Michael Mischer

It is a rainy Tuesday afternoon the week between Christmas and New Years. I am on break from work strolling Oakland’s Grand Lake neighborhood. I am doing errands - post office and Trader Joes. I am in no hurry. I stop at the local book store and survey the titles. I decide it is the perfect day for hot chocolate. I am drawn to the end of the street, to Michael Mischer’s chocolate store. My husband and I frequent it after dinner in the neighborhood. We love the gelato. My husband likes the fruit flavors and I go for anything with chocolate. I had noticed a sign in there for hot chocolate, but had never tried it. Today is the day.

The chocolate smell immediately surrounds me as I walk into the shop. It is a luscious aroma that swirls around me. There are assorted filled chocolates on one side of the store and designer chocolate bars on the other. They must be making the chocolate in the back because the wonderful smell is pulling me in like a magnet. I order the hot chocolate. The girl working behind the counter explains to me how it is made. Tiny pieces of chocolate pellets are melted and mixed with steamed milk. According to Michael Mischer’s website, he uses only the highest quality chocolate. As I wait for my sweet creation, I read some of the articles posted on the walls about Mr. Mischer. He was born in Northern Germany and migrated to California in 1984. He has a passion for chocolate and uses only the finest ingredients.

The hot chocolate arrives. It is exquisite. It wraps around me like a warm blanket. It is not too sweet and the chocolate flavor isn’t too overwhelming. It is just right. It cost more than a Starbucks hot chocolate, but then it is a lot more than a squirt of chocolate syrup. I sip it while sitting at one of the three tables at the front of the shop. It is the perfect place to relax, people watch and daydream. I chase it down with a Lavender & Honey filled chocolate. I crunch into the hard dark chocolate outer shell to a soft lovely filling. The lavender and honey flavors are a party in my mouth.

The staff has always been extremely friendly. When we went in for gelato, the young man working introduced me to one of Mr. Mischer’s newer flavors – BBQ Truffle. It is an unusual combination, but delicious. I love the chocolate/bacon combination, so BBQ/chocolate seems the perfect creative combination. As I leave the shop on my chocolate high, I contemplate what is next on my list to try - the Cayenne Spiced Mango Bar.

Michael Mischer’s is definitely a place to stop on your chocolate journey.