Chocolate lover? Four shops to satisfy your cravings
The Charlotte-area chocolate scene is in a sweet spot – not suffering from the over saturation plaguing other trendy food stores (cupcake bakeries and burger joints spring to mind). I visited four chocolate stores and came out of each with a handful of inexpensive delights, my purchases ranging between $1.75-$7.
Here’s a closer look at what I found.
Chocolat Boutique
1012 Market St., Suite 104, Fort Mill, S.C.; 803-802-9980.
As with all the stores I visited, a wide assortment of chocolate truffles is available here (most of them offer 15 to 20 varieties).
This is where it gets fun giving chocolate as a gift, because you can match the truffle to the personality of the recipient. For the cookie dough lover, Chocolat Boutique has a cookie dough truffle. For the person who’s sweet one moment and biting the next, try the strawberry pepper truffle.
The Chocolat Boutique also carries handmade toffee and imported Belgium and Swiss truffles.
Creme de Menthe is back for the season! #mint #truffles #holiday #darkchocolate
A photo posted by Chocolat Boutique (@chocolat.boutique) on Nov 24, 2015 at 9:02am PST
The Secret Chocolatier
2935 Providence Road, Suite 104; 11318 N. Community House Road, Suite 203; 704-323-8178 for either location.
The Secret Chocolatier has expanded to a second location, but it started selling at farmers markets. An espresso truffle delivers the expected flavor and then some, but don’t miss out on the decadently fluffy chocolate mousse. It has a chocolate percentage of 55, meaning it’s not too sweet or too bitter.
Incidentally, the higher the percentage of chocolate, the more intense and less sweet the chocolate.
Twenty Degrees Chocolates
2820 Selwyn Ave.; 704-332-9910.
The shop – inside of Petit Phillipe, a wine and chocolate tasting room – derives its name from where chocolate gets its beginning: Chocolate comes from cacao trees, which are grown 20 degrees to the north and south of the equator.
The flavor profiles of the Steel Magnolia (sorghum bourbon caramel and pecan) and The Dude (a tribute to the White Russian) truffles are strong enough to shine on their own.
More beautiful chocolate. These are from Twenty Degrees Chocolates inside @petit_philippe. Great meeting Casey today! Can’t wait to talk about her, Mark, wine and this box of sweets tomorrow on @wbtv_news! Tune in at 4:15! A photo posted by Sr Community Manager Nikki W (@yelpcharlotte) on Feb 12, 2015 at 2:11pm PST
Bar Cocoa
201 E. Trade St.; 704-972-4397.
At $7, the Bar Cocoa Cake was the most expensive of my chocolate purchases. But it’s also a dessert that will keep you occupied, with its complex layers of vanilla cake, chocolate mousse, praline crust and hazelnut glaze. If you order one, be sure to get each component in every bite to fully appreciate the creation.
Simpler (but just as flavorful) are the chocolate chip and double chocolate cookies. The double chocolate is one step away from eating fudge.
Want something lighter? Choose from several varieties of French macaroons, or the truffles – from Florida-based Norman Love Confections.
Happy National Chocolate Day! It’s time to celebrate! pic.twitter.com/dMT11IFrV3
— Bar Cocoa (@BarCocoaCLT) July 28, 2015
This story was originally published December 6, 2015 at 10:00 PM with the headline "Chocolate lover? Four shops to satisfy your cravings."