Beginning in the heart of the beautiful NC mountains in 2007, Black Mountain Chocolate quickly escalated to bring only the finest crafted chocolate in North Carolina, created from the cocoa bean itself. They “believe that things that are worth doing are worth doing well.”

They are now located in the newly constructed facility in the Bailey South Building of Downtown Winston-Salem with a large open patio connected to Cugino Forno Pizzeria and Incendiary Brewing Company. It’s the perfect place to catch up with a friend over their World-Famous Chocolate Chunk Cookie, finish off the night with their made-from-scratch Chocolate Martinis, or to simply grab a sweet treat as you work away in their cozy yet spacious inside seating.

Our early afternoon treat began with their specialty Traditional Eclairs that were crisp and filled with a homemade creamy vanilla pastry cream that was bursting with vanilla flavor, but not too sweet. It was finished with a generous layer of scratch-made chocolate ganache and then their cacao nibs for a little added crunch. However, there is a catch. Their specialty eclairs are only available on the weekends, and often sell out within a couple of hours!

Next up is their Chocolate Overload Cheesecake that is, well, the most chocolate-infused cheesecake of your dreams. But what keeps you coming back is not only just the rich, decadent chocolate, but the multiple levels of texture. It has an Oreo crust that is perfectly crunchy, the cheesecake is covered in milk chocolate for a velvety soft consistency, and there’s also cacao nibs mixed within the cheesecake batter for a little added crunch.

And if you’re looking for a gluten-free cake option, then you’ll have to give their Chocolate Turtle Torte a run for its money. Between the 70% creamy chocolate ganache filling, you’ll find a gooey caramel sauce and toasted pecans for an irresistible cake that’ll just melt in your mouth.

Before diving into their assortment of chocolate truffles, let me introduce you to their celebrated Chocolate Chunk Cookie that left each of us at the table in shock that a cookie could taste this good. Made with both their Signature Dark Chocolate and Mountain Milk Chocolate to please every palate, it’s no wonder it was voted Best in NC by Yelp and Cosmopolitan. As they say at Black Mountain Chocolate, “once you have a bite, you will be a fan for life!”

Their hand-crafted, artisan chocolate truffles are each made from scratch with their own chocolate and filled with luxurious local flavors. And there is variety to choose from, like their Texas Pete Truffle. Experience true local roots with this sweet and spicy chocolate truffle that offers rich chocolatey notes in the beginning and a little kick of heat at the end. They also have one that “tastes like Christmas” as I heard someone say, and I couldn’t find a better way to describe it! The chocolate truffle uses a wine from the local Raylen Vineyards, reduces it and then adds mulling spices like ginger, cardamom, cloves, orange, and lemon for an abundance of flavor. A few other truffles include their Vegan Chamomile & Lavender Truffle, Coffee Truffle, Orange Truffle, Mountain Milk Truffle, and Bourbon Truffle.

Our publisher, Brooke, and friend, Tamara, enjoyed their Espresso Martini that was like a grown-up coffee with cream, whipped cream vodka, coffee liqueur, and espresso. They also sampled their Shot Chocolate, which was a warm, chocolatey drink with vodka, chocolate liqueur, and Black Mountain Chocolate’s Drinking Chocolate. And lastly, they tried their Nib’s Old Fashioned that was full-bodied with a hint of chocolate, bourbon, agave, and cocoa bitters. Their Chocolate Bar service also provides a wide variety of coffees using fresh roasted and local coffee beans.

Thank you, Black Mountain Chocolate for such a delightful winter afternoon. And if your stomach is grumbling like ours was after reading this, here is your sign to head on over to Black Mountain Chocolate and tell them the Forsyth Foodie said hi!

Black Mountain Chocolate is located in the Innovation Quarter Coal Pit | 540 North Patterson Avenue Suite 110 in downtown Winston-Salem. Learn more about BMC at blackmountainchocolate.com