Art Bars Back at Gourmet Fusion!

Gourmet Fusion is happy to report that delicious Art Bars are once again gracing our shelves in Solana Beach just in time for Valentine's Day.

Ithaca Fine Chocolates, the makers of Art Bars, are the first US chocolate company to offer Fair Trade Certified chocolates. Art Bars are creamy Swiss chocolate that are certified organic, Fair Trade Certified, and feature an art reproduction on a collectible card inside the wrapper. 10% of profits on each bar go support art education.

They come in five different chocolate bars, and all ingredients are certified organic, soy-free and vegan!

Dark Chocolate: cocoa liquor, unrefined whole cane sugar, cocoa butter. Cocoa 58% min.

Extra Dark 70% Chocolate: cocoa liquor, unrefined whole cane sugar, cocoa butter. Cocoa 70% min.

Dark Chocolate with Coconut: cocoa liquor, unrefined whole cane sugar, coconut flakes, cocoa butter. Cocoa 58% min.

Dark Chocolate with Quinoa Crisp: cocoa liquor, unrefined cane sugar, cocoa butter, raw cane sugar, quinoa rice crisps. Cocoa 61% min.

Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs (bits of roasted cocoa beans): cocoa liquor, unrefined cane sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa nibs, raw cane sugar. Cocoa 70% min.

With their new, elegant and contemporary packaging, they make a great gift, or why not treat yourself to one while you shop?

Art Bars can be found at Gourmet Fusion, inside Leaping Lotus, 240 S. Cedros, Solana Beach, California.

Fondue Sale at Gourmet Fusion Store

If you are looking for some retro fun this holiday season, a fondue party is a great way to get together with friends, and family.

The Gourmet Fusion store offers several types of fondue pots, that come complete with fondue forks and accessories in their own boxed set, and all are on sale with 20% off right now.

For the serious fondue enthusiast we have the Chantal Meat and Cheese Fondue set which consists of two pots - one ceramic, and one stainless steel. The steel pot is ideal for cooking meats and vegetables, while the ceramic pot is great for cheese or chocolate. On sale for $63.99.

If you love chocolate, or know someone who does, then our Typhoon Chocoholics and Chocolate Lovers fondue sets are a great idea - just the right size for dipping - and on sale for $15.99.

Or, if you are looking for a stylish vintage looking addition to your kitchen, the Typhoon Vintage Cream Chocolate fondue set is also great value on sale at $15.99.

Zozo Beans & Mashuga Nuts at Gourmet Fusion

The fall season is almost here, and the summer items are starting to disappear from the Gourmet Fusion Store to make way for our fall collection. This week we introduced some exciting new chocolate and nut items from Torn Ranch into the Solana Beach store.

First are our Zozo Beans. These are rich Colombian coffee beans that have been dark roasted, then coated with premium dark, milk or white chocolate. Great to eat by themselves, or while sipping your cappuccino or espresso.

Then try a bag of Torn Ranch's famous Mashuga Nuts, named after the Yiddish word mashuga, meaning "crazy". These all natural sweet and savory pecans come in a fun, whimsical bag that really is crazy!

The history of these nuts is also unusual. Torn Ranch originated as a retail store located in Marin County that was renowned for its Jumbo Cashews. As a warm welcome, the owner would place a jumbo cashew in each of its customer's hands. So, if you are in our store in the Leaping Lotus, why not pick up a bag and share them with a friend or two and keep the tradition alive.

Torn Ranch's delicious gourmet foods are all natural Kosher dairy.

Art Bars

The Gourmet Fusion store, selling both kitchen and food items, has always sold eco-friendly products for the home such as Mobi Bags, natural bamboo products by Bamboo 54 and Shiraleah, and Fair Trade products by Zen-Zen Home, and we are planning to expand our lines of natural and organic foods in the store throughout 2008.

When I attended the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Diego last January, I was interested to learn that organic and natural food products now account for 15% of all specialty foods sold in stores. It is encouraging to know that food producers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits that natural and organic products can have for both consumers and producers.

One such company whose products Gourmet Fusion carry, is Ithaca Fine Chocolates. This Fair Trade company produces great tasting Swiss chocolate, in a variety of flavors, and all ingredients used in the making of the chocolate are certified organic. Not only is the chocolate is out of this world, you get an art reproduction inside each bar, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this chocolate are donated to art education programs. Now how cool is that?

Typhoon Gifts at Gourmet Fusion

Typhoon, one of our favorite suppliers, has produced some great gift ideas this year. All are made with the same superb quality and style that we have come to expect from Typhoon, but they are surprisingly affordable (and with 10% off this week, even better!).

Regular prices ranging from $9.99 for the Latte Mug and Frother or Chocolate Mug and Frother sets (great stocking stuffers), to $19.99 for all other gift sets.

For anyone who loves tea, coffee or chocolate, we have Tea for One Teapots in a striped gift box, mug and canister sets, Mad About Chocolate Sets and Complete Cappuccino sets.

If tea and coffee drinking is not your thing, why not check out the chocolate fondue gift sets?

This week the Gourmet Fusion store is offering all Typhoon gifts with 10% off, and there is still plenty of time for orders to be shipped and received in time Christmas.


If you simply love the range of Typhoon products and want to indulge yourself with something cool for the kitchen, how about something from the Italian Job Collection?

This Italian inspired range offers Italian styling with modern, practical lines, ideal for the modern kitchen.

Happy shopping!