XOX Is the Spot to Try for Truffles
If X marks the spot, XOX marks some of the best truffles to be found in the San Francisco Bay area. XOX Truffles is a homegrown business run by a husband and wife with locations in San Francisco and Oakland and for sale elsewhere in northern California and on the internet. It offers tiny nuggets of chocolate goodness with the rough, hand rolled look of, well, a truffle in more than 27 flavors and fillings ranging from raspberry liqueur to Earl Grey tea. The diminutive truffles are rolled in cocoa, coconut, chopped hazel nuts, crushed coffee crunch or dipped in chocolate or white chocolate depending on their flavor. There are also a few flavors that are vegan.
The company, founded by Chef Jean-Marc Gorce and food marketing whiz Casimira Tobilla, and its truffles have been featured on the Food Network and local and national magazines and newspapers.
I had been to the San Francisco location years before the one in Oakland opened and was thrilled when the couple expanded their business to my neighborhood. The store is light and airy with plenty of French/European accents. In addition to the truffles, the Oakland store, which is more of a cafe, offers espresso, coffee and tea drinks and a few flavors of exotic ice cream. Best of all, every beverage purchase entitles you to a free truffle. That’s something the Starbucks (literally) around the corner can’t offer!
XOX’s truffles are small, but that just means you can pack a lot of truffles, and flavors, into your bag, box or baton, depending on how many of the hand-packed treats you purchase. How small? There are about 80 truffles to the pound. That makes one or two seem like a harmless mid-day treat and a small box a very welcome hostess gift.
If you are visiting the Bay area, taste the truffles at XOX locations at 754 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA or at 6126 La Salle Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611. (Hours of each location are on the “contact us” page of the website.) Visit the website for other businesses that feature XOX products or to have truffles sent directly from XOX.
I found this place by complete accident about 3 years ago while visiting SF. My friend pointed me in the direction of good coffee, and as I kept walking and walking down Columbus Avenue, passing one coffee shop after another, I finally found the place he was talking about (it starts with a G, I think - I can’t remember the name). But the coffee shop was beans to go only - so the nice coffee men told me to go across the street to a shop where I could buy a cup: XOX. They didn’t mention that I would also find people elbow-deep in cocoa powder, hand-rolling some of the most fantastic chocolates EVER. As soon as they gave me my free nugget of joy, I was IN LOVE. Now I make a special point to go every time I’m in that city.
I’m so happy you wrote about them - thanks!