The 50 Best Chocolatiers in America

City: Seattle
Address: 3400 Phinney Ave. N.
Website: theochocolate.com
Signature Item: Chocolate bars

The first organic, Fair Trade chocolate factory in the U.S., Theo's began producing in 2006. If you like, you can take a tour of the chocolate factory in Seattle and view the chocolate making process (and you don't even need a golden ticket to get in!). For Valentine's Day, maybe the Aphrodisiac Collection would set the mood right. Not saying that you need any aphrodisiacs but, you know, it couldn't hurt.

City: Los Angeles
Address: 912 South Barrington Ave.
Website: compartes.com
Signature Item: Spicy Dark Chocolate Skulls

Posh L.A.'s chocolate boutique, Compartes, is a favorite among Hollywood celebs (as seen in US Weekly!) and we can see why. Try the Chocolate Dipped Oreos or the Gourmet Valentine's Chocolate Gift Box or the...it's chocolate, you can do no wrong, and if you go to the store and rub shoulders with Reese Witherspoon, all the better.

City: Miami
Address: 900 S. Miami Ave., Suite #176
Website: mrganache.com
Signature Item: Champagne Ruinart Truffles

If you name your chocolate shop Mr. Ganache, you'd best bring a serious ganache to the table (and, dare we say, do it with a little panache!). In the hands of Mr. Ganache, this truffle filling, typically made from cream and chocolate, takes on a myriad of flavors. In the words of a certain Miami celeb, the passion fruit ganache in the Snow truffle is the besssssssssss.

City: San Francisco
Address: 845 Market St., Suite #327
Website: charleschocolates.com
Signature Item: Edible chocolate boxes

San Francisco's a chocolatey town (although not a Chocolate City), but Charles Chocolates has made a name for itself quickly after opening in 2004. Their Teance Tea Truffle Collection is unique, the perfect gift for the chocoholic tea-drinker. Plus, edible boxes!

City: Boise, Idaho
Address: 805 West Bannock St.
Website: thechocolatbar.com
Signature Item: Caramel

Even in Idaho chocolate gets complex. Eggnog truffles, creme brulee truffles—this Boise spot is no slouch when it comes to rich chocolate delights. If you like, you can even watch it be made. Voyeurism is very hot.

City: New York
Address: 80 Thompson St.
Website: keeschocolates.com
Signature Item: Thai Chili truffle

Since its opening, this SoHo gem has been wowing New Yorkers with its Asian-style chocolate creations. The Thai Chili truffle is fiery and sweet, two compliments you could write in the card you get for your girl. You did get a card, right?

City: South River, N.J.
Address: 8 Martin Ave.
Website: 2chickswithchocolate.com
Signature Item: Coffee Bark with Espresso Sea Salt

This mother-daughter team are the only chocolatiers we know of that make chocolate love frogs. They may not be cute, but they are tasty, and, since they're not love toads, there's no reason to worry about getting warts. Phew!

City: St. Louis
Address: 7801 Clayton Rd.
Website: lakeforestconfections.com
Signature Item: Caramel Lollies

St. Louis's best kept secret, Lake Forest Confections specialties include half-dipped apricots, pecan nut balls, and caramel lollipops. For Valentine's, they've handsomely packaged eight of their lollies and inscribed them with messages of love. Melt your lady's heart.

City: New York
Address: 7 East 55th St.
Website: richart-chocolates.com
Signature Item: Petite Richard

The NYC location of this world-renowned French chocolate maker carries all of their signature products. Structured in lines (like a fashion house), Richart offers fine chocolate, with just enough (okay, maybe more than enough) pretentiousness to make you feel all right about spending much money on candy. If you're in Manhattan, they'll do same-day delivery on Valentine's Day.

City: St. Paul, Minn.
Address: 652 Tansfer Rd.
Website: chocolatceleste.com
Signature Item: Pan Asian Collection

Valentine's Day is going to be cold in the Twin Cities, and while it's ultimately up to you whether it gets hot by the end of the night, St. Paul's Chocolat Celeste can help you out. Whether they're using hot chile, key limes, passion fruit, or pear cognac, Celeste makes it pop. Up to you to seal the deal.

