Food in the Bay Area is a destination in itself, but on a recent visit my son only had ideas of satisfying his sweet tooth. Dreams of chocolate, cupcakes, and candy put a new spin on our itinerary. My husband and I decided to visit some of the sweetest destinations in and nearby San Francisco. We soon discovered the sweet life is as fun for adults as it is for kids.
Our first stop was the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, a city just outside of San Francisco but close enough to fit nicely into our quest for the sweetest weekend ever. Jelly Bellies are the natural-flavored jelly beans that achieved world recognition when then President Ronald Reagan took a fancy to Jelly Bellies and kept a jar of them on his desk at the Oval Office. With the President’s endorsement, along with my son’s — a self-proclaimed Jelly Belly fan — the free tour of the factory was a must do.
The factory tour is open both weekdays and weekends, but weekdays is when the employees are busy at work and the equipment is in operation. We learned a lot about the company’s history along with the surprisingly long (21 days!) process of making the gourmet beans. The sheer scale of the factory with bin after bin of colorful jelly beans left our mouths watering and our curiosity piqued. I particularly enjoyed seeing the Jelly Belly mosaic-styled portraits of everyone from Elvis to George Washington done entirely with jelly beans. My son’s favorite part: tasting the free samples and the complimentary bag he received at the end of the tour. We also loaded up on bags of “Belly Flops,” misshapen Jelly Bellies that don’t quite measure up to company standards and sold for less than half price at the factory store.
Once we arrived in San Francisco we knew exactly where to go: Ghiradelli Square! This landmark located in the Fisherman’s Wharf area of San Francisco is a prime spot for sweet lovers. Since operations for the candy making have long since moved to San Leandro, Calfornia, it could be argued that this is just another retail spot. However, visitors can still view the original candy-making equipment and appreciate the history behind the Square, a listing on the National Registry of Historic Places since 1982.
Perhaps most important, there is still plenty to satisfy the sweet tooth. We treated ourselves to Ghiradelli’s World Famous Hot Fudge Sundae and indulged in the freely given samples of the chocolate. Since the Square was crowded with tourists, we headed toward one of its shops at the end away from the entrance where we could avoid some of the long lines.
As if chocolate and sundaes weren’t enough to satisfy, I needed to look no further than one of the Square’s sweet retailers, Kara’s Cupcakes. The divine cupcakes sold at the shop are handmade using ingredients from local sources, mostly organic and always delicious. Since they are baked throughout the day I had no trouble snagging a nearly straight-from-the-oven cake that was a treat for eyes as well as the taste buds.
Luckily, our final sweet destination was only a short walk to San Francisco’s famous Pier 39. The Fudge House is a small shop, but it boasts 25 kinds of homemade fudge, as well as caramel, dipped fresh strawberries, caramel corn, and chocolate treats such as truffles and peanut butter cups. The fudge making operation is fully visible from the windows in the shop, and the process is a lot like making fudge at home. Sweet! Or, rather, sweet weekend.
I have my degree in broadcast journalism from Cal Poly, Pomona and a teaching credential from Cal State Fullerton. I am presently a secondary school English teacher. Previously, I worked for CBS Television in the News and Entertainment Industries where I read, edited and synosized scripts as well as wrote news copy and press releases. My writing will appear in an upcoming issue of Women’s World and has appeared on MyHero.com. I am attaching a photograph of me.
