Exactly when and where the first shop specializing in chocolate candies (as opposed to hot chocolate) appeared in America is uncertain, but early examples include Pulakos Chocolates in Erie, Pennsylvania, dating from 1903; Fowler's Chocolates, which opened in Buffalo, New York, in 1910; Keystone Candies, a chocolate shop and soda fountain launched by Greek immigrants in Pittsburgh in 1914; and a Dutch-themed chocolate shop opened the same year in downtown Los Angeles.
Richart’s Intense Valentine Gourmet Chocolates are $77 for a box of 49 chocolates. The real frustration here is that it's 49, not 50, so those of us with a strong sense of symmetry will have to eat them quickly just to cope. However, they are legitimate French Chocolates, each one having one of seven fancy flavors / aromas - floral, spicy, citrus, balsm, roasted, fruity, or herbal. The box also comes with a dark chocolate plaque for your valentine, so maybe that's piece 50.
Larry Burdick makes exquisite delicious chocolate pieces at Burdick Chocolate, a small manufacturer at the western edge of New Hampshire, northwest of Keene and 70 miles from Nashua. Burdick does a great job of making a variety of ornate fine chocolates and presenting them well. The pieces in his assortment differ from each other well, so that one is entertained by the changes in flavor, style, and shape. The flavors range from intense chocolate to balanced to strong non-chocolate flavors, and the sweetness ranges from bitter to very sweet. Some flavors are familiar, and some are exotic.
Cookie Love’s gourmet cookie flavors include the classics like Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal with dried Cranberries, but you’ll also be tempted by Mocha Chocolate Chip, or how about their heartiest cookie named Enduring Love that combines organic coconut with almonds, oatmeal, chocolate chips and dried cranberries. With loyal customers across the country and rave reviews, Vermont Cookie Love is the place to order rich, all natural cookies and frozen cookie dough for lovers of just-out-of-the-oven home baked cookies.
My review is more about the company than the product. I ordered these Elegant Chocolate Covered Sandwich Cookies as a little celebration for my granddaughter and daughter back east. After they arrived, neither my granddaughter nor my daughter thought that they were very good. I was very disappointed and wrote a review reflecting my disappointment. The company, Barnetts Sweet Creations, contacted me and offered to send a complimentary box of their biscotti in hopes that my relatives would be pleased with them. The biscotti arrived beautifully wrapped with a hand written note. Now that's great customer service! The biscotti was very much enjoyed by my family on the east coast and I very much appreciate this company's efforts to be sure I was pleased. Next time I need to send goodies, I'll definitely send something from Barnetts Sweet Creations.
I have liked Chuao in the past but think their products have changed, perhaps to support larger production and distribution. My 2014 order was somewhat disappointing, not up to the $84/lb. price. Ingredients seemed to be good quality, but the flavors were generally not strong, and the chocolate flavors were weak. The honey combined nicely with the nut flavors in Nut & Honeylicious. But the nut flavors, which are often my favorites, were mild in this and other pieces. Among the stronger flavors were the raspberry and strawberry in the Framboise and Strawberry Seduction, but even these were medium strength at best and without strong support from the chocolate.
Chocoholic travelers can have an immersive experience in Hershey, Pennsylvania, at Hershey Park. The amusement park, with roller coasters, water rides and candy mascots, also holds two hotels and one campground. Guests can take in shows and concerts, eat thousands of calories thanks to chocolate-themed menus and rich desserts or even get sticky with a "chocolate fondue wrap" at the full-service spa.
This box is an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys a variety of chocolate textures or simply as a perfect addition to your next party. It features milk, semisweet, bittersweet and dark chocolate pieces, meaning there is something for everyone and it’s an ideal one-stop chocolate shop for wine pairing. Everything is gluten-free and made from the highest quality artisan cocoa. The chocolates feature both a presentation and price point that really push this product over the edge and help to make it some of the best gourmet chocolate out there.
Owner and chocolatier Katrina Markoff chooses every spice, flower, and chocolate that is flown into the Vosges kitchen to be transformed into fine chocolates. She learned the art of French confectionery at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Further inspired by her global apprenticeships, infusions of rare spices and flowers are combined with premium chocolate in truffles such as Mexican vanilla bean and Argentinean dulce de leche.
There is nothing in this world that is more crave-worthy, more scrumptious and more delectable than a beautiful piece of chocolate. Whether you’re eating a confection given to you by a loved one in a heart-shaped box, snuggling up with a box of caramels and watching Netflix on a wintery Friday night or are breaking off a piece of peppermint bark for an after-dinner treat, the moment the oh-so-sweet morsel hits your palate, you’re transported into a world of happiness and true deliciousness, even if only for a moment. To honor the beauty of chocolate and the artistry of the chocolatier, we sought out the best chocolate shops in every state.
