By: Lexi Muir <[email protected]>

Chocolate, like many things in life, is a hit-or-miss category. Many try to master the art that is chocolate making but few actually rise to the high standards. Every once in a while, however, a master comes along and exceeds expectations. Fortunately for the city of Indianapolis, The Best Chocolate in Town was able to satisfy my chocolate needs.

Located on 800 Massachusetts Ave., the quaint little chocolate shop is somewhat out of the heart of Massachusetts Avenue. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that I was specifically looking for 800 Massachusetts Ave., I may not have found the place at all.

Walking into the store, the first thing noticeable, besides the pink and red hearts marketing Valentine’s Day, was that it was very small. About five people could have stood there comfortably. This is most likely because the owner of the shop, as the employee discussed, used the store just for mail orders in the past, but decided to open up a small retail shop in Indianapolis. The majority of their sales, however, still come from mail and internet orders. According to their website, thebestchocolateintown.com, their chocolates can be found online, in gourmet gift baskets, coffee houses, gourmet food shops all over Indianapolis, and of course, their retail location on Massachusetts Avenue.

Despite the small size of the shop, it was welcoming and the service was some of the best I’ve seen in a while. The employee seemed very happy to be there and was welcoming with a big smile. She knew a lot about the shop’s past and was eager to answer any questions. She even was able to somehow persuade my companions and me to buy a Gorgonzola cheese truffle, which you don’t see every day.

Now comes the most important part of all: the chocolate. By the shop’s name, it is obvious that they believe they are “the best chocolate in town.” Saying they are the best is setting high standards, which I believe they reached. They had a wide variety of truffles including cheesecake, gorgonzola cheese (which wasn’t half bad), cherry cordial, raspberry, ginger-wasabi and so many more. They also had regular chocolates, bon bons, chocolate-covered Oreos, popcorn, caramels, turtles and assorted sets of chocolates.

The peanut-butter bon-bon had a nice crunchy chocolate outside, with a delectable peanut butter inside. It was sort of like taking a Reese cup and giving it a full body make-over, which worked wonders. Next, the hazelnut truffle was everything I had hoped it would be and more. The smooth dark chocolate outside and the creamy rich hazelnut inside more than satisfied my taste buds. The toffee was also perfect. It had just the right crunch, not too chewy and not too hard. It was buttery and chocolate covered, just right in every way.

Overall, The Best Chocolate in Town was fabulous for such a small little shop hidden on the end of Massachusetts Avenue. Hopefully, no one will miss this hidden treasure as they drive down the strip, and they will be welcomed by the wonderful taste and smells that await them inside.

SUMMARY
Food: A
Atmosphere: B+
Service: A
Overall: A
Price Range: $1.00 to $1.89 (per chocolate)