HOW SWEET IT IS
Local chocolate makers offer wide range of delicious treats
While every family observes the holiday season in their own unique way, delectable treats are almost always part of the celebration.
They also make a great gift. Chocolate tops the list for many people when it comes to treats. Luckily Albuquerque has plenty of local shops to satisfy that craving.
The Candy Lady in Old Town became an icon even before its tie-in with the popular show “Breaking Bad.” Another landmark of the Albuquerque candy scene is Buffett’s Candies on Lomas, whose large candy cane out front has beckoned to passers-by for six decades.
Here are some other local shops to fulfill that need for chocolate.
Tim & Larry’s Elixir Boutique Chocolate
6616 Gulton Court NE #60
505-933-5125, elixirchocolates.com
10 a.m.-5 p.m. MondayFriday
Couple Larry Todd and Tim McNamara have been practicing their craft for two decades but only officially in business for about 10 years.
“We started doing this (making chocolate) as Christmas presents for family and friends,” Todd says. “We eventually needed a bigger space and figured why not get a commerical kitchen and go for it?”
Their chocolate boutique was born after that. The two have a commercial kitchen and small shop near Osuna and Jefferson but many of their sales are done online or at special events. They offer turtles, toffee and boxes of truffles featuring intricate designs.
“People say they are too pretty to eat,” Todd said. “We say they are too good not to eat.”
Chocolate Dude
3339 Central NE 505-639-5502, chocolatedudeabq.com
10 a.m.-10 p.m. MondayThursday, Friday 10 a.m.11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
These handmade chocolates can be found at a shop in Nob Hill. Owner Kurt Oelsnerk, and his partner who has since left the business, opened the shop in 2013. Oelsnerk says he’s predominately lived in the Nob Hill neighborhood and knew it was where he wanted to put his shop.
“Everything is made from scratch on-site,” he says.
They specialize in fudge, chocolate with sea salt and caramel, and concoctions that incorporate red and green chile. They also offer the staples of most chocolate shops including truffles, nut clusters, toffee and brittles. Visitors can even enjoy a cup of coffee at the shop.
He says they will carry the traditional Christmas baskets and boxes this year but will also have packages in “stocking stuffer size.”
Chocolate Cartel
315 Juan Tabo NE 505-797-1193, chocolatecartel.com
11 a.m.-6 p.m. MondayFriday, noon-4 p.m. Saturday
Chef and master chocolatier Scott J. Van Rixel started a small chocolate shop in 2001 in Taos. Soon his brother Tim became a part of the team and in 2009 they moved the shop to Albuquerque. The store specializes in dark chocolate and also makes each piece by hand. They’ve also been certified New Mexico True by the state’s tourism department. Courtney Duran, who handles marketing for the company, says the company strives to keep a local focus.
“We are 100 percent manufactured in New Mexico,” she says. “We strive to work with local partners as much as possible. Anything we can do locally, we do.”
The company just expanded to a shop in Old Town (111 Romero St. NW).
ChocGlitz & Cream
10660 Unser NW 505-898-4589, chocglitzandcream.com
10 a.m.-9 p.m. MondayThursday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-9 p.m. Sunday
ChocGlitz is one of the few chocolate boutiques on the city’s West Side. They have not only chocolate but homemade ice cream they make at the shop. Celeste Davis opened the store in July 2014 after relocating to New Mexico. This is her second career. She started making chocolate for family members after getting married 40 years ago but her full-time job most of her life was as a social worker.
“I wanted something less stressful,” she says. “Everybody loves chocolate.”
She says chocolate is mostly a seasonal gift and she wanted something to keep customers coming through the doors even in the dead heat of summer.
“To drive more traffic here, we decided to add ice cream,” she says. “I have a lot of fun making the ice cream.”
Davis also touts her company’s Fair Trade status.
“We do not use chocolate that is involved in the slave trade or forced child labor,” she says. “We want to be socially responsible. This means no one was exploited to make our product.”
The shop is located near Ellison and Unser and even has chairs and tables for those who can’t wait to get home to sample the goods.
Theobroma Chocolatier
12611 Montgomery NE 505-293-6545, theobromachocolatier.com
10 a.m.-6 p.m. MondaySaturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday
Owner Chuck Weck has been in business more than two decades. He opened Theobroma in 1996 with his now former wife. He calls chocolate the food of the gods with a connection to the ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations.
“It’s good for the soul,” he says. “And chocolate is the best gift ever.”
The shop’s speciality is offering hundreds of different molded items including animals, music symbols, automobiles, sports and symbols. They also offer chocolate-dipped strawberries and oreos. This Christmas, Weck says they will have gift baskets, gift boxes and snowmen filled with candies.
Cocopotamus Chocolate
505-750-4388, cocopotamus.com
Products from Cocopotamus can be found all around the country, even on the red carpet, but the company was started right here in Albuquerque. The owners have moved to Canada but passed the reins to their godson David Le. The company focuses exclusively on truffles and has perfected their craft, Le says. They also use Fair Trade chocolate.
“The beautiful thing about our chocolates is they are all natural,” he says. “You don’t need a science degree to pronounce our ingredients.”
Cocopotamus chocolates are handed out in the goody bags celebrities receive at awards shows including the Grammys and Oscars. For Christmas, Le says the company will offer gift sets featuring holiday flavors such as peppermint, maple, ginger and even brandy.
Locally the truffles can be purchased at most Whole Foods and La Montanita co-ops.