Theo’s 3400 Phinney bars are named after the chocolate factory’s address (3400 Phinney Ave. in Seattle, Washington). Someday, I hope to make a Theo pilgrimage. Theo makes 6 varieties of 3400 Phinney bars; all are organic and fair trade certified. I managed to get 3 of them for my chocolate party. Welcome to 3400 Phinney Week!
First up is the Bread and Chocolate, a dark 65% cacao. The website description (there’s none on the wrapper) called this “an innovative twist on a traditional pairing, featuring dark chocolate with buttery, toasted artisan breadcrumbs and the perfect amount of salt.” The ingredients? Cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, French bread (wheat flour, water, yeast, sea salt), butter, sea salt. Impressively simple.
This bar came in last out of 13 at my chocolate party with an average of 2.04/5. Many friends complained that it was too salty and too bitter. A few people, myself included, didn’t like the texture of the bar. The breadcrumbs, which I mistook for rice crisps that wouldn’t dissolve properly, added an unpleasant grit and also made the bar quite dry. With a high 65% cacao content, this bar is on the bitter side and definitely not for everyone. I got a strong coffee finish. An OM from me. I liked it, but it’s too sophisticated to be a frequent indulgence.
[Read the other reviews from 3400 Phinney Week! 3400 Phinney Chai Tea Milk Chocolate and 3400 Phinney Vanilla Milk Chocolate]
I have to say, I agree – I really wanted to like this bar, since it’s a great concept, and has all of my favorite ingredients (dark chocolate covered pretzels are one my all-time favorite snack/candies, and this sounded like it could be a great relative). But there’s something about the overall package that’s just off in this case. Of course, that didn’t stop me from eating the whole bar, but I won’t be picking it up again anytime soon.
*cough*cometoseattleandthencomevisitme*cough*