Gandolf’s Fine Chocolates

Gandolf’s had about a dozen truffles on display @2.5 and small bags of chocolates @6. many of the truffles were fruit flavored…
eats: salted chocolate caramel @2.5
–sold it to me for 2, go figure
–salt came from syria, i was told.
–strong caramel and chocolate taste. salt barely tasted.
3.5 stars.
notes:
–good chocolate but not great
–friendly salesperson…

I bought the chocolates for a friend who lives in Santa Rosa and he and his wife loved them! They are both beautiful and delcious. Guy could not have been any more helpful in assisting me with selection and arranging delivery. I will definitely buy them again. Wonderful establishment.

Delicious handmade chocolates. Gandolf’s Chocolates are made in Sonoma County and of the best quality ingredients. We appreciate artisan foods made locally. This is a true taste of Sonoma County. We have purchased these chocolates many times. Especially adore the ‘Nipples of Venus’ and ‘Salted Caramel’. Amazing flavors.
Found Gandolf’s at the Santa Rosa Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning.

Fresh chocolates filled with yummy soft caramel is my favorite. Topped with salt, blended with milk chocolate or just covered in dark chocolate… it’s all good!
Previously I worked at Lyla’s Chocolates in Mill Valley. I quickly became spoiled to fresh made chocolates. Gandolf’s chocolates are helping maintain my standards for quality and excellence. A local business makes my purchases even sweeter.
Where to find Gandolf at the Sunday San Rafael Farmers market; Main entrance where the information booth is located, turn right, 3−4^th vendor on the left.

I love chocolate, and have tasted it around the world. I even make my own. I have twice been an alternate in the Berkeley Chocolate Club. Gandolf’s truffles is my favorite chocolate in the U.S.A. (well, I like Poco dolce tiles as much — but they are different) (Its been a while since I’ve been to Paris… where my other favorites live). I recently got a box of truffles from the French Laundry. They were not half as delicious and I heard a rumour (true? not true?) that they cost $ 100…about 8 times as much a Gandolf’s. The Gandolf filling has the most wonderful flavor and texture and is always fresh, as is the shell. My favorite is the plain all chocolate truffle, with the pretty colored graphics on them but I like them all, even (especially) the salt caramels, though I don’t like caramel in any other context. You can buy them at the Santa Rosa farmer’s market (Sat) the Marin farmer’s (Sun only) or on line at
. Maybe coming soon at Whole Foods. Great for a party dessert (friends love them) or a gift. Value pricing ($ 2.50 each) to begin with and If you bring your box back empty you can re-​fill it at half price.

We served Gandolf’s chocolate truffles as a wedding favor to 300 guests recently. They received rave reviews! Each truffle was monogrammed and lovely, but the best part of all was the flavor. Guy’s truffles are truly exceptional! From the beginning of the process of tasting and choosing the truffles, to the personal delivery of the final product, I felt completely at ease and confident in Guy and Gandolf’s chocolates!

Gandolf’s Chocolates are simply divine and excellent value. My family have been visiting Gandolf at the Farmers Market in San Rafael (civic center) for a couple of years and have recently started buying chocs from him online and shipping to friends and family around the globe.
Great guy, great chocs and great value.
Highly recommended.

I discovered Guy and his fine products, because he is situated next to the Flour Chyld booth at the Civic Center Farmer’s Market. After passing his stall many times, I stopped. I had one of his chocolates. It was exceptional. I have subsequently learned (Please do not make fun of me — I did not know I was such a Chocolate naïve) that chocolate is perishable and while it does not spoil like milk, chocolate loses its’ essence with age. Among its’ many significant properties, cocoa butter melts just under body temperature making it very sensitive to the environment. Most large commercial chocolate operations use binders and stabilizers, such as food grade wax, to make their products withstand the rigors of shipping and to extend shelf life. So ordinary commercial chocolate products are considered to have a two year shelf life. Guy makes his chocolates within a few days of selling them, at most. He makes them in batches of 45; that is, he makes 45 truffles at a time, not 45 thousand or 45 dozen, just 45. Right about now you should be thinking, «Have I ever had a fresh chocolate truffle?» For chocolate lovers, the difference is sublime.
Guy’s business is named after his cat, Gandalf. The feline, I am told, has no active role in the business. He also sells his chocolates under the Cocoa Maya brand. His recipes are classic. This is definitely a situation where less is more. On a typical Sunday he will have seven varieties — some different flavors, some different shapes. He has new experiments on hand. Most recently, he made a limoncello-​accented truffle — which I loved and wanted him to turn up the limoncello flavor. His Kahlua is my personal favorite.
He can also be found at the Santa Rosa Farmer’s Market on Saturday and at his website.