I was absolutely thrilled when recent medicals studies showed that eating dark chocolate could possibly extend your life expectancy.  Of course, I ate it when it was thought it could decrease it!  I love chocolate, especially the dark kind!

Special occassion candy is a "high point" of this speciality store.Here is one of the store employees displaying the Mother's Day special!

Look at their Mother’s Day special in top and side pictures, a box of chocolate, and even the box is editable chocolate! 

I found, on a little side road in St. Augustine, Florida, (15 Hypolita Street),  near the “historic district,” what has to be one of America’s finest  chocolatier – Claude Franques.  He was a chef of renowned fame for any years before turning his culinary arts to fine chocolate making.  Not since I had found small independent chocolate makers in Bariloche, Argentina, have I tasted such fine chocolate! 

On my fly fishing pilgrimages into the Andes Mountains in Argentina I would stop by this quaint mountain town on the way out to stock up on chocolate to carry back to America!  Now I have found it here!  Right in one of my favorite towns in America!  St. Augustine, Florida! St. Augustine is a great place to hang out, but there are also lots of things to do apart from  eating chocolate, but only if  you are motivated to leave  Claude’s to do them.

Claude’s lovely wife, Nicole is often present to assist you in describing what “sins” each type of chocolate possesses.  The store specialty is their chocolate covered almonds and pecans!   I missed out on that – got too busy with the issue of dark chocolate and tasting what they had available and totally missed the almonds and pecans I love – so would love them even more with chocolate over them!

Some of their special items are:  Dark Raspberry (Fresh raspberry puree in dark chocolate ganache with a hint of raspberry liqueur), Port (Sonseca bean #27 infused in dark chocolate ganache), Creamy Caramel (A special caramel center with a touch of rum), Shiny Mango (Fresh mango puree in a milk chocolate ganache enrobed in dark chocolate),  Crunchy Almond Praline (Fresh almond praline past in dark chocolate), JD #7 (Square of dark chocolate ganache laced with Jack Daniel’s  whiskey), Freshly Squeezed Lemon (Freshly squeezed lemon juice infused in dark and milk chocolate ganache), Croc Choc (Pure dark chocolate ganache), Fresh Ginger (Fresh grated ginger in dark and milk chocolate ganache),  and much much more to delight the taste buds – such as Fresh Pistachio, Hazelnut, Praline, Florida Lime Drop, Peppermint – of course, all chocolate covered!  Did I miss my all time favorite among their list?  Perhaps I can order it from them – dark chocolate covered cherry – liquor (lots of) filled? 

Claude and Nicole can be reached at 904 808-8395.  They will be glad to ship to you.

Happy Traveling.