I finally found a chocolate icon.

I've heard extensive things about Norman Love chocolates, all of them wonderful, and all of them making me sigh wistfully because there's no way I can justify going to Florida just for some chocolates and I can't afford the shipping costs, either. Well, one of the shops I visited today on one of my Saturday explorations - up to the Strip District, through Downtown, back into Squirrel Hill - sells them. When I saw the boxes on the counter, I stopped to stare, and when I learned the store sold individual truffles, I said the only thing I could: "I'll have one of everything, please."

There was a huge S'More Love, a milk hazelnut, a dark raspberry, two single-origin darks, a cookies-and-cream milk, a peanut-butter milk, and a white vanilla cupcake. And I learned everything I'd heard about them was true. So true. The raspberry one was astounding, taking the idea of the flavor of raspberry and turning it into a ganache that was nearly impossibly smooth and rich, perfect for rolling over the tongue to savor how tart and sweet it was, and the hazelnut had a joyful hint of cinnamon that made it spark just right.

It was a trip getting there, and I wanted to save them for when I got back to the house, but not as much as I wanted to eat them without worrying about them melting. I suppose I'll just have to wait to go back and get more.