My Favorite Chocolate Store: LA Burdick
LA Burdick in Harvard Square is my favorite chocolate store in the whole entire world.
It’s a chocoholic’s dream: the smoothest, creamiest handmade chocolates, plus pastries, gift items, and other goodies, in a cozy little restaurant filled with whimsy and warmth. As soon as I step in, I’m immediately enveloped in the magic of chocolate – it seems like every nook and cranny at LA Burdick is filled with something delicious.
I love going in there because it seems like everyone inside emanates happiness (who wouldn’t be, when you’re surrounded with such alluring treats); I look around and people are all smiling and jovial. In spite of the long lines, the crowded little tables, and the fairly expensive prices, the store draws in fellow chocolate aficionados, and keeps us captivated with bonbons and truffles and adorable chocolate penguins.
My favorite thing to order at LA Burdick (and I bet it will be yours too, if you try it) is the hot chocolate. This is, quite literally, liquid chocolate in a cup: it’s shaved chocolate (dark, milk, or white) and cocoa powder whisked into steamed milk and topped with foam. It’s the creamiest, thickest, silkiest cup of hot chocolate. It’s different from my beloved tsokolate (Filipino hot chocolate) which, while equally velvety and frothy, has a slight graininess like Mexican chocolate. The LA Burdick version is flawlessly smooth and very intense.
Below are some pictures from a recent afternoon at the chocolate haven:
People often ask me what my favorite chocolate is, and my answers are constantly changing. But I do append my answer with something else: that I am very lucky to live so close to a wonderful little chocolate store in Harvard Square. LA Burdick recently expanded into Back Bay too, with other locations in New York and Walpole, New Hampshire (the flagship cafe).
If you’d like more chocolate in Harvard Square, check out the Chocolate Walking Tour – a two and a half hour gastronomy indulgence (read about my experience here).
What’s your favorite food store in your city?