The best chocolate chip cookie in North Carolina is from a Charlotte bakery, Yelp says.
Monster. Chocolate. Chip.
If the name of the cookie on the menu at Villani’s Bakery isn’t enough to make you rush over to try it, then maybe this will: Yelp has released its annual “best chocolate chip cookie in every state” list, and guess who won best cookie in North Carolina?
Sit down, Raleigh. This honor belongs to Charlotte’s very own Italian bakery.
Ahead of National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day on Aug. 4, you only have to go so far as Villani’s, located in Chantilly (between Elizabeth and Plaza Midwood) for the best chocolate chip cookie in the state, according to Yelp.
[FREE COOKIES: Where to get deals on National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day.]
If you know Villani’s, you know. And if you don’t, let us tell you what you need to know:
- In 2018, Villani’s owners moved the bakery from Concord to the neighborhood they affectionately refer to as “Chantizzlewood” (where Chantilly, Elizabeth and Plaza Midwood intersect).
[READ NEXT: National publication names this Charlotte-area pizzeria as tops in North Carolina.]
- Food writer Kathleen Purvis once called the chocolate chip cookie a boulder (she also called it shareable, which sounds like a challenge).
- Not just Italian: While many treats served at Villani’s are Italian, the bakery also makes croissants (more about those below), macarons, bialys and more.
Villani’s is among my favorite local bakeries — I have made use of its walk-up window many times in the past couple of years. I even have a rotating regular order: either the chocolate peanut butter ganache or the red velvet cake and a fresh croissant. Don’t sleep on the bakery’s new coffee menu, either (I always go for the cappuccino).
I’d never tried the chocolate chip cookie before this past weekend, but after seeing the Yelp list, I had to see for myself how good it was.
First of all, Purvis was right: This $4 monster of a cookie is definitely shareable. See below, with a peanut butter cookie for scale (and for a snack, later).
I had lots of time to look at this chocolate chip cookie before I tried it (trying to get that perfect photo angle that showed off the size), and I have to say: I didn’t have high hopes. I am a chocolate chip cookie snob — I prefer soft, a little underbaked and preferably straight out of the oven.
On the outside, this cookie appeared crunchy, like it would scratch the roof of my mouth. It was so big it had to be dry inside, right?
Turns out, I was wrong. Yelp nailed it.
This cookie is a little crunchy on the outside — the texture matches its appearance. But it’s more of a protective later to keep the beast together than it is a tough shell. I sliced off a piece easily with a butter knife. The inside is not dry (it’s the opposite, but some of you hate that word) and it’s slightly sweet.
I managed about two bites before I put the rest in the box to save for later. This $4 cookie may take me 4 days to finish. I might warm up a piece of it with a little butter later, just for fun.
[STILL HUNGRY? Stop by the new Cheat’s Cheesesteak Parlor, now open in the same parking lot.]
Who has the best chocolate chip cookie in South Carolina?
Curious about our Southern neighbors? South Carolina’s best chocolate chip cookie of 2022 went to The Chocolate Shoppe in Greenville.
Good thing it’s one of the most charming downtowns to visit in the Carolinas, according to you (also according to HGTV.) The Chocolate Shoppe is a mere 3.5 miles from Greenville’s downtown, and several Yelp users claim you get a free cookie while you browse. No wonder it was called a winner!
Villani’s Bakery
Location: 901 Pecan Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Neighborhood: Chantilly
Instagram: @villanisbakery
The Chocolate Shoppe
Location: 1392 N Pleasantburg Dr, Greenville, SC 29607
Neighborhood: Wade Hampton
This story was originally published August 2, 2022 at 5:45 AM.
