Shekoh Confections Adds Second Location — Plus Lunch and Dinner

Owner Shekoh Moossavi at her new downtown Palo Alto confectionary shop.
Owner Shekoh Moossavi at her new downtown Palo Alto confectionary shop.

It’s been a banner time for chef and chocolatier, Shekoh Moossavi, who not only opened her Shekoh Confections, 2305 El Camino Real near California Avenue in Palo Alto last March, but added a second location in downtown Palo Alto last month.

Now, starting this Thursday at the downtown outpost, 444 University Ave., she’s upping her offerings to include lunch (11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and dinner (5 p.m. to 9 p.m.) six nights a week (except Mondays, when the shop is closed).

At lunch, look for salads, sandwiches, and her heartfelt wild mushroom soup with mint — her mom’s recipe that she has featured at every restaurant she’s ever opened. At dinner, the fare will be simple yet satisfying with the likes of risotto, polenta, and lamb shanks. With a liquor license recently approved, look for wines coming soon to complement the meals.

Handmade chocolates.
Handmade chocolates.

Like all the chocolate bonbons, marshmallows, nougats, madeleines, and other confections, Moossavi will be making all of the savory items, too.

When she sleeps is anyone’s guess.

But spend any time with the Iranian-born chef, and you quickly realize her infectious energy can’t be contained, as I found when I visited last week.

She acknowledges that she couldn’t be more excited to be back on University Avenue, either. Long-time Peninsula residents will probably remember her Shokolat that once graced this same street. A combination restaurant-patisserie-chocolaterie, it closed more than a decade ago after pushing the envelope then by incorporating chocolate in unexpected ways on the menu.

A chocolate shoe.
A chocolate shoe.
A duo of chocolate chickens.
A duo of chocolate chickens.

Now, she’s doing that with her sweet confections. Her bonbons, made with Valrhona chocolate, come in such wondrous flavors as mezcal, yuzu, cookies & cream, bourbon pecan praline, and “Persian Rose” (rose petal marmalade, white chocolate, and rose water ganache in a dark chocolate shell).

Her life-size, high-heel chocolate shoes ($55) have been a runaway hit. Almost too pretty to eat, they will last up to a year, in case you want to gaze at them a long while before steeling yourself to smash them with a mallet to devour.

And if you like those, get ready for large, friendly-faced chocolate pumpkins coming in time for Halloween.

Moossavi hopes guests enjoy her new lunch and dinner service — but of course, that they also save room at the end for something decadently sweet.

More: Learn more about Shekoh Confections and Shekoh Moossavi in my story in the Nob Hill Gazette

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