Reviews by barbb

barbb says "Intensely delicious" about Girardelli's Intense Dark Chocolate

barbb — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:21:48 GMT

I think this is the perfect dark chocolate. You just bite into it and you realize that the others are just a pale imitation. I'm surprised there isn't a religion that incorporates dark chocolate as part of its rituals (or maybe there is, but they just stay inside and eat chocolate all day, so we never hear about them).

This chocolate is so smooth, it doesn't even break apart when you bite into it. It's more like it just parts into pieces and then they all melt together. It is really luscious. The flavor is rich and not too sweet, with a very mildly bitter aftertaste that just keep reminding you that you want more.

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barbb says "Irresistible" about Dove Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds

barbb — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:15:51 GMT

I have good will power, but this is one kind of chocolate I can't stop eating. Dove really knows how to make dark chocolate right. I don't know what they do, but they have the texture perfect. You can just let the chocolate melt in your mouth and it stays smooth and creamy right to the end. Then you bite into the crunchy almond in the middle, and you get a whole new texture and taste. Wow! These are great!!

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barbb says "Fancy name, good flavor, but too sweet" about Hershey's Cacao Reserve

barbb — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:11:04 GMT

This chocolate is interesting. It has a nice, rich, fruity chocolate flavor and a good aftertaste, which I am coming to understand actually depends on the variety of chocolate beans and where they are grown. I think Hershey's ruined that lovely chocolate taste, though, by trying to make it taste like milk chocolate. I think dark chocolate should taste grown-up. A little bitter with the sweet is what makes it so delicious. This is really sweet and it also lacks the creamy texture that you find in the best chocolate (Girardelli's and Dove, to name two). Maybe it's because they added milk (most dark chocolate doesn't have milk in it).

I think they started with good chocolate, but they got wimpy and tried to back off. That was a mistake.

The aftertaste really is nice, though. I can still taste it after writing this whole review. Maybe that's worth it, especially if you just want to have a tiny piece and get a lot of enjoyment.

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barbb says "Not as good as the one from Ecuador" about Unique Origin Varietal Chocolates -- Ocumare

barbb — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:02:38 GMT

This brand of chocolate has several varieties, each one made only from chocolate from a specific region. I never knew there was such a difference in the chocolate itself -- I always thought some tasted better just because of how it was processed or the other flavors that were added, but this has no added flavors, and there is definitely a difference. You can get this at Trader Joe's.

This one is from Venezuela, and I actually was disappointed. The flavor was ok, but it wasn't very interesting, and it just disappeared after the chocolate was gone, with none of the lingering sweet aftertaste some chocolate has. Guess this variety just isn't my favorite. I loved the Guaranda, which is from Ecuador. It was really interesting, though, to taste them side by side and compare.

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barbb says "The best chocolate is from Ecuador" about Unique Origin Varietal Chocolates Guaranda

barbb — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 23:54:05 GMT

This brand of dark chocolate is for true chocolate lovers. They make several varieties, and each one is made of chocolate only from a particular region. You can get them at Trader Joe's.

This one is delicious! It turns out, the chocolate I adore is from Ecuador! I always thought that special taste in Hershey's Extra Dark with blueberries, cranberries and almonds was the taste of the fruit in it, but this chocolate (which has no flavors added) has that same sweet, rich, fruity taste that lingers on your tongue even after it's all gone.

I think chocolate tasting parties are going to be the new thing. Guess the party'll have to go all night, though, since no one will want to sleep after they've been tasting chocolate.

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barbb says "Order the walleye" about Lazy River Grill - Ballwin, MO

barbb — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:40:22 GMT

This is a great little restaurant. The walleye special is oustanding! Of course, walleye is delicious fish, but this is pan-fried and crispy on the outside, hot and moist on the inside, just delicious. The side salad is really nice, with black beans and sunflower seeds, and the house dressing is great.

The place is small, and sometimes it's hard to get in on a Friday or Saturday night (I'm not sure whether they take reservations). I wish they were open for lunch on the weekends. The prices are reasonable, and service is good. This is a really nice place for a casual dinner.

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barbb says "This college is incredibly supportive and friendly" about Beloit College

barbb — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:39:54 GMT

We just went through the New Student Days at Beloit College (my son is a freshman there). By the end of the first day, he was really excited about the College and felt like he was already part of the community. At that point, they told the parents to leave so that the students could start their college life. We felt totally confortable leaving him there, and confident that the school would let him make his own way and grow in his own direction, but would also give him any guidance and support he needs in making the transition to adulthood.

I have nothing but good feelings about this college. Their sappy college songs even have funny lyrics about the ever-present smell of cheese in Wisconsin.

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