City: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Address: 529 Atlantic Ave.
Website: nunuchocolates.com
Signature Item: Hand Dipped Salt Caramels

Husband n' wife Brooklynites creating organic chocolate makes sense, right? But what doesn't make sense? How incredible these hand dipped salt caramels are—seriously, [*chews*] you need [*chews*] to try [*chews*] these.

City: Atlanta
Address: 5256 Peachtree Rd., Suite #110
Website: maisonrobertchocolates.com
Signature Item: Dark Chocolate Truffle

Maison Robert Chocolates is a family-run business in Atlanta but the history of the business requires you to travel to France. Robert Reed, born in France, married an American, Patricia, who he met in Switzerland (these people traveled lots), and together they perfected chocolate-making across international borders. Their business has kept Atlanta in chocolate since 1977, a testament to good food and, presumably, a strong marriage.

City: Denver
Address: 4840 West 29th Ave.
Website: robertaschocolates.com
Signature Item: Dark Chocolate Caramel Marshmallow Patty

Roberta's gives you a taste of the Rockies, chocolate style, with treats like the Hot Stuff Pizza, a white chocolate pizza topped with tamales, Red Hots, and cinammon popcorn. Who knew Denver had such an avant-garde pizza scene?

City: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Address: 4949 E. Lincoln Dr.
Website: juliabakerconfections.com
Signature Item: French Caramel Truffle

This Valley of the Sun boutique's luxurious creations have a last-days-of-Rome, party-till-everything-goes-up-in-flames decadence to them. Chocolatier Julie Baker trained at Le Cordon Bleu, the French Institution that churned out Julia Child. Their French Caramel Truffle could wreck your taste buds—one bite and you'll never be satisfied with anything else.

City: New York
Address: 484 Broome St.
Website: mariebelle.com
Signature Item: Blue and Brown Ganache Collection

Saffron is a very expensive spice. If you see it listed in a recipe, just keep flipping the pages. But MarieBelle is unfazed by saffron. They even put it in chocolate, earning their status as haute couture chocolate. Impress someone with decidedly fancy chocolate.

City: Chester, N.J.
Address: 457 Main St.
Website: jemanuel.com
Signature Item: Classic Crunch

Look, folks, Jerz is way more than Sopranos and guidos. Take J. Emanuel for example. Their signature sweet is the Classic Crunch, an almond butter crunch in either milk or dark chocolate. It is way better than any GTL routine, and once you've tried it, you will most definitely not fuhgeddaboutit. J. Emanuel encourages you to share your Classic Crunch with your sweetie. Thanks for the advice, J. You should write a dating column.

City: San Diego, Calif.
Address: 4465 La Jolla Village Dr.
Website: chuaochocolatier.com
Signature Item: Firecracker

The first Venezualan chocolatier in the U.S., Chuao Chocolatier are pioneers, blazing delicious trails to bring you treats like the Firecracker, a chipotle caramel fudge truffle with popping candy, a hint of salt, and dark chocolate. Popping candy, as in Pop Rocks. Chuao has all these other chocolatiers shook!

City: New York
Address: 40 8th Ave.
Website: li-lacchocolates.com
Signature Item: Chocolate Empire State Building

This Greenwich Village shop has a long tradition in the chocolate making business. They've also received one of the best awards related to chocolate we've ever heard of: "Best Raspberry Truffle in the Tri-State Area." Forget actually receiving that award, the judges are the real winners in that contest.

City: Dallas
Address: 3926 Oak Lawn Ave.
Website: chocolatesecrets.net
Signature Item: Chocolate cowboy boot

They say everything is bigger in Texas and the products at Chocolate Secrets follow suit, not necessarily in terms of actual dimensions, more with regards to options. Their Dallas location is a friggin' all-encompassing chocolate complex that offers live jazz, wine, crepes, French lessons—matter of fact, when do these people have time to make chocolate? Somehow they do, and it's damn good chocolate at that.

