"I love that smell!"

one of the men walking into The Blommer Chocolate Co. in front of me said to his buddy.

In case you aren't familiar with Blommer, it is a chocolate company headquartered about 4 blocks from my office. At street level they have a small retail shop where they sell straight-up chocolate and a lot of other goodies that they buy back from customers who use their raw chocolates.

You can walk in and easily drop $30+ on all sorts of sweet stuff. I try not to go there very often, but today, in preparation for the weekend road trip to Galena, Illinois - I went for a couple of things - dark chocolate covered orange peels to keep my Momma happy; huge dark chocolate covered malted milk balls for others in the vehicle....okay, I might be an "others", and last, but not least, dark chocolate non-pariels.....hmmm....I am seeing a theme here....

I not only love their chocolate, but I also love Sophia and Anna, the two Polish women that have worked in the retail store for as long as I have been going there.

There is something else about Blommer that I love almost as much as their chocolates and it is certainly less damaging to my usually-too-tight-to begin-with-jeans....

I love the smell.

The deep aroma of melting chocolate that permeates the EPA-demanded filters and fills the City air.

That smell has gotten me thru many Chicago winters - trudging along on my mile walk to and from Union Station. The thick smell is reminiscent of the homemade hot cocoa that my Momma had waiting for me after a long cold walk home from school.

And in the summer….nothing says “Welcome to a Chicago Summer!” like the smell of a hot fudge sundae wafting all around you.

Did I mention “I love it?”

So the next time you are in the City…venture over to see Sophia and Anna at Blommer and you might want to tell them that Susan sent you……

It could snag you a free sample or two. And, I know you don’t even need to ask, but just in case you didn’t fully understand – dark chocolate would be my preference.

for reference