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Discover the best spots for hot chocolate in Chicago.

Saturday Jan 10, 2004.     By Rebecca Gentry

Food Feed

The thought of long winter days need not throw you into a depression that only the onset of June can remedy. Settle down with a rich and comforting cup of hot chocolate, reminisce about the good ol’ days and enjoy that warm and familiar feeling that only chocolate and marshmallows can provide. Each of these Chicago chocolate havens serves up a distinctively wonderful mug of hot cocoa. Sampling just one is not enough—each one is different and delicious in its own right.

Marly Chocolates

Do you dream of finding a chocolate shop just like the one Juliette Binoche opened in Chocolat? Do your chocolate fantasies include a friendly face, a retreat from the outside world, and most importantly loads of irresistible hand crafted chocolate is the recipe for the ideal chocolate lover’s haven? Marly Chocolates in Evanston is just about as close as you’ll come to this magical movie ideal without relocating to a small town in the French countryside.

As soon as you walk into Marly Chocolates, you will be greeted with a smile and offered a sample of melted chocolate. After ogling the beautiful marble display table overflowing with tempting confections, make your way to small cafe area over to the side of the shop. There are only a couple of tables in this small seating area; you may want to call ahead for reservations or be prepared to take your hot chocolate to go.

The “petit cafe” fills with sun in the afternoons, so even in the depth of winter it’s nice to sit at the window and enjoy the feeling of sunshine on your face. The hot chocolate comes in two varieties, 63 percent and 73 percent. The percentage refers to the amount of cacao in the chocolate used to make the drinks. To the laymen these two choices really mean “dark and rich,” and “super dark and rich.” Whichever variety you choose will definitely be one of the most opulent and luxurious cups of chocolate you have ever tasted. If the hot chocolate doesn’t completely overwhelm your desires, Marly also offers a variety of other chocolate treats as well. Try the fondue; the presentation includes a delightful tray of fruits and other treats to dip into rich melted chocolate.

Pierrot Gourmet
Step off of Rush Street into this bright corner cafe and you instantly feel your mood rise. Warm colors mixed with light wood and marble create a homey and luxuriant interior. A large glass case artfully displays all types of treats and pastries, tempting eyes and stomachs. Stop into Pierrot Gourmet any time of day for a meal, a light snack, a pastry, or just a drink.

The perfect pick-me-up on a cold winter afternoon, the whipped cream topped hot chocolate is steaming hot and deliciously light and frothy. Served in a bowl-like mug, the hot chocolate screams out for a flaky croissant. Luckily this French-themed restaurant has some of the best pastries in Chicago; your only problem will be deciding which will go best with your beverage.

Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe

At first glance, Moonstruck looks like a regular, albeit upscale, coffee shop. You can order drinks at the counter, ogle the display case of treats, and snag a table for chatting with friends or a big easy chair perfect for losing yourself in a good book. Once you give this place a slightly more in-depth go around, it becomes obvious that nearly everything in this store is chocolate themed.

Moonstruck serves seven different types of hot chocolate, including Moonstruck Cocoa (dark chocolate blended with steamed milk). More exotic options include the Mexican (chocolate blended with cinnamon and almond), Chocolate Chai, and the Peppermint Patty. Variations on the classic mocha and a variety of chocolate milk shakes (including a mango chocolate milk shake) are also available. All beverages can be made hot or iced, and are served with a medallion of dark, pure, Moonstruck Chocolate. The cafe does offer regular cappuccinos and such, but with all of the enticing chocolate options, ordering plain coffee seems like a shame.

Along with fantastic drinks, Moonstruck serves a wide array of chocolate desserts that will turn your ordinary coffee break into an extremely decadent affair. Also, be sure to check out its vast assortment of hand-crafted artisan truffles.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop and Soda Fountain
The perfect break during an overtaxing shopping trip, Ghirardelli sits across the street from Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue. This famous old-style San Francisco chocolate company invented the modern process for manufacturing ground chocolate, and rightfully makes a wonderful cup of hot cocoa. The hot chocolate, although not fancy, is perfectly traditional, topped with your choice of whipped cream or marshmallows.

Though the hot chocolate is grand, you may find it impossible to walk up to the counter in this retro ice cream store without ordering the classic hot fudge sundae. The fudge is so rich that you might feel a bit overwhelmed, but the joy of indulging in this decadent treat is well worth it.

Argo Tea
A hip and modern tea shop located in the heart of Lincoln Park, Argo Tea claims “to do for tea what Starbucks did for coffee.” Though it has only been open since spring, Argo Tea has already become a favorite of DePaul students and young Lincoln Park professionals. Along with an extensive menu of tea beverages, they also serve coffee drinks, pastries, and light meals.

If you picture teatime as the hour when stuffy ladies drink boiling water with a bag of leaves floating inside, be prepared to change your mind. Argo prides itself on serving a great cup of tea made from a wide variety of herbal and traditional teas, but also produces a huge array of imaginative tea concoctions, including the now-trendy bubble teas and a variety of shakes, sparklers, and lattes.

This bustling shop may just be the perfect spot to enjoy a twist on the classic cup of hot chocolate. Forget the boring old cup of hot cocoa; try a mug of Chocolate Mint, a hot drink made of milk, chocolate syrup, and mint tea. Curl up with your laptop (Argo offers wireless Internet) and gaze through the large windows as the commotion of Lincoln Park streams by.