Comments (1) BEST CHOCOLATE - 2007

Chatham's Fine Chocolates

Finally — a place where we can let our chocolate freak flags fly, and nobody will give us a funny look. On the contrary, it's de rigueur to gush about cacao confections here, and the more exotic, the better. The proprietors are so enthusiastic that they're like gourmet chocolate cheerleaders. How about the marzipan filled with rum and spiced poached black mission figs, dipped in chocolate, and encrusted with crushed almonds? It's divine. Dark chocolate filled with caramel and sprinkled with pink sea salt? Exquisite. Or the lavender and peppercorn-infused dark chocolate ganache with candied violet petals? Totally freakin' mind-blowing. (Okay, that last one is our description, not theirs.) With about 270 individual pieces of chocolate from more than a dozen artisan chocolatiers — plus the biggest selection of fancy chocolate bars we've ever seen — this bonbon-sized boutique is just the place to go to break out of your Hershey's shell.

Chocoholics, take note: The shop just moved from Scottsdale to Phoenix, where it reopens in early October.