Our favorite artisan chocolate shop was closed today due to the rainstorm, and my husband and I…read morewere craving handmade chocolates. A quick Yelp search led us to Le Rouge... Upon entering the shop, we got a whiff of a putrid smell. To my husband, it smelled like a dirty public toilet. To me, it smelled like rotten leftovers. We also noticed the shop was not very clean. The floor looked dirty, and the place just looked disorganized. Like as if they were in the midst of a move. Next, onto the service. We each picked four different flavors. The sales associate used his BARE hands to retrieve each one. This is UNACCEPTABLE. Even if he is using sanitizer prior to retrieving the chocolates, this is an unsanitary practice. Sure, the chocolates have paper cups, however my husband did order one orange almond cluster which does not have any covering or paper cup. The sales associate handed the cluster with his BARE HANDS. Gross! I don't believe I've ever been served chocolate without someone wearing gloves... even in a third world country. The chocolates unfortunately were STALE! They all tasted like they had been sitting out for several days. They did not taste high quality - I'm sorry to say that they were barely a step above Russel Stover chocolates. The packaging is nice, though. We love supporting small businesses and especially women of color owned businesses, but unfortunately this place did not meet our expectations. Would not return nor recommend to anyone.

I'm a chocolate snob and make it a point to design walking tours of cities around chocolate…read moreboutique locations (hey - it's a great way to see a city!). My point: I've had A LOT of chocolate in the States and around the world. I've lived in Southern CT for two years. Le Rouge is probably the best in Fairfield County. I have good news and, well, two suggestions: -The chocolates are rich and well made. The flavor profiles are excellent. Really, this place does an excellent job with flavors. I do recommend it! -Suggestion #1: offer options with cheaper packaging. Yes, I know chocolate boutiques have a lot of overhead. And I'm a person who readily forks out $100+ for chocolate samples when traveling. Le Rouge is just too expensive, and I'm not sure the expense matches the product. Again, the chocolate is really, really good BUT.... My current favorite chocolate shop is in NYC and is very pricey, but the truffles are exceptional and the boutique is paying NYC rent. I wonder if Le Rouge can offer a packaging option that doesn't use its high quality boxes for locals just looking to bring 6 truffles home. I suspect that part of the reason that the prices are so high is because the packaging is expensive. In addition to a nice gift box for a friend, I asked for two truffles in a small bag. The clerk told me they couldn't do this. So... La Rouge lost out on the money I would have spent on two additional truffles. I wonder how often this happens and what money is potentially lost? -Suggestion #2: In all the many, many, many boutiques I've been to in the US, Canada, and Europe, every one of them has provided a "chocolate key." This key is sometimes glossy and gorgeous. It sometimes low-key and practical. The point: it's always there! The "keys" are consistent and help the customer identify what they're about to eat. The clerk at Le Rouge told me that the boutique does not hand out a chocolate key/guide/pamphlet because the flavors are often changed. Huh? What? I suggest being consistent. One shape should always be the _____ flavor. The next should be the _____ flavor. If the shop needs to buy more molds to accommodate different flavor profiles, it's worth the investment. OR...if a particular mold is used as a daily/weekly "wild card", I suggest using a color or other indication that it's a particular flavor. One boutique that I frequent uses the same mold for every truffle it makes. However, the truffles are all adorned with a different color to identify the flavor within. Even 10 years later, I know exactly what I'm getting per the color of the truffle top. Again, this is a great place. I would purchase chocolate here more frequently if the price made it a little more accessible to non-wealthy locals. (And, yes, I have no problem paying current prices if I need a fancy box for gift-giving. Sometimes, I just want some nice truffles at home sans fancy packaging.)

This place is a jewel. We almost missed it as the shop is set back from the road a bit…read more Hand made, beautiful chocolates the likes of which I haven't had since I lived in Paris. You can even peek through a window and see them being made on premises. The packaging is also gorgeous if you're looking for a nice gift for a chocolate-lover.

We had the best time at the Chocolatieree class! Chef Eloise is extremely friendly, knowledgeable,…read moreand just so personable! Her passion and love for chocolate made learning and making chocolate so memorable and fun! Now what you're all actually reading this for.. the chocolate. It was absolutely fantastic! Every bite was delicious! The Espresso Martini Chocolate was to die for and the Caramel by the Sea was mouth watering! Seriously some of the best chocolate around! Will definitely be stopping here again in the future.

Had a wonderful,memorable experience at BE Chocolate. We along with our friends took a chocolate…read moremaking class with the very talented Benoit Raquet. His passion and enthusiasm for chocolate was easy to see. We were all caught up in his enthusiasm in just moments. Two of us cannot tolerate dairy he was kind and talented enough to change the recipe so we were able to make dark chocolate espresso cups that we all could enjoy. We had a fabulous time and came home with amazing chocolates we had made. After tasting a couple of other chocolates I may have come home with an additional selection of BE Chocolats. We traveled to Belgium often over the years due to business. Benoit and BE Chocolat brought back such wonderful memories. The chocolates are so special crafted with thought and talent making them out of this world. You can tell time was taken to source the very best ingredients. I have to add I've been on a quest for years to find a wafel like those I'd treat myself to in Belgium here in the states. I'd been unsuccessful up until now. BE Chocolat's wafels are amazing I was transported back to Belgium with the first bite. Highly recommend! Can't wait to go back.

