CONNECTICUT, USA — Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, so you know what that means for all your sweet tooth sweeties out there: This is time to indulge in some chocolate!
FOX61's Margaux Farrell takes us on a chocolate tour across Connecticut.
The tour begins in Woodbridge at Chip in a Bottle, where no two chocolates are alike.
"A lot of people are eating with their eyes more than they're eating with their mouths," said Darell Nurse from Chip in a Bottle in Woodbridge. "We try to make them [flavors] as broad as possible, but we also try to make them very specific. For example, lemongrass or black cherry with dark chocolate, and two tea infusions get your senses really aroused."
From Woodbridge, we head to Waterbury to where Fascia's Chocolates. They've been in business for 50 years!
"We put a lot of love into our chocolates. They're all handmade. We use the freshest and finest ingredients. It's quality chocolates," said Louise Fascia Romeo, co-owner of Fascia's Chocolates.
And that extra attention to detail is something your taste buds will notice.
"We are Swiss-style chocolate, very fine, and the word fine means something in chocolate," said Carmen Romeo, co-owner of Fascia's Chocolates. "It's how it melts in your mouth and the fact that it's very, very smooth, no graininess, no matter how far you melt it down."
Down on the shoreline in Branford, P.S. Fine Stationers on Main Street also has everything you need for the holiday of love.
"For chocolates, I carry Louis Sherry, which is the oldest Chocolatier in New York City, they're excellent. We carry Godiva; we carry Fran's chocolates from Seattle, Washington, they specialize in sea salt caramels. We have Sugarfina, which is a whole variety of gummies chewies and delicious chocolates, and the popcorn, of course, is just sinful," said Sal Esposito, owner of P.S. Fine Stationers.
While you are picking up those chocolates, you may find some other gift items as well.
"We're a little different than the box stores," said Esposito. "We have some fine chocolates, I have designer jewelry and lots and lots of greeting cards."
Going now to the more western side of the state, we have Bridgewater Chocolates in Brookfield.
"I came to the United States really noticing how much people love chocolates in this country," said co-owner Erik Landegren. "But I also noticed that it was very different from how I grew up in Europe."
The chocolates at Bridgewater are a blend of European and American traditions making for a chocolates experience you will never forget.
"It sounds like I'm bragging by saying this, but a lot of people say, 'Oh, this is the best product I've ever had,' or 'This is the best chocolate I've ever had!'. We had people say, 'I didn't even like chocolate, and I like this chocolate,'" said Landegren.
"The turtles are the chunkiest turtles you'll find around, and the peanut butter is... you'll never eat another Reese's. It's just the best you've ever had!" said Kelly Burns, who has been with Bridgewater Chocolates for 13 years.
Don't have time to visit a shop? How about family-owned and operated Patterson Family Chocolates?
"We are entirely online," said Taylor Patterson, marketing manager of Patterson Family Chocolates. "So, say you're really busy and you want to go order chocolate for your significant other, but you don't really have time to go to the store. Just go right online, put in your address, order it, and I will ship it to your house."
The company started with what they call chocolate golden minis. Since then, they have expanded to include a wide variety of sweet treats.
"Our house assortment is our milk caramel, our white cappuccino, and dark raspberry. We have our new line that just came out where we're just really thrilled to have, and it's 100% pure caramels."
So no matter where you go, Connecticut chocolates are aplenty!
You can also head to CTvisit.com and check out their chocolate trail.
Let us know your favorite spots if we missed any by sending us an email to share61@fox61.com!