Yesterday Robert Steinberg passed away from lymphoma. Steinberg was one of the original founders of Scharffen Berger Chocolate, along with his friend John Scharffenberger. They took a different approach than most American chocolate makers, with the intention of making chocolate in the European tradition. They bought a machine from Germany and crafted their first batch in Steinberg's kitchen - working and reworking it until they got it right. They insisted on using more cocoa in their product than the minimum required by law, creating an exceptional quality chocolate that raised the bar for the chocolate industry in our country.
I took the tour of the factory in Berkeley last year. It's one of the few chocolate factories that let people in - most keep their secrets highly guarded. It was so interesting to see the process, and to learn about the nuances of different types of chocolate.
The tasting was the best! I remember our guide saying, "Even if you don't love milk chocolate, you will love this chocolate." I thought, "Yeah, right" and then I tasted it. Rather than the flat, overly sweet, chalky taste that I expected was a rich, smooth, complex bite of chocolate. I learned that the milk chocolate in the SB bar has as much cocoa as most manufacturers use in their dark chocolate. Now when I stop by my local Peet's Coffee, I usually buy a square or two of the milk chocolate as a treat. My absolute favorites were this limited edition chocolate pictured below that had a rich, almost grassy flavor (no longer available), and the Nibby Bar which have the added crunch and nuttiness of chocolate nibs.
Tonight I was supposed to go to an event hosted by restaurant expert and gal-about-town Marcia Gagliardi, aka the tablehopper, called a "Chocolate Adventure Contest". It was sponsored by Scharffen Berger and Tutti Foodie, so out of respect to the Steinberg family, the event was called off. The event was going to be a contest between two local pastry chefs, Boris Portnoy of Candybar, and William Werner of polite/persuasion, to whip up something chocolicious using a selected ingredient. And John Scarffenberger was going to conduct a blind chocolate tasting...yum. All of this and a discount at Sur la Table - what a dream. Instead, I will pick up some Scharffen Berger chocolate tonight and embark on a chocolate adventure of my own, as a way to honor the innovation and high standards that Steinberg was instrumental in bringing to the American market.
I wish I had had the chance to meet Robert Steinberg in person. David Leiboviz, an American living in Paris and chocolate connoisseur, wrote a very nice tribute today which you can read here.
I leave you with a delectable slice of cake that Sean and I enjoyed at the Scharffen Berger cafe, the day of our visit. It's rich, silky, smooth flavor still lingers.
Note: they have just added a tribute to Robert Steinberg on the Scharffen Berger home page, so do check it out. There is a lovely statement from his partner John Scharffenberger.
