Came across Kirchmayr chocolates for the first time at the EU State of the Arts in Washington…read moreWorld, Food Market this past weekend (mid September). What a wonderful find! Their chocolates are first class! I am a bit of a chocolate snob and these are delicious! Started by buying and sampling a glassine 4 piece pack then decided to buy a 26 piece box and chocolate medallions. Superb! Wish they had a store closer. They said they do have an on-line shop.

Bought a large selection as a Christmas present for my brother, his daughter and her husband. Once…read moremy niece found them, along with her husband, they didn't last very long. Going to have to go back there and get some just for me... The service was top-notch, very quaint little store...

On the way to a friend's birthday party, (Apr 2026), inspiration struck: Bring classic Rheb's…read moreCandies' handmade chocolates! Hand-making chocolates since 1917, Rheb's is a 4th-generation family business, hidden on Bloomfield since 1950. It's just north of US-1 Wilkens Ave near Caton Ave, in a tiny little stand-alone building with a red tiled roof, a stone-like facade, and a hand-written red neon sign above the white corner-facing door. You'll walk in facing an L-shaped candy counter, with some Maryland-themed products and some pre-packaged treats along the other walls. Take a number by the door if there's a line. We waltzed right up to the counter at noon on a weekday :-) You can buy by-the-piece, or by-the-pound in various size boxes, pre-selected or chosen one or two at a time. We got a boxed half-pound for our friend, one of these, a few of those, plus a handful for ourselves :-), and some Maryland merch. They have so many varieties! We got milk-chocolate, dark-chocolate, white-chocolate. Nut clusters and turtles, chocolate-covered cherries, caramels, creams and buttercreams and truffles, and one "Birthday Cake" vanilla cream with multi-color candy sprinkles over a soft milk-chocolate shell. Each lovingly created original was fresh and more-than-delicious. Now, when you choose your own, you pay by weight, and our box was a little over the pre-made-half-pound $15.60. I promise you, it was worth every penny. (Remember pennies?) Our friend loved her wrapped birthday-box of Rheb's so much that she didnt share a one! She said she finished the half-pound in two days!!! I call that self-control. Our handful of singly selected candies barely made it to our home :-) You pay at the counter where you order. Rheb's Candies is open 9am-4:45pm, closed on Sundays, in the little building on Bloomfield that was originally half of the garage to their home! You can find a classic portrait photo of Louis and Esther Rheb to the left of the candy counter. There's only a handful of street parking spaces out front, but there's a little more about a block away in the neighborhood. Since Aug 2025, they have a storefront in Mt . Airy, too! Road trip!!! Oh, and they ship! But be careful about the temperature en route.

Rheb's has always my go-to spot for chocolates! I don't care the season: spring, summer, fall, or…read morewinter, there is always a time for chocolate! The service is always great. Pleasant ladies in their smocks taking orders. The ambiance fluctuates. During late spring and summer, it's usually pretty calm and you can walk in, grab a number, and be out with your box of goodies in a matter of minutes. During the fall and especially winter around the holidays, it can be hectic, chaotic, and crowded with folks spilling out of the door and having to endure long wait times, but, I have to say, it's worth it! The chocolates (you can choose from milk, dark,or white for some items) are fresh and made with quality ingredients that keeps folks coming year after year, including me! All in all, a family owned shop that has been around for years that produces some of the best chocolate candies in the Baltimore area. A must visit for anyone.

Oh how I wish this was in California... Sacré Sucré has everything I like in a cafe, delicious yet…read morebeautiful desserts, extensive tea list, and a chic place to study/dine in I ended up having the Desert Rose, assorted macarons, and the Fukujyu Sencha. I was completely blown away at the complexity of the Desert Rose, from the individual layers of apple petals, to the refreshing sage and apple compote within the petals. Undeniably one of the highlights of my recent Baltimore trip.

Cute little bakery cafe in Baltimore! The ambiance is beautiful, nice seating areas spread around…read more They had a great selection of desserts and drinks. The desserts, although beautiful, were on the pricier side. I tried the berry lychee cake and it was delicious! The iced coffee was yummy too. Parking was very hard to find on a Sunday afternoon so I ended up parking in a garage.

