Scent of Chicago, Ghirardelli on the Magnificent Mile

I worked in the Magnificent Mile's Border's Books, Music and Café during the summer and winter of 2002, but for some unknown reason I never went next door to Ghirardelli. As much as I loved hot chocolate and drank it all year round, there's really no reason why I shouldn't have peeked my head in. And even after I visited Hershey's Chicago store on Saturday, which is right across the street, I still might've missed out on an opportunity to go into Ghirardelli.

However, a guy walked by me with his female friend and said, "Ghirardelli's is so much better than Hershey's. Hershey's is too commercial."

Do I smell a challenge? Now I'd only been in the Hershey's Chicago store twice in my life-once when I was a Girl Scout years ago and yesterday, but I was impressed. So what could Ghirardelli have to offer that I couldn't get at Hershey's Chicago?

Before I could even walk into the inside double door of the Magnificent Mile location, located at 830 N. Michigan Ave., the smell of chocolate smacked me right in the nose. I loved this place already.

Ghirardelli was created in San Francisco in 1852, and California is still primarily where you'll find Ghirardelli's locations. There are nine California locations (San Francisco, Monterey, San Diego, San Leandro and Lathrop); one Las Vegas, Nevada location; two Florida locations (Miami and Orlando) and one Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin location. And if they smell anything like this one, they'll be in business for another century.

Ghirardelli's doesn't get too fancy. There aren't a billion T-shirts, chapsticks, stuffed animals, socks and slides, but if you've come for chocolate, that's what you're going to get. Although the greeter at the Hershey's Chicago store was more outgoing, the greeter behind the Ghirardelli's location quietly stood behind her booth and waited for me to ask for the Chocolate of the Day. It was a ridiculously delicious peppermint chocolate that impressed me more than the Hershey's Kiss I'd eaten in the Hershey's Chicago location.

I glanced over from her booth to see a café area where people were sitting down in a cozy area snacking on Ghirardelli's treats. After circling around, there are two long register booths to buy Ghirardelli food's-the soda fountain register where drinks are prepared and another register to place orders.

It's strange how Hershey's Chicago has far more chocolate inside, but I could smell chocolate far better in Ghirardelli. The aroma in Hershey's Chicago smelled more like new clothes while Ghirardelli had a powerful chocolate candy fragrance. And the menu made my stomach growl-ice cream waffle scoops, chocolate shakes, ice cream floats, hot chocolate, cappuccino, peanut butter hot fudge sundaes, banana hot fudge sundaes, banana splits, Rocky Road sundaes, butterscotch hot fudge sundaes, Very Berry sundaes, warm brownie sundaes and so on. Toppings on sundaes included items like pineapples, strawberries, butterscotch, blueberries and almonds.

Domingo Ghirardelli, the creator of Ghirardelli stores, who started his first location in one of San Francisco's historic piers, the Ghirardelli Square, wasn't playing around. According to the menu, "Ghirardelli Chocolate, unlike many other manufactories, proudly controls all steps of the chocolate making process, providing customers with ultimate chocolate quality."

From what I tasted and smelled while I was there, the quality and presentation was outstanding. I will not let another downtown Chicago shopping opportunity pass before I visit this location again. So do I agree with the guy who said Hershey's Chicago is more commercial? Yes. Which chocolate is better? From the two samples I tasted, I'd say Ghirardelli, but I'd go to the Hershey's Chicago store to shop for candles and maybe a shirt or two. Both of their hot chocolates are entirely too sweet. I prefer Starbuck's hot chocolate more, but it might be due to my recent favoritism towards dark chocolate.

Your turn. Which chocolate factory do you like more?

Additional Notes: This entry was published by the Chicago Fragrance Examiner. To check out her fragrance reviews, visit the Examiner link.