City: Albuquerque, N.M.
Address: 315 Juan Tabo Blvd. NE, Suite A
Website: chocolatecartel.com
Signature Item: Honey & Pollen Truffle

If you're gonna call yourself a cartel, you better have some product, and the Chocolate Cartel delivers. They use Venezuelan criollo cacao, which constitutes less than 10 percent of the cocoa beans used worldwide. Certainly they haven't set themselves to the easiest task then, picking such a rare bean, but they've guaranteed a spot on any list of the greatest chocolatiers in the world.

City: New York
Address: Various (see website)
Website: lamaisonduchocolate.us
Signature Item: Plain Truffle

This international chain has manufactured clothing decorated with chocolate jewels. Apparently the stuff they make for eating is pretty good, too. Tread carefully when carrying their truffles in "bad" neighborhoods—you could get jacked.

City: Beverly Hills, Calif.
Address: 9606 Little Santa Monica Blvd.
Website: dianekronchocolates.com
Signature Item: K Bears

The 21st Century venture of 20th Century chocolate masters Diane and Tom Kron, K Chocolatier keeps their chocolate exclusive by foregoing online sales. Unless you step foot into one of their stores, you won't be eating their goods (they do ship from their brick and mortar locations though). Try the K Bears, essentially Teddy Grahams shellacked in chocolate.

City: Boston
Address: 23 Dartmouth St.
Website: chocoleechocolates.com
Signature Item: Dark chocolate with salted caramel

Owner Lee Napoli worked as a pastry chef at some of the top restaurants in Beantown for nearly 20 years before opening ChocoLee in 2007. The shop makes fresh batches daily, experimenting each time with new flavors and combinations, and they're so sure of their skills they'll even teach you how to do it yourself. #swag

City: East Greenwich, R.I.
Address: 219 Main St.
Website: chocolatedelicacy.com
Signature Item: Chocolate-covered cranberries

This local New England treasure features some of the most playful confections ever. Feeling light in the wallet? Buy shorty the "Key to My Heart"—it's a chocolate key and a tiny foil-wrapped chocolate heart. All that sweetness for a $1.69. Who else has value like that?!

City: Wichita, Kan.
Address: 2132 North Rock Rd., Suite 100
Website: cocoadolce.com
Signature Item: Grey Salt caramels

The only chocolatier on our list who was formerly employed as a speech therpaist, Cocoa Dolce's Beth Tully came into the game late. But it hasn't hurt her skills. This woman does things with Belgian chocolate that will put your jaw a little bit closer to the floor. But, you know, try not to let your attention wander. You're looking for a gift, remember?

City: Berkeley, Calif.
Address: 1964 University Ave.
Website: chocolatierblue.com
Signature Item: Prosecco ganache

This California chocolate boutique offers unique, vibrantly colored pieces. Looking more like polished minerals, they don't resemble any truffles we've ever seen, but we promise the taste is familiar and delicious. Also, how awesome is it for a store to have four locations: three in Northern California, and one in...Nebraska?!

City: Houston, Texas
Address: 1835 West Alabama St.
Website: theoriginalchocolatebar.com
Signature Item: Chocolate pizza

OK, we'll admit that the tag line "Where Every Hour is Happy Hour" is pretty cheesy. It's also pretty awesome. This Texas shop is one of the few places where you can throw an actual chocolate pizza party. Memo to Chuck E. Cheese: Do not, we repeat do not mess with Texas.

City: Miami
Address: 1801 Coral Way, Suite #116
Website: romanicoschocolate.com
Signature Item: Miami Sushi

This Miami spot goes light on the sugar in their chocolates, insisting on the customer experiencing the subtle, natural flavors of the cocoa. Hershey's this ain't. Knock your lady off her feet with the Cupid Twin Truffles Bite Box. That's 24 Truffle Bites, which should translate to something like 24 kisses for you.

City: New York
Address: 170 2nd Ave.
Website: blackhoundny.com
Signature Item: Hand-rolled truffles

When Town and Country describes your truffles as "orbs of chocolate heaven," you're doing something right. Black Hound freely acknowledges that their truffles are their best item, which means you have one safe choice this Valentine's Day.

City: Chicago
Address: 520 North Michigan Ave.
Website: vosgeschocolate.com
Signature Item: Bacon and Chocolate

Know for using high quality exotic ingredients, this upscale chocolate boutique is a chocolate lover's dream. With retail locations in New York, Chicago, and Las Vegas, Vosges Chocolate is expanding its reach. They've got vegan truffles and a Bacon + Chocolate Gift Box. You do whatever you want, we're rocking with the bacon.

