Chocolate Weekend at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay

Situated 23 miles southwest of the San Francisco International Airport, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, is a 261-room destination spa and golf coastal hotel. It’s San Francisco Bay Area’s only oceanfront resort, perched atop a rugged bluff overlooking 50 miles of pristine California coastline and the Pacific Ocean.

During April 1 to 3, 2022, chocolate enthusiasts will want to participate in teas, brunch and a special dinner in partnership with award-winning chocolatier and pastry chef Adam Thomas and the resort’s Executive Chef Jakob Esko. During this three-day ‘Chocolate Exploration Weekend’, there are a series of delicious events celebrating cacao with curated food and beverage experiences.

Photo by Chad Chisholm

“Chef Adam Thomas is a prestigious pastry chef and highly admired around the world for his craft and dedication to luxury gourmet confections,” said Jakob Esko, Executive Chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay. “We are very much looking forward to delighting our guests with this special experience to taste decadent chocolate dishes paired with the signature luxury service and unforgettable dining experiences at our oceanfront resort.”

Executive Chef Jakob Esko

Taking place at The Conservatory and Navio, the resort’s signature dining destinations, events include a refined chocolate afternoon tea, an indulgent chocolate-themed brunch and seven-course dinner. The Chocolate Exploration Weekend is sponsored by Valrhona, a world class chocolate producer based in the small village of Tain L’Hermitage, France, and Thomas Craft Confections, Chef Thomas’ brand for luxury gourmet confections.

Navio Dining Room, Photo by Albert Law

 With over 20 years of experience making sweets in celebrated kitchens around the world, Executive Chef Adam Thomas of Thomas Craft Confections is an utmost authority on the art of pastry and chocolate having served as a judge for several chocolate competitions including the World Chocolate Masters. Most recently, Chef Thomas held his longest running residency at the 5 Star 5 Diamond resort, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, where he spent nine years as Executive Baking & Pastry Chef, and also served as a guest chef at the esteemed L’Ecole Valrhona in Brooklyn, New York where he taught a master class on hotel pastry and amenity programs.

Here is a list of the curated line-up of chocolate-themed events during Chocolate Exploration Weekend at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay:

Chocolate Afternoon Tea at The Conservatory – April 1-3 at 3 p.m.

The Conservatory, the Mediterranean restaurant also serving California cuisine, will host its signature    Ritz-Carlton Afternoon Tea Experience with a playful emphasis on cacao paired with champagne. Designed to mimic a modern beach house, The Conservatory overlooks the beautiful Pacific coast, offering the ideal setting for guests to enjoy tea, small bites and luxury Valrhona chocolate. The Chocolate Afternoon Tea is $120 per guest. Reservations can be made here.

Navio Chocolate Brunch – April 2-3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In celebration of spring, Navio, the property’s refined seafood and coastal cuisine restaurant, will transform its esteemed weekend brunch into an elevated chocolate brunch experience. Navio Chocolate Brunch will feature a special tasting menu of twenty-five individually plated dishes that guests can order in any quantity during a two-hour experience, in addition to seasonally inspired à la carte items such as fresh seafood, local cheese, elevated brunch favorites, and a selection of prime cuts. The experience is $249 per person and reservations can be made here.

Navio “Travel with Chocolate” Seven-Course Chocolate Dinner – April 2 from 5 p.m. to
9 p.m.

Chocolate enthusiasts and the confection-curious are invited to enjoy a special seven-course chocolate themed tasting menu in collaboration with Navio Chef de Cuisine Francisco Simón and Executive Pastry Chef Adam Thomas of Thomas Craft Confections. The guided “Travel with Chocolate” tasting menu experience will take guests through a series of savory dishes masterfully prepared with Valrhona chocolate representing a different equatorial country and its cacao. The dinner will include Petit Fours and parting gifts from Thomas Craft Confections. The experience is $249 per person and reservations can be made here.

The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay is located at 1 Miramontes Point Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. For reservations 800-241-3333 or visit ritzcarlton.com/HMB.