Sarah Bence posted on December 15, 2020 marked food and drink, food discovery, Cheboigan County, Emmet County, Empire, Grand Traverse County, Indus, Rilana County, Petoskey, Suttons Bay, Traverse City
Sweet local chocolate is an ideal filling for everyone on your list (including yourself). This holiday, indulge in the sweet creativity of five chocolate masters from Northern Michigan.
People tend to associate the flavors of northern Michigan with the late summer sour cherries and cool white wines. However, I prefer chocolate. For me, the dense black truffle taste is inseparable from the sand dunes and turquoise water in the north.
Perhaps there is no better time to visit the chocolate shops in the area than during the holidays. As the temperature starts to plummet, you will find me hiding inside (preferably by a crackling fire), drinking decadent chocolate-mixed with cinnamon, smoked pepper and a touch of maple syrup. Not only can you find delicious candies to share with family and friends throughout Michigan, but the neighborhoods these shops call home provide visitors with a typical small-town vacation experience-decorated in the streets of the city, shimmering trees and glowing The storefront is hidden in the idyllic frost perspective.
Happily, I was able to enjoy the enthusiasm for homemade chocolate in the few family-run establishments throughout the region. If you know the right look, you will also love these flavors.
Driving along the M-22 into the Empire, one of my favorite attractions is not the magnificent natural wonder that prevails in this area, but a spectacle. This is a green building with Grocer’s Daughter, which is a handicraft chocolate shop, which has been in full bloom in Northern Michigan since 2004.
For years, I have been planning locations for strategic road trips in Grocer’s Daughter-first the previous location created by Mimi Wheeler, the new M-22 location in recent years, and now by Wheeler’s good friends Jody and DC Hayden Possess (background knowledge of coffee and photography).
Thanks to their purchases, the grocer’s daughter is far from most other chocolate shops in the country. Jodi said: “Our chocolate has a unique partnership with Jenny Samaniego of Ecuador’s Conexion Chocolate company, sourced from Ecuador.” The direct trade relationship means Grocer’s Daughter can trace all of it. Source of chocolate and almost all other ingredients. This also means that more profits remain in the source county. “[Chocolate] was harvested, fermented, dried and sorted near the farm near the cooperative,” Jodi explained. “It is then transported to a factory in Quito, where it is sorted, roasted, winnowed and ground into 100% cocoa liquor.”
From there, the chocolate was shipped to Michigan in 26.4-pound discs. Here, it is unpackaged and prepared by the daughter chocolatier at the grocery store-all the sweets, honey caramel and candies are handmade. Carefully, they used the cocoa top flavor of Ecuadorian chocolate and then blended it with Michigan ingredients such as honey, maple syrup, cooking lavender and dried sweet cherries. Visitors can even watch the magic show in the open shop.
What to order: The best-selling product is sea salt honey caramel (made with local honey instead of sugar or corn syrup). Jody also recommends that you recommend fudge in summer, or drink Longyin beer in colder weather.
Things to do nearby: This sweet city is quiet in winter, but there are still many attractions. Spend time at The Secret Garden and The Misers’ Hoard (open from Friday to Monday in December), have lunch in one of several restaurants, then put on your snowshoes, and head to the Empire Bluff Trail. The panorama of the area is beautiful in all seasons, but winter is particularly charming. In nearby Glen Arbor, Crystal River Outfitters rents cross-country skis, snow boots, and fat-burning bikes. The team is happy to recommend more trails in the area.
Crow & Moss Chocolate is slightly different from other chocolate shops in Northern Michigan in that it is a 2000 square foot factory rather than a storefront. However, the term “factory” is a rather clinical term, which originated in the basement and is a person’s labor of love. Mike Davies started producing Crow & Moss Chocolate in 2019, but before that, he was a self-taught chocolate master who used his wife’s bright pink hair dryer to blow cocoa beans at home.
