Oh! Chocolate, Madison Park

I took my first sip of the house-made French Hot Chocolate on a Friday afternoon. Spring sun spilled through the many windows of Oh! Chocolate's Madison Park storefront as I lifted the ceramic demitasse mug to my lips allowing the silky beverage to roll onto my tongue. "Oh my!" were the only words I could use to describe my inaugural taste.

I have a girlfriend who lives in Los Angeles. She had a box of handmade chocolates mailed to her house. After enjoying the luscious truffles and French creams, she gushed, "Oh! Delicious!"

Dianne, whose husband's grandparents founded Oh! Chocolate and who now works for the company, shared with me the inspiration behind the business's name. "It is exactly what you say when you walk into one of our shops and smell the wonderful cooking going on. 'Oh! Chocolate!'"

"Oh!" is an expression of joy and wonder and extreme delight: the perfect word to attribute to the treats created by this family-owned candy company. Founded over twenty years ago by Gertie and Carl Krautheim, Oh! Chocolate is now run by its third generation of chocolatiers. And if a sweet tooth runs in the family, so must a discriminating palate and appreciation for superior ingredients and traditional chocolate making techniques. This family loves chocolate, and you can taste it. Venture into one of the three Seattle area locations (Mercer Island, Bellevue, and Madison Park) for a handmade tiramisu truffle, a caramel infused with bourbon and topped with pecans, or a silky vanilla French cream. You're sure to find yourself exclaiming with joy.

In addition to satisfying our city's sweet cravings with some of the finest treats available, the Oh! Chocolate family teaches chocolate classes at their Madison Park shop. I signed up for one and found myself tasting cacao nibs, discovering the vast flavors of chocolate varietals, devouring fresh-made, chocolate-covered ice cream bon-bons, dipping berries and apricots into warm milk chocolate, and learning why chocolate and wine came to be such a famous pairing. The class was a blast and would make for a great girl's night out. I took my mother along and the two of us left, our hands covered in delicious dark chocolate, our bodies buzzing. When we got into the car we looked at each other and laughed, "Oh! That was fun!"

Oh! Chocolate
3131 E Madison Street, Suite 100
(206) 329-8777