Whatever Wednesday: Dessert, Wine & Chocolate Tour

As a student tour guide at my university, I offer all of my prospective students dessert, wine & chocolate…

Just kidding J (Although I hope my university tours are entertaining despite the lack of edibles.)

What the title of today’s Whatever Wednesday post is ACTUALLY referring to is the tummy-pleasing adventure I went on last week. For my friend Chelsea’s 21st birthday (you may recognize her as the nutrition student I interviewed for a past WW post), I signed up for a Dessert, Wine & Chocolate Tour along with Chelsea and our friend Tina. 

The tour is offered by a company created in early 2009, called Boston Chocolate Tours. As the website states, the company offers “a wide array of sumptuous, expertly-guided chocolate experiences” for a reasonable fee.

Our tour began at a Godiva Chocolates shop, one of the most famous international chocolatiers, located right by Faneuil Hall in Downtown Boston. My friends and I crowded into the small store, awkwardly squeezed between the chocolate-covered strawberry display and the Turkey-shaped chocolate molds. Fortunately, an employee soon told us to report to the VIP room upstairs. Me? A VIP? Now I have the badge to prove it!

Once upstairs, we met our tour guide Victoria, along with the 8 or so other participants. The VIP room was stocked with boxes of chocolates and pictures of assorted truffles, from tiramisu to red velvet flavors. After introductions, Victoria jumped right into talking about the history of chocolate. She explained that chocolate and wine actually make an excellent combination, enhancing each other’s strong flavors. In all honesty, I was a little too focused on this spread in front of me to remember everything our guide said:

To my tummy’s delight, we were soon encouraged to sample these sips and sweets: Prosecco champagne (the only non-wine) paired with white chocolate beads, Pinot Noir light red wine paired with milk chocolate squares, and Cabernet dark red wine paired with raspberry-filled dark chocolate squares. Victoria explained that each beverage enhanced the flavor of the specific type of chocolate with which it was paired. My favorite was the Pinot Noir/milk chocolate. Godiva also supplied us with samples of truffles, chocolate disks, a gingerbread chocolate bar, and a free Chocolate Rewards Club card to their store (hello one free truffle per month!).

Next we were headed to Cheers Cafe, where—you guessed it—everybody knows your name! Well, not exactly, especially since our particular restaurant was not the original Cheers bar featured on the classic TV show. We walked past the after-work regulars and were seated at a long booth. 


While waiting for our next treat, our guide talked to us about the origins of the chocolate chip cookie. Massachusetts is actually credited with originating this beloved dessert. Ruth Wakefield, an owner of the Toll House Inn, constantly baked for her guests. She decided to put pieces of Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate in her dough, thinking the chocolate would melt. She was disappointed when the chocolate held its shape, but her guests were delighted! They loved the cookies, and soon Mrs. Wakefield's treats gained widespread attention. Eventually, the Toll House Cookie recipe was printed on the wrapper of the Nestle Chocolate Bars. (Anyone seen the "Friends" episode where Phoebe thinks her grandma created the original recipe??)

Alas, we were not given cookies at Cheers. Instead, we consumed another classic, Beantown-originated treat: Boston Cream Pie! We each got a slice of the round, two-layer cake filled with custard, frosted with chocolate, and decadently topped with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, rainbow sprinkles, and a cherry. Needless to say, I loved this dessert. The richness of the creamy custard was balanced by the moist fluffiness of the cake. However, I think I might prefer a good ol’ Boston Cream Donut from Dunkin Donuts to this pie.

We then walked a very short distance to a surprising location: Wagamama. An Asian restaurant on a Dessert, Wine, and Chocolate Tour? At this location, Victoria talked about chocolate in its purest form. She passed around cocoa nibs and cacao beans for us to smell and feel. 

Turns out we were served tiny bites (and I mean TINY, as in a square inch) of chocolate layer cake. It was yummy, but nothing too impressive. Maybe if I had been giving a bigger piece… ;-) I might have been underwhelmed by our dessert sample, but I will be back to try the restaurant’s cuisine; the spicy smell of pad Thai noodles was so enticing.

We waved goodbye to Wagamama and marched our sugar-high selves over to Ned Devine’s Irish Pub. The bartender whipped up Milky Way Martinis for the whole group, accidentally creating an extra one that went to the tour guide (well, perhaps that was no accident, haha). The beverage contained milk, vanilla vodka, and chocolate and caramel syrups. I definitely signed up for this tour more for the chocolate than the alcohol, so I wasn’t a big fan of this drink; the amount of vodka was pretty strong. I took a few sips and handed the rest over to Tina, who gladly took care of it for me. What a good friend ;-)

During this stop, Victoria also handed out samples of Taza’s Spicy Chili Chocolate. Tazo is known for using organic ingredients to create its high-quality goods. This particular chocolate had a unique kick, but I realized I prefer smoother flavors to this spicy variation.

The next and last stop was a little more up my alley: Emack & Bolio’s Ice Cream Shop! (I may have just turned 21, but I’m still a little kid at heart!) I had never been to this chain before, but since it’s my mom’s favorite ice cream place in Boston, I was excited to see it was on the tour. We were all given generous scoops of Chocolate Ice Cream. By this point, I was a little chocolated-out (blasphemy, I know), so I opted out of the hot fudge topping. Even without that final touch, I devoured every drop of my chilly treat. It was a great way to end the night!

Perhaps it was the company (happy birthday again Chelsea!) or the chance to walk around historical Boston areas or the refreshing break from schoolwork...or…what am I forgetting…oh right, the CHOCOLATE, but whatever the reason, I really enjoyed the Dessert, Wine & Chocolate tour. If you’re a Bostonian or visiting the area, I would recommend checking out this fun attraction. There are kid-friendly tours that just include chocolate samplings offered as well.

Have you ever been on a food or drink tour like this one? What’s your favorite type of chocolate?


Today's Recommended Read: Free Things to Do Around Boston (Boston.com)