The reason I took her there was to go to the nearest location to her house of Le Pain Quotidien. (Where I saw some famous actor who I can't remember his name.) I had enjoyed it so much in VA, they have a killer cappuccino, that I had to take mom for the waffle. After we were done with brunch, we walked along the adorable, picture perfect main street. It had all kinds of shops and boutiques. I bet you can guess which ones I was drawn to the most.
First stop, Belgique Chocolatier. Darling artisan chocolate place. If I lived nearby, I'd go every week. (No, I'm not kidding. I really would.)
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| Practically out of a watercolor. |
Inside, it was row after row of decadent, interesting, cleverly-flavored treats.
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| Can you see the giant chocolate acorn and flower shapes at the bottom right? |
The interior of the shop was like a snapshot out of Paris. Not that I've ever been to France, but this is what I think a European chocolate shop would look like. Warm and cozy. They even had rugs on the wood floor. (Can I live in there?)
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| I'm pretty sure this is what heaven looks like. At least at the entrance. |
I used restraint, for a change, and just got four pieces. One for mom and three for me. (Hmmm... That makes me sound rather selfish. Oh well! All is fair in love and chocolate.) They put my lovely gems in a pretty, little cellophane bag with a B sticker to keep it safely shut. (For the time being. But a sticker is no match for me!)
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| Was hard to choose. I wanted them all. |
I often go for anything with hazelnut or caramel, but I do also tend to be attracted to the peculiar. In this case, the flavor that most intrigued me was the Speculoos-filled faceted dome. Speculoos, in case you don't know (and why would you), is a ginger biscuit traditionally made in Belgium. I've seen it ground up and made into a spread for waffles. But then to take the spread and add it into a chocolate - well that is brilliantly unique! I'm in!
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| How do they get those detailed designs? A stencil? An airbrush? Magic wand? |
I recommend going for the strangest flavors when you can. Embrace the bizarre! Speculoos rocks! (Even if you can't spell it.)
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| A view down main street. Sweet old town. |
But wait! I was not done yet. There was one more place. A cupcake place. for my second stop. Crumbs.
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| Hello puppy waiting out front. Your owner is in there getting a quick snack. |
Like all good cupcake places, and they are EVERYWHERE these days, the glass case was filled with options. Colorful ones at that. I always find it SO hard to choose. But I have been trying to have a different kind at every place to keep it interesting for both you and me.
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| I'd rather just back the car around, pop the trunk and say, "Load 'er up!" |
The friendly shop worker handed the cupcake to me in a plastic container with their juggling jester sticker on top.
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| Thank goodness I was still full from brunch or I would have just eaten it while sitting on the bench outside with the dog. |
I carried my package home like it was a box of plutonium. And I'm happy to report it arrived 100% safely with super cute carrot icing detail fully in tact. That afternoon, I ate half. It was a substantial cupcake, so a whole one was a little more than I could wrestle down that day. (Yes, I am a sugar lightweight.)
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| Another winner! |
Might I recommend a chocolate and cupcake world tour for everyone. The earth would be a happier place. Can you ever be disappointed with a mini personal cake at your disposal? I think it's unlikely. They make you smile. Plus it's a heck of a delightful way to spend 30 minutes of browsing and snacking. (I might also recommend that if the cupcakes are smaller, you really should get two different flavors. Call it investigative research to anyone who looks at you funny. They're just jealous of your self-assurance and dessert bravado anyway.)
I'm noticing lately that I remember the cities I visit by the food. I guess there could be worse ways to travel!
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