Cacao Lorenzo Chocolatier

WOW! Cacao Lorenzo's genuine French chocolates are both sophisticated and full of flavor! They are like savoring elegant fine wines. Enjoying them has become an end-of-the-day tradition in our home. Aside from the daily anticipation, there is the painstaking challenge of choosing one handmade Chardon or bonbon. Will it be a milk chocolate Chardon with spikes that roll and prickle around your mouth before slowly melting away to a hard ""shell"" which suddenly collapses, yielding a gush of flavor ? Or a dark chocolate Basque Square made with port-wine-soaked figs that quietly slide over your tongue while awaiting a few fig seeds to crunch? Or a few fresh chocolate-covered hazelnuts to revive the taste sensation once your palate is clean? \r \r We have lived by the Cacao Lorenzo motto for years: ""Live, love, laugh...eat chocolate!"" Try it!\r more

What a delightful surprise to discover such a hidden gem in Baltimore. My husband brought home a box of Cacao Lorenzo's St. Patrick's Day chocolate. These are the best chocolate I have ever had. They are Baileys Irish Truffle Cream white chocolate shamrocks, milk chocolate Irish brown bread, and my favorite Jameson Irish Whiskey dark chocolate blarney stones. more

I really wanted to walk in there and be blown away, I really did. But my simple baseline, dark chocolate (60%), was a huge disappointment. While priced right where I'd expect, it failed to dazzle. I felt like I was eating a nice piece of baking chocolate rather than the stuff of legends. In a taste test at home, my reference dark chocolate, 65% Glarus Criollo, was clearly superior with a flavor and complexity that just explodes in your mouth that makes you want to pop some more in your mouth so you can relive it as long as possible. Maybe the is the difference between French and Swiss... but I really must assume that the bottom line is the quality of cocoa and then the preparation. Something's lacking here. On the other hand, the milk chocolate was great so thumbs u for that, Nice complex and satisfying flavor for the lightweight chocolate lover. A great price of $4.95 for a big, weighty bar of good chocolate. Given that the same dark chocolate is used in a great many of the creations, covered nuts, truffles, etc, I really would hesitate to recommend it to more demanding palates. The occasional chocoholic will like it, but there are other shops with more inspiring presentations and uses of flavors for this die-hard boutique chocolate snob. Might now just take this on the road and post about the German guy around the corner. more

I recently discovered Cacao Lorenzo Chocolatier in Timonium. We are most fortunate to have a chocolatier of this caliber in town. The chocolate is truly in a league of its own, beyond comparison to anything I?ve tried thus far in the vicinity. This stuff is no cheap imitation ? it?s the real thing. The chocolate is French chocolate, hand made by a trained professional who has obviously mastered the craft. Some of my favorites include ?India,? ?Basque,? ?Cappuccino,? and ?Gianduja.? I also tried the roasted hazelnuts in dark chocolate and they were exceptional. I was very impressed with the surprising variety of products in such a small shop. The store is a boutique chocolate shop and beautifully decorated, reminiscent of some the small European shops I have been in. Looks like I?m about to become a regular! Pros: Exceptional Chocolate, Great Variety of Product, Beautiful Store more

French style chocolates, and the taste and quality is superb. Our favorite offerings are the chestnut, pistachio, and honey bon-bons. Unfortunately, Cacao Lorenzo only offers fixed assortments so these come along with many other candies - which are merely tasty.\r \r The owner and staff (usually just the owner) offer excellent service. They operate out of a basement boutique that looks like it could have been a laundry drop-off just a few hours before it was transformed into a chocolate shop. This isn't a negative, but you might doubt you've found the right place when you arrive. I don't know where the chocolates are made but I presume they arrive packaged.\r \r When they have chocolate covered (any fresh fruit) you must get it, and you must eat it quickly. The fruit is carefully selected for ripeness and flavor and is ideal the day it is made and sold. Oh, and you must arrive early. On more than one occasion I have found myself purchasing the last few pieces of the day. Pros: Great flavors Best are chocolate covered and fresh-dipped fruit, bon-bons with nuts. Cons: Pre-made assortments - you can't choose your selections. more

This is the very best chocolate I have ever eaten in my life, better than any I have had from Europe.\r This is fine French chocolate made on the premise in a ""boutique"" chocolate shop. Some of my favorites include ""India,"" ""Basque Square,"" and the ""Media Noche."" Pros: Beautiful store, Wonderful Chocolate!, and convenient location more