The current Winter Wonderland weather has us looking for more than a cup of Christmas cheer. We’ve also got a yearning for a big, fat cup of something else: chocolate.

In the blustery haze of Saturday afternoon, we headed to Cocoa Caffé (282 E. 900 South) seeking shelter and sweets. Both desires were met: Maeve, naturally, had to try the hot chocolate ($3.35 for small)—this is Cocoa Caffé, after all. Ali veered off path, falling for the description of caramel apple cider (cider with caramel drizzled over a dallop of homemade-tasting whipped cream, $3.15).

It’s fair to say that the hot chocolate is more of a dessert than a warm drink; it’s one step away from homemade chocolate pudding—in flavor and texture. It’s not overly sweet, nor is it bitter. It’s creamy, and collectively, we found it tasty.

Cocoa Caffé’s insides are as warm and welcoming as a Starbucks, minus the bucks. It’s not overcrowded and there’s plenty of seating room. A sweet, coffee-ish smell and an asking-to-be-curled-up-by fireplace are added bonuses.

The hot (chocolate and coffee) spot also offers more metropolitan options like hazelnut-, caramel-, coconut- and mint-flavored frozen cocoas ($3.30 for small) and lunch items like a tomato mozzarella panini ($5.95) and a green apple and brie dish ($6.95). None of the above fit into our diet plans for the afternoon; we did our best to stay true-blue to our initial warm-drink craving, and were happy we didn’t stray … at least not too far. The cider isn’t to be turned down.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 19th, 2006 at 1:29 am and is filed under Hot Chocolate, Snacks and Treats. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.