New England's Best Chocolate Shops

Chocoholics can eat their fill in these New England chocolate shops

Sep 6, 2006

New England, known for baked beans, fish cakes, and chowder also has sophisticated chocolate shops. Three excellent ones can be found in Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts.

Studies have shown that dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants and can help lower blood pressure. So, when ordering in these New England shops, or any chocolate shop just say "Dark, please".

Owner Monica Elliott, a native of Peru, immigrated to Lubec Maine in 1999, bringing with her recipes for Peruvian caramel and handmade chocolates.

You can nosh your way through the shop while deciding on whether to get some raspberry wine truffles, or Sicilian marzipans in bittersweet chocolate or hazelnut creams. I usually go right for the jugular, dark chocolate bon bons with plum centers surrounded by rich Peruvian caramel.

Burlington Vermont has been home to Lake Champlain Chocolates for 25 years. The truffles, in flavors of cappuccino, vanilla, raspberry and chocolate, are made with dark Belgian chocolate and Vermont butter and cream. Yum! The company's premier feature are the Five Star bars, chunky bars packed with fruits and nuts and covered in dark Belgian chocolate. Vogue magazine named them "the ultimate chocolate bar". Steve Almond featured the bars in his book "Candyfreak".

This tiny shop on Nantucket Island is a joy to visit. It's shelves are stocked with gift baskets and hand painted tins filled to overflowing with sweets. Among the rich Belgian chocolate specialties to choose from are chocolate covered cranberries (you won't be able to eat just one) and almond butter crunch, a rich toffee confection covered with a layer of chocolate.

The copyright of the article New England's Best Chocolate Shops in NE U.S. Travel is owned by Fran Folsom. Permission to republish New England's Best Chocolate Shops in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Sep 8, 2006 11:13 PM

Barbara Rogers :

My daughter insists that chocolate is one of the four food groups, and it's certainly the one I couldn't live without. You're the second person to mention Monika's recently -- what is so different about Peruvian chocolate? Or is it the fillings Monika uses that make her chocolates memorable?

Another good stop for chocolate in Vermont is Tom and Sally's in Brattleboro. The shop/factory is just out of town on Route 30. Along with the shop, they offer factory tours. Their dipped chocolates have the widest variety of fillings I have seen anywhere.

Sep 10, 2006 5:31 AM

Fran Folsom :

Monica's fillings are of a Peruvian caramel (the recipe is top secret). The chocolate she uses is Belgian chocolate that she buys in bulk, for her bonbons she adds cinnamon, nutmeg, etc to the chocolate when she melts it down. In her bonbons the chocolate surrounds her Peruvian caramel and plums.

I have tried Tom & Sally's, excellent chocolate. I commend them on their business, they work hard at it, have won several awards.

Have you ever tried Katie's Cove chocolates from Down East Maine? She makes truffles for Raye's Mustard in Eastport. She actually puts some of their mustard in the chocolate, they're really good, different.

Sep 10, 2006 8:52 AM

Barbara Rogers :

I've never been to Katie's Cove, but I did taste one of the mustard chocolates at Raye's Mustard in Lubec. That place is phenomenal -- so many delicious mustards and otehr condiments, too. Have you noticed how all the businesses in tiny Lubec seem to work together? The caramel makers use sea salt from the local salt comany, chocolatiers create candy from the local mustard. I think that's really great, and it certainly makes Lubec foodie heaven. There are little businesses producing chocolates, sea salt, dulse (a seaweed that is excellent flavoring sprinkled into chowders), mustard and ice cream all in this little town.