On the Yahara A-Z

F.

French Hot Chocolate.  The east side Willy St. and Atwood neighborhoods would be difficult to live near without a sweet tooth.  We assumed the main and only sweet draw in the neighborhood was the

world famous Gail Ambrosius Chocolates, down along Atwood maybe a mile from our house.  But we are finding out, visit after visit, that Ambrosius is merely one link of a never ending chain of chocolate, confections, cakes, pastries and, yes, 'ugly cookies.'  No more than a .1 mile walk from the cozy, undersized Ambrosius is the outstretched French Bistro style Chocolaterian Cafe,

a shop that opened up as a collaboration in 2009 between a chocolatier and a convenience store founder who wanted to create a candy company specializing in a toffee recipe created by his mother many years ago.  The toffee itself became virtually world famous as it found its way chosen into Grammy grab bags some years ago and has since grown into a bronze winning chocolate making facility in Madison.  The shop is an old laundry and spans the width of a narrow block, offering entrances on two sides, one end as a register and display case, the other end as both seating and, most interestingly, an open window candy making kitchen, so that you can watch the process as you indulge.

As you read about the cafe, you find out that even though toffee is still the founding attraction, they have since also become a patisserie, making a quiche to die for, authentic French macaroons, 'ugly cookies' (flat, misshapen, but beloved), and the newest sweet draw, French style hot chocolate.

Variously described as 'heaven,' an 'addiction,' and the "only necessary meal of the day," the Parisian style concoction is really nothing more than melted chocolate and some heavy cream, just barely liquid enough to sip not eat.  On our trip in, after we breathed in the chocolate fog, we ordered two 'Monona Bars,' rice krispie chocolate bars but with a special secret ingredient: a thick layer of homemade caramel under the top chocolate coating... about the size as an iPhone.  As we finished, we looked out the back door and wondered momentarily if we should cross the block to see what Ambrosius was whipping up.