I love chocolate- it's not just how delicious it is but the artistry behind it is intriguing.
Really good chocolate isn't just thrown together- it's an art.
And I thought us artists at Launch Your Creative Life could use a bit of artistic motivation to start us off on the first week.
Artisinal chocolate is something special.
Not that I don't love a bag of m&m's. I totally dig m&m's.
I just never knew chocolate was so amazingly complex until I came to Boston and began to discover the different chocolatiers here.
Like so many other things, making good chocolate is no easy task. It requires years of study, apprenticeship and practice that creates a chocolatier mastery.
I have a deeper respect for those who devote their lives to chocolate. Malcolm Gladwell said it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert and a true master at something. Many of the histories of the companies I visited were started by people who literally spent that many hours learning about the art under an apprenticeship before starting out on their own.
When I decided to write this post, I had the most fun ever. In fact, I even got an idea for my next novel (yes! a breakthrough!)
That's what we artists do, right? If we can't become Indiana Jones, Julia Child or a artisanal chocolatier, we'll investigate, research and write about it, then doodle chocolate bars and create chocolate collages.
Yes, this is a painful job.
My biggest "aha" moment came from Clarence, an enthusiastic guy who works at Hotel Chocolate in Newbury St. The guy who helped me was the real deal when it comes to knowing your merchandise and loving the product. I could see the intensity he felt for the chocolate in his eyes and through his voice.
He showed me the array of different chocolates made from beans from around the world (I tried Madagascar dark chocolate- delicious!)
Clarence told me that chocolate is a lot like coffee and wine.
Where it is grown affects the taste it has.
Chocolate grown in the Dominion Republic has different undertastes than chocolate grown in Brazil or Madagascar. Different soil, different influences from other crops, rain, etc. will change the flavor of the chocolate. Some chocolate will have a more natural sweet flavor while others will have subtle fruit influences.
Isn't that interesting? I totally thought so. Now on to the meat and potatoes. If you are in Boston, check out these fabulous chocolate places!
And in case you aren't in Boston, a few of these places can be found in a major city or internet connection near you!
1. L.A. Burdick
220 Clarendon Street, Boston, 02116
My favorite, favorite chocolate discovery in Boston is L.A. Burdick's. The store started after L.A. Burdick apprenticed at chocolatier's in Europe. Coming back to the United States, he decided to open a store in Boston. Three stores later L.A. Burdick's is garnering a following of chocolate appreciators.
Perhaps 90% of the reason I like the store so much is that I had the most intense, delicious dark chocolate mocha that I've ever tasted before in my life. It was amazing. I was in mocha heaven.
Paired with the a dark chocolate ganache, I spent an hour in chocolate bliss, reading and sipping on the mocha.
I actually consumed the mocha and ganache separately- I didn't want the flavors to blend. One chocolate ganache is small but it is so decadent it is best enjoyed slowly and intentionally. This is not a handful of m&m's one is popping into the mouth, it is a flavor so rich putting the whole truffle into the mouth would be a waste of an experience.
After I ate the truffle, I sipped on some ice water before savoring the mocha over the next hour. The store was quiet on the day I visited. With the piano music playing and the elegant atmosphere of the store, I could almost believe I was in Europe.
Part of the magic of L.A. Burdick is the ambience; it almost creates a deeper experience as one eats the chocolate.
From the elegant and warm brown color scheme and Euro-esque decor to the soothing music playing and the chairs, it is a very inviting place to sit for 3o minutes, relax and thoroughly enjoy the indulgence of the chocolate.
2. Hotel Chocolat
137 Newbury Street, Boston 02116
If "experience" is the word I would use to describe L.A. Burdick, education is the world to describe my visit at Hotel Chocolat.
It started with a few innocent questions and the store clerk took off with a whirlwind of information.
Each chocolate company has a different mission and focus with their business. Hotel Chocolat has a great amount of pride in the origin of their chocolate- the way it is grown and the unique flavors and authenticity of each place the different cocoa beans are grown. They also focus on sustainability and working with the farmers of the region.
