B. Prepared
On March 31st, B. Sterling plans to open the doors of his Silly Rabbit Chocolate Company to the discerning (and timid) palate of Ashland's chocolate lovers. We dropped by on a Monday afternoon and squeezed our raucous photo shoot in among employee interviews and business meetings, all the while absorbing the energetic intensity of B. himself and of a shop on the brink of confectionary greatness.
B. Sterling is a man of dynamic proportions (pigtails, bug-eye glasses, and bunny suits abounded) and his chocolate creations, though not on the shelf quite yet, are sure to share that quality. He starts with the best Belgian and French chocolates (Callebaut and Valrhona, for those with an appreciation for name-dropping) and fashions flavors unlike any we have seen in this town. Like sushi? So does B. But he prefers his with candied tropical fruit and marshmallow. How about local Oregon Merlot? He combines it with chocolate for a rich treat that is sure to please the wine buffs in the region. Have an appreciation for antiquity? Xocoati, or 'bitter water,' will knock your socks off just as it did to the libidinous Mayans. And for those who need to work their way up to the shocking end of the flavor spectrum, B. has you covered: he offers Chocolate, Butterscotch, and Tahitian Vanilla Caramel sauces that I can personally assure you are smooth and sophisticated enough to eat straight from the jar.
Though we caught B. and his manager, Diane, in the midst of pre-opening chaos, they were welcoming and eager to show Ashland what it's in for when the end of the month rolls around. The phrase “shock and awe” was emphatically thrown around, but I prefer to think of it as chocolate with an attitude. Nothing to be afraid of, really.
Just in case you wanted to know, here are a few of B.’s recent patrons Madonna, Hugh Hefner, Carmen Electra, Dave Navarro, Henry Winkler, Will Smith, Senator Hillary Clinton, Tyra Banks, Paris Hilton, the Ozzie Osborne family, Michael Jackson, Brooke Shields, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones – and too many others to mention.
The Grand Opening is Saturday, March 31, 2007!
B. THERE!
Silly Rabbit Chocolate Company
1762 Ashland St.
Ashland, Oregon 97520
http://sillyrabbitchocolates.com/
