It's official - chocolate goes with everything! Yep - even bacon...!

Sun Rose Cafe Longmont Colorado

I had the pleasure of attending an evening of wine, beer & chocolate tasting at The Sun Rose Cafe

Now, dietitian or not, anyone who really knows me is aware of my lifelong love of chocolate!  Candy, cakes, cookies & desserts have never been my thing - but chocolate....has always been my thing!  So I was delighted to be invited by the owners Steve & Susan to this event.

They had arranged 4 wines and 4 beers specifically chosen for their chocolatey undertones and perfectly  paired with a variety of chocolate desserts (in the perfect bite size portions!)  The desserts were made personally by the owners or provided by local businesses such as Breadworks and New Moon

Barista Pinotage with chocolate covered berries

The first combination I tried was my favorite!  It was Barista Pinotage from South Africa and tasted divine with the chocolate covered blueberries, pomegranate & acia berries!

You can't really go wrong with chocolate and fruit together! Making your own trail mix with dried fruit, nuts/seeds and chocolate chips makes a perfect snack & just a small handful  is guaranteed to banish that 3pm energy slump!

As I made my way down the line I was treated to wine from Chile paired with chili chocolate popcorn!  Which was sweet, sweet, sweet then suddenly spicy!  I love the combination of chocolate and chili and  - strange as it may sound - you've really got to try it!

Next I tried the tawny port paired with a homemade chocolate & Earl Grey Tea Mousse (which was incredibly light and not too sweet or sickly as mousse can often be) then a dessert wine which although it was too sweet for my liking was served with delicious homemade macaroons.

Then, although I'm not a big fan of beer, I was determined to try those offered as one of them was paired with....chocolate dipped...bacon!!

So this was a first for me and I admit I was apprehensive....but it was incredible!  The sweet and salty combination was superb and it really enhanced the flavor of the Sri Lankan beer it was served with!

So it's official - chocolate really does go with everything.... even bacon!

Yes - this really is bacon dipped in chocolate!

The Sun Rose Cafe is everything I love about a restaurant.  The owners are always right there with the customers, serving & chatting and making you feel at home.  They choose local & organic produce as much as possible and cater for gluten free & vegetarian diets.  As a result, they say their menu 'evolves with the seasons' and if you live in Colorado I highly recommend a visit!  Their aim is to bring terrific food to their customers and provide a relaxed, friendly atmosphere for people to meet for business or pleasure.

Even when striving to eat a healthy diet, there's room for treats - the secret is getting the balance of these right.  Food should be shared and enjoyed and a  little indulgence now and then does you good!