Underneath this tissue, behind this gold seal, lie the most wonderful chocolates on the West Coast,
imho:
Fran's Chocolates. You can't get them here in Los Angeles. I have my
dealer daughter bring me a
fix few every time she comes into town for a visit:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJK3pafvQbPBnpC06k63zGDS2x7Nfqgq2UMOenRHO-E3q2-S0bGehvqnS7oYbhzVp6wX_qT4YiigtNBthyzenWHBsuWI9J7uKrV9VpfLftpG3OtC2W4BwP1IJvZfNRctDuSDHa_4edMM5/s400/P1100281.JPG)
It's a standard phone call now: "Hi, Mom, do you want me to pick up anything for you before I come down? Seattle Soaps? Special coffees? Fran's?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVURkUSF6yLwt2PMA_G2zRUuBeSZuJb3w-gUM1p6XkTUzmS3tWv2Ft7R2okSWhQ9ryIt_nkqvCDZ0WtX9beo7VFqjW5kTTu7UlkrDCtRVzHuaN8V_FUauv0Q-1zBZqp_sw7KwoWOeyTn9/s400/P1100282.JPG)
Fran's! I always want Fran's.
They're made in Seattle and sold out of three brick-and-mortar store fronts.
As far as I'm concerned, those bricks are made of gold, because inside each store it's Heaven. Beautifully colored, paper-wrapped boxes tied in real cloth (not paper) ribbons. Sometimes the ribbons are satin, sometimes grosgrain, like these:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sF4bRu4jh_01gkq7f8Nz2f1zjqcY0OSfDhaVK56Nrf5ubwzqiNdNy3TdHfjTfBn1uZByHiiDx1eAOtunofUOMcHIELFd70qaQCINEldHSOYHVUks99BhBvvVymiMP3YGiKfRDM2N21Zo/s400/P1100283.JPG)
And although they make a variety of chocolates, my
dealer daughter knows
their caramels are the only ones I want. Specifically, these caramels:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhds5mouUe501NSmi6wVj55z8CcpxNJsASeVUU96Z8bDwXhF8MJFtsHlJk9hBju-SlLehvpJQjMGUU49LI010J9kIDgNInRZCzEP3yIUQaGAq_gNYalm2rEvP5d5HRU95cL1J6gI2T4gWcp/s400/P1100284.JPG)
Paradise. Nirvana. Food of the gods. That's what chocolate's taxonomic (scientific) name means--
theobroma cacao. "Theobroma" means "food of the gods." Yup, they got that right:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7LqhfCbquG1EGWBQcLtCpPV-3r_BCKhcJ78laq2zThV5IGR4g1cxinJ0-BNPJXLkVX-4z1iWS2M9T_HWAhQRmMAo3dOXfXpMYpp55Qlpjb_oWibsS9FRHDd1xv3dA4_zaZ27-0PYR5s_/s400/P1100285.JPG)
Aha! My lovers, come to me!:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNij46ughyXPh8hKQ2x_1UXOQhoF2IcfrKfT6S7iAbWFbS5jF7SLlwXccb1q_lPzjqrHHNZKS1nBfWo6xY_Y969vlfNA8G3_ineIEhncUjtg0NczJVVDPuh_N_0L2p0lVancylSMgK0px/s400/P1100287.JPG)
Seven perfect little bites, to savor slowly and sweetly.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhV8SNItdaklgnFipAf-cgvLFSIq7qFfkGvHbmEzBIbkE9qBYM-3T4z7hRbKEf2WeOIdzeDs0zlqaei88cL6nRaSCQKSm9KDGAlQWdbXUnzEFPY64BPuz9scxcdwMqlZrYB1090pGw1LAr/s400/P1100288.JPG)
Oops! Make that six little bites.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0xrMJWHfE11QpMTNRIydV74IXoRKQB31u8yqj4TzMCyCM_Gd2xSXIUqF9cMO3SmKTd1rpeOS12ZYUwNq2WXi1NFOuHVZdbMko6BphklKjF_w2CnKQD63XOuPxt0WuWg_YjUGoIf_PDeH/s400/P1100289.JPG)
One seems to have mysteriously disappeared.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAYIJOrhJsq7Z4pe0g6372vxXADPqa-Yabf-6t9bpsKW-6zJ8OmVRyGNEgJ_KHUq9EQHB2dcvf2EY3kIYUyseCBFvGwUD6dDWzWVsVSK7kf9NqvM1Qd8wrJJ2di9BUtKMuEqIWqdXKofMD/s400/P1100290.JPG)
Heh, heh!
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