By Emma Krasov. Photography by Yuri Krasov and press images.
In San Francisco, and the entire Bay Area, art is a way of life. Visual arts, performing arts, and culinary arts are omnipresent in our everyday existence. If you’re in San Francisco this weekend, don’t miss a one-of-a-kind event put together by the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company in Ghirardelli Square—one of the most popular tourist attractions in the City by the Bay.
On Saturday, March 8, at noon, the historic chocolate maker will release for the first time ever an exclusive, limited-time Dubai Hot Fudge Sundae, inspired by the sensational chocolate bar filled with pistachio paste and crunchy kataifi (shredded phyllo dough).
Just for one day, and only while supply lasts, you can indulge in the decadent treat–Dubai Chocolate Sundae that replicates the global flavor sensation first created by Sarah Hamouda of Dubai-based Fix Dessert Chocolatier.
Ghirardelli’s Dubai Chocolate Sundae incorporatesthe rich flavors of Dubai chocolate bar into a sundae, served in a parfait glass, featuring layers of vanilla ice cream, handmade hot fudge, and a mixture of pistachio butter, white chocolate, and kataifi. A gold-leafed Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Caramel SQUARE is added on top, along with whipped cream and caramel sauce.
“As a brand rooted in crafting unforgettable chocolate experiences, we are excited to bring this special creation to our flagship location in San Francisco,” says Lacey Zane, Vice President of Restaurant & Retail at Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. “The Dubai Chocolate Sundae is the best of Ghirardelli tradition, and a fresh take on the latest viral sensation.”
Since 1852, the San Francisco’s own Ghirardelli has been crafting bean-to-bar premium confections combining tradition with innovation. The company takes pride in producing chocolates with the highest quality ingredients, and remains one of the few large-scale U.S. chocolate companies that controls the entire manufacturing process. This approach, along with Ghirardelli’s proprietary bean blend and unique methods of roasting and processing, ensures the highest quality products.
March 8 Dubai Chocolate Sundae Experience will unfold at 900 North Point St., F301, San Francisco, California. Following the San Francisco launch, the Dubai Chocolate Sundae Experience will premiere for one day only at Ghirardelli’s New York City location at the Empire State Building on March 22, 2025.
For more information visit https://www.ghirardelli.com/about-ghirardelli.
Twyla Tharp Dance
Cal Performances brought to the adoring Bay Area public the Diamond Jubilee performance of Twyla Tharp Dance in Zellerbach Hall last month. In celebration of her 60-year career in ballet, Twyla Tharp, the genius choreographer, aptly called the “America’s crossover dance queen,” created a special program in her usual innovative, gorgeously whimsical and highly energetic manner that entices dancers to replicate hummingbirds in flight (or fight).
Two one-act ballets, choreographed by Twyla Tharp, and presented in the course of three precious evenings, were Diabelli (her signature ensemble work from 1998, West Coast premiere) to the music of 33 Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli and Opus 120 by Ludwig van Beethoven, and a 2025 West Coast Premiere of SLACKTIDE to “Aguas da Amazonia” (1993–99) by Philip Glass. For a fast paced Diabelli, live piano accompaniment was performed by Vladimir Rumyantsev, and in the phantasmagorical SLACKTIDE, live music was delivered by Chicago’s Grammy-winning Third Coast Percussion (Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, and David Skidmore), performed on a collection of custom-designed percussion instruments, and Constance Volk performing a series of flute solos she has composed for the arrangement, which the artists have also recorded together.
An amazing ensemble of dancers perfectly materialized the choreographer’s vision in mind-boggling tempo and positively acrobatic movement. Both ballets were performed by Renan Cerdeiro, Angela Falk, Miriam Gittens, Zachary Gonder, Oliver Green-Cramer, Kyle Halford, Daisy Jacobson, Marzia Memoli, Nicole Ashley Morris, Alexander Peters, Molly Rumble, and Reed Tankersley.
