SAUCE, WHIPPED CREAM, CHERRY: Approaching a Ghirardelli sundae? It's best done in a slow, ready-to-savor, no-rush manner. It matters not if you eat the cherry right away, or you save it for the final bite; you'll want to take your time, spoonful by spoonful, because dishes filled with the famous cold treat have a way of emptying far too quickly. But should you enter the Ghirardelli Chocolate Earthquake Ice Cream Eating Contest at the 22nd Annual Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival, you'll want gnash into the eight-scooped treat in front of you, over and over, in speedy fashion. For the as the name suggests, devouring the giant sundae before your fellow competitors finish is the aim, but there's a sticky-faced catch: You can't use a spoon, or any other implement, which means you'll be plowing mouth first into the gooey goodness. Tempted? Think you have what it takes to be a hands-free sundae-eating superstar? Then be at San Francisco's celebrated...
GHIRARDELLI SQUARE... on Saturday, Sept. 9 and Sunday, Sept. 10 for the confectionery festival, one that features the famous sundae contest as well as several other hot fudge-topped to-dos. Visit the Ghirardelli Chocolate Lounge for wine and beer tastings, as well as samples from "gourmet dessert vendors." The "From Cocoa Bean to Chocolate Bar" Chocolate School gives interested students the background on how a chocolate bar is made. And chef demos? They'll be plentiful, so grab a seat to see how you can craft your own stylish sweets at home. Tickets to the 2017 festival run from $25 to $50, and the weekend's beneficiary? Project Open Hand, which "...provides meals with love to seniors and the critically ill."
