Hooker’s Sweet San Francisco Treats

    Valentine’s Day: it’s a day that some dread and for some it’s a day with high expectations to
get something for your significant other and hopefully not a stupid teddy bear. However, for some
who just love to eat and find any holiday as an excuse to indulge - Valentine’s Day is just a day of
trying many sweet treats.

    To switch up the normal box of chocolates wrapped up in a typical velvet red box, why not
switch up the normal go-to options for some sugary goodness? Even if it’s not for someone else,
treat yourself and you may be happy you did. I did just that. Keeping it local (not like Portlandia
style), I decided to pop in at the little shop on Hyde Street at O’Farrell in San Francisco. Sure the
neighborhood is sketchy, but once you enter it’s like a whole different world.

    As you walk in, the setting is full of cool blues and nostalgic music that sets you back into
the soul era of the 50’s - even if you didn’t exist in that era. David “Hooker” Williams opened his
shop on Hyde Street in the cold summer of 2010 and it has seemed to prosper as a local gem. He
is mostly known for his delightfully, chewy salted caramels that go stupendously with coffee
poured from Sightglass. There are also various expresso concoctions if you so wish. I was full of
coffee already from my walk so today I had the chance to try the oh-so popular bread pudding:
Strawberry-Chocolate Chip.

    Served in a small bowl, the bread pudding is surrounded by a pool of caramel sauce that has
the perfect ratio of brown-hue to buttery burnt sugar. I thought I really couldn’t finish that sauce
and I totally proved myself wrong. A woman across from me at their communal table questioned
me on how the bread pudding was. All I could do was smile with that buttery caramel sauce on
my lips - I’m childish like that. I blame the sugar.

Pool of warm caramel sauce and drowning pecans. Bread pudding, Hooker's, SF.

    The toasted pecans were a nice touch; it helped with the bouncy texture of the breadpudding and the sweet sauce. This dessert was not overbearing with strawberries and chocolate, but was the perfect marriage.This morning there were plenty of men coming in and grabbing some of Hooker’s packaged chocolates for their significant others. What a good idea! High five!

    If you ever find yourself in the area, don’t give up on the chance of popping in and just giveit a try. Grab a friend (or even your sweetie!) and chew on some of the salted caramels prepareddaily or anything else that is on the chalkboard when you enter. The service is welcoming and warm so don’t forget to tip!

You can even get your leaded beverage to go. They pour Sightglass, SF.

          Hooker’s Sweet Treats is located at 442 Hyde at O’Farrell in San Francisco. They are open
                 Tuesday - Friday from 8 am to 4 pm and Sayurday - Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm.