Food + Drink: Eat & Sip Chocolate
Courtesy of Discover Portland
Portland boasts some of America’s finest chocolatiers, and they’re putting an artisan spin on classic treats. One of our favorite ways of experiencing the scene is by sipping delicious drinking chocolates — but don’t mistake these for your mom’s hot cocoa. Drinking chocolate, made from chopped chocolate bits slowly melted and blended with cream, offers a denser and richer mouthfeel than its powdery cousin.
Here are some great spots to indulge your sweet tooth and experience Portland’s decedent drinking chocolates:
Editor’s Note: In recent years, Portland’s craft chocolate scene has exploded — earning national recognition for its decadent treats. With so many excellent chocolatiers based here — such as Woodblock (Website), Pitch Dark Chocolate and many others — it can be hard to get your bearings. That's why we sought out the expertise of Cristina Yen, the owner of A Yen For Chocolate, to give us this chocolate-lover’s tour of town.
You may know Portland for its coffee, wine and beer scenes, but the city’s culinary obsessions go far beyond craft beverages. From bean-to-bar cacao importers to unique chocolate artisans, Portland has chocolate in nearly every form. Whether you're new here or just new to the chocolate scene, let me tell you about a few of my favorite spots.
Handcrafted Bean to Bar Chocolate Experiences! Portland Chocolate Tour at Creo's or Woodblock
1. Creo Chocolate
Creo Chocolate (122 N.E. Broadway) is a bean-to-bar chocolate factory owned and operated by the Straub family. Their shop has an open kitchen where you can witness first-hand the entire bean-to-bar process unfold.
Creo has a family-friendly atmosphere. The café’s interior vaulted ceilings feature large skylights, giving the shop a spacious feel. Tables and chairs line walls adorned with pictures of the Straub’s trip to Ecuador where they met Samuel and Anna, the farmers of Creo cacao. Humble and warmhearted, the Straubs are generous with their time and conversation, and if you ask them, they will happily recount their journey from once being strawberry farmers in Washington to the grand opening of Creo in 2015.
While less than one year old, Creo should be on every chocolate-lovers' itinerary. They offers 3 tour options: (Reservations Required)
2. Cup & Bar The delicious drinking chocolate from Cup & Bar.
Cup & Bar (118 N.E. M.L.K. Blvd.) may appear to be just another specialty coffee shop in a city with dozens to boot (click here to read the Discover Portland coffee guide). But this shop also hosts Ranger Chocolate, makers of Peruvian bean-to-bar chocolate.
Upon entering the shop, the resident chocolatiers greet café guests by offering a sample of the divine tempered chocolate. With the first taste, it becomes immediately clear why this new café has received buzz from the local media for its delicious coffee and chocolate pairings.
Industrial and hip, the shop has vaulted warehouse ceilings with concrete floors and walls. It's at once chic -- and comfortable. I imagine myself hosting meetings here or working with my laptop for hours on end, sipping coffee while snacking on some of the best chocolate the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
Menu Highlights: 70 percent Peru, 80 percent Chulucanas and Cabernet Franc.
3. Alma Chocolate
Alma Chocolate (140 N.E. 28th Ave.) is a chocolatier, meaning they make confections from chocolate rather than importing cacao and making the chocolate itself. A small shop with just a few seats for customers, they are located on the popular N.E. 28th Ave strip. The shop itself fits its location – quaint and “neighborhoody.” Bon Appétit magazine says that their “artisans work magic with chocolate, caramel and spice.” Named after Sarah Hart’s grandmother, Alma is also known for religious icons made from single-estate 74 percent dark chocolate from Hacienda El Vesia in the Dominican Republic.
Menu Highlights: Sea Salt Hazelnut Crunch Bar, Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar and Deux Pistachio Bon Bon.
