Chicago Chocolate Tour: Repeat

Since briefly discussing the snow that I found on my car in late April during my trip to Idaho Falls when I wrote up my last Daring Bakers post, I haven’t written about any business travel. You might think that my employer has been keeping me locked up in DC for a few weeks now.

Nope. Last week, I got to go give a talk at a conference in Chicago – a city I’d already done a chocolate tour of.

Does this mean that I declined to repeat that chocolate tour?

Ha. You must be a new reader. First, I wandered into the Vosges boutique on Michigan Avenue.

Even though I can get many of their bars at the Whole Foods near my condo, and their toffee and caramels at Biagio, there’s something about visiting their beautiful shop to select chocolates.

I may or may not have picked up enough chocolate to find out that they had a “Buy five bars, get one free” special.”

But I wasn’t done. No, not me. Next, I was off to the fancy-pants 900 North Michigan Shops.

There was a Gucci there. Along with several other super expensive shops that I was scared to walk past. I’m surprised they didn’t kick me out. Luckily, they didn’t, because among their super-expensive shops was my beloved Teuscher.

While there, I added to the sheer volume of my final haul substantially.

What did I get? A box of Teuscher confections, with some new treats such as an apricot marzipan and some amarena cherry chocolates. Some exotic Vosges truffles. The 77% cocoa and 88% cocoa Teuscher bars. Some flavored Teuscher bars. Some peanut-butter themed gifts for folks back home. And the Vosges enchanted mushroom bar, as well as two single-origin Dominican bars.

Whew. I was done, right?

No. You see, Vosges has a boutique right at O’Hare.

I stopped. It was literally 50 feet from my gate. You’d have done the same thing. You’d have also picked up some extra Naga and Habana bars. And if not, well, then I admire your ability to deprive yourself.

Have you ever bought chocolate from two outlets of the same shop in less than 24 hours?