chocolate attitude

I’ve got chocolate attitude

http://lifelessonsmilitarywife.com/?p=2726

 June 7th, 2012  admin

So I have about four chocolate shops within a five mile radius of our house.  In Belgium, most people can say this.  The Belgian people and the people who live in Belgium are cleared to eat chocolate every single day.  It is part of Belgian culture.  The authentic Belgians buy their chocolate like they buy their daily groceries.  Everyone knows, Europeans shop almost every day for groceries rather than once a week or once a month like a typical American would.  This is yet another reason why I like stateside visitors coming over, as it gives you a great excuse to visit ALL your area chocolatiers rather than just one every now and then!

Leonidas chocolate, which depending on who you talk to is either the #1 or #2 best chocolate in all of Belgium and probably the world. The other popular brand is Neuhaus.

Of course, many Shapians and those stationed here immediately zero in on the chocolate shop you’d be blind not to miss on Rue d’Ath on the way from Shape to Chievres Air Base.  Most of us drive this gauntlet of American-inspired eateries and shops often enough to make it look the way it does.  This shop is called Olivier Brousmiche, Rue du Sabot 26 in Lens.  It’s the big brown and tan building sitting all by itself.  In the same facility, you’ll find a bakery with pies, cakes, breads, rolls and some pastries.  As an added bonus, they also make sandwiches around lunchtime.  Look for their plastic sandwich board out by the road.  Their chocolate is okay and for “no name” chocolate it’s expensive I think.  For a nicely decorated 250 gram box you’ll pay 8,25 euro.  You can do better.  But, it is very conveniently located, and of course you can get your pastries at the same time.

If you head towards Shape on the same road, you’ll eventually come down the hill and on your right, see a big neon dragon in front of an ice cream shop.  This guy’s chocolate and his homemade ice cream are what make his shop so popular.  It’s called George’s Doutrelepont.  It’s one of the few places that will serve my favorite coconut ice cream.  Of course his pralines are something you want to pop in your mouth when no one is looking, so you can eat another one out in the open when people are looking.  They are that good.

George's pralines and chocolate!

I have saved my favorite chocolate shop for last though. I only recently started going here…in fact, today is the first day I went on advice of another Shapian.  Old habits die hard for me.  It is only 200 feet or so away from my favorite bakery, and I NEVER noticed it.  I guess I was always so focused on getting “my stuff”, I ignored everything else as I bulldozed my way to the bakery.

All the chocolate shops have these types of boxes that are priced by weight. Some have the chocolates pre-selected for you in the box. Others allow you to choose what you want to put in your box. You can also choose to take the box "as is" for later eating or all dolled up with free gift wrapping.

Let me recommend La Choc’ Attitude.  What a great name!  Other than the great Leonidas chocolate available here (the other two shops mentioned above are not branded Neuhaus or Leonidas), I love that there is a nice big parking lot and very friendly service.  The store is very clean and modern (watch your step, as my MIL almost fell off the first step when she was overwhelmed by the chocolate choices and took a step BACKWARDS).  Here you can pick and choose which chocolates you want in your cute box.  You then pay 5,01 euro for a box of 250 gram.  Yes, if you show your SHAPE ID, you will get a 10% discount to get that price:-)  I also like the supercute gift ideas available in the shop.  You can also get a gift basket or box put together.  The saleslady does speak English, and she is super nice.  Please go check out her yummy chocolates and shop.

Cute gift ideas!

If you live near the Soignies area, I’d recommend La Cabosse in Soignies.  The lady who runs this cafe and chocolate shop usually comes to all of our bazaars on SHAPE.  Everyone remembers her, as she offers samples when she comes.  She also has more variety (I think) and different shapes, chocolate on sticks, and in her cafe, you’ll get some seriously yummy hot chocolate and crepes among other things.  Mmmmmm. Oh, and don’t say I never told you, but you can also sign up for a chocolatier course here.  If you can get ten of your friends together, you can get a two hour course for 15 euro each.  What a great idea for a spouses’ get together!

La Cabosse

Now about 40 minutes away from SHAPE, you can hit the mother lode of chocolate shopping at the Neuhaus Factory Outlet Store, but I will save that report for another day.  If you haven’t already, here is a good introductory article on the outlet store.  I will of course give tips on maximizing your euro and impressing your visiting relatives.  I’ve got a few pieces of chocolate I need to try to figure out how to sneak out of one of the boxes before anyone notices, so let me end here.

Do you have any favorite chocolate shop choices in the Mons/SHAPE area?  If you have any Neuhaus factory tips, let me know, and I’ll add them:-)