The hullabaloo of Super Bowl weekend, out of town visitors, and Valentine’s Day was not enough to stop the 6th Annual Belmont Shore Chocolate Festival. Held on Saturday, Feb. 6th, this tasting festival featured a bevy of chocolate concoctions from just about every food and craft boutique along 2nd Street.
Chocolate Festival patrons purchased books of 10 tickets to be redeemed for whichever goodies piqued their palette’s curiosity. Had I embarked by myself, I would surely have been overwhelmed by all the sweets; however, I was fortunate enough to have three lovely chocolate connoisseurs guide me on the quest.
Our first stop was the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, which boasted a daunting line of drooling chocolate devourers. With probably the largest selection of chocolate dipped delights ranging from strawberries to s’mores to bacon (yes, chocolate covered bacon), I opted for a s’more, consisting of 2 marshmallows sandwiched between a graham cracker and slathered in chocolaty goodness. On a normal day, this would have put me over the edge, but I was on a mission and rose to the occasion thusly.
The ladies detoured to Frosted Cupcakery for mini Red Velvet cupcakes that satisfied even the lone Red Velvet holdout. From there it was on to Yogurtland for what really needs to be tasted to be understood: chocolate and mint yogurt topped with chocolate chips and brownie bits. At this point the chocolate coma was starting to creep up, but I soldiered on for the good of the group.
The longest line of the day turned out to be both the orneriest and the most worthwhile, and that was at Le Creperie. A queue that was consistently well over 100 anxious folks tapped their feet in excitement awaiting chocolate crepes filled with Nutella and strawberries. They actually sold out of these delicious little pockets before the end of the festival, much to the chagrine of those that arrived too late. I can honestly say that they missed out, as it was my favorite treat of the day.
Desperately in need of a stroll to walk off some chocolate, we meandered to the other end of the strip, where we found a pleasant surprise: BJ’s was slinging mini Pizzookies, with a dollop of vanilla ice cream atop a chocolate chip cookie. They were just the right size and sweetness to cap off a gluttonous day of chocolate chowing.
While I only scratched the surface of the festival, this much dessert far exceeded my normal intake, but it was well worth it. A festive crowd enjoyed another gorgeous Long Beach day, supporting local businesses along the way. Next year we’ll even give you a heads up so you don’t miss it, but for now all this chocolate talk has made me sleepy. I’m off to dream of my next meal.