Before we returned to San Diego, I wanted us to check out this neighborhood bakery and chocolate shop for some sweets...
It was also a few doors down from some frou frou pizza place we were curious about...
JaCiva's (pronounced Ja-KI-Vas) is named after Jack and Iva Elmer, who started the bakery and chocolate shop in 1986.
A family run business, the husband, who is of Swiss background, is a certified pastry chef and chocolatier. His wife is in charge of their products and their cakes (wedding and birthday and I'm sure other occasions as well).
We selected a few chocolates to enjoy for later...
So many to choose from...
I would go mad if I had to work in a chocolate shop! Mad with a chocolate-induced frenzy! OMG!
About that pizza place, I'd read about Apizza Scholls from Serious Eats (dubbed as "One of the top five pizzerias in America") and even Bourdain himself talked this place up. I swear some folks practically wet their drawers waxing rhapsodically about their pizza, which is considered "artisanal" , with an oven that bakes the pies at 700F. Whole pies only. Plus long ass lines and waits. When we left JaCiva's, the line was just forming. We got in after only a five minute wait, but realized that dinner might take longer than expected once we sat down, so we passed on having dinner here.
Pizza was not to be that day but we ended up snacking on something else while at the airport.
Next door was the Mt. Tabor Theater, which used to be a movie theater but is now a bar and a music venue. Love the font!
A box of mixed salted caramels (both dark and milk chocolate) as a parting souvenir. The caramel was softer and not as dark in color (or deep in flavor) as the ones we tried at the Pacific Hazelnut Candy Factory. The flavor was pleasant and the salt crystals sizable enough to enjoy the contrast between sweet and salty. Of course, I liked the dark chocolate much better.
Our four little sweet treats - some sort of nut bar and three truffles (I think the one with the flower was amaretto). Sorry I don't remember the fillings but trust me when I say that they were all great!
Dark chocolate with walnuts and almonds is always a good combination...
These were a great way to end the night before flying back home. It was hard to believe that our Portland trip was over. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves during our unusually long trip and hope to one day return and visit other places we didn't have a chance to visit or eat at. The addition of hanging out with KD's brother was also a plus as he was a great guide to this lovely city, as well as my friend in the Pearl who plans to work more in the film/tv industry, having worked as an extra on "Grimm" and "Leverage". Lots of fun food finds, quirky places (both in Oregon and Washington), and fond memories were made during this trip.
JaCiva's Chocolates
4733 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97215
(503)- 234-8115
www.jacivas.com
Other reviews of JaCiva's:
Portland Oregon Daily blog
Zupansmarkets, and yelp
And that concludes Day 10 of our trip which can be read in this order:
Downtown and Powell's Books, The Cullen House, Pix Patisserie - N. Williams location, Thai Noon, Collage, Return to Ruby Jewel Scoops, A rotating milk carton and the Hawthorne District, and of course, this last post.
And the rest of the trip:
Day 1 - In which we also went to Washington state!
Pine State Biscuits, Tonalli's Donuts & Cream, Fort Vancouver, Pop Culture, Kalama HS aka Forks HS in Twilight, World's Tallest Totem Pole, and Tani's and Fred Meyer.
Day 2 - We explored the SE, watched "The Hunger Games" and climbed up an extinct cone volcano this day!
Ha & VL, A Movie and signs from the SE, An Xuyen Bakery, Mt. Tabor Park, Cartlandia, and Cartopia.
Day 3 - Pop culture at its finest! A Goonies themed trek to Astoria plus a bit of the Oregon coast...
On our way to Astoria,The Astoria Column,The Goonies Jail, I mean Oregon Film Museum,Welcome to the Goondocks!, Cannon Beach, Ecola Seafood, The Fish Peddler at the Pacific Oyster Company, and The Tillamook Cheese Factory.
Day 4 - In which we hung out with KDB and went to tons of places in the SE, NE, Downtown, and Milwaukie!
Breakfast at Slappy Cakes, Good Food Here, Mike's Movie Madness -Part 1, Russian Elegant Food and Return to An Xuyen Bakery, Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Mike's Movie Madness - Part 2 (the return), Mazama Mountaineering Center, Return to Good Food Here pod - Viking Soul, Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade, Salt and Straw, Searching for Dark Horse plus Wunderland, Things from Another World comic shop, and The Bomber Complex and cheese sandwiches.
Day 5 - More food pods plus a candy factory!
Pacific Hazelnut Candy Factory, Burgerville on SE 25th, D Street Noshery - PDX 671, Fuego de Lotus and Bailey's, The Village Merchants, Return to Pix Patisserie - Division, Bridge City Comics, Ruby Jewel Scoops, Artisanal Lightbulbs?, Flutter, Missing Sock Laundry, FreakybutClosed, St. Honore Boulangerie, and Pasta dinner.
Day 6 - Bowling, pizza, burgers, and donuts!
International Rose Test Garden, Voodoo Donuts - The Other Location, Hot Lips Pizza,
AMF Pro 300 Bowl, Acme Donuts, Foster Burger, and Downtown Food Pod - Best Bulkogi Fusion.
Day 7 - Swinging through the trees in freezing rain and a chance to be part of an alien autopsy!
Tree to Tree Adventure Park, Wild Wasabe, Return to the FreakybutTrue Peculiarium, Return to St. Honore Boulangerie, and Thai Orchid.
Day 8 - More of the SE plus Bosnian food!
Return to Ha & VL, Return to Wunderland, Oaks Amusement Park, Two Brothers Cafe & Grill, and Return to Viking Soul.
Day 9 - Visiting the Pearl and once again, Washington state...
The Pearl District, Lovejoy Bakery, Tanner Springs Park & Views from the 9th Floor, On our way to Stevenson, WA, Bridge of the Gods, Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, Eastwind Drive-In, and Bridge of the Gods Mural
Although we didn't do a big trip this Spring Break, we still kept busy locally. Those posts will be up and running...eventually! Thanks for reading!
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