Le thé de l'après-midi chez L.A. Burdick Chocolate Shop & Café

Not so much involving tea. More or less focusing on chocolate; as you do in a chocolate shop, I would say.

I spent the afternoon perusing the various shops in Cambridge's Harvard Square with a friend. We were so thorough (and yet so impressively well-restrained with our spending!) we worked up a small appetite. L.A. Burdick was the perfect choice. Established in 1987, the company has four locations, a French-inspired restaurant, and a specialty gourmet grocer. I thoroughly appreciate the amount of effort this company has put into offering not only quality products, but making a variety of those products gluten-free! And tasty at that.

The owners of the company are both Francophiles in their own right, and the atmosphere of the café reflects that. The shop is split up into two sides, lit with mismatched chandeliers and decorated with warm pastel stripes above mirrors lining the walls, the front being the chocolate counter and the back being the pastry and café counter with limited seating in between.

My friend and I shared an end slice of the Hazelnut Orange cake with a healthy dollop of fresh whipped cream, four macarons ("Luxembourgers" as they call them), and one of their divine iced chocolates. Definitely a staple summer treat, the Burdick Iced Chocolate is literally a glass of liquid chocolate and admittedly my favourite goody to pick up. I indulge in these on the go regularly but not too frequently, as they are quite decadent. 

We had considered grabbing chocolates on our way back out when we arrived but the treats we had satiated our sweet tooths (sweet teeth?), we couldn't muster the effort. These little guys are almost too cute to eat, although that hasn't stopped me in the past! The story goes that these cuties were born out of leftover chocolate ganache and scraps of yarn in Switzerland as treats for the local children. They're now a trademark of the company, perfect to give and receive as gifts. 

A trip to any of the four L.A. Burdick Chocolate Shops is guaranteed to be a treat. If you find yourself in the vicinity of one, do stop in. What is your favourite chocolate confection? Let me know in the comments below or weigh in with me on Twitter.