just ask anyone who’s tried the Kakao Cocoa Grill Rub on a pork steak or lamb burger, or anyone who’s used coffee to marinade a steak.

There are two seatings on the 16th, at 6 and 8 p.m. Call Local Harvest at 314.772.8815 to make your reservations before they fill up!

Free Coffee!

What goes better with chocolate than coffee? (Well, oftentimes wine, but that’s a whole different story.) We’re pleased to announce that Kakao is now offering coffee, espresso, lattes, cappucinos and special Kakao coffee drinks.

Does that make us a coffee shop? In a way, yes, we suppose it does. We’re first and foremost a chocolate shop, and we of course still have all the truffles and caramels and marshmallow pies. But we’ve also had neighborhood folks ask about coffee, and we see all the traffic on Jefferson driving to work in the morning, and think there’s a way that everyone can benefit.

For the coffee, we’re still testing a number of espresso beans, all locally roasted. We’ll settle on one espresso, but we’ve tasted so much fantastic coffee from nearby beaneries, we’ve decided to rotate different roasts and local roasters for our drip coffee, including Kuva, Mississippi Mud, Chauvin, and others.

Oh, and the special drinks! Barista Bethany is working on some great coffee drink recipes, with syrups we make in-house — vanilla syrup, caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, and more.

Of course we’ll also have hot tea, specially blended by our friends at Traveling Tea. We’ve been busy with some amazing pastries, too, like biscotti, scones, fruit-filled pastries, tarts, and more to come. Did I mention we have free wi-fi in the shop?

And about that free coffee — yes, free drip coffee today, tomorrow and next week (yes, expanded hours!), and $1 espresso drinks ($0.50 more for syrups) to introduce you to our new offerings.

New Kakao Hours:
Friday, Sept. 4: 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sundays: Closed
Mondays: Closed
Tuesday – Friday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Wednesday at 3)

Kakao Downtown

Goodness what a busy week. An enormous wedding with several hundred boxes of caramels, and tonight is the RFT’s Artopia (which you won’t want to miss if you want to get some free samples of Kakao caramels and marshmallow pies, while they last). We’ve been busy with other new products, too, like a Marbled Mocha Cardamom Cake that looks and smells sublime.

We’re also excited to let you know about our new locations downtown St. Louis. No, we’re not moving, and we’re really not opening a new store. We’re partnering with some great city businesses, making it even easier for folks who live or work downtown to grab some Kakao Chocolate.

First, check out Anatomy of Style, at 3001 Locust.  Gini, the owner, has helped thousands of women define their personal styles by offering suggestions on how to dress individual shapes.  Anatomy of Style also offers sugar scrubs, salt scrubs, bath salts and body oils in dozens of different scents. And now, they’re also offering Kakao Chocolates.

Next is a newcomer to downtown, Mama Figlia, right next to the Dubliner, at 1021 Washington. The specialties here are all Italian — gifts and custom gift baskets filled with items imported from Italy and by special local producers, including Kakao Chocolate. We’re hoping to work with them on some special Italian confections. (Any suggestions?)

Last but certainly not least is City Grocers, at 10th and Olive. For the past five years City Grocers has been serving the downtown community, and they’ve recently renewed that commitment by renovating and re-arranging their store and offering more local product, like Kakao.

Oh, and a big shout-out to Puddn’Head Books, a great Kakao friend and retailer, for an article about their successes in the recent Riverfront Times — yes, we can feel the love, too!

Celebrity (?) Chocolate

Some things are inexplicable. They happen without apparent cause — not by accident, but for reasons that don’t make much sense.

And so it is that your Chocolatier Brian Pelletier has been invited to be a “Celebrity” Waiter at a fundraiser this Thursday for the St. Louis Crisis Nursery. Who knows how these things happen, because I’m certainly not a celebrity.

Even if the “how” is unknown, the “why” is certain. The Crisis Nursery helps prevent child abuse and neglect, and provides emergency intervention, respite care and support to families in crisis. It works, too: 99% of children whose families remain involved with the Crisis Nursery do not experience abuse, and 99% of Crisis Nursery children remain in their natural home.

The Celebrity Waiter and Waitress Night is a huge fundraiser for the Crisis Nursery. I’m pretty excited about it, not just for the opportunity to help raise money, but hopefully to meet some real celebrities.

Yes, raising money. Here’s how it works: you come to the Canyon Cafe at Frontenac Plaza this Thursday between 7 and 9 p.m. when I’m working my tables. MAKE RESERVATIONS at 314.872.3443. NOW. Ask for a table in my section, and I’ll take good care of you. You have a great meal, hear more about the Crisis Nursery, (hopefully meet some real celebrities as well), and then you tip, generously, because it all goes to the Crisis Nursery.

Lots of other stuff to know, right here:

If you can’t make it, you can still give, and you and Kakao can still get the credit. Just send me a note and let me know how much you’d like to contribute, and we’ll add it to the total for the night.

Hope to see you there!