PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 61 on this turn-of-the-century style at the Legion of Honor Museum. “It won my heart in ways that I can’t even explain,” he reflects. “It’s timeless.” To him, anime is the contemporary equivalent. “I feel like that’s the modern version in its way. Art has to keep moving.” The labels represent the women in his life. The milk chocolate bar is an homage to his mom Marsha, while the decaf coffee beans (another product he roasts and grinds) are dedicated to his grandmother Dot, the first person who introduced him to the beverage. “We’d sit on the porch in the mornings and just watch the world go by. I still remember that time with her as some of the spill the beans teamminee.com best moments of my life,” Michael writes on the side of the bag. “We found a decaf that, when roasted dark, is full-bodied and robust. Just the way she liked it.” He pauses in recollection, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Anything you can do to have them with you for an extra minute when they’re gone—do it.” Despite starting only a few years ago, Michael has already met with marked success, recently winning silver and bronze for two of his bars at TasteTV’s San Francisco International Chocolate Salon. Minée has also found its way onto the shelves of Sigona’s Farmers Markets in Palo Alto and Redwood City, the Willows Market in Menlo Park and Vino Locale in Palo Alto. Michael’s response to the accolades? He shrugs. “Cool. I’m gonna make some more chocolate now.” A man of his word, Michael is releasing three new bars in 2025, including a “dark white chocolate” with maple and coconut sugar. “This one took me a little bit to figure out,” he admits. Despite the successes, Michael wants to keep things grounded. “I’m not saying mine’s the best,” he insists. “If you ate a Snickers or Twix, and that was your bar when you were a kid … it’s gonna be the best chocolate you’ve ever had.” Who is he to compete with childhood nostalgia? But one thing’s for certain: it’s been a pretty sweet journey. “This is the life I choose,” Michael says. “And I choose it every day.”
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