Cocoa Season
by Alexia Simitian
Graphic by Deanna Kilma-Rajchel
Winter is well underway here in Boston and as finals are quickly approaching, the Buzz is here to help you out with a way to stay warm and toasty this holiday season. Here are some of the best places around Boston to satisfy your hot chocolate craving.
Tatte Bakery & Café
Tatte Bakery has many locations around Boston, but most convenient for students is the one on Beacon Street, in the heart of Boston University’s South Campus. At this location, there is a regular milk hot cocoa and a white Belgian hot cocoa. Both are of average price and the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth. With the white Belgian flavor, it starts with white chocolate cubes at the bottom of the cup, which is then melted by steamed milk and light stirring.
This all culminates into a unique and a great tasting drink that’s perfect for getting ready for finals. In this Parisian style café, there are also great brunch, lunch and dinner menus, as well as a bakery with hot and cold pastries.
Max Brenner
With eight different flavors of hot chocolate to choose from, Max Brenner is a great place to go if you are looking to sit down and enjoy a dessert hot chocolate. Its flavors range from “Mexican Spicy Hot Chocolate” to “Peanut Butter” to “Hazelnut.” However, my favorite and the most popular option is the ‘Italian Thick” which is just what it sounds like—but served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Located right across the street from the Prudential Center, Max Brenner is the best way to end a day out in Boston and stay warm as the temperatures get particularly frosty. As soon as you open the door, you can smell the sweetness and chocolate smell that instantly makes you extremely hungry. The Max Brenner Boston location also has countless other one-of-a-kind deserts, as well as a full lunch and dinner menu.
L.A. Burdick Chocolate Shop & Café
At the top of my list is my favorite shop in Boston, a well-known café called L.A. Burdick. First glances of the tiny shop are misleading because this sweet café also doubles as a chocolate shop. With its wide range of flavors, the hot chocolate comes in small sizes that include high quality chocolate and a high percentage of cocoa butter.
With locations in Copley Square and Cambridge, it’s no wonder why L.A. Burdick is always busy. With its vintage design and atmosphere, constant sweet smells and calming music, Burdick draws in tourists and locals alike. Students come to socialize and do homework over a cup of Burdick’s highly recommended milk hot chocolate, which is, in my opinion, the richest and best hot chocolate in all of Boston.
Tatte and L.A. Burdick are affordable and great places to study that will give you a break from Mugar Library. Max Brenner’s the place to go celebrate after finals are done. Take a break from the usual Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts and treat yourself to a deliciously sweet cup of hot chocolate to end this semester on a high note.