The Xocolate Bar Is Coming to Oakland’s Rockridge Neighborhood With ‘Chocuterie’ Boards and Chocolate ‘Brie’ | Eater SF

"I've followed Malena Lopez‑Maggi’s East Bay chocolate company since its 2006 launch: she’s operated a tiny, 'ridiculously tight' Solano Avenue shop that she likens to a lobster outgrowing its shell, and now she’s expanding into a Rockridge storefront to create an all‑retail second location with a stockroom and shipping so the original Solano Avenue space can be dedicated to production. Her creations—especially the gold‑medal 'brie' (a white chocolate wheel that looks and spreads like brie) and 'chocuterie' boards—have generated real buzz (the 'brie' was awarded best new product at the 2023 International Chocolate Salon), while Hercacao jam (the spread for the chocuterie board) won a local Good Food Award in 2020; chocolate salami is a classic offering, and pistachio terrine, chocolate caviar, and tamarind mango jam are still being developed in the lab. To fund the buildout (hoping to start in May and be fully operational by October) she’s raising $65,000 via GoFundMe and offering 'chocolate bonds'—gift cards that go live in 2024 with a 10% discount—and she’s asking fans to remember and support the shop as it grows." - Paolo Bicchieri