Posting here because another great chocolate store had opened in Vancouver. It's called Monde Chocolat, which also sells various chocolate brands from around the world. Some are quite unusual, like the Zotter brand with pork rinds.

http://www.mondechocolat.com/

Well, isn't a Chocomap just a handy little thing?

Roadtrip, anyone?

( Chocoholics find a venue and a menu )

I went back.

The eclair is pornographic, too.

It would've been bukkake if I wasn't so careful with the bavarian cream.

And there's this thick layer of chocolate across the top.

Oh. My. God.

Eclairotica? Not so much. Just quick and dirty porn, I suppose, even if it took me way ages to eat it all the way. It was thick and long, you know.

Oh, and of course the story:


My coworker, DCMC, asked me for a ride home. I told him okay, but I decided I needed to go back to Sweet Stuff and get another OMGbrownie, and he'd have to come with if he wanted a ride. He said cool.

So I took him into Sweet Stuff, warning him that it was a sweets lovers' paradise. DCMC said he was okay with that.

We got inside, and he stopped at the door like there had been an anime mallet swung from the ceiling into his face. His eyes got big. His mouth dropped open. And I turned around to look at him.

Me: ...?
DCMC: Oh, my gosh.
Me: ...[bemused/amused] are you all right?
DCMC: Oh, my gosh.
Me: ...DCMC?
DCMC: Oh, my gosh. The smell in here. [big goofy smile] I'm sorry. I have to step outside.
Me: ...are you all right?
DCMC: Oh, my gosh. Yes. I'm all right. I just need to step back out of here.
[He backs out of the door].
Me: Do you want something while I'm in here?
DCMC: ...No. Thank you.

Confused and bemused, I get a different brownie this time [fudge, and yes, there may well be more brownierotica when I eat it], and an eclair, because mm. Eclair.

I mention to the nice man who owns the bakery that if he suddenly gets an influx of people dying to try his brownies, it's because I blogged about them in a very enthusaistic way. He's like somebody's grandfather -- I couldn't bring myself to tell him I wrote brownierotica.

He smiled at me and said, "Really? Just for that, the brownie's on me."

I was very surprised by this, but delighted. Nice.

So I got outside and DCMC was standing by the car, gulping air like he'd been dying. I asked again if he was okay. He said he was. I asked him if he could try to explain to me what about the bakery had caused that effect on him -- because I couldn't tell whether I could and should be amused or concerned.

DCMC: Okay. Let me think of a way to say this in a way that would make sense to a woman.
Me: Okay. [listening]
DCMC: You know how women say chocolate is an aphrodisiac?
Me: Yeah, and a serotonin blocker, which is why people eat it when they're depressed.
DCMC: Okay. Good. Keeping that in mind...walking into that bakery was like walking into a strip club.
Me: ...
DCMC: *sheepish laughter* I think every nerve in my body got a sugar rush.
Me: *laughter*
DCMC: You know how I told you I keep cigarettes around not to smoke them but because the smell of them with the nicotine soothes my nerves? That's how this was -- only way more. I think I need a cigarette. Being in there was like swimming through cake.
Me: *grin*
DCMC: It was like swimming through cake. I'm exhausted. I need a nap. It was like swimming through cake and it was not a bad experience.

A little backstory...

When I first arrived in Atlanta in 2002, howlingmoon, nisie and ryanroyce took me to Sweet Stuff Dessert Cafe in Roswell, to celebrate my coming to Atlanta. There was chocolate mousse cake. Mm. I left with a T-shirt that says "Life is short! Eat dessert first!"

Fast forward four years. My job has opened a new location in Alpharetta. The route seems familiar, and it occurs to me this might well be near Sweet Stuff. I promised myself I'd go on payday. bookofmirrors wanted to meet me so I could make her some ginger-cinnamon schnapps, so I suggested Sweet Stuff. She was nice enough to pay. I couldn't make up my mind whether I wanted Turtle brownie or Caramel brownie. I indulged in the Turtle there and the Caramel for later. The brownie was cool at the restaurant, and quite tasty.

I described the Turtle brownie to a customer thusly:

You know how brownies tend to be chewy chocolate rich and kind of cakey? ...Not these. These are like fudge had a brief, steamy tryst with cake in a darkened room, and these are what came from that stolen moment.

Then ...fast forward to five days later. I've been keeping the brownie in my fridge for emergency use. I've had a stressful and depressing week. So I took it out of the fridge, and had this religious experience:

...I put the brownie in the microwave for 25 seconds to take the chill off. There was a little bubble of chocolate inside it, so when I took it out, it was bleeding molten chocolate. The smell was like heaven. I ran my finger along the edge of the plate, caressing that dark sweetness, before licking it off slowly. I breathed in the heady aroma before diving in with enthusiasm -- lips and tongue eager, though part of me begged myself to show restraint -- I couldn't devour it quickly. I had to savor every luscious melt of it on my tongue. I had to make it last.