Now, Crow & Moss has launched a single-source chocolate bar made with only two ingredients (cocoa powder and organic cane sugar), as well as a unique third ingredient added (such as Bolivian rose salt, Brazilian Santos coffee or organic Earl Grey tea) Filled chocolate bar. Mike used the heirloom cocoa variety he obtained by establishing direct trade relationships with farms around the world. His current beans come from Colombia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Ecuador and India. Linking these farms together is the use of small-scale cultivation practices.
Once the raw cocoa beans arrive at Petoskey’s factory, Mike’s hands-on work begins. “[Beans] are manually sorted and graded, slowly roasted, cracked and windy (the process of removing the shell from the cocoa beans), refined for four days, ground into strips, marinated, and then shipped to stores across the country” , Mike said.
I personally repaired crows and moss by looking for colorful and geometric packaging in the aisles of the Oryana Community Cooperative in Traverse City. You can also find Crow & Moss chocolate bars at dozens of retailers across the country-famous Northern Michigan choices include Toski Sands Market and Wine Shop in Petoskey, Huzza in Harbor Springs, Cellar 152 in Elk Rapids, and of course Crow & Moss ‘ online store.
What to order: Newbies from bean to bar will especially like to try chocolate bars from different sources and find that cocoa beans are significantly different.
Nearby attractions: Petoskey is the ideal home for a ski vacation in Northern Michigan. Test the slopes of Nub’s Nob or Boyne Mountain. For those who like to stay warm inside, you can pair your chocolate with a trip to the Petoskey wine region (icewine, anyone?) and holiday shopping areas. Flashing lights illuminate the historic Gaslight district of the city, and you are welcome to visit local shops and restaurants.
Next to Drost’s chocolate, there is a new and cute ice cream house, exuding old-fashioned charm, and the aroma of caramel and melted chocolate. Owned by the Julie and Craig Waldron families, this store is one of the few confectionery shops in the state that still makes handmade chocolates. In fact, Waldrons proudly uses the Drost family chocolate recipe that has been around for more than 100 years, and they claim that handmade chocolate has a unique silky texture.
It is this texture, coupled with the mouth-watering truffles, chocolate-covered caramel, fresh fudge, cream and more than 20 flavors of ice cream that make tourists like me flock. Whether you show up on a hot summer night (ice cream) or a cold winter night (truffles and fudge, you can watch them on a large marble slab), Drost’s Chocolates can provide you with homemade chocolates and compacts The charm of the chocolate town.
Things to do nearby: You have been rafting on the river in summer, but have you tried rafting? Big Bear Adventures can provide a 1.5-hour guided tour under the transparent Sturgeon River (no experience required!). Afterwards, head to Vivio’s to enjoy hearty Italian cuisine in a comfortable, rustic chalet.
Forget the winery, get ready to taste Belgian chocolate fudge, triple-dipped chocolate malt balls and giant chocolate-coated candy apples, which can easily feed 12-15 people and weigh up to 3-3.5 pounds. You guessed it, the 45th parallel “Candy World” is located on the 45th parallel in Suttons Bay in Northern Michigan. I find it an ideal place to stay on the M-22 road trip, or a good way to refuel after visiting a few Leelanau wineries or taverns.
“My husband and I left the corporate world in 1997 and lived a simple life in northern Michigan,” co-owner Bridgett Lambdin told me. After Bridgett and Tim switched their careers from marketing and agronomy, they set foot in the chocolate field and produced handmade gummy candies from scratch. So you can say that they know something about it. In fact, chocolate is a family affair. Bridget said: “I make all the fudge by hand, taught by my mother and grandmother (a former chocolatier).” Her father is also in the chocolate business and has worked at Nestlé for 43 years.
When it comes to the crown jewel of the candy store (45 types of gummies), don’t worry, it’s just like homemade. Bridgett is like making fudge on the stove at home. The result is an incredibly smooth texture and (dare to say) unparalleled depth. During the busy summer season, Bridget produces about 375 pounds of fudge twice a week, sometimes with wholesalers. Moreover, technically speaking, fudge is not chocolate (it can be flavored with other ingredients), but you definitely want to come here and taste the varieties made from Belgian imported chocolate.
