While this chocolate blog was originally created to review bakeries and chocolate shops in NYC, we soon realized that other major cities had great chocolate options that needed to be made aware of as well. Philly has proven to contain a very large amount of dessert places that need to be reviewed. So far on the blog we've been to the Franklin Fountain and Flying Monkey Patisserie. On our most recent trip to Philly, while running into a store to take a break from the racing winds, we stumbled upon the smell of baking chocolate, and a line of eager customers lined up out the door. We knew this must be something worth checking out, so we joined the line to see what was in store.
Naked Chocolate Cafe, located at 1317 Walnut Street, makes absolutely beautiful chocolate creations. At the front of the store were custom Philly chocolate treats, like a block of chocolate with Ben Franklin and the Liberty Bell, and chocolate pops with the LOVE sign. There were also artistic creations like chocolate paint palettes and chocolate iPods! As we walked down the line, there were an assortment of filled chocolate truffles and pieces; Venezuelan chocolate with ganache filling handpainted, chocolate butterflies filled with lavender honey - so many options. These could be sold individually, by the pound, or in assorted boxes, placed in an EDIBLE chocolate box - amazing!!
The dessert case was even more outstanding - lemon tarts, Oreo chocolate mousse, brownies - the options were endless. But we wanted to try what Naked Chocolate Cafe was most known for - the reason people came out on this bittercold day and were lined up down the block. Two words - drinking chocolate. Available in frozen chocolate or regular, melted down chocolate, you could get a Petit, Indulgent or 'We'll Never Tell' glass of pure, naked chocolate; with added in spices and flavors to keep you coming back for more.
The choices were classic - a blend of milk and dark chocolates. Bittersweet, with deep chocolate. Aztec - full-bodied chocolate with nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, or spicy - chocolate with spices. They were made European or American style. The American was served with the chocolate in a glass, and a heap of hipped cream and wafer on the side. The European version was served in a taller glass, with the chocolate on bottom and whipped cream on top. We opted for the American version, since we'd had our chocolate fill for the day and this trip to Naked Chocolate was purely for research!
The drinking chocolate was delicious. It was like sipping some of the finest, thickest chocolate I'd ever tasted. We had the Spicy version; the spices gave it just a little kick but didn't affect the flavor too much. The Petit size was perfect for the two of us to share without being overwhelming, since it was heavy and decadent.
We watched as people ate the chocolate fondue, which for $8 was a reasonable price in comparison to what I've seen fondue charged in NY, and it came with rice krispie treats, marshmallows,and strawberries. This is a must-try next time we come back here! They were giving out samples of the lemon tart, and even though I'm strictly a chocolate girl, the tart was amazing - cakey and buttery, and the sample almost got me to buy a piece to bring back with me.
We can't wait to go back to Philly and check out the fondue, and maybe even the 'We'll Never Tell' chocolate drink!
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