L.A. Burdick
This one is for all the chocolate lovers. I mean hardcore, artisan, handmade chocolates. Because for chocolate that you can eat, and even chocolate you can drink, nobody doesn't quite like L.A. Burdick.
L.A. Burdick was one of the original and still one of the best high end chocolatiers in all of New England. The Burdick story starts out in 1987, that's when the founder, Larry Burdick was training to be a chocolatier in Switzerland. His obsession was making the finest made from scratch, handmade, high quality chocolates you could get anywhere in America. So he set up a little chocolate making shop in Walpole, New Hampshire. They still run out of there today, and eventually they have expanded and expanded over the years. It's now one of the most popular chocolate shops you can find anywhere in Greater Boston. They have locations in Harvard Square, in the Back Bay, and this brand new one on Beacon Street in Coolidge Corner, Brookline.
As soon as you walk in the door, the first thing that hits you is the smell. That intoxicating aroma of chocolate is everywhere throughout this place. In the front of the store, you have their retail shop. You can find their signature chocolate bars, their assorted chocolates and caramels, and their incredible high end Bon Bons and truffles. In the back of the shop, that's where you'll find the cafe. You can get coffees, incredible pastries, and some of the finest hot chocolate the world has ever tasted. What you're hearing is the steamer that makes their signature hot chocolate. There goes another one. This is actual, real chocolate liquefied. I mean, they take their premium chocolate, they put it into a little pot, put in a little bit of milk, and you steam it up. And you can actually see them, they're whisking it as it's being steamed and heating up. So the chocolate is melting and liquefying. They garnish it with a little bit of nutmeg on top, and you end up with a perfectly sweet, really enjoyable drink.
There are multiple flavors available. You can do milk chocolate, white chocolate, even dark chocolate. The most traditional is the milk chocolate, and it is truly delicious. This is a lot thicker, richer, and more intense than any hot cocoa you have ever had in your life. And let me tell you this right now, Swiss Miss ain't got nothing on this. If you like things on the sweet side, go for the white chocolate. It might look like a mug of just steamed milk, but there's some cocoa butter in there as well. My personal favorite is definitely the dark hot chocolate. Every sip full of this thing is absurdly decadently rich, serious depth of flavor. That is insane.
Every single confection here is made from scratch and made by hand. The number one selling item at Burdick chocolate, and it has been from day one, are these adorable little chocolate mice. You have dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate. I mean, they're almost too cute to eat, almost. You got the little shiny body, the pointy nose, those little beady eyes, and then the ears are actually made out of almonds. The whole thing gets enrobed in chocolate on the outside, there's ganache on the inside. Too cute to eat, but too delicious not too.
In the world of chocolate chip cookies, L.A. Burdick is right at the very top I have ever tried in my life. This has everything you're looking for in a great chocolate chip cookie. You got those golden, crispy edges. Inside there's that gooey, melted core of just pure chocolate. And there's a little bit of sea salt in there too, which kicks up all the other flavors. Crack it open, crispy edges, gooey center, happy Danny. Crispy, gooey, decadent, delicious.
Every single item you see in this pastry case will be begging you to get it. They come in all different sizes and shapes and flavors and textures. Here's a pastry that has been on the menu since day one. It's called The Burdick. It's made with a Japonaise, which is sort of like a crispy wafery almond kind of confection that's layered with a ganache that's made with rum. So you bite into this, you get crispy, you have creamy, you definitely can taste the rum, and of course, the chocolate is shining through as always. It is distinct and it is delicious.
Here's something savory on the menu: I would recommend the bacon scallion roll. It starts with our croissant dough that's infused with some creme fraiche and bacon. It's crispy and flaky and buttery, and you get an amazing taste of bacon in every single bite of this thing. So here's the bottom line: if you like chocolate, you might want to stop by here. But if you truly love and have a passion for real artisan chocolate, you absolutely positively need to head straight to L.A. Burdick.