Find out more about Cal Performances and the upcoming art events at https://calperformances.org/.
Press images by Mark Seliger
FOG Design+Art 2025 and SF Art Week
The 11th San-Francisco’s premier design and art fair, FOG Design+Art 2025 back in January, finished up with record-breaking attendance (more than 22,000 visitors), strong sales, and a preview gala, benefitting SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art).
The fair brought together 59 exhibitors—design dealers and art galleries—at Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture. Among the fair highlights was a series of standing-room only talks in the FOG Theater, including conversations with artist Carrie Mae Weems; architect Takashi Yanai and Chief Design Officer of Google Ivy Ross; and a conversation with arts leaders about the revitalization of San Francisco’s downtown, introduced by the city’s Mayor, Daniel Lurie.
“We are thrilled with the success of this year’s fair and the energy FOG and SF Art Week brought to the city as a whole,” said FOG Design+Art Director Sydney Blumenkranz. “We hope the fair continues to elevate San Francisco’s deep cultural landscape and showcase the city’s exciting arts community for many years to come.”
SF Art Week’s opening reception was held at the city’s newly revitalized prominent landmark, Transamerica Pyramid Center, 853 feet tall, opened in 1972, and known as the “Wall Street of the West.” The concrete tower of 3,000 windows, designed by William L. Pereira & Associates, is the tallest pyramid structure on the planet; it covers an entire city block, and is decorated with multiple pieces of art by the most important contemporary artists.
The Vertical City exhibition and Les Lalanne sculpture collection across the Center’s campus, on view during the event, were organized in partnership with SHVO, a real estate development and investment firm built on the vision of founder and CEO, Michael Shvo, to create culture-defining experiences in iconic properties; Jessica Silverman Gallery, Rebecca Camacho Presents, Gallery Wendi Norris and the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco to reflected a collaborative initiative to spotlight San Francisco’s downtown arts scene.
SHVO’s selective portfolio of architecturally significant properties, from innovative new developments to revitalized landmarks that define skylines in the world’s major cities, includes the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, The Raleigh Miami Beach, 333 South Wabash Avenue also known as, “The Big Red,” in Chicago, Mandarin Oriental Residences at 9200 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, Mandarin Oriental Residences, Fifth Avenue in New York City and the AMAN New York, hotel and residences at the Crown building.
The Vertical City, curated by Foster + Partners, highlighted visionary tall-building designs by Lord Norman Foster who considered a skyscraper to be emblematic of the modern-age city and a reminder that the city is arguably civilization’s greatest invention. A vertical community, well served by public transport, can be a model of sustainability, especially when compared with a sprawling low-rise equivalent in a car-dependent suburb. The Norman Foster Foundation has collaborated in this exhibition by lending a selection of nine drawings by Norman Foster and the model of the Concrete Office Building for New Haven, Connecticut. Originally developed by Norman Foster during his time as a Yale student, the model was made by the Model Making Unit at the Norman Foster Foundation.
Les Lalanne (in partnership with Kasmin Gallery) featured 20 extraordinary works from the artists’ studio. Les Lalannes’ outdoor sculptures epitomize the surrealist methodology of intervening in public space, creating juxtapositions that defy expectations. Set beside the historic Transamerica Pyramid and its Redwood Park, Les Lalannes’ outdoor exhibition embodied the unexpected connections that define urban life force, encouraging audiences to consider their encounters with art, nature, and the city itself.
The exhibition became possible thanks to a longstanding relationship between Les Lalanne and SHVO, with previous presentations at The Raleigh Gardens in Miami Beach (2019-20) and Sheep Station in New York (2013). In 1989, Les Lalanne installed six life-size topiary dinosaur fountains in Santa Monica, California which are still there today. More information at https://transamericapyramid.com/
https://www.kasmingallery.com/news/229-les-lalanne-at-transamerica-pyramid-center/
Real Travel Adventures 