I have never had a dessert I would write brownierotica about before.

And my very smart boyfriend has made a mental note of what the place is so he can occasionally come home with the stuff and surprise me once he moves down here. *happysigh*

Sharing an email I received... I did go watch the videos mentioned, and it seems like a fun way to get familiar with places you might be thinking of visiting!!

Here's the email!

I work for a new company called TurnHere (www.turnhere.com). Our website features short films about unique neighborhoods and cool places throughout the world. Many films focus on food: the best places to buy it, eat it, and enjoy it! I thought our films could be of interest to you and followers of your blog as they are a fun and quick way to check out some great chocolate destinations.

Some films to check out:

Chocolate Bar

ChikaLicious Dessert Bar

West Village Foodie

We are just starting our site but we’re adding lots of new videos all the time, especially to the three major cites San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles but we also feature off the beaten path places - so feel free to browse around and find food havens all over the country. I

I'm not sure if this is the same in the US, but has anybody else noticed that chain 'chocolatiers' are pretty disappointing? I mean, for the relative price I might as well go to the supermarket; at least the store nearest me sells good chocolate bars - Green & Blacks (which actually isn't that superlative in my opinion), Isis, a brand I've mentioned here before (good praline) and freetrade organic Ecuadorian 80% from Kaoka, for the good karma boost. If I go a little further up the road, I can pick up Lindt and occasional other goodies like the sugar-free hemp seed chocolate from what is really just a convienience store, but a convienience store of the Random Chocolate Stockage Joy.

In comparison, Thortons, which is arguably the most well known chain of chocolate-and-such store, I've found do good toffee and good icecream, but that's about it. Their chocolates tend to be oversweet, and even the dark chocolates don't seem to have that really good mouthfeel you get with other brands.

Hotel Chocolat, which just opened in my area and which certainly aspires to upmarketness, doesn't suffer so much from the oversweetness, but I've been disappointed by everything I've had from there. Not that's it's awful, just that I expect more for my money than supermarket-quality chocolate in swish packaging. Nothing I've had from there has made me keel over in divine worship to the chocolate gods (and you all know the sort of chocolate I'm referring to; I'm an atheist but I've met truffles that very nearly made me reconsider).

I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this about H. C. as when it first opened it was stuffed full of curious shoppers (also helped that they opened right before Xmas) and nowadays it's deserted. Granted, I don't expect as much from a chain as I would from other sources, but you'd think they'd at least manage the level of mass-produced Belgian and Swiss chocolate bars which my local convienience store stacks next to the Pringles.

Today I was in an area of town I'm not often in and noticed a chocolate shop, so stopped in to get myself a 'tasting box'; what a difference handmade-on-the-premises makes. Among my favourites; a 'chocolate mousse' center surrounded with dark chocolate that melted on the tongue, a pink champagne truffle that managed not to be too sweet and actually tasted like champagne, and a simple dark-chocolate enrobed chunk of crystallised ginger that embodies all that is right with the world. I'm glad I got two of those.

In fact, I can only think of one chain which does good chocolate and they're not even a chocolate shop; Whittards, more usually sellers of coffee and tea, also do chocolate covered expresso beans. The chocolate's not fantastic, but I get very lenient when it comes to my favourite all-nighter-in-a-bag. (I bought two packets today. Expect to see my feet on the ground again some time in 2007)

So, the actual questions are:

Are there any chocolate chains which actually do good chocolate? Or should I give up on them entirely and stick to my Lindt and Isis for day-to-day chocolate needs and support my local independant chocolatiers when I want a treat? Is it okay to set fire to Hotel Chocolat on the basis that if I melt everything in there together it might actually taste good?

Got back from Europe last week. I bought my boyfriend chocolates/candies from a bunch of countries, but the centerpiece of the gift was a box of 16 chocolates from this awesome store in Strasbourg, right outside of Notre Dame. They have a website, and you can order chocolates there, which excites me. :) http://www.declinaison-chocolat.com/?langue=en The box I got at the store was 9 euro (it costs a bit more on the website), and they were still very fresh and well-cared for when I got them back to the states.

Them having a website presents lots of yummy opportunities, though.

But I'd suggest just going to Strasbourg, a city with the most delicious mix of French and German culture. :)

Has anyone ever shopped at a Gertrude Hawk chocolate store before? How does it compare to other chocolates? I keep passing it by on my breaks during work, but I don't want to waste my money if it's not going to be good.
Note: I'm one of the sweet lovers. Meaning I don't like the bitter stuff like dark chocolate. Recommendations on Gertrude?

A friend of mine makes these in The Bay Area.

http://www.lovemoregourmet.com

yummy