Berkeley chocolate factory tour - a visit to Scharffen Berger. ...

Last night we featured the cross bay rivalry of Taste events, and tonight, we've got two art auctions. When we see things like this, we wonder whether the organizers of said events check each others' calendars, as we have learned through painful experience that we can't be everywhere at once. Perhaps an evite is called for in these circumstances. First, in the East Bay, The Oakland Art Gallery's DRAWN, a fundraiser sale and art......

A lot of great stuff starts in the Bay Area. Conversely, it often ends here too. We guess that's our punishment for living in an area where a commitment to artisanal techniques goes hand in hand with an open-minded populace--a place where very desirable things are spawned. Like good chocolate. A recent example: two great local chocolatiers sold out to Hershey's. A Pennsylvania company. One that has a theme park. And mass distribution machines......

...drunk! Last week's winner: the The Guardian. Muni fare hike, rrrrgh! The Guardian shakes its fist at you. Arlene Ackerman writes a defensive letter ("I have never claimed to be perfect and my staff and I make missteps like any other human beings." Nothing good can follow that statement.) Local politics: why isn't a sports agent attorney being prosecuted for stealing money from his client? (answer: well-connected). Burning Man, part 15 of a 78-part series. Cover article: Feel-bad romantic comedies. And Inside Deep Throat: the ultimate That's 70s Show. SF Weekly: We raced through the letters and Matt Smith so we could take the "Are you an apologist for Chris Daly?" quiz. God, this is So Fricken Good. We scored: "Please make this guy the next president of the Board of Supervisors. My TiVo would never be the same." Ladies, order your Mrs. Chris Daly t-shirts now! Cover article: Sweet Jesus, can this issue get any better? The cover article is about Journey!! Steve Perry is totally the emo-est singer alive. Meredith Brody sniffs disdainfully at the food at the Scharffen Berger café. Conor Oberst, making a run for Steve Perry's title. The clubs columnist goes to the Zeitgeist to think about Metallica. Savage Love: cancer survivor wants to have an affair, does kidney stone medication affect semen, and a complicated letter involving gurneys in Canada that we don't really quite understand. Don't stop believin', after the jump. ...

Nothing like getting fired right before the holidays, huh? Okay, we know The Apprentice was filmed months ago, but a local film programmer and staff weren't so lucky. Neither were Tim Hudson or Mark Mulder. And the Governator is aiming to be the Grinch who stole your lunch break. In other words, business as usual. Gotten any of your Christmas shopping done? We've done our best to single out a few local businesses for you......

The third of our gift guide entries spotlighting chocolate shops in the Bay Area While we don't want to seem a shill for any business enterprise, Scharffen Berger's catchphrase of "America's Finest Dark Chocolate...From Bean to Bar" is really pretty accurate. This is damned good chocolate, especially if you believe that chocolate gets better as it gets darker.......