Yes, chocolate is delicious. But it’s more than just a tasty treat. Science and craft go into creating it, and if you’re only eating Hershey and Snickers, you’re missing out on the finer points of chocolate and chocolate-making. Visiting a chocolatier shines a light on the fact that chocolate isn’t just a popularly available snack: it can, i the right hands, also be a complex artisanal product. Like wine and coffee, origin and technique matter. Luckily, Pittsburgh is home to a large number of chocolatiers, many of them family-owned for generations. They can show you the way.
Must-Shop Chocolatiers in Pittsburgh
Mon Aimee Chocolat
2101 Penn Avenue
No outing to the Strip is complete without a sampling of sweet treats from Mon Aimee. You’ll find one of Pittsburgh’s finest selections of chocolate from around the world in their storefront, including Mirzam’s 52% camel milk with Emirati honeycomb from the Middle East, lilikoi chocolate from Hawai’i, and rich, aromatic chocolate from Madagascar. You can shop by origin if you’re looking for international confections, or if you’re more in the mood for hot chocolate, Mon Aimee’s local favorite “drinking chocolate” warms both the heart and the palate.
TC Candy
101 Brownsville Rd
For a bit of extra crunch in your chocolate bar, TC Candys’ Bailey’s Bark is pretzels, milk chocolate, and caramel all rolled into one delicious square. They sell many creative chocolate products, including chocolate-covered gummy bears, chocolate potato chips, s’mores bark, and Fruity Pebbles bark, plus classic milk and dark chocolate and their famous chocolate strawberry trays. TC is ideal for those looking for a big platter of treats for a gathering, but their individual bars are also all hand-crafted with an emphasis on allowing each bar’s uniqueness to come through.
St. Moritz Chocolatier
301 Grant Street
This legacy store from Kelly’s Sweets and Greets is tucked away in the Oxford Centre building in downtown Pittsburgh, making it a nice escape to duck into on one of our many rainy days. They sell a combination of classic chocolate assortments—including bestseller chocolate-covered popcorn—and funkier items like a handmade interpretation of the trending Dubai chocolate. If you’ve missed the boat on that, taste the pistachio-enriched treat to see if it’s worth the hype.
Pollak’s Candies
352 Butler Street
After three generations in business, Pollak’s Candies knows their craft by heart. Pollak’s has a wide selection of novelty molded chocolates including baseball gloves, dump trucks, and… a smart phone? If you need to tell someone they spend too much time on social media, that just might be the perfect gift. Everything, from the peanut butter cups to the chocolate smart phone, is made from scratch with love by chocolatier Dick Pollak. There’s no doubt that the Pollak family will continue to spread joy in Etna for generations to come.
Sarris Candies
511 Adams Avenue
It’s a Pittsburgh classic, found in stores around the city from your neighborhood Giant Eagle to the airport snack shop. Frank Sarris built his candy store and ice cream shop from scratch in Canonsburg, and it’s now adored by kids everywhere for the 1500-pound chocolate castle at the center of the store. (Eating pieces of it is not advised). Though their chocolate-covered pretzels are their most popular item, they have molds of just about anything you could think of, including a Pitt panther paw if you want to show your school spirit.
Boulevard Sweet Shoppe
614 Allegheny River Blvd
Oakmont might be most famous for its bakery, but just down the road is a delicious, 55-year-old family-owned chocolate shop. Boulevard Sweet Shoppe is known for its hearty fudge and Belgian chocolate, all gourmet and top quality. Also get vintage candy shop classics like peanut brittle and chocolate-dipped apples. If you’re trying to convince yourself you’re being healthy, get the chocolate “fruit salad” with pineapple, apricot, banana, papaya and raisins all drizzled in delicious Belgian dark chocolate.
The Chocolate Moose
5830 Forbes Ave
If you’re on the hunt for hard-to-find imported candy bars, The Chocolate Moose has you covered. At this independent chocolate shop in Squirrel Hill, they carry Valrhona, Lindt, Cadbury, Ritter, Cluizel, and Cote D’or. The Chocolate Moose also makes a great stop for a quick dessert after a meal at a Squirrel Hill restaurant.
Catoris Candies
981 5th Ave
Since 1938, the Catoris family has been satisfying sweet tooths in the New Kensington, Lower Burrell, and Tarentum area. Their specialty, the “Mr. C” and “Mr. T” turtle-shaped chocolates with caramel and nuts inside, are a decadent, melt-in-your-mouth delight. Owner John Gentile roasts his own nuts and makes his own caramel, so there’s nothing mass-produced in the chocolate bars. Catoris is one of the best spots for a nostalgic, cozy look into a small-town chocolatier, where everything seems a little sweeter.
Looking for other sweet treats around the city? Check out our article on Confectionary Masters and Local Bakeries in Pittsburgh.
Story by Emma Riva
Photo Courtesy of Sarris Candies
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