Xocolate & Confections

I went for a poetry reading I heard about on Eventbrite. Let me start by saying this is a quaint, cute, boutique type of store with very affordable, decadent sweets that will put you in your happy place immediately. They offer samples, they are friendly, warm and the environment is very relaxed. Bonus is that in the back there are high end chocolates also on sale. I bought a few on my visit. Now to the poetry it was amazing....I was snapping, nodding, smiling, yelling hallelujah and shouting Amen to many shared readings and I wasn't alone. The turnout was spectacular. I am going to go out on a limb and tell you I had to touch this woman 's hand before her leaving the event. She was such a presence. Ayodele Nzinga, Oakland’s First Poet Laureate, Is Here for the People Ayodele Nzinga raises her fist in front of a mural that says, "We Got Us" by the organization AeroSoul in Oakland on July 19, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) Poets often exaggerate and embellish to make their points. Well, here’s something that may seem hyperbolic but isn’t: Oakland is currently undergoing some of its most significant changes in recent years, by and for the people. Whether it’s a group of mothers resisting displacement or artists turning the empty fifth floor of the Tribune Tower into an art installation, you only need to look around to appreciate the work happening here. Muralists, journalists, educators, rappers, community organizations, activists and everyday Oaklanders are united on the front lines of change, and making visible progress. Now, thanks to their collective efforts, we can finally add a Poet Laureate of Oakland to that list. For the first time in the Town’s 169-year history, the city has announced an official literary arts representative—a designated wordsmith who will not only capture Oakland on the page, but share it throughout the world’s literary circuit. The champion selected for this tremendous task? Ayodele Nzinga. You might’ve heard of Dr. Nzinga before. She’s a longtime West Oakland resident who founded and directs the Lower Bottom Playaz, a local theater company that centers Black stories, established in 1999. In addition to being a respected community playwright and poet, she’s also an educator and activist who was most recently involved in the city’s massive Refund movement, the campaign to reallocate resources from the police budget to community programs. “I hate politics. It’s the art of compromise,” Nzinga tells me. “But some things cannot be compromised, and if there’s any hope for politics, it’s local. I couldn’t just be an artist anymore.” In addition to her creative efforts, she has attended countless meetings and hearings with local officials, delivering messages on behalf of her people. The collective efforts of Nzinga, Cat Brooks, the Anti Police-Terror Project, the Oakland Progressive Alliance and many others helped ensure a victory for the Refund movement. In June, Oakland City Council voted to redirect $18 million away from the mayor’s proposed police budget into alternative methods for community crime prevention. As Nzinga’s collaborator, Brooks, wrote in her piece “Oakland can ‘Defund the Police’ and ‘Refund the Community,’” “‘all violence is state violence’ [and] it is the state that creates the conditions under which tragic realities play out.” If that’s true, then it must mean that our poets and artists are fostering the conditions in which the possibilities for healing can occur. And healing is what Nzinga knows best; it’s her chosen form of poetry. “I have lived in every segment of Oakland,” she tells me during our phone conversation. “I appreciate the slightly different flavors, and I am interested in every little nuance.” Ayodele Nzinga, Oakland poet, playwright, community activist, and the city’s inaugural poet laureate, poses for a portrait in downtown Oakland.

I recently visited Xocolate, and it was an absolute delight for my senses! The store is beautifully curated, with an impressive selection of artisanal chocolates, truffles, and unique confections. I picked a variety of Italian and local chocolates. My favorite Pistachio flavor.

A Rockridge candy and chocolate store with the best selection of artisan small batch chocolate bars and confections from around the world plus an awesome selection of tiny chocolate squares you can mix and match from different makers which is a really fun gift or for a party. It's like an old fashioned candy store only so much better! They also make Dubai bon bons. I know chocolate and think they might have the most interesting selection of bars in the Bay Area. Lots of Good Food Award winners.

Came here after a big meal. Wanted to get something sweet and happed upon Xocolate & confections. My family and I were amazed. Packed inside this small space was an amazing array of candies. Felt like museum; candy store and art gallery mixed into one. Amazing displays. Great local sweets. Friendly staff. We spent more time than we expected. And to be honest, we probably could have spent more. Delightful place to explore and indulge in your sweet tooth.