So it seems like people know about this place; but I still feel like, at least for dine in, it…read morefeels like a hidden gem. We were there at 7 on a Saturday night (we were a few minutes late because we had a little trouble finding parking) and there was one other couple there and a small birthday party in the other section, but that was it. Whatever they're doing here for dine in, they need to keep doing. It's amazing. If dine in is this good, their catering must be insanely good. Service was wonderfully attentive. We both did the retaurant week menu, which is a great deal for $45 per person. Between us, we got the Maple salmon, Teriyaki chicken (with truffle oil pommes frites), "unconventional Caesar" salad, chicken dumplings appetizer and Sweet potato bread pudding for dessert. Everything was honestly amazing and so tasty. The chicken was succulent and pulled apart easily and the fries were delightful. My wife loved her salmon. Our appetizers were great. The bread pudding too. We will be back! If you're around their neck of the woods, go. One post-script note:The menu is a bit tricky to look at online, because you have to download it to your phone/tablet/computer first, and that's just a smidge fiddly if you peruse prior to showing up. But that's not a Water For Chocolate thing, that's a technology thing.

This is a small but REALLY nice restaurant! While there was music playing, it was still quiet…read moreenough to have a conversation without feeling the need to yell. Sean (the owner) provided SPECTACULAR service with wonderful recommendations. Since we were the first to arrive for the day, he allowed us to choose our own seating. Reservations are HIGHLY recommended! Dress code is casual. We decided on the Chef Brunch Menu for our Friday brunch which provided 3 courses. I had the Nitro shrimp and grits, Chicken Teriyaki Bowl and French Toast Dippers with fresh fruit. My fiancé had the Chicken Dumplings (potstickers), Crab Quesadillas and French Toast Dippers with fresh fruit as well. The Jamaican Iced Tea is a MUST try!! We'll definitely be returning to see what the dinner menu is like. Oh... parking is rough (street parking) so get there early!!

Went in on a whim while driving around. Wockenfuss has a great selection, and is very organized…read more We were in and out in 10 minutes despite it being VERY busy. The staff is friendly and helpful, and always asks "will that be all?" even if you've got a TON of candy to purchase. Definitely on my go-to places for candies!

Changed their chocolate recipe, apparently they decided it would taste better with old bay mixed…read morein, nasty is not a strong enough word. Never going back.

I visited Sweet Cascades with some family that were visiting town and we took to explore Old…read moreEllicott City. My brother in law was drawn in by the promise of chocolate, but I loved it. It's a tiny shop, but they offer so many beautiful and tasty treats (my husband had a little drinking chocolate; my brother in law got a chocolate truffle filled with pistachio; I got some chocolate covered candied orange rind). The customer service was also wonderful. We chatted with them a bit about the chocolate truffle making classes they offer, and they told us they were celebrating their 20th year in business. It's a charming shop with lots of everything chocolate. Definitely check it out!

Sweet Cascades is located on Main Street in historic Ellicott City. It's a small shop, so depending…read moreon the size of your group, some may want to wait outside. The range of chocolate is impressive. This is a local business and they concentrate on their confections for sure. On this particular visit, we'd arrived a day or two after the Harry Potter weekend celebration in historic Ellicott City, so they had chocolate frogs and the cutest golden snitches (truffles) with the wings and gold dust! The line up of the familiar and unusual flavors is broad. It takes us no more than a few minutes for the owner to fill a box of our chosen selections. Peanut Butter Buckeyes, bourbon truffles, chocolate covered Oreos, chocolate covered marshmallows, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate seasoned with Old Bay or cayenne pepper, chocolate covered nut bark, and so much more. If you want a cute hostess gift, a just because gift, or a sweet treat for you and your family, this is a wonderful shop to visit.

Pat's Porch is pure charm wrapped in nostalgia. It has this…read morevintage charm. Think of it as old-fashioned candy, Maryland-themed gifts, truffles, and warm, welcoming staff who make you feel like you've stumbled into your favorite aunt's cozy kitchen. Truffles are really good and fresh. Recommend this place

Such a cool shop to walk around and find Maryland themed items, so much nostalgic candy, and other…read morecutesy gifts. The theme is on point, as you have to ring the doorbell and be buzzed in to enter. After, there are several rooms going all the way to the back filled with all sorts of knickknacks and goodies.