Shop Local! Two Delightful Ladies Rocking Chocolate

Elizabeth Garber

The more you get into food and wine, the more most people get into the local farm-to-fork movement and buying local products.

With Valentine's Day just one week from today, many Americans are thinking chocolate. My newspaper column went out to the newspapers today featuring comments from Elizabeth Garber, Indy's Best Chocolate in Town owner and chocolatier.

That column will be posted here the first of next week. But many people will be buying chocolate this weekend and I wanted to plug two friends in the sweets business.

Garber's story is one of building success form the ground up. She started small in Franklin, Edinburgh, and then opened her now-highly-successful shop on Indy's Mass Avenue. She has wonderful truffles with all sorts of flavored ganache. She has flavored popcorns and many other chocolate treats.

Her truffles just rock!

But I also know Julie Bolejack owner and chocolatier with her business Chocolate for the Spirit. She also has delightful truffles and all sorts of chocolate treats.

Julie has taken her chocolates on the road and won accolades at the New York Chocolate Show and had her goodies served at Super Bowl parties and the MTV Awards.

Bolejack and her chocolate treats!

One of her best known treats is her Mayan bar. It is very unique and attention getting spicy chocolate made with Saigon cinnamon, chipotle and chili spices - according to Julie's website. Julie also has a booth at Indy's popular City Market. She participates in several farmer's markets as well.

There are other artisan chocolate makers in Indy, I'm sure. But I've bought regularly from these two and have gotten to know them just a bit. They both have a fabulous product line. Both business have great websites linked here. You can learn more about where to buy the product.

Wine prices are always listed in every review I do on this blog. So it's fair to note that both of these chocolatiers make a premium product with a premium price. Depending on the exact product, you can expect to pay an average of $2 and up per truffle.

I make recommendations - okay, maybe this one sounds more like a plug. But there has been no chocolate kickback ... well, maybe a bite here and there. But these are local businesswomen succeeding at high and very tasty level.

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