Photograph by Doug Ryder
The Plumed Horse of Saratoga will be one of the participants in the March 24 Rivers of Chocolate event. Susan Foster, assistant pastry chef, and Marc Desmas, pastry chef, display some of the chocolate candy they will make for the festival.
Rivers of chocolate will again flow in Saratoga
By Shari Kaplan
It's a good way to support a good cause, but a bad way to support a diet. However, the decadent nature of the star attraction--dessert--has never hindered Rivers of Chocolate in its past five years, and it's not stopping it this year either.
On the contrary, this annual fundraiser for the nonprofit Social Advocates for Youth of Santa Clara County is as big as ever, with 30 chocolatiers, bakers, chefs, vintners and caterers from throughout the Bay Area participating in the festival March 24 at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Although chocolate takes the main stage, wine and gourmet hors d'oeuvres are also served.
The most local participants are The Plumed Horse, Viaggio and Chateau La Cresta, all of Saratoga; Sweet Pea's of Los Gatos; and Equinox Methode de Champagne in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Others include Donna's Exquisite Chocolate Creations of Sunnyvale, CocoaPlanet.com of Woodside, Guglielmo Winery of Morgan Hill, Jeff Machado Catering of Los Altos, Hemingway's Cigar Shop of Palo Alto, Shelley's Biscotti of Santa Cruz and J. Lohr Winery and The Fairmont Hotel, both of San Jose. Culinary demonstrations and auctions are also part of the event.
Each year, the Rivers of Chocolate theme highlights one of the great waterways of the world. This year, the honor goes to the Blue Wailuku River, the longest river in Hawaii and one that carries more than 250 million gallons of water each day. The river also has a state park named after it.
Social Advocates for Youth was established in 1973 to meet the crisis needs of children, teenagers and families living in Santa Clara County. SAY's goal is to provide services that teach its clients resiliency, self-respect, responsibility and healthy lifestyle choices. The organization operates several programs to that end:
* Casa SAY is a shelter for homeless or runaway youths and is staffed with therapists, counselors and interns who help approximately 85 percent of its visitors return home.
* Safe Place outreach programs give troubled young people a safe place--often within a business--where they can stay until a SAY counselor arrives or can speak with them on the phone.
* The Youth and Family Counseling Center offers affordable counseling to families in crisis due to the substance abuse, truancy or the failing grades of their children.
* Independent Living Skills staff teach life-coping skills to young adults before they lose state support at age 18. These skills include job-hunting, money management and finding affordable housing.
* A mentoring and school liaison program provides trained advocates as mentors for students having difficulties in school.
The Mountain Winery is at 14831 Pierce Road. Rivers of Chocolate runs from 2 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $75 in advance and $90 at the door, if not sold out. For tickets or additional information, call 408.253.3540.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
