Make Valentine's Day extra sweet this year with chocolate from a local Philadelphia sweets shop, like Marcie Blaine Artisanal Chocolates in Midtown Village. (Photo by Julie Davis)
You’ve put in your order for a dozen red roses, but one critical element is still missing from your Valentine’s Day gift line-up: chocolate.
That Whitman’s sampler will do in a pinch, but treats from local Philly sweets shops are guaranteed to make your sweetheart’s tastebuds do a back flip, whether they’re craving decadent truffles, old-fashioned taffy or chocolate-dipped bacon.
Check out our top picks for Valentine’s Day chocolate in Philadelphia, below:
• Marcie Blaine Artisanal Chocolates: Midtown boutique Verde is home to Marcie Blaine Artisinal Chocolates, where Chef Marcie Turney churns out chocolates made from locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients. Exotic spices make their way into the chef’s popular boxed chocolates, while creamy caramels and barks combine the earthy flavor of cocoa with nuts, dried fruit, granola and the occasional sprinkling of sea salt.
• Shane Confectionery: Old City’s newly reopened Shane Confectionery delivers a taste of the past with house-made, old fashioned confections that continue the American candy-making traditions of the early 20th Ccentury. Gift your sweetie with taffies and buttercreams made from century-old recipes, or opt for something more modern, like chocolate dipped bacon.
• Philly Chocolate: At this Walnut Street chocolate shop, your traditional gourmet boxed chocolates and decadent desserts are displayed alongside imaginative delights, like rice cereal treats, Oreos, Twizzlers and Swedish Fish, all drenched in white, milk or dark chocolate.
• John & Kira’s: Whether you choose John & Kira’s best-selling 28-piece Valentine’s Day Chocolate Box, or decide on their hand-painted chocolate bees and lady bugs, your sweetheart’s tastebuds will be tickled by the confections’ sustainably harvested ingredients, some of which are sourced locally. You can also pick up John and Kira’s Chocolate Covered Cherries at Di Bruno Bros.
• Lore’s Chocolates: With more than 100 varieties of chocolate piled high under the glass at Lore’s Chocolates, you may have a hard time deciding on just one. Our advice: Take home a little bit of everything, or ask for a sample, and allow your tastebuds to do the decision-making for you.
• Teuscher: Stop into The Shops at the Bellevue for Teuscher’s decadent Swiss chocolates. Red, heart-shaped boxes enclose truffles of assorted flavors, but Teuscher’s signature champagne truffle, made with Dom Perginon and a dark chocolate cream ganache, is the real star of the show.
• Max Brenner: Throw a log on the fire, cuddle up with your special someone, and indulge in Max Brenner’s Chocolate Fondue Tower for two. Or pamper the serious chocolate lover with Max Brenner’s Chocolate Spa Gift Set, which includes everything from cocoa nib sugar scrub and vanilla-infused handcream to mouth-watering, nutty chocolates.
• Chocolate by Mueller: Put a smile on their face with Chocolate by Mueller’s fun molded confections, like anatomically-correct hearts, brains, and noses crafted from yummy, rich chocolate. This Reading Terminal Market vendor also makes more traditional offerings, like fruit and nut clusters, turtles, and a large selection of sugar free treats.
