Somehow, even though it’s still nice and warm outside, I’m starting to get the cravings that hit me every autumn. Thick, rich, bittersweet hot chocolate. This delicious combination cures all ills.
Last March I went with a bunch of girlfriends to Venice, a city renowned for its cioccolata calda, and we had the elixir every freezing day (and yet somehow managed to lose weight. Hmm… maybe Italian women don’t get fat either).
So I went out in search of this chocolate holy grail. A little mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I’ve noticed several places have been marketing “European-style hot chocolate” but I haven’t been impressed yet. Dean & Deluca’s was too milky. The guy at Au Bon Pain didn’t even know how to make the “Choco Con Loco” advertised.
But today I found it – a delectable approximation of the classic at Artizen Cafe, downtown at 12th and E. This little place tries hard to be like an Italian espresso bar, but don’t be put off by the over-earnestness. The apricot rugelach was yummy, and I’ll definitely be back to try the interesting-looking lunch assortments of panini and salads.
But it’s their hot chocolate that may prove my doom. I could stick a spoon in the cup I’m enjoying right now. Lush – almost too lush, but that’s the point. Drink it til you’re sick with richness. Then the afternoon will fly by in a haze of serotonin dreams – wait, is that Marcello Mastroianni in my cube? Sigh….
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
As one of the founding editors of We Love DC, Jenn’s passions are theater and cocktails. After two decades in the city, she’s loved every quirky, mundane, elegant, rude minute of her DC life. A proud advocate for DC’s talented drinks scene, she’s judged the Corcoran Gallery of Art’s ARTINI contest, the DC Rickey Month contest, the Jefferson Hotel’s Quill Cocktail competition, and is a founding member of LUPEC DC. A graduate of Catholic University’s drama program, she toured the country as a member of National Players, and has been both an actor and a costume designer before jumping the aisle to theater criticism. Writing for We Love DC restored her happiness after a life-threatening illness, and she’s grateful to you, dear readers. Send your suggestions to jenn (at) welovedc (dot) com and follow her on Twitter.
