by Terrance Mc Arthur
Our roving food critic Terrance Mc Arthur continues his search for great food in Sanger and the surrounding communities. Check out more Great Food Search here!
December time, wintertime, Christmas time, fog-and-snow-and-bitter-cold time and my heart turns to thoughts of…Hot Chocolate, Cocoa or whatever you want to call a deep brown mug of warmth with whipped cream on top.
A tower of cocoa from Yosemite Falls Cafe.
Mammoth mugs from IHoP. Caramel to the left, Cinnamon to the right, and do-si-do! Yee-haw!
Of course, you can’t talk about hot drinks without talking about Starbucks (512 Academy Ave, Sanger), where there is more than unpronounceable coffee-based products to be had. There is a Hot Cocoa ($3.20 for a Grande) that is chocolate-y and rich to the borders of Dark Chocolate, covered with an S-curve of whipped topping with a couple of extra curves. With a lid on top, the whipped cream blends its way through the whole drink, softening the taste. Have something to munch on and time to spare and you’ll be happier than someone in a Geico commercial.
You can go out for Hot Chocolate or you can make it at home, and what can be cozier than snuggling with someone you love with a steaming mug of hot cocoa on a frosty night in front of a DVD of a crackling fireplace? Hey! My body generates a lot of heat, so I don’t need a real fire…and I don’t want to run the risk of burning down the house.
Look for this logo to find Stephen's delicious hot chocolate with chunks of candy cane in it!
At Dollar Tree (I was shopping for something else), I found a box of Swiss Miss Classic Marshmallow, six packets, for…one dollar. Mixed with hot milk, it’s smooth and gentle with petite icebergs of white marshmallow floating around the edges.
Now that I have admitted to the chocolate-lover’s version of a pub crawl, I can tell you…I still crave chocolate! Put a round box of Nesquick or a bag of Hershey’s Miniatures in front of me and you’ll see some serious carnage! I admit to a fondness for Yosemite Falls, but IHoP had a double whammy of choices and Starbuck’s was really rich and dark. I think I’m looking forward the most to a hot cocoa from…Yosemite Falls Café.
As for the make-at-home variety–let me know if you can find a reliable supply of metal-topped Stephen’s Candycane Cocoa and I’ll like you a lot!
Check out more food articles and more of Terrance’s Great Food Search column in our Food Fun section.
I love hot chocolate. After reading this article, I can’t wait to go home from work and have a cup of hot chocolate. Now I have several places to visit too.