Chocolate is big business this week, with an estimated 58 million pounds of it being sold for Valentine’s Day. But why hand over your hard-won dollars to Big Chocolate when Colorado produces so many local options?
You probably know the names of some of our storied, long-time local chocolatiers. Most famously, there’s Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, the now-international franchiser that began as a tiny shop in Durango back in 1981. Hammond’s Candy Factory opened in Denver nearly a century ago, and the very first treat it ever produced was — you guessed it — chocolate.
But there are also lots of smaller shops, ones that you may not know the names of; operations run by tinkering scientists and the chocolate-obsessed. They’re creating small-batch, hand-made delicacies that just might revolutionize your relationship with the dark stuff. (And the white stuff, and the milk stuff.)
Phil Simonson opened Chocolate Lab in 2010 with a truffle recipe created by his husband. Over the past eight years, thanks to customers’ increased appetite for everything chocolate, he’s grown his operation from just those truffles to a full-on chocolate bounty, and last year he even added a savory, choco-centric restaurant. (Think bourbon-chocolate barbecue sauce poured over pulled pork and quinoa salad tossed with chocolate balsamic.)
“There are a lot of local chocolatiers here in town, and when we’re all together at the festivals we all talk about it (the increased local demand) and see the growth. A lot of our customers say they won’t shop at the big chains anymore because the quality isn’t as good as what they can get at the local shops,” Simonson said.
C’mon. Your Valentine is worth so much more than a grocery-store-bought box of Russel Stover’s or Hershey’s. Save them from the scourge that is mass-produced chocolate and instead pick up some treats from these local chocolatiers.
Roberta’s Chocolates
In addition to chocolate cards, suckers, boxes, patties, bars and truffles, Roberta’s Chocolates also makes custom candies with its 10,000-plus molds, just in case your Valentine absolutely must have a chocolate iPod.
What to buy: A heart-shaped box made entirely out of chocolate, then filled with more chocolate.
4840 W. 29th Ave., Denver, 303-824-2069; robertaschocolates.com
Nuance Chocolate
Not only is all of the chocolate made on-site at Nuance’s Old Town Fort Collins factory (its café is just two blocks away), but the cacao beans are roasted and ground right there, too. That means more fresh options than you can shake a chocolate stick at, including our new favorite three words: chocolate taster flight.
What to buy: The limited-supply ambrosia truffles, made with local honey and rose petals.
214 Pine St., Fort Collins, 970-484-2330; nuancechocolate.com
Piece, Love & Chocolate
It’s pretty much Valentine’s Day year-round at Boulder’s Piece, Love & Chocolate. The store is always an explosion of hearts and chocolate, a physical manifestation of owner Sarah Amorese’s passion for the sweet stuff. Inspired by European chocolate shops, Amorese brought that quaint, magical feel to Pearl Street — along with her own pizzazz and imaginative treats.
What to buy: You can get everything from truffles to sipping chocolate to chocolate-covered potato chips, but the hand-sculpted chocolate roses are a V-Day staple.
805 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-449-4804; pieceloveandchocolate.com
Chocolate Lab
Here’s something sexy for Valentine’s Day: Chocolate Lab was tapped by Universal Studios to create a specialty box of chocolates for the movie premiere of “Fifty Shades Freed.” The Fifty Shades flavors include Seduction (Zinfandel dark chocolate cake) and Climax (cinnamon pequin chile). If your chocolate cravings can’t be tamed by dessert alone, Chocolate Lab also has a chocolate-centric regular food menu. Chocolate: It’s what’s for dinner.
What to buy: You know you want that Fifty Shades-themed chocolate box.
2504 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, 720-536-5037; chocolatelabdenver.com
Miette et Chocolat
Anyone who’s seen the massive chocolate sculptures created by chefs David Lewis and Gonzo Jimenez has most certainly fallen in love at first sight. But since chocolate is an inanimate object and cannot return your affections, better to gift Miette et Chocolat’s from-scratch chocolate creations to someone who can.
What to buy: Heart-shaped bon bons, or pretty much anything from this Stanley Marketplace dessert shop.
2501 Dallas St., Aurora (inside Stanley Marketplace), 303-658-0861; mietteetchocolat.com
Robin Chocolates
Robin Autorino is a highly unlikely chocolatier — in addition to having an un-sweet tech and military background, Autorino is allergic to an ingredient found in most mass-produced chocolate — but no matter, her creations are delicious little works of art. They’re so beautiful that you may not want to eat them, but that would be silly because it’s chocolate and you must always eat the chocolate.
What to buy: The Valentine’s Day Collection, featuring six or 12 heart-shaped chocolates in flavors like rosemary caramel and passionfruit honey.
600 Airport Road, Longmont, 720-204-8003; robinchocolates.com
The Chocolate Therapist
Julie Pech has made it her life’s mission to educate people on the health benefits of eating chocolate. To write her book, “The Chocolate Therapist, A User’s Guide to the Extraordinary Health Benefits of Chocolate,” she dug through hundreds of scientific research papers on chocolate’s advantages. And who are we to argue with science? No one, that’s who, so eat the chocolate and be a healthier (and happier) version of yourself.
What to buy: All-natural chocolate lollipops molded into cute shapes like koala bears and hearts.
2560 W. Main St., Littleton, 303-795-7913; thechocolatetherapist.com
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