Chicago - The Ghirardelli Store

Last week I was on spring break, so my family and I popped down to Chicago for a bit.

a.k.a. Gotham City

Since I get most of my values from my family, you can probably guess that my family values food.
Especially chocolate.
And although I despise tourist traps, I have to bow down to the beacon of chocolatey heaven that is the Ghirardelli store.

As soon as you walk in, you're greeted with a warm hello and a single square of chocolate.

A few paces in, you'll find enormous bins filled with these squares and big 1/2 pound bags. Typically, there will be several women huddle around the bins, carefully considering each chocolate before snatching up several squares and putting them into their bags. And, of course, there's the pre-bagged chocolate.

I surveyed the chocolates while nibbling on my own, but not even the displays of chocolatey deliciousness could distract me from the main attraction.
The SMELL.
Ghirardelli has a menu of signature sundaes and shakes, which means they make their own waffle cones. The smell of those things baking fill the room with sugary sweetness that reminds me of summer trips to the ice cream parlor.
Unfortunately, seeing as my family and I were going to go eat dinner in 2 hours, I didn't treat myself to one of the glorious looking sundaes being served to patrons all around me.

(I also couldn't grab a pic without looking like an extreme creeper)
Fortunately, I found this little beauty online. It's a picture-perfect example of what I was seeing roll out from behind the counter.

image from Tumblr

But, I did grab a coffee and my mom grabbed a croissant - a nice afternoon snack.

And I know I said I hate tourists traps, usually because they're busy, crowded, and have enormous lines for food, but the Ghirardelli store on a weekday was incredibly calm and normal. Instead of feeling like a hotspot off of Michigan Avenue, it had a corner ice cream and coffee shop feel.
With a lot more chocolate ;)

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