CHOCOLAT BAR

PHOTOS BY ALAN HEATHCOCK

By Alan Heathcock

For the past 20 years, the Chocolat Bar has been serving up delicious treats at their locations in Boise and Eagle. Last spring, they closed their Bannock Street shop in search of a larger downtown Boise location. The new space, at 801 Main Street and slated to open in late August, will have all the chocolates their loyal patrons crave, but will also take a page from their Eagle location by adding in-store seating, espresso, and gelato/sorbetto.

“We travel a lot, and found we really loved gelato,” said Jason Stack, a trained chocolatier who owns the Chocolat Bar with his wife Trish. “We needed something to draw customers during the warmer months, so we added it to the menu. We knew we couldn’t bring in gelato without having espresso for an affogato, which is pouring espresso over a scoop of gelato. We’re excited to offer both gelato and espresso in our new location, and to have enough room for seating, both inside and outside, so people can enjoy their treats right there at the store.”

What will remain the same is the Stacks’ commitment to quality. From the Chocolat Bar’s wildly popular toffee almond bark and Fleur de Sel sea salt caramels to their impressive assortment of truffles and shortbread to their small-batch ganache, everything is made in-house, by hand, from carefully curated ingredients, many of which are locally sourced.

“Our philosophy is to offer classic flavors, with quality and community as the priority,” Stack said. “The flavor profiles are ours. It’s taken experimentation and many iterations to come up with the recipes. Though the recipes start with us, we’re always striving for flavors the public will love.” This same philosophy of quality applies to their espresso and gelato/sorbetto. The Stacks are espresso fanatics, going so far as to taking espresso with them even when camping. With beans procured from local roaster Café Mulé, their Nespresso machine keeps the shop busy in the mornings. Their gelato menu is packed with Italian classics like their flor di latte, stracciatella, amaretto, and pistachio, as well as crowd pleasers like chocolate and biscoff. They never use pre-made mix. They make their own sweet cream, pistachio pastes, and, of course, feature their own chocolates. For sorbettos, they offer limone and strawberry, the latter of which is Stack’s go-to flavor.

“We get fresh strawberries and cook them down,” Stack said. “It’s a bit of a process, but it’s important that nothing tastes artificial, especially with berries. Our sorbetto has such a strong, fresh, strawberry flavor. It’s just hard to beat in summer.”

The Stacks have always believed in partnering with other local entities, from sourcing ingredients from local farms/dairies, getting coffee beans from local roasters, and hosting evenings of chocolate pairings with local breweries and wineries. Their new and larger home will help facilitate and evolve these collaborations and events. Keep an eye on the Chocolat Bar’s social media for news of events and for the announcement of the official opening of their new space in downtown Boise.