There’s a French chocolatier in Santa Barbara at whose shop you can buy all sorts of unusual and delightful creations: red chocolate lips filled with tangerine liqueur, truffles with Sichuan pepper and orange peel, and oblongs of dark chocolate infused with Earl Grey tea or encasing a compelling mix of caramel and balsamic vinegar, to name a very few. They are pricey little indulgences, but a worthwhile treat if one doesn’t overdo it, and I find myself heading to the place whenever I am in the neighborhood. My unequivocal favorite is a round-bellied Buddha filled with salted caramel.
“He’s everyone’s favorite, hands down,” the proprietor told me.