I typically enjoy a dark chocolate that is less than 60% dark chocolate. The Madagascar is 72% dark chocolate. It is not very sweet but it is very flavorful. I ate it slowly over a few days, just a little bit at a time.
3. Max Brenner- Chocolate by the Bald Man
745 Bolyston Street, Boston 02116
Entering into Max Brenner's is like going into a dance party for chocolate lovers. The retail portion of the store is in the front where a young woman offered me a truffle in the shape of a gum ball. It was sweet and had a crunchy texture to it.
Along the walls of the front of the store chocolate confectionaries in every color and eclectic packaging reside. Walk past the store and on the left side is a bar (yes, serving chocolate drinks with or without alcohol!) To the back is a two level restaurant. Upbeat music plays and a young crowd- lots of families and college students- fills the restaurant.
I'm not crazy about the chocolate at Max Brenner- it's probably not my type. I love a European ganache. Max Brenner capitalizes on the trendy and new, mixing unusual flavors with chocolate in bright packaging.
While I may not be purchasing the retail chocolate, the dessert menu is another story. Page after page of chocolate desserts is what caught my eye.
I visited Max Brenner's with Amanda, a friend who knows Boston well. I knew Amanda would be a great partner to discover chocolate places with because I had sampled her delicious chocolate caramel brownies before. When I tasted those brownies I knew this was a girl who appreciated good chocolate.
It was so much fun to pore over the desert menu together, deliberate over what to eat and finally make a decision. We decided on a classic bestseller, a large chocolate cookie that comes with eat the chocolate cookie drizzled in chocolate, whip cream and berries.
May I say that having the pitcher of chocolate to drizzle over the cookie was a sensory-rich part of the dessert eating fun. Most places the dessert chef would put the dessert together for you. At Max Brenner, everything is served separately and there is something about putting together the cookie, the chocolate, the whip cream and the berries - like creating the perfect bite- that leaves a indelible impression on the palate and the mind.
4. Teuscher Choclatier
230 Newbury Street, Boston MA 02116
A small shop on Newbury St. with several years winning the "best chocolate shop" in Boston, Teuscher has a small and Switzerland-ish atmosphere as one enters. Flowers are everywhere, giving the sense that spring has just bloomed. All the chocolate is imported from Switzerland.
I tried a limoncello- a dark chocolate exterior with a creamy citrus insides. I'm a sucker for the dark chocolate and citrus combination; it's one of my favorites. It was delightful- creamy, smooth and the perfect blend of dark chocolate and tart center.
Teuscher is a retail store (they receive all their chocolate from Switzerland). There wasn't any place to sit and savor the chocolate so I took it back out on Newbury Street and wandered down the row, enjoying the chocolate treat.
5. Lindt
704 Boylston St. Boston
One can be Lindt chocolates from many different third party stores but there are only two Lindt stores in the United States- one in Boston and one in New York City.
Walking into the store, located right under the Lenox Hotel, the aroma of Swiss chocolate is delightful attack on the olfactory glands.
I'm always greeted by one of the friendly chocolate sellers and they offer me a complimentary featured truffle. (BTW, this is the only chocolate place in Boston that offered free samples on a regular basis and it certainly provided me with another reason to visit!)
My favorite Lindt is the dark chocolate truffle but the Christmas mint and chocolate combination truffle isn't far behind.
Lindt can be found online at http://www.linddtusa.com but I don't know if they offer free samples via the website! Oh vey!
I could have written more but this is gearing up to be one of the longest blog posts ever!
So tell me, are you a chocolate fanatic? Are you an equal chocolate lover or is there a special something that really tickles your chocolate funny bone?
I want to know!!!!
And if you live by a chocolate place, don't hold out on the LYCL community. It takes a lot of chocolate and caffeine to keep the creativity flowing 
The post My Top 5 Favorite Chocolate Shops in Boston appeared first on Launch Your Creative Life.