Tag: Cacao

This is a year when too many beloved spots had to shut down for reasons that transcend the standard ones (and for reasons that, at this time last year, would have been unimaginable), and I fear many more will follow.

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, but there’s no need to scour the internet for the perfect gift. Local sellers are bursting with thoughtful options for any type of date.

I have lived in the United States for decades, but the monumental size of everything still shocks me. The Frenchwoman in me yearns for reasonable dimensions: skinny baguettes rather than ones as fat as my arm; one-bite chocolate bonbons making up in intensity what they lack in bulk.

Cacao owner Kristen Hard’s latest project, Twigg & Co., wants to give customers a healthy and sustainable treat. Her tiny store lets customers design their own chocolate bars, choosing from toppings such as rum raisins and pecan pralines, for only $5.50.

A few years ago I boldly announced to my family and friends that when they gave me gifts, I’d prefer things that weren’t going to stick around for the duration—in other words, things that could be used up, recycled, or repurposed.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a wine shop narrower than this 16-foot-wide offshoot of Wahoo! Grill. Designed with the casual drinker in mind, the affordable selection is split evenly between New World fruit bombs and Old World classics.

Kristen Hard’s bean-to-bar chocolate company Cacao Atlanta Chocolate Co. is expanding its Virginia-Highland location offerings to include new dessert and drink menus. Starting May 8, it will be called Cacao Café and serve everything from milkshakes and sundaes to sipping chocolates, according to a press release.

Kristen Hard’s bean-to-bar chocolate shop in Virginia-Highland is known for many things, but we’re particularly hooked on the Aztec chocolate shake, made with three scoops of dark chocolate Honeysuckle Gelato and a dusting of cayenne and cinnamon, among other secret spices.

There’s one in every group: The person who’s eaten at every restaurant in town, who rattles off ingredients like a cook, and treats culinary delicacies with the care usually reserved for newborns. For these folks, there’s no better gift than new flavors to savor. Here are five ideas sure to impress even the pickiest friends and family members.