Eye Candy: Dark Chocolate with Chestnuts, Hazelnuts, and Citrus

After stints under Emeril Lagasse, Thomas Keller, and Tom Colicchio, Matthew Accarrino now leads Bay Area favorite SPQR, where he has earned one Michelin Star and three consecutive Beard Award nominations for Best Chef: West. At his second Beard House appearance last month, Accarrino delighted palates with his modern interpretations of classic Italian ingredients and flavors. Dishes like Beef Belly with Tokyo Turnips and the striking Burnt Flour Pasta Timballo with Sartori Fontina Fonduta and Urbani White Truffles started the evening on a high note, hinting at the spectacular final course of the night. The lauded chef’s beautifully deconstructed dessert matched rich dark chocolate with wintry chestnuts, hazelnuts, and candied citrus. With a final flourish of briny flaked sea salt, the earthy undertones of the chocolate soared to new levels and met any and every chocoholic's desires.

View this event's menu and details here. For upcoming Beard House dinners, check out our events calendar. Photo by Ken Goodman.

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Hilary Deutsch is editorial assistant at the James Beard Foundation. Find her on Instagram.