Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Seaport Fudge Factory has kept dentists in business for 30 years

Lumps of chocolate only the tip of the decadently sweet iceberg

The "Mickey Mouse" cone, featuring red chocolate dipped cone and Oreo ears
The "Mickey Mouse" cone, featuring red chocolate dipped cone and Oreo ears

I’ve photographed burritos, dumplings, and egg rolls, but probably the most challenging photo I’ve ever tried to take centered on a lump of fudge. I’d ordered the rocky road flavor, hoping that the large, white marshmallow at the fudge’s center would provide eye-pleasing contrast. I’d counted on the wave of chocolate, folded over the top when it hardened, to frame the piece like a pompadour. Two dozen, three dozen snaps, and not a one could find focus. However rich and sweet that $6.50 piece of fudge might taste, I could not find a way to make it photogenic.

Place

Seaport Fudge Factory

859 W Harbor Dr, San Diego

But that’s okay. Seaport Fudge Factory offers other sweet treats designed to pop on camera.

The waterfront dessert shop has had three decades to figure this out. Established in 1991, the Seaport Village mainstay is celebrating 30 years in business. And though the Fudge Factory lives up to its name with decadent, buttery fudge, most of its offerings these days are more colorful, and hold a relatively well-defined shape. At the top of the list has to be the Mickey Mouse ice cream cone.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Bear in mind, for some length of its tenure, the Fudge Factory has shared its duplex shack with a Ben & Jerry’s franchise, so I’ve got to assume most Seaport visitors craving ice cream look right past it, whether tourists or staycationing locals. But take a closer look at the family-owned Fudge Factory, and you’ll notice plenty of soft serve ice cream options, including a Belgian waffle topped with a swirl of chocolate-dipped soft serve surrounded by Oreo crumbles. Consider it a ten-dollar sugar crash waiting to happen.

A little dessert shop in Seaport Village celebrates 30 years.

Much cuter is the Mickey Mouse cone ($9.50), which for starters has been dipped in red chocolate (rather, a red-colored white chocolate — or pink chocolate, should you prefer a Minnie Mouse cone). A pair of yellow M&Ms front the cone — either representing Mickey’s iconic yellow buttons, or his eyes, I’m not sure. Easier to figure are the Oreo cookies propped up on either side of the soft serve, forming the cartoon character’s famously round ears.

Think what you will about the pricey cone: I have no doubt it makes a more memorable treat than any amount of Chubby Hubby.

Chocolate-dipped soft serve ice cream atop a Belgian waffle with chocolate syrup and Oreo crumbles

For those neither feeling ice cream nor fudge, a third option delivers a bit of fruity fiber on a stick. I’m accustomed to candied apples coated in caramel, and nothing short of the county fair could have prepared me for the ways a tart, green apple could be made implausibly sweet. They dip it in caramel, sure, but then, when that dries, they dip it in white chocolate. And then, before that dries, they stick it in a pile of something crunchy. Crushed peanuts would be one example. Fruity Pebbles cereal would be another.

Inevitable, one of the kids tagging along for my fudged-up photo excursion had eyes only for that rainbow-colored feast.

“Would you like me to cut that up for you?” the woman working the counter asked.

A candied apple dipped in caramel, white chocolate, and Fruity Pebbles breakfast cereal

“No way,” I replied. Candied apples are meant to be eaten on a stick, I reasoned. And besides, I needed a good photo subject to get around that fudge.

Well, I got my photo, but we learned a valuable lesson: say yes next time. The first bite of a large, crisp apple is tough enough without having to break through two layers of sweet treat, and a coating of sugary breakfast cereal. The kid sure couldn’t do it, and my attempts didn’t fare any better. My apologies to the Seaport Village custodial staff for the mess we made. I hope they blamed tourists.

