We popped into Chakra 4 Café and Tea House Saturday to start off our Valentine weekend with a Chocolate Festival. Chocolate vendors Lisa Reinhardt, Wei of Chocolate, and Michelle Calio, Calio Confections were there to entice customers with their lines of organic, fair trade and vegan chocolates.
Kita Centella, owner of Chakra 4, pointed out the chocolate case filled with a selection of chocolates including Kelly Johnson's (ChocolaTree, Sedona) raw chocolate super food and Jeffrey Boticelli's hand tempered Fortina (Sedona) chocolate.
chocolate menu, chocolate divination and sacred cacao ceremony
A special menu, created by Chef Justin Berry, highlighted chocolate's versatility. Main entrees with the star ingredient included a mushroom walnut burger with a chocolate- sage sauce over creamy butternut squash and a Mediterranean orange salad with cacao-balsamic vinaigrette. The light and creamy chocolate banana split was sprinkled with fresh fruit and covered in a delectable spicy chocolate sauce.
We had a chocolate truffle reading with Paige Sullivan, Chocolate Diviner and Sacred Artist. We choose our truffles from the case, a Mayan truffle to represent our self and blueberry lavender to represent our dreams. The angel board appealed to us more than the "sexy, boob-boom vampire, werewolf board" for our reading.
Paige explained, "I like to use chocolate for readings, its gentle and non-threatening way to for engage people. Chocolate is whimsical and creative." Our reading put a smile on our face. Kit reminded us to eat the truffles we chose to take in the knowledge Paige shared. More smiles as we focused on the flavors and the smooth, balanced quality of the truffles.
We weren't able to stay for the Sacred Cacao Ceremony later in the evening.
Kit explained the ceremony is a healing, meditative ceremony conducted by Jeffrey Boticelli. In the ceremony, Jeffrey covers the history, chemistry, benefits of cacao, and a tasting of the historic chocolate drink made without sugar.
We were delighted to hear the ceremony is held at different times during the year, and we will be back to taste the ancient elixir. The chocolates of the local, Arizona vendors are regular features at Chakra 4. After all, the goodness of chocolate and its benefits for health shouldn't be limited to a once a year Valentine's celebration!
For Information and updates on events at Chakra 4 visit their website.