Theo’s Chocolate Factory Tour in Fremont

Fremont is home to: giant rock trolls, blue bridges, ivy hedges shaped like a brontosaurus family, colorful boutiques, book stores, restaurants, and a high-energy nightlife. As I snack on a Chai Tea Milk Chocolate bar, I am pleased to mention that this fun-filled, artsy neighborhood plays host to a red-bricked chocolate factory as well—Theo’s Chocolate Factory.

Theo's Chocolate Factory used to be the old Red Hook brewery.

Inside the chocolate shop. $6 tours are offered every day at 2 and 4 PM.

The scientific name of chocolate, Theobroma, literally translates into ‘Food of the gods.’ Everybody loves chocolate. Seinfeld star, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, placed chocolate as number 3 on her list of “Things I can’t live without,” right behind number 2, her family, and number 1, her husband. And chocolate probably comes in second only to wine on the Lord’s “Earth: Top 10” list. Chocolate is said to have originated in South America, and like an Israelite’s fruitful grape vineyard, seed-filled cocoa pods symbolized life and fertility to ancient Mayans.

Cacao is a fruit (!) that grows on tree trunks! Each heavy pod is about the size of a squash.

You’ll learn more facts like this during the informative first half of the tour. But before going on here’s a brief background of this special company. Theo’s Chocolate Factory was launched in 2006 by founder, Joseph Winney, whose first job was drying cacao seeds on a chocolate farm in Central America. Although the company is technically still an infant, Theo’s has already achieved nation-wide prestige and garnered numerous culinary awards.

Theo’s achievements.

Theo’s has been featured in numerous magazines including ‘O’, Food & Wine, and Bon Apetit; it was also mentioned as the “Snack of the Day” on The Rachel Ray Show, and was the winner of Time magazine’s first-ever “Conscientious Chocolate” Eco-Epicurean award. In addition, Theo’s flavored chocolate bars can be found in Whole Foods throughout the country.

Yet despite high demands, Theo’s still operates according to the ethics that made it stand out in the first place. Theo’s is the only chocolate factory in the United States to make certified fair-trade and organic chocolate, meaning that the chocolate farmers in Central America who they buy from are paid well, and that all of their various cooking ingredients are 100% natural, containing no synthetic agents.

Theo's Orange Chocolate samples.

In addition to being ethic-based, all-natural, and public-friendly, Theo’s makes delicious and inventive chocolate. Classic flavors include orange, mint, cherry-almond, and chili; while Theo’s fantasy flavors include Coconut Curry (rich and spicy), Coffee and Vanilla, Nib Brittle and Fig Fennel Almond. There’s also the 3400 Phinney Bar (named after the factory address in Fremont), which is milk chocolate liquor mixed with toasted and salted bread bits sourced from a local bakery. Much of Theo’s chocolate is extra-dark, and some bars contain as much as 91% cocoa. Typical store-bought candy bars only have around 12%.

Confections like Big Daddy’s or Rose Caramels, and seasonal chocolates such as Ghost Chili chocolate caramels sprinkled with red and gold chili flakes, or Gingerbread Spice chocolate bars (which we noticed were in the works during the tour) are only sold in Theo’s Seattle store.

Big Daddy confections: handmade graham cracker crust, with buttery, vanilla-infused caramel. Topped with either peanut butter praline or fluffy marshmallow, and enrobed in dark chocolate.

In-store seasonal treats.

Our friendly tour guide, Nicole (right), has been with Theo’s for 2 ½ years, and shared with us her knowledge on chocolate geography and production during the first half of the tour.

The second half of the tour takes you into the actual factory where you get to see which machines do what. It’s a 16-step process from bean bag to the shop, but there are a few steps pictured below:

This machine cracks each cocoa seed into antioxidant-rich nib bits.

Barrels of nib bits are eventually granulated into rich chocolate liquor.

A chocolate river flows out of this pipe and into rectangular, candy bar molds. You don’t have to worry about getting sucked into this slender chocolate pipe like poor Augustus.

For the finale, we taste-tested savory confections in the kitchen, and watched as workers painted on the faces of chocolate-covered marshmallow bats and ghosts.

Here Nicole is passing out taste-test confections filled with spearmint-flavored chocolate cream.

More Halloween treats.

This tour is perfect for kids and adults. Even the information session is fun because it’s filled with questions that kids can answer and chocolate samples to taste. Nicole was very energetic and liked hearing from all different ages. This is one of the best tours around, and at $6 it can’t be beat. Plus, if you’re like me, this pleasant tour will help you to finally overcome “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” nightmares!

Theo’s 'living room' where special events and classes are held.

Click here to reserve your spot on a tour, or to check out special in-house “theonista” events like Chocolate University, Friday night movies, and other seasonal gatherings.

