September 2, 2005

Out of the Woods

Woodhouse Chocolate

As was once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates.”

And while Forrest didn’t specify which brand, had he known a thing or two, he’d likely have recommended Woodhouse, the St. Helena-based chocolatier that cranks out the most delicious treats we’ve had in ages. How the charming family-owned and operated spot has remained under the radar is somewhat of an enigma.

These gems come in winning combinations like Bananas Foster (fresh cream whipped with butter and rum-flambeed bananas with brown-sugar caramel in a white chocolate shell), Cinnamon Toast (white chocolate ganache with cinnamon and wrapped in dark chocolate), Honey (milk chocolate ganache with honey butter in a dark chocolate shell dusted with gold), and Thai Ginger (coconut- and lemongrass-infused dark chocolate ganache surrounding crystallized ginger).

Choose your fix — mixed, mostly dark, dark and milk, or mostly white — and get a box of 12, 24, or, heck, just go for 48. They’re not just delicious, they’re totally affordable.

Talk about a taste of the sweet side of life.

Woodhouse Chocolate, 1367 Main Street, St. Helena (800-966-3468 or woodhousechocolate.com).