A Michelin-Starred-Chef Chocolate Box, New Kara’s Cupcakes Locale & More

The Constellation Chocolate Collection. (Photo courtesy of IfOnly.com)

For the Discriminating Chocoholic

IfOnly.com may have created the ultimate chocolate box for big-time foodies.

The e-commerce site asked 10 Bay Area Michelin-starred chefs to create a chocolate bonbon for this special box just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Take a gander at the stellar chefs and their pastry chefs who contributed to the Constellation Chocolate Collection:

*Thomas Keller and Milton Abel of the the French Laundry in Yountville (mint with chocolate)

*Corey Lee and Courtney Schmidig of Benu in San Francisco (sesame nougatine with dark chocolate)

*Dominique Crenn and Juan Contreras of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco (Valrhona chocolate caramel with thyme, preserved lemon and sea salt)

*Gary Danko and Lisa Vega of Gary Danko Restaurant in San Francisco (peanut butter and jelly milk chocolate)

*Matthew Accarrino of SPQR in San Francisco (torrone-filled chocolate round with a blush of Italian colors)

*Mourad Lahlou and Melissa Chou of Aziza in San Francisco (vadouvan ganache with coconut coated with dark chocolate)

*Michael Mina and Lincoln Carson of Michael Mina Restaurant in San Francisco (white chocolate, aged rum and Madagascar vanilla)

*Michael Tusk and Devin McDavid of Quince in San Francisco (Earl Grey milk chocolate)

*Nancy Oakes and Lisa Lu of Boulevard in San Francisco (bourbon caramel and dark chocolate)

*Roland Passot and Mie Uchida of La Folie in San Francisco

The box contains 28 artisan chocolates of 10 different varieties. All proceeds from the $100 box go to Share Our Strength, the organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger. Express delivery is included in the price for arrival on Valentine’s Day.

Quantities are limited. There is a limit of two boxes per customer.

Kara's Cupcakes opens in Burlingame. (Photo courtesy of the bakery)

Kara’s Cupcakes Opens in Burlingame

Kara’s Cupcakes bakery has opened a seventh locale — the newest at 1309 Burlingame Ave. in Burlingame.

The new bakery will host a grand opening noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 9 with free mini cupcakes, face painters and balloons. The first 1,000 visitors will receive a Kara’s Cupcakes reusable bag.

The "Lychee Lunar'' at Brasserie S&P. (Photo by Carolyn Jung)

A Gin-Centric Cocktail for the Lunar New Year

Toast the Lunar New Year with a “Lychee Lunar” at S&P Brasserie at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in San Francisco.

The gin-centric bar is offering this special cocktail from Feb. 10-20.

The $10 libation is a mix of Beefeater Gin, Don Q rum, Sensei Lychee Falernum, fresh lemon juice, a splash of crème de cassis, and soda water. It’s garnished with a clever serpent’s head fashioned out of a strawberry, juniper berries and a pepper.

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