Chocolopolis, Seattle.

I was making calls Friday with my coworker and friend Barbie Van Horn. Our greatest challenge this day was getting in and out of appointments without getting drenched. Our Northwest weather pendulum this mid July day decided to sway way to the other side and it was chilly and raining cats and dogs.

I was looking forward to our last appointment because we were going to meet our new friend, David Wilson, on Queen Anne Hill at Chocolopolis. I’ve never been there but I’ve certainly heard a lot about it. Barbie is a chocolate aficionado. Actually it goes way beyond that, she has an absolutely amazing passion for chocolate and beware, it’s contagious!

David and I enjoyed a wonderful tour and got a real education from bean to bar about Cacao. Where it’s grown, the processes to make it, and the many different traditions for creating those delectable wonderful treats we all enjoy.

If there was ever a place to do this, it was here at Chocolopolis Seattle. It’s like the Smithsonian Institute of Cacao. They have a mind boggling array of gourmet chocolates with over 200 different bars from 20 different countries around the world.

Chocolopolis is all about Artisan Chocolate and they have very strict guidelines that must be adhered to or they won’t sell it. I love this quote from their website. “Once a chocolate meets these criteria, we then evaluate it based on taste. If we don’t like the taste, we don’t carry the bar.”

I found it engaging that with so many varieties the shop is organized by geography. It was fun working our way around the store country by country with our own private guide. I learned so much about cacao that I would never have imagined before.

One of my first after thoughts was, “this needs to be a clock hour class!” Hey, I’m in marketing, sales, and new media... and I have 3 clock hour credits in chocolate! What real estate broker wouldn’t want these credentials! I can’t think of anyone who wouldn't, can you?

As I mentioned it was a very cool rainy day in Seattle so we unanimously opted for a hot chocolate. I had the Santander (Colombia) 70% made with whole milk with a hint of orange in it. OMG! When you’re in Seattle, it’s definitely worth the trip to Chocolopolis on Queen Anne Hill.

I threw this little slide show together to give you a better idea of my cacao experience. I love the packaging too, it’s an art medium all unto itself. Enjoy!

Check out Chocolopolis.

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Please Note - The views expressed herein reflect only the individual’s personal views
and are not the views of the author’s employer.

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René Fabre cell: 425-749-9296 rfabre@firstam.com

First American Title 24722 104th Ave SE Suite 100 Kent, WA 98030