Valentine’s Day, the centuries-old observance honoring love, has long been celebrated with chocolate.
In metro Atlanta, local chocolatiers have been producing hand-crafted chocolates since the 1970s. Whether as a craft passed down for generations in a family or the dream of a traveling couple, the exquisite and uniquely crafted chocolates at these five shops make perfect gifts for your Valentine.
Cacao
Consider Kristin Hard, the founder and CEO of Cacao, the chocolate maven of Atlanta. To say she is obsessed with chocolate is an understatement. Hard has studied the cacao bean, its nutritional benefits and the process of making chocolate from bean to bar. You can’t go wrong giving one of her artisan single-origin chocolate bars from Central and South America, such as the Aztec Aphrodisiac, with Cacao’s Blend 29 chocolate and a mix of Aztec chiles and spices. For Valentine’s Day, Cacao’s 18-piece raspberry champagne chocolates collection will feature chocolates with a layer of raspberry pate de fruit with champagne ganache. Or splurge on calories with the 24.2k Blanc de Blanc chocolate collection, featuring chocolates made with pure Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc ganache and decorated with 24k gold leaf.
1046 N. Highland Ave., Atlanta. 404-892-8202, cacaoatlanta.com.
Chamberlain’s Chocolate
If you can think it, Chamberlain’s likely can dip it in chocolate. Since 1986, Chamberlain’s has churned out chocolate products, from gummy bears enrobed in chocolate to traditional house-made ganaches that fill truffles, creams, caramels and toffees. For your chocolate-loving Valentine, the Love Bug gift basket includes peanut butter-filled chocolate lady bugs, chocolate-covered sea salt popcorn, chocolate-covered Oreos, white chocolate bark speckled with red hot cinnamon candies, and a one-pound box of assorted chocolates. Chamberlain’s will ship to you, but be sure to order online by Feb. 8. It’s worth a trip to the store, though, because if you bring in your sweetheart on Feb. 14, you can get buy-one-get-one-free chocolate-dipped strawberries.
6365 Spalding Drive, Suite D, Norcross. 678-728-0100, chamberlainschocolate.com.
Di’Amano Chocolates
The company name has multiple Italian meanings: di a mano means “of hand” and di’amano means “of love.” Either way, you know your gourmet chocolate was handmade with love. Their chocolate is sourced from a specific European producer, and their chocolatiers use old-world techniques in their chocolate production. Their Valentine’s Day selections come in creative molds such as chocolate handcuffs, chocolate teddy bears or long-stemmed chocolate roses. And for an off-the-cuff kinky gift, their edible chocolate body paint comes in milk chocolate, rich caramel or dark chocolate raspberry, so you can paint your Valentine’s body like a canvas.
1100 Hammond Drive N.E., Atlanta. 770-730-9770, diamanochocolate.com.
Maison Robert Chocolates
This French confection and pastry shop was opened in Atlanta in 1977 by Lorraine native Robert Reeb, and now his daughter Katia runs the family business as the fourth generation of pâtissiers-confiseurs. Instead of unwrapping a box of chocolates, bite into the box itself. Their heart-shaped boxes are made of dark or milk chocolate, adorned with marzipan roses and filled with an assortment of chocolates that includes truffles, marzipans and rochers. Boxes are available in small (six to eight pieces), medium (11 to 13 pieces) or large (16 to 17 pieces). If you prefer to mix chocolate with booze, opt for the Pass the Courvoisier, a chocolate shell filled with cognac-macerated strawberries, cognac-soaked chocolate cake and chocolate mousse. It’s recommended that you pre-order your Valentine’s gifts by calling the store.
5256 Peachtree Road, Suite 110, Atlanta. 770-454-6442, maisonrobertchocolates.com.
Xocolatl
Elaine Read and Matt Weyandt, the owners of Xocolatl, have the sort of love story that couples dream of. The pair lived in Costa Rica and worked with cacao farmers and artisanal chocolatiers, and have used their experiences to open their own micro-factory bean-to-bar chocolate shop. The Krog Street Market shop offers a variety of single-origin dark chocolate bars, for which the cacao is sourced from six different countries: Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Madagascar, Peru and Trinidad. It’s rare to find chocolate without cocoa butter, but their chocolate is made with just cocoa and cane sugar. Each bar offers a different flavor profile that ranges from earthy and nutty to buttery and fruity. For Valentine’s Day, pick a trio of bars or a full flight of all six origins. The full flight and trio bars will not be released until Feb. 9, so it is recommended you stop by the shop early next week to purchase your bars.
99 Krog St., Atlanta. 404-604-9642, xocolatlchocolate.com.
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