Midnight Snack from the Donatello Room Service, San Francisco CA

The Donatello is part of the Shell Vacations Hospitality group.  August’s parents do the time-share thing, and they offered us a room for the weekend leading up to the Chocolate Salon.  We didn’t get to bed early since we were up writing each night, and we had to get up early since we wanted to do breakfast each morning, so we technically didn’t get many hours of sleep… but we slept so well.  The bed was luxuriously comfortable.  August liked stretching out on the sectional couch to work on the weekend’s posts, and Zach got a kick out of the TV in the bathroom mirror – he got up before August to let her sleep just a little more each day, and he was able to watch some programming while showering without disturbing her.  The mini bar with a fridge, a coffee maker, and a microwave was a plus, and the complimentary Le Belge chocolate bars, Wolfgang Puck coffee, popcorn, and water bottles were greatly appreciated.  Furthermore, being on the corner of Post and Mason, it was very easy to hail a taxi every time we stepped out since we left our car with the valet.

Room service comes out of the kitchen of Zingari, the in-house Italian restaurant.  Last night, right before room service closed at 10:30, we ordered dessert.  We were too stuffed at the table at Incanto to consider anything there, so we waited until back in the room and after having digested a bit.  We both selected chocolate, and while both plates were garnished the same, the two desserts were polarized.

white chocolate profiteroles

Zach’s profiteroles were filled with milk chocolate mousse, then coated with whipped cream, and liberally dusted with cocoa powder.  They didn’t match the menu description as being filled with the mousse and “white chocolate sauce & milk chocolate curls,” but it was still decent.

chocolate mousse cake

The liberal amount of cocoa powder was more appropriate for this darker chocolate dessert.  August likes white chocolate, but she prefers more bitterness (just like how she likes her beer).  This mousse cake was made with bittersweet chocolate, supported by a moist chocolate wafer crust.  If there was only one dessert she could have for the rest of her life, it would be something ganache-y like this.

We had met Peter the concierge Friday evening, who was a wealth of knowledge about the services of the Donatello as well as the ins and outs of the City.  The next time we’re in town (and August’s parents can swing us a room), we’re very much looking forward to our stay, further exploring the gastronomy of San Francisco.