Savory (Raw) Truffle

I have a serious tendency to visit eateries a.) after they have closed or b.) on the one day of the week they aren't open (thus, if you find me loitering confoundedly outside Whole Foods at 4 a.m., don't be surprised). The Daily Juice Cafe at the corner of Duval and 45th is one such establishment; since it is perilously close to my domicile, I always attempt to check it out in the evenings after dinner or en route to whatever event I am attending for the evening. On at least four separate occasions recently, I have gleefully arrived there expecting to fill my belly with delicious and nutritious yummies, only to be let down by their "Closed" sign. Never do I feel such contempt for an intimate neon flickering object as on these occasions of palatial rejection.

On Sunday, I made a conscious effort to check out their chocolate truffles in the afternoon, discarding the possibility of missing their business hours. When I arrived around 4 pm with a friend, the cafe was open and humming with activity indeed. After at least 90 seconds of consternation induced by their extensive menu, I opted for their fresh peach/watermelon concoction, the Sugar Magnolia simple smoothie (pictured above, via my friend's photog skills). My friend, who possesses a considerably more understated sweet tooth, went with a shot of the Yerba Matte extract.

We then turned our attention to the dessert case. As I proceeded to become sidetracked by the ingredient list for the sweet treats, my friend took the initiative to order the Orange Hemp (below) and Peppermint Crunch chocolate truffles (also pictured above, with my luscious smoothie).
The Peppermint Crunch was my favorite of the two; the touch of mint mingled well with the other ingredients and I personally love chocolates with a crunchy texture. The Orange Hemp flavored chocolate was also quite good, but I expected the citrus tones to be more pronounced.

The desserts are made with ingredients such as raw cacao, extra-virgin coconut oil, coconut shavings, raw agave nectar and sea salt. If the amalgamation of these ingredients doesn't sound appealing to you, then you probably won't enjoy these treats. The chocolate is high-quality dark, dark chocolate and has a quite intense taste (particularly when paired with the salty after taste of the sea salt) which made it a welcome change from the highly-sweetened offerings at most chocolatiers and bakeries. Health and raw food enthusiasts in particular will really savor these items, and most chocolate lovers would also appreciate their sheer choco-force. But if you like your chocolate very sweet, you might have to look elsewhere.