The 21 Best Chocolate Shops in America

• Updated on: 2017-11-01
• Read original article here

It’s no longer difficult to find beautifully decorated chocolates, sea salted caramels, or delicately scented truffles. Almost every major city in the U.S. has a shop that’s selling gorgeous bonbons or refined, single origin chocolate bars. Some offer chocolates with layers of flavor and paint swipes of color. Others use local fruit, fresh herbs, and hard-to-find spices to enhance each chocolate variety’s taste.

There’s no shortage of treats — especially when you factor in mass-market chocolates, the type Hershey’s, Mars, Whitman’s, and Godiva peddle. The trick, then, is in distinguishing the handmade and single-origin from the mass-produced marketing hype.

Here’s where to buy a truly excellent box of chocolates, organized by category of confection.

Valerie Confections | Los Angeles, CA Pastry chef and chocolatier Valerie Gordon does it all, from pastries and historically-relevant cakes to petit fours dipped in white chocolate to delicate toffee coated in dark chocolate. Her almond fleur de sel toffee is a favorite. Valerie Confections ships many of its sweets anywhere within the continental U.S. ◙ 3360 West1st Street, Los Angeles, CA(multiple locations)

Compartes Chocolatier | Los Angeles, CA Chocolatier Jonathan Grahm makes gorgeous truffles and bonbons, but the standout items at Compartes are the chocolate bars embedded with dried fruits, nuts, and flowers. They’re stunning, mosaic-like creations. Find them at fine grocers and gift shops across the country or order online. ◙ 912 South Barrington Avenue, Los Angeles, CA

Artisan Confections | Arlington, Fairfax, VA Artisan produces bonbons in every color of the rainbow, but don’t walk out without a taste of its passionfruit caramels, caramel marshmallow bars, and almond rochers. The caramelized pecan bars, pay tribute to America’s rich pecan heritage. Artisan ships nationwide. ◙ 1025 North Fillmore Street, Arlington, VA

Jacques Torres Chocolate | New York City Jacques Torres has every holiday cornered with bonbons and chocolate sculptures that boggle the mind, but it’s his caramelized macadamia nuts enrobed in milk chocolate (which are like a deconstructed candy bar) that regularly sell out. A wide range of chocolates is available online; shipping generally takes two to three days. ◙ 350 Hudson Street, New York, NY (multiple locations)

Éclat Chocolate | West Chester, PA Master chocolatier Christopher Curtin makes incredible salted caramel truffles and bonbons filled with Shiraz-infused ganache, but his pretzel bar, infused with the flavor of Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels, might be the ultimate salty and sweet chocolate concoction. Shipping varies depending upon distance; see order guidelines for details. ◙ 24 South High Street, West Chester, PA

Recchiuti | San Francisco, CA Recchiuti’s minimalist bonbons are what draws chocolate lovers into this jewel box-like shop, but its orangettes, pâte de fruit, and peanut butter pucks are the real standouts. Recchiuti ships nationwide. ◙ Ferry Building, 1 Sausalito #30, San Francisco, CA

Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate | New York City Chocolatier and pastry chef Marc Aumont has been crafting fine chocolates for decades: He took over his father’s business in France at the age of 16. Today, Aumont makes the desserts at chef Gabriel Kreuther’s restaurant in midtown Manhattan and commandeers the chocolate shop next door. The chocolate room itself is encased in glass so patrons can see each bonbon as it rolls off the enrobing conveyer belt, a mesmerizing process. Aumont is known for his line of macaron-flavored bonbons, but the whole line, which includes. Special orders must be placed by phone. ◙ 43 West 42nd Street, New York, NY

Alma Chocolate | Portland, OR One of the few artisanal chocolate shops in Portland, Alma is famous for its Thai peanut butter cups, but don’t miss owner Sarah Hart’s rose caramels. They’re beautifully shaped and painted a deep rose gold. The filling contains just the right amount of salinity to offset the drop of rosewater that’s inside each one. Also worth a taste: salted lavender caramels and fig marzipan bonbons. What Alma gets right in each of its chocolates is an addictive balance between fruity and floral flavors. Alma ships nationwide. ◙ 140 NE 28th Avenue, Portland, OR

Stick With Me Sweets | New York City Susanna Yoon used to make the chocolates at Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-starred Per Se, where each meal ends with a tableside buffet of bonbons. Yoon spun her craft into a business in Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood. Inside a space the size of one of Willy Wonka’s golden tickets, she sells two dozen different types of bonbons, eight different types of soft caramel candies, and a handful of packaged brittles, toffees, nougats, and marshmallows. Each dome-shaped bonbon is a study in flavor pairings: The sunshine-like burst of yuzu against the soft sweetness of a white chocolate shell; nutty black sesame next to tart passionfruit; or the dual-layered mint chocolate chip with a flavor that unravels as it melts. Email or call for shipping information. ◙ 202A Mott Street, New York, NY

Kee’s Chocolate | New York City Pastry chef Kee Ling Tong has been hand-rolling each of her delicate chocolate truffles since 2002. Her tiny storefront in New York City’s Soho neighborhood (and two counters in Midtown) is a must-stop for chocolate lovers who will love each piece’s paper-thin shell, in flavors like black sesame truffle and green tea. Kee’s almond truffle is pure joy: A deeply salted white chocolate ganache is made from cream steeped with toasted almonds; each truffle is then rolled in toasted almonds which add crunch and to the candy’s organic appearance. Unfortunately for non-New Yorkers, Kee’s does not ship nationwide. ◙ 80 Thompson Street, New York, NY(multiple locations)