Seaport Fudge Factory celebrates its anniversary with a free luau on August 29, from 5-8pm.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Gonzo Report: Downtown thrift shop offers three bands in one show

Come nightfall, Humble Heart hosts The Beat
Next Article

Ramona musicians seek solution for outdoor playing at wineries

Ambient artists aren’t trying to put AC/DC in anyone’s backyard
The "Mickey Mouse" cone, featuring red chocolate dipped cone and Oreo ears
The "Mickey Mouse" cone, featuring red chocolate dipped cone and Oreo ears

I’ve photographed burritos, dumplings, and egg rolls, but probably the most challenging photo I’ve ever tried to take centered on a lump of fudge. I’d ordered the rocky road flavor, hoping that the large, white marshmallow at the fudge’s center would provide eye-pleasing contrast. I’d counted on the wave of chocolate, folded over the top when it hardened, to frame the piece like a pompadour. Two dozen, three dozen snaps, and not a one could find focus. However rich and sweet that $6.50 piece of fudge might taste, I could not find a way to make it photogenic.

Place

Seaport Fudge Factory

859 W Harbor Dr, San Diego

But that’s okay. Seaport Fudge Factory offers other sweet treats designed to pop on camera.

The waterfront dessert shop has had three decades to figure this out. Established in 1991, the Seaport Village mainstay is celebrating 30 years in business. And though the Fudge Factory lives up to its name with decadent, buttery fudge, most of its offerings these days are more colorful, and hold a relatively well-defined shape. At the top of the list has to be the Mickey Mouse ice cream cone.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Bear in mind, for some length of its tenure, the Fudge Factory has shared its duplex shack with a Ben & Jerry’s franchise, so I’ve got to assume most Seaport visitors craving ice cream look right past it, whether tourists or staycationing locals. But take a closer look at the family-owned Fudge Factory, and you’ll notice plenty of soft serve ice cream options, including a Belgian waffle topped with a swirl of chocolate-dipped soft serve surrounded by Oreo crumbles. Consider it a ten-dollar sugar crash waiting to happen.

A little dessert shop in Seaport Village celebrates 30 years.

Much cuter is the Mickey Mouse cone ($9.50), which for starters has been dipped in red chocolate (rather, a red-colored white chocolate — or pink chocolate, should you prefer a Minnie Mouse cone). A pair of yellow M&Ms front the cone — either representing Mickey’s iconic yellow buttons, or his eyes, I’m not sure. Easier to figure are the Oreo cookies propped up on either side of the soft serve, forming the cartoon character’s famously round ears.

Think what you will about the pricey cone: I have no doubt it makes a more memorable treat than any amount of Chubby Hubby.

Chocolate-dipped soft serve ice cream atop a Belgian waffle with chocolate syrup and Oreo crumbles

For those neither feeling ice cream nor fudge, a third option delivers a bit of fruity fiber on a stick. I’m accustomed to candied apples coated in caramel, and nothing short of the county fair could have prepared me for the ways a tart, green apple could be made implausibly sweet. They dip it in caramel, sure, but then, when that dries, they dip it in white chocolate. And then, before that dries, they stick it in a pile of something crunchy. Crushed peanuts would be one example. Fruity Pebbles cereal would be another.

Inevitable, one of the kids tagging along for my fudged-up photo excursion had eyes only for that rainbow-colored feast.

“Would you like me to cut that up for you?” the woman working the counter asked.

A candied apple dipped in caramel, white chocolate, and Fruity Pebbles breakfast cereal

“No way,” I replied. Candied apples are meant to be eaten on a stick, I reasoned. And besides, I needed a good photo subject to get around that fudge.

Well, I got my photo, but we learned a valuable lesson: say yes next time. The first bite of a large, crisp apple is tough enough without having to break through two layers of sweet treat, and a coating of sugary breakfast cereal. The kid sure couldn’t do it, and my attempts didn’t fare any better. My apologies to the Seaport Village custodial staff for the mess we made. I hope they blamed tourists.

Seaport Fudge Factory celebrates its anniversary with a free luau on August 29, from 5-8pm.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Live Five: Sitting On Stacy, Matte Blvck, Think X, Hendrix Celebration, Coriander

Alt-ska, dark electro-pop, tributes, and coastal rock in Solana Beach, Little Italy, Pacific Beach
Next Article

Trophy truck crushes four at Baja 1000

"Two other racers on quads died too,"
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader