For all you chocolate fanatics out there, July 7 is Chocolate Day. If you’d like to try something different than just truffles and chocolate bars, dip your toes into trying food dipped in chocolate. Go out on Thursday and celebrate chocolate by consuming as many chocolate strawberries, pretzels and marshmallows as you want.

Skip on into Old Town and look for the blue awning. A candy maker who learned the trade from his uncle, an employee of The Mars Candy Company, founded the Fudge Pot in 1963. They use fresh ingredients and all confections are made on location in front of the store so everyone passing by can watch. Look for the chocolate dipped strawberries to try. If you’re still hungry, try one of the ten flavors of fudge. They’re even open until 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays for those late night cravings.

Do you love chocolate dipping so much you want to bring it to your next event whether it is a wedding (good-bye wedding cake) or a fundraiser? Desiree Chocolates can bring the chocolate dipping station to you. You can dip everything from fresh seasonal fruits, to pretzels, marshmallows, potato chips and Gummi Bears. Desiree and her staff will do the dipping; you can just sit back and watch the magic happen.

E-mail: info@chocolatetruffles.com

If you’re looking for award-winning chocolate to eat on Chocolate Day, look no further. Chocolate Potpourri has won gold medals from the International Association of Chocolatiers, Capital Chefs Association and American Culinary Federation. They hand create all their chocolate magic right here in Glenview. They might be known for their truffles, but it wouldn’t hurt to try something different like their chocolate pretzel balls. The pretzel balls are covered in white, milk or dark chocolate and then have a sprinkling of colorful non-pareils.

You may know Vosges for their weird concoctions of chocolate bars like bacon and chocolate, or sweet Indian curry, coconut and chocolate. But amongst all the unusual, you can find chocolate covered marshmallows, chocolate covered caramels and peanut butter bons bons. Stop by the Northbridge Mall on Michigan Avenue on your way home from work and treat yourself to a delicacy. But remember to eat quickly before it melts in the summer heat.

Chocolates By Gini

Website: chocolatesbygini.com
Fax: 630-705-9820
E-mail: nellig@aol.com

If dark chocolate is good for you, and strawberries are good for you, then the combination together…well it has to be healthy. If you know someone who should be celebrating Chocolate Day but isn’t, then you can get them one dozen strawberry roses, 12 berries hand-dipped with fancy toppings. Or if you’re looking for something else, try the dipped cookies, pretzels or cherries. Otherwise, treat yourself to something extra special on this Chocolate Day.

Rachel Azark is a writer and lives on Chicago’s northwest side. Read more of her work on her blog parksandpancakes.com.