Carries unusual chocolates from around the globe (many from Italy) as well as boutique house made chocolates. Sold individually or in gift boxes.

Great place to get a gift. Went in for the first time and the shop owner was helpful but not overbearing. Gave some great suggestions. Walked out with a very nicely wrapped gift. Highly recommend.

Amazing selection of chocolates and candies. Lots of unique flavors from different parts of the world.

This is the best chocolate shop I've ever been in. Their selection is incredible. Delightful treats from every corner are organized in good categories. I'm also impressed with the prices. The production values of the shop and their own chocolates are top notch. The staff were very pleasant and knowledgeable.

I attended a poetry reading held here. I was a Eventbrite member of a good turnout audience. The chocolate samples were very good, the staff friendly and knowledgeable and welcoming. The shop is cute, cozy and relaxing. There are great bargains in the back I took home a few high end chocolates for myself. The poetry was moving, reflective, inclusive and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved all the readings but one Poet moved me in varying ways... Here's her bio: Arts & Culture Ayodele Nzinga, Oakland's First Poet Laureate, Is Here for the People Ayodele Nzinga raises her fist in front of a mural that says, "We Got Us" by the organization AeroSoul in Oakland on July 19, 2021. Ayodele Nzinga raises her fist in front of a mural that says, "We Got Us" by the organization AeroSoul in Oakland on July 19, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) P oets often exaggerate and embellish to make their points. Well, here's something that may seem hyperbolic but isn't: Oakland is currently undergoing some of its most significant changes in recent years, by and for the people. Whether it's a group of mothers resisting displacement or artists turning the empty fifth floor of the Tribune Tower into an art installation, you only need to look around to appreciate the work happening here. Muralists, journalists, educators, rappers, community organizations, activists and everyday Oaklanders are united on the front lines of change, and making visible progress. Now, thanks to their collective efforts, we can finally add a Poet Laureate of Oakland to that list. For the first time in the Town's 169-year history, the city has announced an official literary arts representative--a designated wordsmith who will not only capture Oakland on the page, but share it throughout the world's literary circuit. The champion selected for this tremendous task? Ayodele Nzinga. You might've heard of Dr. Nzinga before. She's a longtime West Oakland resident who founded and directs the Lower Bottom Playaz, a local theater company that centers Black stories, established in 1999. In addition to being a respected community playwright and poet, she's also an educator and activist who was most recently involved in the city's massive Refund movement, the campaign to reallocate resources from the police budget to community programs. "I hate politics. It's the art of compromise," Nzinga tells me. "But some things cannot be compromised, and if there's any hope for politics, it's local. I couldn't just be an artist anymore." In addition to her creative efforts, she has attended countless meetings and hearings with local officials, delivering messages on behalf of her people. The collective efforts of Nzinga, Cat Brooks, the Anti Police-Terror Project, the Oakland Progressive Alliance and many others helped ensure a victory for the Refund movement. In June, Oakland City Council voted to redirect $18 million away from the mayor's proposed police budget into alternative methods for community crime prevention. As Nzinga's collaborator, Brooks, wrote in her piece "Oakland can 'Defund the Police' and 'Refund the Community,'" "'all violence is state violence' [and] it is the state that creates the conditions under which tragic realities play out." If that's true, then it must mean that our poets and artists are fostering the conditions in which the possibilities for healing can occur. And healing is what Nzinga knows best; it's her chosen form of poetry. "I have lived in every segment of Oakland," she tells me during our phone conversation. "I appreciate the slightly different flavors, and I am interested in every little nuance." Ayodele Nzinga, Oakland poet, playwright, community activist, and the city's inaugural poet laureate, poses for a portrait in downtown Oakland on July 19, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) A s she gets accustomed to her new role, Nzinga is indulging in her desires to build bridges across Oakland's mosaic of neighborhoods. What poets has she yet to meet in Little Saigon? What writers in Fruitvale will she meet and kick it with? There is a Hmong community in East Oakland, and she wants to be among them. She will be everywhere "where people want to see a laureate." Nzinga has a peaceful aura. But don't get it twisted: she's a warrior who is strongly rooted in herself, in her beliefs, in her people. She has demands for city officials and challenges for her audiences, too. "If you want this, you also have to listen to the truth," she says. "The truth can be beautiful. Maybe I won't get invited back to some of these places after they hear me, and that's okay." Ayodele Nzinga, Oakland poet, playwright, community activist, and the city's inaugural poet laureate, poses for a portrait in downtown Oakland on July 19, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) N zinga holds an MFA in Writing and Consciousness from the New College of California and a Ph.D. in Transfo