Coffee Art + Chocolate + Music = Happiness

Day 1 of Seattle’s 5 Best Caffes…

The most coffee I drink in a day is one cup. Aside from late-night, college paper-writing pounding sessions, and cappuccino blizzards, coffee just hasn’t been on my list of priorities. I often wonder why??? I’m from Seattle, everyone around me guzzles it, and yeah, aside from the slight perspiration it induces, I enjoy the smell, taste and energy of coffee. Its appeal is kind of like wine to me; I really appreciate coffee expertise. To make a long story short, I found myself examining the Seattle caffe scene, and I created a mission for myself—to visit 5 of Seattle’s best coffeehouses in 2 days. By doing this, not only would I get a chance to get to know Seattle’s prestigious coffee scene, I might also figure out just why coffee and I aren’t better friends.

1. Victrola – 411 15^th Avenue in Capital Hill.

A victrola is an antique record player.

Victrola's signature and exotic coffee blends.

I began my two-day coffee binge in Capital Hill at Victrola coffee house. I had read online about the in-house, coffee-art competition that Victrola had held in mid-August, and saw all of the great pictures of the latte art that baristas from around the area had created. So, when I got to the counter, I made sure to order something that would look pretty. As the time came for Marcie to embellish my hazelnut latte, nerves were up. I was waiting with a camera around my neck to snap a photo, but when the moment arrived for her to do her magic I had to look away…

“Okay. It’s ready,” I finally heard her say. When I turned around, there waiting for me in a big, white mug was a beautiful latte masterpiece.

Way to go, Marcie!

For food I had The Dillinger sandwich, toasted with prosciutto, provolone, greens and tomato. It was pretty good, but I do always loathe paying more than the Subway $5 for a sandwich. In addition to a bunch of coffee drinks, Victrola also sells beer, featuring Hale’s Mongoose IPA and Pike’s Naughty Nellie Golden Ale, both of which are brewed locally.

This 15th Ave caffe was full of kindly hipsters.

2. Caffe Vita – 1005 E Pike St.

Caffe Vita

John helped me out at Caffé Vita and hooked me up with a Macchiato. A Macchiato is an Italian-inspired drink, and is a shot of espresso stopped a bit early so what you drink is the smoothest and sweetest of the brew. Then an ounce of steamed milk and foam is added and walla! The word Macchiato is Italian meaning “to mark.”

Served with a tiny cup, spoon, and saucer, this Macchiato was once almost as beautiful as my hazelnut latte from Victrola. However, I thought this marketing idea was pretty cool.

The café was very dark on the first floor. Dark wood paneling lined the floors and ceilings, and vibrant, colorful paintings stood out along the painted black walls.

They have a great upstairs study area overlooking popular Pike St. on Capital Hill. This is one of the best places to go in Seattle if you need to get work done. It was like a miniature library up here!

Although the Macchiato was great, the main reason I came to Caffe Vita was because, like so many others, I’d heard of a delicious new partnership that has emerged this year between two of Seattle’s best roasters: Chocolate + Coffee = Happiness. It’s the talk of the town—1^st Friday morning coffee and chocolate pairings sponsored by Caffé Vita and Theo’s Chocolate; even the NYTimes has mentioned it. This free cupping and tasting event is held at Caffe Vita and gives the public a chance to sample specialty coffees from around the globe, paired with the perfect chocolate liquors made from roasted exotic cacao seeds. You can read more about it at: www.taleoftworoasters.com.

Theo’s Chocolate has been featured in magazines all across the country for their delicious chocolate; however, I noticed that they were also mentioned in this week’s edition of The Stranger for hosting Jane Goodall as she promotes her new book about bringing animals back from extinction. That’s pretty amazing for a chocolate shop if you ask me!

3. The “Original” Starbucks at Pike Place Market.

Market performers in front of Starbucks. Check out the silver cello!

My last stop of Day 1 was at the most popular Starbucks in the world–the Pike Place Market Starbucks. I didn’t go into this caffe because, c’mon, by now we all know that Starbucks is really cool. This Starbucks is well-known for being the original, numero uno Starbucks; however, recently I heard a rumor that this isn’t entirely true. The original is said to have been built across town in a different Seattle location, but then burnt down shortly after. So that means that this is actually Starbucks #2, and though is may be the oldest, it’s not the original.

Thankfully, there are more reasons to check this place out. One is because it’s the only spot that still uses the original two-tailed mermaid as its logo. And another is because of the great music found here. Whether it be a 5-part a capella group, or a 3-piece band, rain-or-shine there’s always one of the Market’s best musical acts drawing a crowd around this Starbucks’ front doorstep.    You can walk to the Original Starbuck’s from most Seattle boutique hotels. 

That’s it for day 1! Stay tuned next week when I review 2 more caffes in North Seattle!