This place has some of the best Belgian chocolate in the Northeast! They use Callebaut, which is…read morehigh quality Belgian chocolate, and offer a variety of French style chocolates/bonbons as well as chocolate bars and gelato. They have rotating seasonal flavors and some mainstays such as Pistachio, Blood Orange, Bailey's, Marshmallow (and they actually use marshmallow in it, rather than just flavoring), Triple C (which is Cardamom, Cinnamon, and Cayenne pepper), Turtle Pecan, Coffee, Biscoff, and Cookies and Cream. A little pricey, sure, but definitely worth the money!

An absolute gem! A…read moredream of a candy store brimming with all kinds of gorgeous chocolates, goodies and much more. The chocolates I bought are wonderful, and the kind, warm service makes it perfect

What a nice little sweet shop and the owner is really nice and helpful. I like chocolate but never…read morecan eat much so I was happy with the per lbs selections. I will be visiting again.

My spouse and I have visited this sweet - excuse the pun - bakery twice now. Both times were…read morewonderful experiences! The staff members were so generous and kind; plus, they make a great iced latte. The ambiance there is elegant yet also laid-back. It's the ideal bakery and cafe to which to come and grab a decadent treat...and then sit down with your partner or a friend and talk for hours. The decor is beautiful and inviting. Also, they have both inside and outside seating (on their patio). We definitely hope to return. There are certain places that just emit a unique charm that's hard to put into words...this delightful French haven is one of them! : ) Go check it out, y'all. Oh, and the "Parmesan and Thyme Baguette" is to die, no, live for!! *Yummy* To your health, Kat PS Big thanks to Luz and her amazing team for helping to make our anniversary a memorable one today! This place is so lovely that we wanted to stop by it on our 15 year wedding anniversary. : )

Have not been in years and learned new owners bought it 8 years ago. They have fabulous opening…read morehours to head over bright and early to get your fresh pastries. I enjoyed a baguette with butter and jam and took home a French bread bag to keep baguettes fresher longer. This was a nice stop after being in Paris.

Everything! Delicious Hungarian pastries! Great service as…read morewell!! Reminiscent of my family baking these yummies!

Ordered a chicken parm panini for $16. Not entirely sure…read morewhat we got - INEDIBLE! Picture attached.

This place absolutely nailed it - every dish was so on point! Outstanding Italian energy. 7-star…read moreexperience!

I ordered the eggplant melanzane because it looked so good in the photo- 2nd picture. The first…read morepicture is what arrived. This is just eggplant sliced thinly with parm on top. It was tasty. I never have had eggplant in this style. I'm just disappointed because it was not what I ordered according to the photo. I wanted sauce, basil and cheese as well as eggpla

I went to their facilities (difficult to find) to pick up exquisite chocolates. The staff could not…read morehave been more friendly. I was offered a few samples and instantly knew that the gift box would be well received.

It was delicious but I'm too fat for this kind of treat…read more Also the older gentleman on the label is an inspiration to us all!

Amazing, Yummy addictive sweets. Love it !!!…read moreGreat for any occasion, no disappointment only filling that you want more

What an absolutely delightful bakery! When we were in town, I just knew we'd have to make a trip…read morehere - do you know how hard it is to find a dedicated gluten free bakery? To add to it, they are completely nut-free as well! And they offer vegan options, too. We got a smattering of cupcakes as well as a brownie and a cookie/caramel/fudge piece of pie that gave me such a sugar high that it made my teeth zing - my teen was in heaven. All of the cupcakes we tried were absolutely delish! From the lemon raspberry to the key lime - all really terrific. I wouldn't hesitate to order for a birthday party here if we lived in the area!

We ordered a chocolate chip cookie cake for my daughter's 7th birthday along with come cookies to…read moredecorate, and we were beyond impressed with how delicious everything was, especially the chocolate chip cookie cake itself. Even 3 days later when we were eating the last piece the cookie still tasted fresh and delicious. The cookie was moist even after three days, and dry out and taste stale like most cookies do after being left out for so long. The frosting took each bite to the next level, and served as the perfect sweet compliment to the cookie. I also grabbed some chocolate covered Oreos, and boy were these beautifully crafted and over the top decadently delicious. This storefront is a bit hidden, which is kind of the perfect metaphor for this hidden gem. If you're looking for some special sweets for your next whatever, look no further and give the Painted Cookie a try!

Through discovering so many amazing local businesses on In The Mix, I found The Painted Cookie out…read moreof Wilton, CT! They do such great work, all their cookies are nut and sesame free and they're so tasty I got some custom cookies to celebrate with my best friend and her bridesmaids for a socially-distant fall get together Working with Susan to design and order these was so easy and I couldn't have been happier with the result! They're tucked away right off Danbury Road in Wilton and open for pick up and shipping. Be sure to look for the gingerbread cookie on the outside of the building!