THE CHOCOLATE BAR

She says:
The Chocolate Bar is a welcome addition to Atlanta’s dessert scene, a landscape typified by large, ultra-sweet cheesecakes and candy-topped slices of cake from places like Intermezzo Café and Apres Diem. With a refreshing focus on intense flavors and innovative creations, the Chocolate Bar is a place for the gourmand, not the glutton. Located in downtown Decatur, this sleek café boasts a handsome décor and an eager staff. It’s an ideal place for a first date or girls’ night out (which would probably categorize about 95% of the clientele the evening we visited).

The menu contains some appealing non-dessert items, like curried popcorn and a nice selection of cheeses. However, I had come to a place called “the Chocolate Bar” for one reason and one reason only… chocolate. That said, in terms of the dessert selection, the menu was surprisingly devoid of chocolate. Downtown Boy and I tried the two chocolate items on the menu that night, neither of which provided the decadent, orgasm-inducing experience I was looking for. But, to be fair, we did not sample from the intriguing variety of truffles and chocolates that populate the display counter.

He says:
Unlike Uptown Girl I wasn’t seeking an orgasm, per se, but I was looking forward to a fun and creative dessert. The Oreos and milk fit the bill. Two soft chocolate soufflés freckled with kosher salt sandwiched a white chocolate ganache to make up the “Oreo.” Alongside, an egg-shaped scoop of milk sorbet made up the “milk.” I found the ganache a bit much for my taste unless directly paired with the sorbet to temper its radical sweetness. Perhaps the soufflés should have used more dark chocolate to subdue the ganache? Or maybe more salt could have been sprinkled over the Oreo to hone the dessert’s complexity? The iced mocha I ordered was okay but not as robust as those found in Atlanta’s better coffee shops.

She says:
I sprung for the caramel ganache and chocolate sorbet, since Creative Loafing’s review had pronounced it most suitable for the “rabid chocoholic.” The caramel ganache was excellent… the caramel flavor of the very thick, creamy, goo (for lack of a better word) was intense – sort of like the intensity of a cup of strong, good, black coffee. But sweet. And vaguely chocolatey.

I also tried a sip of a friend’s chocolate martini, which was as rich and chocolately as I could hope for, with a strong alcoholic zing. That’s what I’m getting next time.

She says:
Welcome to Atlanta, Chocolate Bar!



He says:
A little less sucrose, Chocolate Bar!



The Chocolate Bar
201 W Ponce de Leon Ave, Suite C, Decatur, GA 30030
http://www.thechocolatebardecatur.com/index.html