Where Architecture Meets Chocolate: Our Gamble House Collaboration

Let me tell you something. Some bars are just chocolate. Others are architecture, storytelling, citrus groves, and a whole damn philosophy, all melted down and cast into one bite. This one? The Gamble House Bar.

This all started in the shadow of Pasadena’s orange groves. Not metaphorically. Literally. The Gamble House sits on Orange Grove Boulevard, once lined with citrus trees and soaked in California sunlight. That’s the kind of origin story I live for. Something that roots you, like the scent of orange blossoms in spring or your first good cup of green tea in Kyoto.

I’ve walked past that house dozens of times, but I never really saw it until we started this collaboration. Working with Heather and Sheryl at the Gamble House was like getting backstage passes to a different century. They live and breathe the Arts and Crafts movement, that wild mix of Japanese zen and American grit, all tied together with wood, copper, and a devotion to detail. Greene and Greene didn’t just build a house. They carved a philosophy into Burmese teak.

That was the spark.

So we said: let’s make a chocolate that does the same. Something quiet, but powerful. Something with soul.

Matcha and orange. A strange pair on paper, but trust me, it works. Matcha is earthy and contemplative. Orange is bold, sun-drenched, and unmistakably Californian. Together, in dark chocolate aged for six months, they create something timeless. Like an old craftsman’s chair that still creaks just right.

And the bar itself? Let’s talk design. We pulled inspiration from the house: natural bronze accents, Burmese teak textures, and the Japanese crane motif that floats through the architecture. The packaging has easter eggs everywhere. Look close and you’ll see nods to Back to the Future. Yep, Doc Brown’s house. Great Scott, indeed.

But for me, beyond the flavor, beyond the bar, the best part was the research. Digging into the roots of Pasadena, unearthing the stories beneath the soil. It reminded me that chocolate isn’t just about taste. It’s about memory. It’s about place.

This bar is a thank-you. To Pasadena. To the Gamble House. To those who live in the details and drink in the craft.

And to you, for biting in and being part of that story.

Your Chef in Chocolate, 
Chef Jeffray

PS Try the Gamble House Bar here.