My friend and I checked out Will Gustwiler's relatively new shop Eclipse Chocolat last month. Based on favorable reviews in the paper as well as local food blogs (here are the links: Citybeat ,The Boulevard ,yelp a few local food bloggers such as Alice Q. Foodie and My Burning Kitchen, (because they have better pictures than me and more articulate ramblings than my blather). There are more Eclipse related posts from other foodbloggers, but, I wasn't sure about posting links to them if people didn't want to be identified by face and name. If you're ever in the area, Eclipse is on the corner of El Cajon Blvd and Alabama St.
We got there right as it opened and got street parking right in front. 
For lunch, I had the roast beef panini with jalapeno laced cheese. I believe there may have been mustard in there as well. I'm not much of a sandwich lover, but this panini was pretty tasty. I would order this again.
The paninis were served with a side of, no, not chips, Spanish Marcona almonds, which are very sweet and almost buttery tasting, and what the owner called "candied" mango. Actually, I'm quite sure it is the the Philippine Brand dried mango you can get from Costco. They're not really candied, but very very sweet and addicting! Just liking the fact that the owner came up with something way different to serve with sandwiches other than pickles and/or chips.
My lovely friend had a sweet/savory panini consisting of Nutella, chocolate, goat cheese and figs! Yes! What a crazy combination - she loved it. I wasn't too keen since I'm not a goat cheese fan or fig fan. But I would eat this without the goat cheese.
Here's the four dessert tasting plate descriptions for the month of May:
Here are all four items together. From top left, the frozen chocolate with berry merlot, the white chocolate lemon bar, the grilled white chocolate carrot cake and the dark chocolate bread pudding. Looks like a lot for two!
This was my favorite, the frozen chocolate mousse with berry merlot. I also liked the bread pudding - it was very moist and flavorful, while the white chocolate carrot cake was a bit dry. I'd never seen a grilled cake slice before either. The lemon bar was also tart; you could barely taste the chamomile. Between us two, we finished the mousse and bread pudding and picked at the other items.
Before we left, we bought several chocolate bars which the owner makes in house. There are so many varieties. He also sells cupcakes and hand made truffles with exquisite flavors. Besides that, he sells chocolate drink mixtures and sauces as well as non truffle candy such as the item you see below. This was Tarragon Candied Ruby Grapefruit covered in 60 % Dark Chocolate. The sugar is infused with tarragon so if you don't like the taste of tarragon, you could always brush the sugars off. This was quite different and I enjoyed the combination of flavors.
Here's one of the candy bars I bought. Try it. It's Dee. Lish. Shous. (2 snaps up in a circle)
I just realized the candy bar is upside down (the initials should read EC):
[Update - I'm writing this part on July 7 ]I wanted to eat at Eclipse again this month so my husband could also check this place out . Our anniversary was July 1 and we were planning to eat at Bite in Hillcrest but changed my mind to Eclipse (they serve their paninis all day until they run out). Unfortunately, I got sick but I'm okay now - that's the short story. We'll be making our way there eventually so we can try the other paninis, truffles, cupcakes and candy bars. Well, maybe not all in the same visit!!!
We got there right as it opened and got street parking right in front. 
For lunch, I had the roast beef panini with jalapeno laced cheese. I believe there may have been mustard in there as well. I'm not much of a sandwich lover, but this panini was pretty tasty. I would order this again.
The paninis were served with a side of, no, not chips, Spanish Marcona almonds, which are very sweet and almost buttery tasting, and what the owner called "candied" mango. Actually, I'm quite sure it is the the Philippine Brand dried mango you can get from Costco. They're not really candied, but very very sweet and addicting! Just liking the fact that the owner came up with something way different to serve with sandwiches other than pickles and/or chips.
My lovely friend had a sweet/savory panini consisting of Nutella, chocolate, goat cheese and figs! Yes! What a crazy combination - she loved it. I wasn't too keen since I'm not a goat cheese fan or fig fan. But I would eat this without the goat cheese.
Here's the four dessert tasting plate descriptions for the month of May:
Here are all four items together. From top left, the frozen chocolate with berry merlot, the white chocolate lemon bar, the grilled white chocolate carrot cake and the dark chocolate bread pudding. Looks like a lot for two!
This was my favorite, the frozen chocolate mousse with berry merlot. I also liked the bread pudding - it was very moist and flavorful, while the white chocolate carrot cake was a bit dry. I'd never seen a grilled cake slice before either. The lemon bar was also tart; you could barely taste the chamomile. Between us two, we finished the mousse and bread pudding and picked at the other items.
Before we left, we bought several chocolate bars which the owner makes in house. There are so many varieties. He also sells cupcakes and hand made truffles with exquisite flavors. Besides that, he sells chocolate drink mixtures and sauces as well as non truffle candy such as the item you see below. This was Tarragon Candied Ruby Grapefruit covered in 60 % Dark Chocolate. The sugar is infused with tarragon so if you don't like the taste of tarragon, you could always brush the sugars off. This was quite different and I enjoyed the combination of flavors.
Here's one of the candy bars I bought. Try it. It's Dee. Lish. Shous. (2 snaps up in a circle)
I just realized the candy bar is upside down (the initials should read EC):
[Update - I'm writing this part on July 7 ]I wanted to eat at Eclipse again this month so my husband could also check this place out . Our anniversary was July 1 and we were planning to eat at Bite in Hillcrest but changed my mind to Eclipse (they serve their paninis all day until they run out). Unfortunately, I got sick but I'm okay now - that's the short story. We'll be making our way there eventually so we can try the other paninis, truffles, cupcakes and candy bars. Well, maybe not all in the same visit!!!
2 comments:
Mmmmkay, you've got me drooling over here!! Food and I haven't been the greatest of friends this trimester, and nothing appeals to me, but I must say that I think this post has me getting my appetite back!!
I think I need to come visit you so we can go restaurant hopping! LOL!
Actually the only day I didn't suffer from morning (errr "ALL DAY") sickness was on the weekend when one of my aunts was here from Montreal and she cooked me some Filipino food (Nilaga) and I was able to finally eat something! I told me aunt that she'd better stay here and be my cook! LOL!
All of a sudden, I'm craving dried mango now!
hi C - actually Nillaga is very good to eat. it's so easy to make too.you can make it too.
as you wish - dried mango will be on it's way, along with the choco cat compact and a few other goodies. i'm going to have bert mail it this weekend to you, since i'm not supposed to be
just hang in there during this trimester (and the rest of course!)
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