Came here after a big meal. Wanted to get something sweet and happed upon Xocolate & confections. My family and I were amazed. Packed inside this small space was an amazing array of candies. Felt like museum; candy store and art gallery mixed into one. Amazing displays. Great local sweets. Friendly staff. We spent more time than we expected. And to be honest, we probably could have spent more. Delightful place to explore and indulge in your sweet tooth.

Amazing boutique selection. They have lots of sugar-free chocolate and candy, too. Owner is really nice and seems to care a lot about customer service.

Totally stumbled upon this place by accident, and what a serendipitous find! We saw that they had the viral Dubai chocolates (this was back in October). For those who don't know what the Dubai chocolates are, they are milk chocolates filled with shredded phyllo dough and pistachio cream. My first impression was whether or not I had walked into an art gallery or a confectionary shop. Uh...turns out both! According to their website, the owner and her partner were originally artists prior to becoming chocolatiers. This place just screams creativity and their chocolates are ethically-sourced and almost too pretty to eat. They even have a backroom gallery to showcase local artists' confectionary-inspired works. We couldn't find the Dubai chocolates, but one of the employees approached us and asked if we needed any assistance. Turns out they were in the back and they had just received a shipment! The Dubai chocolates were nutty, crunchy, flaky, and velvety all in one! Pricey, but worth trying. Also, might I just take a moment to say I absolutely adore the shop's name! It almost looks like "XO Chocolate" as in kisses and hugs, bu also reminded me of the language of the ancient Latin American civilizations and - fun fact - Xocolatl (you see the play on words?) means chocolate (literally means "bitter water") back when they would mix purely cocoa and water as a drink. If I'm not mistaken, this business is Latina-owned, so perhaps that was intention? So clever and, either way, kudos to them!

The ambiance was bright and cheery. I felt like a kid again in that store . The staff were friendly and very knowledgeable. The chocolate was even better! We grabbed a bunch of things, can't wait to try them all! Tip 1: they have individually wrapped samples in the front of the store, which is soooo nice of them! Tip 2: Although you can order their goodies online, there are even more things in store that you might not find elsewhere. So when you pick up your online order, you might end up buying even more!

I love this place, tons of different chocolate bars-including vegan, gluten free, sugar free, etc. Such a good little shop to buy a treat or gift. I always find something to get, they also get a ton of new stock in so each time I come in there's something new. They also have proper black licorice and other kinds of candies. The staff is nice and the shop is cute. They pack a lot in there.

Xoxo Chocolayte this is my type of store . Hubby cane to get my cake tines day chocolates from here . Loved it . Cute ambiance ! Great service and street parking .

Everything about this chocolate store is exceptional, so be prepared for that when you come in. They are deliberate in the flavors they make, the ingredients they use, and the chocolatiers they feature beyond the chocolate they make in-house. The dyes they use are all natural pigments which give them a shimmer and hue that isn't neon and artificial. The homemade bars are all $10 each but are flavorful and don't have a creepy aftertaste from preservatives. A lot of what they make is dark chocolate based so you have to really like the chocolate flavor to connect with their brand but like I said, they feature the whole rainbow of chocolate as well. Even a white chocolate bar I was tempted to try! I am a big fan of their salted caramels, their fruit flavored bonbons particularly the blueberry and the passionfruit, and the sour strips (not chocolate) made by Ashby confections. It costs a lot to eat the best chocolate out there, but Xocolate is on par with the best of the Bay and there is a reason they've lasted as long as they have (flagship store is on Solano Ave and has been around for probably 15-20 years already?). We are lucky that the owners have poured their never ending creativity into art we can eat!

