In 2017 CNN named the company one of the “15 Happiest Places in the World.”
Here are 10 reasons to visit if you haven’t been before, and re-visit if you have.
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1) New product. They just got in their new handmade chocolates for Valentine's Day direct from Brussels, Belgium (see Nos. 2-8). These sugary, savory wonders are intoxicatingly delicious and beautiful to behold.
2) Amour ("Love") dark chocolate shell filled with a violet ganache and garnished with candied violets. "I tasted this for the first time today, and I think I tasted heaven," said owner Françoise Walusis. Probably the strongest endorsement to try a chocolate that we've ever heard.
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3) Rosine Rose box. "I order this box only for Valentine's. This is one of the iconic boxes of the Chocolatier with a design dating back to the 1920s. It holds 15 chocolates and is $36.50," said Walusis.
4) Toujours ("Always") milk chocolate filled with a creamy hazelnut filling mixed with crispy wafer cookie pieces. If you are hearing the Homer Simpson drool sound in your head, you are not alone — we were, too.
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5) Rosine Bleu. The store's most popular iconic box. It holds 8 chocolates and is $22.95. If you are looking for something special for Valentine's Day look no further.
6) Fleurs de Violettes (candied violets). This is also a brand new item the store just got in. Enjoy them alone or wow friends and family by topping off desserts with a beautiful, aromatic violet. They come packaged in 50 gram sachets for $12.95.
7) Chéri Chéri. This dark chocolate filled with a soft gooey apricot jelly is another brand new chocolate the store is featuring.
8) Nadine. Mint and chocolate are not commonly paired together in Belgian chocolates. Walusis had mentioned to the owner of Mary Chocolatier in Brussels that many of her customers here in the U.S. ask for mint filled chocolate and they created this delicious treat just for them.
9) The convenience. You can shop for most of the store's inventory with a $25 purchase or more at www.francoiseimports.com and get it shipped to you or you can shop online and have it ready for pick-up.
10) The reaction. One look at these chocolates and their packaging and there's no doubt that you have stumbled on something really special. Gwyneth Paltrow's goop listed it as one of the things "Women Really Want for Valentine's Day" in 2016. Women and everyone else. These chocolates are that good.
WANT TO GO?
What: Madame Delluc Artisan Chocolatier
Where: 2510 Far Hills Ave. in the Shops of Oakwood
More information: Call 937-356-8890 or visit www.francoiseimports.com
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