I am a chocolate fan. You might even say I’m a chocoholic, expect I try hard to eat chocolate in moderation. Some of my favorite chocolates come from Europe (Valrhona) and South America (Chuao), but I think the best chocolate I have ever tasted comes from San Francisco, California.

No, I’m not thinking about Ghirardelli, which is surely San Francisco’s most famous chocolate. Rather, the best chocolate in San Francisco, and quite possibly the whole world, is made in a little store within a couple of miles of Ghirardelli Square. It’s called XOX Truffles, and it resides at 754 Columbus Avenue.

As the name of this store indicates, they make truffles here (small lump of soft chocolate, usually flavored). That’s about all they sell, other than coffee to complement a truffle treat. You can buy truffles to be eaten “cafe-style” on the premises, or you can buy them to-go. Either way, you’re in for one of life’s most exquisite treats. By the way, I’m not the only one who thinks XOX Truffles makes some of the best chocolate in the world. The company has been recognized by food and chocolate experts, including Chocolatier Magazine, which ranked XOX in the top ten in America. 

XOX Truffles offer a tantalizing array of flavors, including: caramel, lemon, dark chocolate, orange, and raspberry. My favorite is probably the dark chocolate. I like my chocolate “straight up.” But the runner up is a flavor I never would have anticipated or thought I’d like: Earl Grey. The bergamot flavor of Earl Grey tea delicately enriches its chocolate base, without overwhelming it.

Now it is possible to order XOX Truffles online. But it’s quite pricey, owing to the elaborate shipping strictures employed by the company. If you’re curious about this, check out the “Please read prior to ordering” page to marvel at the effort made by XOX Truffles to preserve the quality of their chocolate when shipping, especially during warm weather seasons. You can tell from their shipping policies that XOX Truffles is utterly committed to quality.

If you’re feeling especially wealthy and self-indulgent, go ahead and order some XOX Truffles online. I expect you won’t be disappointed. But my recommendation is that you wait until you can buy them from the store in person. Nothing I’ve ever tasted beats the fresh truffles of XOX. And they’re surprisingly reasonable when purchased in person.

Would I make a trip to San Francisco simply to enjoy XOX Truffles? Not unless I won the lottery. And since I don’t play, this is unlikely. But I would go out of my way to enjoy this delicacy whenever I’m in the San Francisco area, without fail.