Sweet tooth
NICK BONAMICO • Dandelion Chocolate
WORK • Wednesday Routine
NICK BONAMICO • head chocolatier • Dandelion Chocolate
Neighborhood you live in: North Berkeley
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I come in at about 830a to meet with my team and go over the production list for the day, assign tasks, and address any concerns. I usually stay in the kitchen for the better part of the morning.
What’s on the agenda for today?
We’re making three bonbons for Mother's Day, inspired by a classic afternoon tea service as I imagine it. The three flavors are strawberries and cream, banoffee pie, and treacle tart. While my assistant chocolatier Madison and another chocolatier are running the casting line (the machine that puts the chocolate in the molds), I'm getting the fillings ready. For the strawberries and cream, I’ll be making strawberry jam and a strawberry marshmallow. By the time we’ve made the fillings, the shells are ready to be filled.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I like to keep my work nights free to be able to assist the team with any last-minute needs. But on the weekends, I like to visit my two favorite East Bay restaurants — Fish & Bird Izakaya in Berkeley and Benchmark in Kensington. Fish & Bird has great cocktails and simple cooking. Benchmark is a quiet neighborhood spot where you can sit outside. They have my favorite pizza — a classic Neapolitan-style pie that’s really well made — great pastas, and a nice wine list, too.
We also love to get dim sum. Some of our favorites are Dragon Beaux, Harborview, and City View. In the evening, we’ll end up at Smuggler’s Cove in Hayes Valley for a fun time that’s not really like anywhere else in SF.
How about a little leisure or culture?
Music is really important to me. I sing in a choir on Wednesday nights, and we currently have season tickets to the San Francisco Opera. I love theater, but for me, opera is the ultimate experience, because it's all live and there are no microphones. It's so wild! I usually run every morning, and then on weekends, I like to cycle. I love that I can just walk up the hills in Berkeley and go to Grizzly Peak for a beautiful experience.
Any weekend getaways?
We love going up to Point Reyes and eating at The Marshall Store. I find going to the ocean so refreshing. Or we’ll head up to Sonoma or Dry Creek for some wine tasting. I like Preston Farm & Winery or Unti Vineyards for Italian varietals.
What was your last great vacation?
I’m a part of an Episcopal choir, and every three years, we take a choral pilgrimage to England, where we spend two and a half weeks singing in cathedrals. It’s a spectacular experience, and you start to feel like you're a part of the fabric of these incredible places. This last trip, we sang at Wells Cathedral in Somerset and Durham Cathedral in the north of England. I’m sort of a nerd and like anything about King Arthur, and that’s where it all took place.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
A 10-inch Misono chef's knife I bought at Korin in New York City. Working in pastry, I don’t typically get to use such a large knife, but I love the craftsmanship of it, how perfectly weighted and balanced it is. You can tell that years — generations, even — of knowledge went into making this knife.