Chocolate Man

There must be a lot of women who totally want to marry David Briggs. The fact that they may be in their 50s (or more) and he's maybe in his 30s isn't a consideration. No sir. And it's all because this young man is not only a fabulous cook (he's sous chef at Park Kitchen), he's also the chief chocolatier, designer, dishwasher and everything else at Xocolatl de David, a recent entry in Portland's burgeoning chocolate scene. I met him at a chocolate tasting at Foster & Dobbs and got to try a few of his products as well as some of his recent experiments, and was thoroughly impressed.

This guy has a very different take on that dark, sweet delight, though. It started when he was in culinary school and decided, after a family dinner that involved one-upping each other with different food combinations, to complete a class project by developing a bacon ice cream. Yes, I said bacon ice cream. Which led him to try ice cream and then chocolates with a savory (some would say demented) twist. Using ingredients like, yes, bacon (which is an amazing thing to taste), lemongrass, salt, cardamom, olive oil, camembert and Sichuan peppercorns. Not all at once, mind you.

You can find his wonderful truffles at various local outlets, including Steve's Cheese, Foster & Dobbs and Tea Chai Te. And look for more incredible flavors and products to come. This guy has plans, and the talent to make them happen.