Jupiter Pluvius has cursed me!

Those that know me, know that I have an unhealthy affinity for sweets.  I will skip entire nourishing, healthful meals just to get to desserts.  In fact, desserts are not just a compliment at the end of the meal.  For me, they are the reason for the meal.  Chocolate may be my favorite type of sweet.

So, try to imagine, if you will, my anticipation heading into Friday, January 13.  Our plans were to visit the chocolate factory in The Hill neighborhood. 

For roughly a week, I had been dreaming and drooling, thinking about a business simply and wonderfully named, Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company.  Visions of a chocolate river, crème-filled toadstools and bustling Oompa Loompas filled my waking reveries.

So, after a perfunctory morning meal at Shaw’s Coffee, I hurriedly drove to this magical fantasy land, anticipating the smells and samples.  Upon arrival, it seemed odd that the visitor parking lot was empty, but it was a week day and forecasts for winter ice storm, “Jupiter,” had undoubtedly intimidated the less motivated….the uninspired.

So, I ran to the front doors of the factory, half expecting to see a peculiar gentleman in a top hat, carrying a walking stick…  Only to find the entrance locked and this sign posted.

Sensing my disappointment, Mel suggested, that since we were passing the two remaining bakeries left on our Hill Of A Year list, that we stop by one of them.  CURSE YOU JUPITER!  

The first one, Marconi Bakery, is mainly a bread bakery.  They do pizzas, by the slice for lunch….and we will have to stop by for a slice at a future date.  But feeling a little awkward about walking in expecting sweets and only seeing bread….we picked up a small bag of seasoned crostini.  They were very good, we ate them with our dinner.  https://www.facebook.com/marconibakery/

So, one last ditch effort was Vitale’s Bakery, where…I just wasn’t feeling it.  They have a selection of delicious looking cookies as well as their famous breads….but we still have Christmas cookies.  So, we picked up two Ricotta Puffs for breakfast on Saturday.  Mine was wonderful and light tasting for such a dense delicacy.  You can bet we will be going back for some cookies.

http://www.vitalesbakerystl.com/

More from the bakeries when we go there for real.....