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How Vesta in Montclair makes its chocolate
Take a peek inside Vesta Chocolate in Montclair, one of the only bean-to-bar shops in North Jersey.
Rebecca King, North Jersey Record
There aren’t many people in the world who can resist the sweet temptation of chocolate.
To make things harder for locals, there is much to choose from in Greenville, from the shops at Main Street to the small-town candy stores in Fountain Inn, Mauldin, and Simpsonville.
If you are wondering where to indulge your sweet tooth on a Friday night, we may have an answer for you.
The votes are in, and USA TODAY readers have selected LaRue Fine Chocolate as one of the best chocolate shops in the nation. The 10Best winner landed No. 5 in the Top 10.
Here’s what LaRue Fine Chocolate has to offer for those wanting to visit.
What to know about LaRue Chocolate Shop
Life is more than just a box of chocolates, and LaRue Fine Chocolate wants visitors to know that, putting care into the way they craft their goods. One way the shop does this is by using fine ingredients featuring organic Bee Wall honey and Bulls Bay sea salt. The shop also has a cafe where special wines are served. One of the drinks on the menu is the Vina Zorzal Garnacha Rose from Spain, containing a fusion of strawberry and raspberry flavors. Guests can also get a taste of Cali with the Bodan Roan Pinot Moir, a red wine mix of French oak, fruit, vanilla, and spice.
Now we are getting to the most important part ― the chocolate. USA TODAY noted LaRue’s specialty truffles with “fun names” and refined flavor infusions. Chocolates highlighted were the dark chocolate Sweet Kentucky containing salty and tipsy caramel. The Dora Larue was also mentioned, which is a peanut butter and graham cracker crunch topped with milk chocolate. It doesn’t sound like you can go wrong in ordering one of these chocolates to go.
Other enticing menu offerings include the chocolate brownies, the orange sorbet, and ricotta pistachio cake. Those cutting back on sweets may want to check out the snacks category; Alberquina olives and a variety of cheese and cracker offerings are available to order.
What are some of LaRue’s ‘fun’ truffle names?
LaRue knows how to have fun when it comes to naming their chocolates. Here are some of the interesting names we spotted on the menu and their flavors:
∎ Grandma: Milk chocolate, Grand Marnier ganache enrobed in milk chocolate with candied orange zest.
∎ The Yo Ho Ho: Rum, coconut creme, coconut milk, almond milk, in a milk chocolate ganache enrobed in dark chocolate and topped with toasted crushed almonds.
∎ The Doo Yah: Almond gianduja (guy-yan doo yah). Hard to say, easy to eat dark chocolate with toasted crushed almonds.
∎ Cherry Blossom: Dark chocolate and sour cherry in white chocolate.
∎ Lavender Love: Lavender and honey milk chocolate enrobed in dark chocolate.
∎ Moo Who: The ugliest little truffle but she is sweet milk chocolate goodness through and through.
∎ Lala Latte: Coffee infused dark chocolate enrobed in milk chocolate with cocoa nibs and coffee salt.
∎ Boca Grande: Tequila, Grand Marnier, lime, orange, salt white chocolate ganache in dark chocolate. It’s a margarita party in your mouth!
∎ Red Wedding: Raspberry puree and dark chocolate ganache topped with raspberry sugar.
∎ Honey Shot: Honey with a white chocolate honey ganache in dark chocolate.
USA TODAY 10Best chocolate shops
∎ No. 1: Pizzelle’s Confections (Huntsville, Alabama)
∎ No. 2: Piety and Desire Chocolate (New Orleans, Louisiana)
∎ No. 3: Saratoga Chocolate Co. (Saratoga Springs, New York)
∎ No. 4: Chocolat Uzma (Chicago, Illinois)
∎ No. 5: LaRue Fine Chocolate (Greenville, South Carolina)
∎ No. 6: Videri Chocolate Factory (Raleigh, North Carolina)
∎ No. 7: Bon Bon Bon (Michigan)
∎ No. 8: Mon Aimee Chocolat (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
∎ No. 9: Eldora Chocolate (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
∎ No. 10: Ragged Coast Chocolates (Westbrook, Maine)
Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com
