Sweet spots
Inspired by this month’s desserts feature, Canadian Living’s executive Food editor, Irene Fong, found three delicious chocolate destinations in Montreal that are well worth the trip.
Gastronomes have long considered Montreal one of the most exciting culinary destinations in Canada. It’s ridiculously easy to eat your way through the city, sampling the best bagels, smoked meats, poutine, artisanal cheeses and, due to its strong culinary ties to Europe, decadent chocolate treats. If you’re the type to choose dessert over dinner, take note of these must-visit picks—you’ll thank us later. 1 Chocolats Andrée
This beloved family- owned workshop and boutique first opened its doors in 1940. The timing was risky; the Second World War was underway, and the boutique’s founders, sisters Madeleine Daigneault and Juliette Farand, depended on their clients for the sugar they needed to create their sweet masterpieces. But Daigneault and Farand were savvy, and the company prospered. Today, Daigneault’s granddaughter, Stéphanie Saint- Denis, is the proud owner and operator, and she still maintains the sisters’ commitment to traditional methods of chocolate- making. You won’t find any conventional heavy machinery there; everything is prepared on- site in a tiny kitchen and workshop, where the chocolates are all expertly dipped by hand. You can also pick up nougats, caramels and beautifully shaped marzipan to satisfy any sweet craving. Chocolats Andrée, 5328 Park Ave., chocolatsandree.com.
2 Cacao Barry and Callebaut Chocolate Academy Center
Get a hands- on lesson— and a sneak peek into the world of chocolate- making— at the Montreal location of the Chocolate Academy Center, founded on more than a century of chocolate- crafting tradition, with centres across Europe, Asia and the Americas. Pros can sign up for courses, which teach the skills needed to craft such confections as trendsetting treats, and even technique-specific master classes. The general public can enrol in pre- Easter and pre- Christmas classes to learn how to make holiday treats. Cacao Barry and Callebaut Chocolate Academy Center, 4850 rue Molson, chocolate- academy.com.
3 Chocolats Privilège
Of this chocolate boutique’s six locations across Quebec, the Atwater Market outpost, which offers the charm of a small- scale chocolatier in the big city, is our favourite. Stop in to sample its unique truffle offerings, such as basilic et citron vert ( basil and lime) and noix de coco et coriandre (coconut and coriander), and don’t forget to pick up its can’tmiss product: a “bean- to- bar” chocolate. Most chocolatiers invent delicious sweet treats but don’t produce their own chocolate. Chocolats Privilège’s beanto- bar chocolate, on the other hand, is prepared in- house, with every step— right down to importing, roasting and grinding the best cocoa beans—handled by the staff. Chocolats Privilège, Atwater Market, 138 Atwater Ave., chocolatsprivilege.com.