City: Berkeley, Calif.
Address: 1511 Shattuck Ave.
Website: alegio.com
Signature Item: Custom boxes

Each piece of chocolate is made by hand at this California shop, and they change their menu often, so you won't necessarily know what sorts of truffles you'll be getting on a given day. That's OK, because life is like a box of chocolates, you never know exactly what you're going to get. Damn! That was deep! We should write our own book of aphorisms, huh?

City: Tulsa, Okla.
Address: 15 East Brady St.
Website: glacierconfection.com
Signature Item: Love Collection

For every item sold, Glacier Confection donates a portion of the proceeds to charities that help fallen and disabled American troops. While you're savoring these treats, you're also supporting an honorable cause. Chocolate plus patriotism? Not a bad day's work.

City: Saratoga, Calif.
Address: 14572-B Big Basin Way
Website: saratogachocolates.com
Signature Item: Blueberry-Tini (vodka-infused chocolate-covered blueberries)

When you sink into one of Saratoga Chocolates' truffles, know that each ingredient you're tasting came from Cali ([*Homer Simpson voice*] mmmmmm, Strawberry Balsamic). For Valentine's, check out of the Window to My Heart Box—popular demand brought it back for another year. Find out what's so special about it.

City: Portland, Ore.
Address: 140 NE 28th Ave.
Website: almachocolate.com
Signature Item: Chocolate icons

The chocolates here are made from all organic and natural products. Plus, it's got to be the only place where you can find chocolate religious figures gilded in edible gold. Who needs Cupid when you have that?

City: Emeryville, Calif.
Address: 1028 63rd St.
Website: ediblelove.com
Signature Item: Truffles

Oh, kooky ol' California. Edible Love are truffles experts, but they're mostly about the experience of eating chocolate. Check out the theatrics on their website. They're on that next-level ish when it comes to the sensuality of food, which, let's be clear, is not a bad thing at all. When it comes to chocolate, we're all hippies, right?

City: Arlington, Va.
Address: 1025 North Fillmore St.
Website: artisanconfections.com
Signature Item: Bonbons

Who knew that Arlington would be the epicenter for modernist, designer chocolate? Peep the Champagne Cocktail truffle—the top is adorned with a drawing of laundry hung out to dry. Is it wrong to eat something so weird and pretty?

City: New York
Address: 611 5th Ave. (8th Floor)
Website: charbonnel.co.uk
Signature Item: Macaroons

Yeah, yeah, we know, this is chocolatiers in America, and this place is based somewhere else. Tough. Their location at the signature upscale department store has cakes and drinks in addition to chocolate. You could be some kind of three-headed, five-leg martian, but if you take your girl here on Valentine's Day, you're still gonna get some. This kind of grown and sexy is universal.

City: Costa Mesa, Calif.
Address: 2346 Newport Blvd., Suite A3
Website: chrischocolates.com
Signature Item: Dom Perignon Champagne Truffle

Providing their customers with original creations is all in a days work for this California chocolatier. With pieces like the "Dom Perignon Champagne Truffle," which is actually blended with the vintage champagne, it's no wonder that this chocolatier furnishes the Grammys and the Oscars with sweets. For Valentine's Day they serve chocolate roses airbrushed with sweet red cocoa butter. "Airbrushed" never sounded so tasty.

City: New Orleans
Address: 5331 Canal Blvd.
Website: bittersweetconfections.com
Signature Item: Truffles

A foodie institution in a town that knows food, this shop features unique chocolate pieces like the Indian Chai Truffle and the Earl Grey Truffle. Though Katrina destroyed the original location, Bittersweet bounced back, returning to the Big Easy on Valentine's Day, 2008. It's chocolate with a hopeful story.

City: Indianapolis
Address: 222 East Market St.
Website: chocolateforthespirit.com
Signature Item: Beauty Bark

Indianapolis's own chocolate master thrives on infusing creativity in all of their creations. Take the Salted Caralem Ganache Bon-Bon for example. They make it with Pink Himalayan salt, that's matured for 250 million years (so they say—this isn't your average chocolatier). Who said the Midwest was boring?

