12 of the Best Chocolate Shops in America
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To take advantage of Chase Sapphire Preferred's lucrative offer of 3x points on dining on the first Friday of every month, we regularly round up the best in food and drink. To get a jump on your February 14/Valentine's Day sweets shopping, TPG Contributor Michele Herrmann has put together an assortment of artisan chocolate shops across the U.S. where the candies are just as individual as your Valentine.
(And yes, all you romantics: Michele says you're welcome to use that line).
MarieBelle New York - New York City
This SoHo chocolate shop and store showcases luxurious, single-origin chocolates and confections derived primarily from Criollo cacao beans. Its Signature Ganache Collection features edible works of art, while its rich Hot Chocolate Collection gets a kick from the popularity of its Aztec Hot Chocolate. Cacao Bar, its 15-seat café, offers a sweet respite for patrons to order in coffee, chocolate or a baked goodie.
Valerie Confections - Los Angeles
Starting off in 2004 with six flavors of chocolate-dipped toffee, this boutique/factory just outside of downtown L.A. now also produces chocolates, petits fours, preserves, cakes and pastries. Though their line of petits fours rightfully shine with flavors like rose petal, their equally tasty toffees, truffles, mendiants and caramels also make for excellent gifts. Plus, for Valentine's Day, heart-shaped bittersweet or milk chocolates are available in an assortment of boxes.
Recchiuti Confections - San Francisco
Since 1997, this confectionery inside the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero has been putting artistic touches on their small batch yet exquisite chocolates, caramels, bars, sauces, fruit/nut mixes, and truffles. Their top-selling Fleur de Sel Caramels are covered in dark chocolate with a well-blended balance of salt and sweetness. For Valentine's Day, their Hearts in Motion box provides a whole lot of lovin'—burnt caramel truffles embellished with Picasso-esque images. Grand Amour Box holds three layers of popular truffles like Ginger Heart, Piedmont Hazelnut and Force Noir.
Katherine Anne Confections - Chicago
Using natural ingredients like cream from a herd in central Illinois and local wildflower honey, this sweet shop produces hand-dipped truffles, soft honey-caramels and pillowy marshmallows with seasonal or year-round flavors. Inventive flavors include a goat cheese walnut truffle, a banana bourbon caramel, and champagne marshmallow. The shop's European-style drinking hot chocolates mixes are made with ground chocolate, in offering a cup of full of "wow." Order one to sip there—Salted Caramel and Mexican, Chai Tea or Hazelnut—and then pick up a canister to go.
Cocoanuts Boston - Boston
This North End chocolate and nut shop run by two childhood friends features a variety of artisan chocolates by local and national chocolatiers as well as gourmet nut mixes, health bars, and specialty snacks, as well as vegan and gluten-free chocolates. Tasting days give the opportunity to try anything from Pure 7's dark chocolate peppermint bar to Northlight Baking Co.'s macarons.
Co Co. Sala - Washington, D.C.
This cozy chocolate lounge and boutique schedules yummy events like a Chocolate & Bubbles Happy Hour and an upcoming "50 Shades of Chocolate" five-course dinner. Its Chocolate Boutique holds innovative fun finds like Chocolate Enrobed Bacon and Chocolate Mood Tubes (with five different cacao percentages). Solid bars such as their signature Some More (aka s'mores) and Strawberry Jammin' with popping rocks are designed to provide a sensory experience. Stylish single pieces give a boost with bites like goji berry, linzer, banana ginger or cinnamon toffee.
Maison Robert Fine Chocolates - Atlanta
Owned by a couple for 30+ years, this beloved shop focuses on both chocolates and pastries. The confectionery menu features a plethora of truffles, fondants, and marzipans, as well as specialty treats such as marzipan critters, florentines, and meringue balls. Pâtisseries also make for good eye candy, from chocolate cakes to fruit tartelettes and French macarons.
Chocolate Secrets - Dallas
This cozy shop/café takes an artistic approach to crafting decadent chocolates. Their hand-painted bonbons are a marvel to look at and taste: Black Forest Bacon Bites, Coconut Lime, and Strawberry Balsamic, among others. Truffles also reflect fun names and flavors like Yes, Yes, Yes (layers of white, milk and dark chocolate) and Bite Me (with a brownie ganache). Other fine confections include French macarons, toffees made with Texas pecans, and rich cakes and pastries.
The Chocolate Bar - Houston
With locations in Montrose and West University, this shop/café is a dessert haven with in-house made ice cream, cakes, pies, cookies—and, yes, chocolate. On the menu, find four-layer or rich mousse cakes like crowd favorite Aunt Etta's chocolate cake or Night & Day, which is complimented with white chocolate icing. There are plenty of chocolates to choose from: triple crème truffles, dipped fruit or cookies, clusters, bars, and special shapes. There's even a frozen hot chocolate.
Fran's Chocolates - Seattle
With four boutique locations throughout Seattle, this shop gets its name from Fran Bigelow, a master chocolatier who is renowned for her harmonious blending of textures and flavors. Find silky smooth ganache fillings in dark and milk chocolate truffles or discover tart apricots, plump figs, organic almonds and ginger in fruit and nut box collections. Plus, Fran's various signature gold bars and gold bites combine indulgence with elegance.
Moonstruck Chocolate - Portland
With five café locations—including one at their factory—this chocolate company handcrafts signature treats that taste exquisite but also look exceptional. Their assortment of bars pep up traditional milk or dark choices with options like a Milk Chocolate Crispy Orange Brulee Bar, Dark Chocolate Espresso Bean, or even the Dark Chocolate Raspberry and Fennel Bark. The gourmet dark, milk and ivory truffles feature fun sweets like the Strawberry or Raspberry Love Bug and Cookies and Cream Cone. Caramels and toffees are touched with sea salt or vanilla, and gourmet hot cocoa mixes go from simple to spicy. A specialty line of liqueur truffles are derived from Oregon's finest craft distillers. Plus, their tumbled chocolate balls taste of blueberry, hazelnuts, sea salt caramel and even a German roasted malted wheat berry used in beer making.
What are your favorite chocolate shops in America? (And how badly do you want some chocolate now?)
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