Caleb P., New England Conservatory
In previous posts, this blog has mentioned many excellent restaurants that deliver satisfying food while still keeping prices low. In today’s economy, students should be prudent and save money wherever they can—except, that is, when a certain restaurant serves food so exceptional, so well-presented, and so mind-engaging that to not experience it once would be a truly poor use of funds. L.A. Burdick, a chocolate boutique in Harvard Square, is such an example.
Any weekend during the nippy Boston winter, one can expect a line of die-hard chocolate lovers and gawking tourists neatly filed in front of L.A. Burdick’s shop front, just down the block from Harvard Yard. Even during the shortened hours of Columbus Day, empty rope lines guard the front entrance, in preparation for a possible surge. The interior looks deceptively cramped, probably because seating and table space have been compromised in favor of display shelves for wooden boxed assortments, chocolate penguins and rabbits, and of course, a whole shelf of instant-powdered versions of their famous hot chocolate.
Every low stool in the room is taken, and every table is graced with a rapidly emptying cup of L.A. Burdick’s fresh hot chocolate. The true reason for the ridiculously long line reveals itself: the hot chocolate at L.A. Burdick carries such a reputation—and backs it so well—that the curious flock from all over Boston come to savor it just once. The mix of flavors in one mug makes it impossible to drink less than a generous sip, for fear of possibly missing a note. The sweet but complex dark chocolate blends with steamed milk, then finishes with a rich aftertaste of cocoa beans that sends warmth all over the body. One almost requires a glass of water to accompany the residue of real chocolate still coating the tongue afterward.
L.A. Burdick also offers a wide selection of pastries to accompany the drinks, and these too are exquisite in taste as well as preparation. The Harvard Square—their rich square of chocolate cake—has walnuts densely baked into the bottom layer with a velvety layer of ganache on top. A carefully-placed walnut garnishes the fresh layer of cacao powder to complete the small corner of cake. L.A. Burdick’s neatly-presented pastries complement their rich hot chocolate well, but any one of them could also stand alone as a sufficient desert, with perhaps a glass of warm milk to cleanse the palate.
For the intense chocolate experience offered, L.A. Burdick’s prices justify themselves while still staying in students’ dessert budget. A single generous mug of hot chocolate costs three dollars, while a large mug to share did not exceed five dollars. Pastries and confections were a little pricier, but still make excellent gift ideas for a chocolate-loving friend, or an unforgettable birthday cake for the family. Whether to celebrate a special event, or just to pamper the sweet tooth on a cold afternoon, L.A. Burdick has the decisively best cup of hot chocolate a student can, and really should, buy.