Gâté Comme Des Filles | Somerville, MA Alexandra Whisnant, a Boston native, trained at Le Cordon Bleu and Ladurée in Paris before she opened her chocolate business. Its name means “spoiled like girls,” so it’s no surprise that Whisnant doesn’t cut any corners while making her delicate treats. She starts each batch at the beginning of the week — pralines or infused ganaches — and they sell out by week’s end. The flavors vary week to week: Honey-walnut praline, blackberry ganache, chocolate-mint (made from mint from her aunt’s garden), and whiskey-infused truffles are some of the latest confections to come off of Whisnant’s chocolate dipping table. Call for the day’s offerings. Shipping is limited. ◙ 14 Tyler Street, Somerville, MA

Bon Bon Bon | Detroit, MI Owner Alexandra Clark was a student of chocolate economics, so it’s safe to say she knows the business from top to bottom. She flavors her bonbons with locally-sourced ingredients, uses recyclable packaging (a rare commitment in the industry), and has a crew of internationally trained chocolatiers who call themselves the “Babes Babes Babes.” They put out a massive variety of delightful, open-topped chocolates, including the He Loves Me Not, which is angel tears tea-infused dark chocolate ganache topped with flower petals (pictured above). The shop ships nationwide. ◙ 719 Griswold Street #100, Detroit, MI

Chocolateria Tessa | Austin, TX Tessa Halstead grew up in the chocolate business: Her father ran a chocolate shop in Dallas a generation ago. Today, in Austin, she’s built a chocolate business around the community. Halstead and her crew produce chocolates on a larger scale than most, and offer single-origin bonbons in addition to assorted flavors that change seasonally. The always-in-season salted caramel is a favorite but customers also come for the strawberry basil in the summertime and autumn’s cinnamon spice. Nationwide shipping is available. ◙ 7425 Burnet Road, Austin, TX

Katherine Anne Confections | Chicago, IL The chocolates at Katherine Anne fall somewhere between minimal and homespun. Favorites include the toasted coconut rum truffles and banana bourbon caramels. The shop ships FedEx ground only; order in advance. ◙ 2745 WestArmitage Avenue, Chicago, IL

Veruca Chocolates | Chicago, IL Blink and passers-by could easily miss the new Veruca Chocolates cafe and store in Chicago’s sleek Lincoln Park neighborhood. Pediatrician-turned-chocolatier Heather Johnston fills prescriptions for joy every season with bonbons, caramels, and dipped truffles in a range of flavors. The house specialties include a mango and passionfruit-infused ganache bonbon, but don’t miss the almost smoky blackened sugar chocolates or browned butter bonbons, with an addictively nutty flavor. Toasted pumpkin seeds give orange-hued pumpkin caramel truffles a bit of crunch. Veruca ships nationwide. ◙ 1332 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL — Ashok Selvam

Kate Weiser Chocolate | Dallas, TX Pastry chef and chocolatier Kate Weiser hasn’t been making chocolates for that long, but has already won wide acclaim. Though Weiser makes a wide array of gorgeous, hand-painted chocolate bonbons her candy bars are a real draw. Bars like milk n’ cookies (milk stout ganache layered with biscoff gianduja and sea salted chocolate chip cookies), and passion praline (passion fruit cream and crunchy hazelnut gianduja) show Weiser’s skill in marrying flavor and texture. Chocolates ship nationally from November through May. Two-day and overnight shipping is available. ◙ 3011 Gulden Lane#115, Dallas, TX

Dandelion Chocolate | San Francisco, CA One of the few true bean-to-bar chocolatiers in America, Dandelion also sells macarons, hot chocolate, caramels, and pastries at its San Francisco shop. Its single origin chocolate bars, which ship nationwide, have a cult following: Each one feels like a special present. ◙ 740 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA

Indi Chocolate | Seattle, WA Erin Andrews started making chocolate nearly a decade ago. From a small market stall, Andrews now presides over a sizable cafe and confectionary that specializes in single-origin chocolate bars. Chocolate bark and single-origin nibs are also on offer, as are body lotions and oils made from cocoa butter. Indi ships nationwide. ◙ 1501 Pike Place #527, Seattle, WA

Chocovivo | Los Angeles, CA Owner Patricia Tsai is a self-taught chocolatier whose background in the business world taught her how to avoid the pitfalls of running a sustainable food business. Since 2012, Tsai has been sourcing cacao from a small farm in Tabasco, Mexico. She roasts and grinds those beans into chocolate using a grinder made in Mexico; she also has an ancient Aztec stone grinder, which is fascinating to watch in action. The shop sells a variety of chocolate products, including hot chocolate mix and chocolate sauce, but Tsai’s single origin and blended bars (flavored with locally sourced coffee, spices, and essences) have attracted a loyal following. Three years ago, Tsai expanded her operation to include hair and skin products made from natural cacao and cocoa butter. Chocovivo ships nationwide. ◙ 12469 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Rogue | Three Rivers, MA Founder Colin Gasko is running a small but ambitious operation. Each single-origin chocolate bar is sourced from independent farms in Peru, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Trinidad and Tobago, and Honduras. Unlike other fair trade chocolate purveyors, Rogue pays more than twice the minimum for some of its cacao order, ensuring the lasting success of those farms. Because of its small production Rogue doesn’t always have a wide array available to purchase online, but each bar tastes like something special. ◙ Three Rivers, MA

Theo Chocolate | Seattle, WA Theo Chocolate can be found at most higher-end markets, but a visit to its shop guarantees a taste of hard-to-find flavors like a bonbon filled with caramel flavored by the smoky heat of a ghost chili. Theo, which ships its chocolates nationwide, uses only organic and certified fair trade chocolate for all of its creations. ◙ 3400 Phinney Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98103