4. Cacao
Cacao has two locations in Portland. The first (414 S.W. Salmon St.) is conveniently located adjacent to The Heathman Hotel, and the second (414 S.W. 13th Ave.), their flagship store, is just a ten-minute walk away from the first location. You’ll tickle your chocolaty senses at either location, but I recommend you stop at their flagship shop in the trendsetting West End neighborhood for a mind blowing collection of chocolates and an atmospheric place to relax with their signature drinking chocolates.
Cacao is primarily a retail shop featuring handpicked chocolates from around the world, premium solid chocolate bars from small producers and select treats from local chocolatiers. They also have a small cafe-style menu with chocolate and espresso drinks as well as snacks such as shortbread cookies and locally made Salt & Straw ice cream. Past the tables and shelves displaying all these delicious goodies are a couple of large tables big enough to seat six people each — perfect for lounging with their "Shot in a Shot" (a shot of espresso poured in a shot of cacao).
Menu Highlights: The “Shot in a Shot” is a magical combination of drinking chocolate and espresso. Though they have several types of drinking chocolate to choose from (bitter, spicy, and cinnamon milk), I recommend the bitter chocolate with a dash of cinnamon.
5. The Meadow
Describing The Meadow (805 N.W. 23rd Ave.), a one-of-a-kind chocolate and salt block boutique, to newbies often proves to be a challenge. I am often tempted to call the store an Anthropologie for foodies — with lots of natural treats, salt block displays and a big bookcase full of chocolate bars.
But that description doesn’t quite do it justice. No, stepping inside this cute shop is like wandering into a perfectly curated wonderland of culinary luxuries.
With two locations, The Meadow is Portland’s retail authority on finishing salts, bitters, gourmet items for your kitchen and, of course, chocolate. They also carry Oregon and European wines and vermouths in addition to offering a full-service floristry.
Menu Highlights: Bonnat 70 percent Côte d’Ivoire, Rogue Chocolatier Porcelana, Domori Lattesal and the Finishing Salt Starter Set.
Portland boasts some of America’s finest chocolatiers, and they’re putting an artisan spin on classic treats. One of our favorite ways of experiencing the scene is by sipping delicious drinking chocolates — but don’t mistake these for your mom’s hot cocoa. Drinking chocolate, made from chopped chocolate bits slowly melted and blended with cream, offers a denser and richer mouthfeel than its powdery cousin.
Here are some great spots to indulge your sweet tooth and experience Portland’s decedent drinking chocolates:
Editor’s Note: In recent years, Portland’s craft chocolate scene has exploded — earning national recognition for its decadent treats. With so many excellent chocolatiers based here — such as Woodblock (Website), Pitch Dark Chocolate and many others — it can be hard to get your bearings. That's why we sought out the expertise of Cristina Yen, the owner of A Yen For Chocolate, to give us this chocolate-lover’s tour of town.
You may know Portland for its coffee, wine and beer scenes, but the city’s culinary obsessions go far beyond craft beverages. From bean-to-bar cacao importers to unique chocolate artisans, Portland has chocolate in nearly every form. Whether you're new here or just new to the chocolate scene, let me tell you about a few of my favorite spots.
Handcrafted Bean to Bar Chocolate Experiences! Portland Chocolate Tour at Creo's or Woodblock
1. Creo Chocolate
Creo Chocolate (122 N.E. Broadway) is a bean-to-bar chocolate factory owned and operated by the Straub family. Their shop has an open kitchen where you can witness first-hand the entire bean-to-bar process unfold.
Creo has a family-friendly atmosphere. The café’s interior vaulted ceilings feature large skylights, giving the shop a spacious feel. Tables and chairs line walls adorned with pictures of the Straub’s trip to Ecuador where they met Samuel and Anna, the farmers of Creo cacao. Humble and warmhearted, the Straubs are generous with their time and conversation, and if you ask them, they will happily recount their journey from once being strawberry farmers in Washington to the grand opening of Creo in 2015.
