Theo Chocolate

Even people who never worry where their next meal will come from should think about where its ingredients originate. Locally owned Theo Chocolate brings its cocoa-loving community closer to the beans and the farmers who cultivate them, offering sweets that are Fair Trade Certified, Certified Organic, or both. Theo is a twofold operation: There’s the fun line of 3400 Phinney chocolate bars (available at PCC stores and Town and Country Markets), and then there’s the elegant confections and deep dark chocolate Origin Bars that bear the Theo Chocolate name (bulk confections sold at Roosevelt and Bellevue Whole Foods). Extraordinary in their craftsmanship, both lines of chocolates challenge your palate with surprisingly complementary flavors. That first salty crunch of 3400 Phinney’s Bread and (dark) Chocolate bar or the unique spice kick of their Curry Coconut milk chocolate bar is unexpected. Yet after chewing a little slower, and examining the taste a little more closely, you’ll be back for more. 3400 also offers chocolate bars in vanilla or chai milk flavor, and dark chocolate bars flavored with coffee and other treats ($3.29 each). The six- or 15-piece box of Theo confections ($15–$24) contains similarly innovative morsels, like the delectably creamy Burnt Sugar confection, a chocolate flavored with Earl Grey tea, or the chocolate-coated bite of organic peanut butter and jelly. Curious, intrigued, skeptical? Tours of the Theo chocolate factory (at 3400 Phinney Ave. N.) happen at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 3400 Phinney Ave. N., 206-632-5100, www.theochocolate.com. FREMONT