What to order: Any fudge taste, but Belgian dark caramel sea salt is a best seller. The three-pound incomparable apple is also an item worth mentioning: the apple is dipped in caramel twice, then vanilla fudge, then Belgian chocolate…and repeat.
Nearby events: From the 45th Parallel World Candy World to the happy boutique and gift shop on St. Joseph Street (M-22). When you pass the charming bright red phone booth, stop and take photos inside. Warm up at a restaurant or coffee shop in the city center, then watch a show at the Bay Theater. Or, if you want to be adventurous, you can rent a fat bike from Suttons Bay Bikes and head to the Leelanau Trail on Fourth Street.
Kilwins is a recognized name not only in northern Michigan, where it was founded, but also throughout the country. For me and many others, its name alone reminds people of quaint lakeside towns, childhood vacations, and most importantly, every shade is lined with beautiful chocolates. The history of Kilwins can be traced back to 1947, when Don and Katy Kilwin opened their first store in Petoskey. At the time, it was a small candy store and ice cream shop, but over the years, it has expanded to more than 150 franchise companies nationwide.
Kilwins in Traverse City is one of them. It is hidden in the front street next to the colorful Traverse City murals. The location opened 45 years ago and was one of the original Kilwins’ early franchises. Walking into the Traverse Kilwins store, I did encounter the familiar bells and caramel bubbling, braised peanut crisps and the instant pleasant aroma of ganache. There is usually a friendly apron employee (usually holding samples) at the door, and an observation area that is open towards the workbench where the store’s gummy has just been made. This shop has the American style of old times. Traverse Kilwins is currently owned by the Brian couple and Mary Daily, the local couple who took over the store 26 years ago. “Mary worked at Kilwins when she was in middle school and liked it very much,” Brian said. “After leaving the Air Force, we went home and the store was about to sell, so we jumped on it. The rest is history!” Brian described their current operations as “successful moms and pop shops”, busy with their work The staff makes caramel apples and fudge in the shop.
As for the chocolate itself, it is placed in glass boxes along the left side of the store. It is handmade, but not all of it is located in Traverse City. “Fifty percent of the products are produced in [Traverse City], but the high-end chocolate is not produced in-store,” Brian said. This means that in addition to fudge and caramelized apples, the Daily Mail and its staff also stir caramel corn, chocolate skewers, dipped Krispie snacks, chocolate-coated strawberries, and chocolate-coated pretzels. Wait.
Kilwins still produces all of its “Heritage” chocolates at Kilwins Chocolate Kitchen (1050 Bayview Road, Petoskey). The flavor profile of Heritage chocolate is unique to Kilwins. Milk chocolate has a caramel hue, dark chocolate has a licorice flavor, and white chocolate cleverly combines real chocolate with caramel and vanilla flavors. Before being shipped to places like Traverse City, this chocolate was used to make iconic desserts, such as Kilwins cattle, truffles and chocolate-coated caramel.
What to order: Try a tin of bread-a handmade nut (cashew, pecan or macadamia) and Caramel-filled Heritage chocolate.
Nearby activities: Traverse City’s Front Street has become a winter wonderland with its creative shops and holiday-themed window displays. After filling it with chocolate, take a stroll and enter boutiques and restaurants along the way. The village of Grand Traverse Commons is only a few minutes away from the city. It is a snowball-like sight. Dine at a local restaurant, visit a Mercato store, and then glide along the cross-country ski trails of the Grand Traverse Commons Natural Area behind Building 50.
Find this and other articles in the December 2020 issue of Traverse, a Northern Michigan magazine; or subscribe to deliver Traverse to you throughout the year.
MyNorth.com is Traverse’s online homepage, “Northern Michigan’s Magazine” is the flagship publication of MyNorth Media, a company located in Traverse City, Michigan, dedicated to sharing information about Traverse City to Sleeping Bear’s vacation, restaurants, and wineries , Outdoor activities and more stories and photos. Sand dunes until Mackinac Island.