They're doing a Willy Wonka thing! Five lucky winners get a $50 gift card!? 3 "golden tickets" still hiding when I was there today. The store is so cute. Every single thing they sell here is so giftable, nicely packaged, of higher quality chocolates (fair trade, organic, no preservatives). The staff were super kind and fun to talk to. I got a few things totaling $30-something dollars. Only tried the peanut butter cup so far, can recommend it. Will be back. :)

The candies are all amazing the lemon drops are my favorite! The shop keeper was very helpful when I was looking for specific chocolates. The store is very cute and whimsical and is a great experience if you want to try new candy.

Proactively offered to wrap up 11 different presents FOR FREE despite somewhat complicated instructions of how I wanted it done. That's some stellar service right there! I even asked if I could return in a few minutes to pick it up and they graciously accepted. Thank you to a stellar neighborhood shop!

The ambiance & service is exceptional!! Mika is soo helpful and i loved talking to her. She made my experience even better and gave me a little history on the shop!! Their homemade bars are to die for. My favorite though, is the milk chocolate tortoise's they have BTW, there are many vegan options & chocolates from all around the world. Truly an experience! (P.S. Their set up is B E A U T I F U L!!)

Another chocolate shop opens its doors in rockridge! There are now at least 5 in a relatively small radius, not that I'm complaining: one on the corner of College and Ashby that makes a killer Mexican hot chocolate; another (Love and Chocolate) next to Southie on College; The Chocolate Dragon on College by Hudson -- and now Xocolate near the intersection of College Avenue and Chabot, which sits only half a block away from Sees candies. This shop is decidedly fancier than See's (which is often full of school kids buying sweets and treats). This place has chocolate bars that will run you $20-50. They also have a buffet of gourmet treats that mimic the kinds of candies you see in CVS, everything from gourmet milky ways to Reese's peanut butter cups. we have tried a few small samples from this place; it's good, but not better than the high-end chocolates you can get at Whole Foods. That said, always want to extend a warm welcome to new neighbors! If you have a lot of extra cash to burn, high-end chocolates are IN.

Fantastic flavors and the shop is so well organized and put together. The service is outstanding - nice people always! I especially recommend the arroz con leche chocolate bar, my personal favorite!

Local treats, high quality ingredients, sugar/dairy free options! Just the best! The owners are so sweet and from the Bay, which is also awesome :)

I was disappointed they didn't sell the truffles there in the same way they do at their spoons ave location. Only in boxes in flavors they decide. I had wanted to show a friend how awesome their truffles are but she didn't get the same experience as their other location has.

What a magical store - from the amazing vintage candy dishes, to the assortment of Italian sweets you see nowhere else, to the incredible chocolate. The store is so beautiful I gasped when I discovered it.

This chocolate store is truly amazing. They have a fantastic selection of chocolates and confections of all many types. They source products from all over and spend a lot of time curating the items. Pretty much anything you could imagine is available here. It is also a physically gorgeous store, perfectly designed and an all around delightful experience. Francine, who manages the store is wonderful. She and the other employees are all helpful and knowledgeable too and are happy to help you find the perfect treat for yourself or someone else.

The new Xocolate Bar in Rockridge is AMAZING! My family and I have enjoyed the Solano location for years, and this new store takes it to a whole new level. Same great chocolate but more treats and even some gorgeous glassware for sale. Francine is an amazing host on she's there on most days - she's also an incredible designer and the store is so beautiful and welcoming. They offer everything you could want -- from a quick one bite treat to many varieties of bar to boxes of bon bons and more. And if you like candy beyond their yummy chocolate, they offer many choices there, too. There is no better chocolatier in Rockridge. Go there, shop around, have a fun -- you and your taste buds won't regret it!