City: Chicago
Address: 824 South Wabash Ave.
Website: canadylechocolatierchicago.com
Signature Item: Papaya ganache

Canady Le Chocolatier has two locations in Chicago (the second is at 131 North Clinton Ave.), and each of their items comes in a gift box featuring paper handmade in Thailand. You know, just to make you feel a little worse about spending another February in the Windy City.

City: Washington, D.C.
Address: 418 7th St. SE
Website: divinechocolate.com
Signature Item: White chocolate with strawberries bar

Divine Chocolates exclusively uses cocoa from Ghana for each of their sweets, emphasizing Fair Trade and ethical business practices as much as taste (the company's actually co-owned by farmers). For the first time ever, Divine is making available dark and milk chocolate hearts wrapped in colorful foil for Valentine's Day.

City: Los Angeles
Address: 3364 West 1st St.
Website: lartisanduchocolat.net
Signature Item: Japanese Green Tea Matcha

L'Artisan du Chocolat's hand-painted heart-shaped boxes of artisan chocolates qualify as both art and cuisine, so if you're in that familiar "Fine art or candy?" Valentine's Day gift-giving dilemma, just go with "Both."

City: Brookline, Mass.
Address: 5 Harvard Square
Website: serenadechocolatier.com
Signature Item: Chocolate Pinata cakes

Forget going local, this little chocolate shop outside of Boston prepares their chocolate in "the Viennese" tradition. We don't even know what the Viennese tradition is, but we're sold.

City: Baltimore
Address: 644 South Exeter St.
Website: glaruschocolatier.com
Signature Item: Sobe Dunkel

Baltimore's Glarus Chocolatier uses traditional Swiss recipes for each of their handcrafted creations. Think a small craft brewery, but with chocolate covered strawberries rather than pilsners and lagers. Got it? We feel drunk already.

City: Washington, D.C.
Address: 1531 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Website: leonidasdc.com
Signature Item: 100% Cocoa butter chocolate

This Belgian chocolate shop keeps a bare-bones website, but their flavors are big enough that it doesn't matter. Apparently the staff speaks French. This month they're pushing a 28-piece Valentine's Heart. Chocolates and French—what's more romantic?

City: San Francisco
Address: 401 Hayes St.
Website: elbowchocolates.com
Signature Item: Orange Pekoe Tea ganache

Chef Christopher Elbow dedicated himself entirely to chocolate after working with Emeril Lagasse and other celebrity chefs. His gourmet chocolates have been featured on Oprah and The Food Network, and use (pun alert) outside-the-box ingredients like mango, lime, and lavender. Could it be that this S.F. shop is elbowing aside the competition?

City: Wichita, Kan.
Address: 1108 E Douglas Ave.
Website: ceroscandy.com
Signature Item: Cherry cordials

Wichita's local chocolatier has been in business for 125+ years. No joke, a Greek sailor nicknamed "Candy Pete" started the business after abandoning work on the railroad. You can't make that sort of thing up. With over a century in the game, you can bet they're perfected all of their recipes. We're going with a Chocolate Tower...for ourselves. Wifey's on her own with this one.

City: Empire, Mich.
Address: 12020 S. Leelanau H'way (M-22)
Website: grocersdaughter.com
Signature Item: Chocolate chili rub

The website doesn't reveal whether founder Mimi Wheeler is really a grocer's daughter, but it makes it very clear that she loves chocolate. Wheeler also loves her home state of Michigan, and works to create chocolates that use fruits, herbs, and edible flowers grown there to keep her business sustainable. It leads to some offbeat options, sweets like pecans caramelized in maple syrup with a hint of Arbole chile and thyme. Nobody else on this list offers that sort of combination of flavors.

City: New York
Address: 350 Hudson St.
Website: mrchocolate.com
Signature Item: Chocolate body paint

Valentine's Day, when it comes right down to it, is about love. And can you really show someone that you love them without using chocolate body paint? Jacques Torres doesn't think so, and neither do we. But to be on the safe side, you should get some truffles. Just as a back-up.