I’m a huge fan of chocolate (who isn’t… really??). But my mother-in-law’s love of chocolate trumps all. She’s a chocoholic. She’s been know to celebrate her birthday in the sweetest place on earth… Hershey, Pennsylvania (home of the Chocolate Spa!), indulging in chocolate manicures and pedicures and maybe even a chocolate martini or two. And being the enablers that we are, we got her a basket full of chocolate goodness for her birthday. In the basket was some chocolate covered cashews and pretzels, hot chocolate mix, a chocolate cookbook, and tickets to the Philadelphia Chocolate Tour. We chose a date in December, and anxiously awaited our tour.
The tour started in Reading Terminal Market, and though the market houses many options for a chocolate-seeker, our first stop was the Famous 4th Street Cookie Company where we were treated to chocolate chip cookies, fresh out of the oven. A good start.
Then we headed to a hip boutique shop on 13th Street called Verde, which houses Marcie Blaine Artisanal Chocolates. Through a glass window in the back of the boutique, you can see the chocolate masterpieces being made. We tried some chocolate bark and grabbed a box of various chocolates and truffles to go.
We headed on to the Bellevue on Broad Street to try the champagne truffles at Teuscher Chocolates. Amazing. My favorite, no question. The chocolate there is flown in fresh each week from Switzerland.
Next stop… an adorable little pasty shop on 17th Street called Miel Patissiere. I don’t remember the name of the pastry we tried there but it was delish. And Kev couldn’t resist downing an espresso before we left.
We walked on to Harry & David. Now, I don’t consider Harry & David to be a specialty chocolate store, especially since there is a Harry & David outlet store 10 minutes from our house, so I would have preferred to stop at something a little smaller and more exclusive on the tour. But I’ve proclaimed my love of Harry & David in the past… their Moose Munch coffee is my very favorite! The had an abundance of chocolates available for us to taste (I love the truffles!), so for anyone that was not already familiar with Harry & David, I’m sure it was a wonderful introduction.
Lastly, we stopped at Capogiro Gelato Artisans, near Rittenhouse Square, where we were given quite a few different flavors of gelato to taste test. The fact that they offer Nutella gelato makes it as close to heaven as you’ll find on this earth. And we finished with some thick and delicious italian hot chocolate… a great contrast to the gelato and much appreciated on a chilly December day.
We had a great time on the tour, and most importantly, my mother-in-law loved the experience. It was fun to walk around the city and get to try different chocolate treats and our tour guide, Jaylene, provided many interesting facts, stories, and historical information about chocolate that kept us entertained. But be warned, this tour is not for the amateur chocolate lover. By the end we were so FULL of chocolate that I don’t think I could have taken another bite. Unless there were more champagne truffles. Surely I could make room for truffles…
Dennis Bullock - Wow that looks like loads of fun! Hope it doesnt end up with a trip to the dentist! :]
Isabel - Droooolllll….
AmandaD - How fun is that! It’s on my to-do list next time I am in Philly & it’s so good to see YOU on the blog instead of behind the camrea 🙂
lexi - Yum!! Yummy!! Yum!!
Emilee - YUM!!! I am definitely a chocoholic, too, and these photos are making my mouth water!
Bernadette - yeah…see, I am ON that now. you really shouldn’t tempt me like this April 😉
Rose - Yes, I am a true chocoholic and this was one of the best gifts. Thanks April and Kevin, but seeing these pictures makes me want to go for another tour. I think I will have some hot chocolate to hold me over. Love, “Your Mother-in-law”