While less than one year old, Creo should be on every chocolate-lovers' itinerary. They offers 3 tour options: (Reservations Required)
- A free 30 minute tour
- A Make-A-Bar-Tour $15
- A two-hour “Chocolate 101” class that takes you start-to-finish through the chocolate making process. $50
2. Cup & Bar The delicious drinking chocolate from Cup & Bar.
Cup & Bar (118 N.E. M.L.K. Blvd.) may appear to be just another specialty coffee shop in a city with dozens to boot (click here to read the Discover Portland coffee guide). But this shop also hosts Ranger Chocolate, makers of Peruvian bean-to-bar chocolate.
Upon entering the shop, the resident chocolatiers greet café guests by offering a sample of the divine tempered chocolate. With the first taste, it becomes immediately clear why this new café has received buzz from the local media for its delicious coffee and chocolate pairings.
Industrial and hip, the shop has vaulted warehouse ceilings with concrete floors and walls. It's at once chic -- and comfortable. I imagine myself hosting meetings here or working with my laptop for hours on end, sipping coffee while snacking on some of the best chocolate the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
Menu Highlights: 70 percent Peru, 80 percent Chulucanas and Cabernet Franc.
3. Alma Chocolate
Alma Chocolate (140 N.E. 28th Ave.) is a chocolatier, meaning they make confections from chocolate rather than importing cacao and making the chocolate itself. A small shop with just a few seats for customers, they are located on the popular N.E. 28th Ave strip. The shop itself fits its location – quaint and “neighborhoody.” Bon Appétit magazine says that their “artisans work magic with chocolate, caramel and spice.” Named after Sarah Hart’s grandmother, Alma is also known for religious icons made from single-estate 74 percent dark chocolate from Hacienda El Vesia in the Dominican Republic.
Menu Highlights: Sea Salt Hazelnut Crunch Bar, Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar and Deux Pistachio Bon Bon.
4. Cacao
Cacao has two locations in Portland. The first (414 S.W. Salmon St.) is conveniently located adjacent to The Heathman Hotel, and the second (414 S.W. 13th Ave.), their flagship store, is just a ten-minute walk away from the first location. You’ll tickle your chocolaty senses at either location, but I recommend you stop at their flagship shop in the trendsetting West End neighborhood for a mind blowing collection of chocolates and an atmospheric place to relax with their signature drinking chocolates.
Cacao is primarily a retail shop featuring handpicked chocolates from around the world, premium solid chocolate bars from small producers and select treats from local chocolatiers. They also have a small cafe-style menu with chocolate and espresso drinks as well as snacks such as shortbread cookies and locally made Salt & Straw ice cream. Past the tables and shelves displaying all these delicious goodies are a couple of large tables big enough to seat six people each — perfect for lounging with their "Shot in a Shot" (a shot of espresso poured in a shot of cacao).
Menu Highlights: The “Shot in a Shot” is a magical combination of drinking chocolate and espresso. Though they have several types of drinking chocolate to choose from (bitter, spicy, and cinnamon milk), I recommend the bitter chocolate with a dash of cinnamon.
5. The Meadow
Describing The Meadow (805 N.W. 23rd Ave.), a one-of-a-kind chocolate and salt block boutique, to newbies often proves to be a challenge. I am often tempted to call the store an Anthropologie for foodies — with lots of natural treats, salt block displays and a big bookcase full of chocolate bars.
But that description doesn’t quite do it justice. No, stepping inside this cute shop is like wandering into a perfectly curated wonderland of culinary luxuries.
With two locations, The Meadow is Portland’s retail authority on finishing salts, bitters, gourmet items for your kitchen and, of course, chocolate. They also carry Oregon and European wines and vermouths in addition to offering a full-service floristry.
Menu Highlights: Bonnat 70 percent Côte d’Ivoire, Rogue Chocolatier Porcelana, Domori Lattesal and the Finishing Salt Starter Set.
