Thursday, August 31, 2017

THE CHOCOLATE CAFE IN WINCHESTER, VA - PART 1



A couple of weekends before last we had an all-ladies stay-over at our house.  Gregg is a good sport about it and doesn't mind tucking himself away upstairs when he wants to retreat from all our chatter.  He is content going off to whatever place he enjoys for some alone-time, enjoyed a nice long bike-ride among other things, and in the evening watches baseball and other shows in our bedroom. Our bedroom turns into his retreat at such times, when he is outnumbered by us females.  All joking aside he enjoys my friends and having a chat with them, but a lot of the time he is in his, what do they call it these days, his "man-cave"?


I didn't take many photos of our time together, just this one before Gregg's bike ride.  All the flowers I am sharing came from a friend's garden when we dropped her back home a couple of days later.  She has a magic touch.



The weekend was over all too soon but the one friend mentioned above stayed a day longer, the friend who has a magic touch in her garden.  Before we dropped her off at her home, she treated us to lunch at a place in Winchester called The Chocolate Cafe.  (I like to mention that I am not getting anything for this free advertising, but if I find a place we truly enjoy, I like to mention them on my blog.  We will be going back.)




When we walked in I looked around and knew we had come to a neat place.  I asked the manager if I could take photos, and she very kindly gave me the okay.



We ordered our sandwiches and I forgot to take photos of those, but we all enjoyed them.  I had a pastrami on rye and it was the best sandwich I had had in a very long time.  If I don't take a photo I can't remember what anyone else had, but they all agreed their choices were excellent, which included a small side dish of orzo pasta salad which was my choice.








As you can see from the photo below there is a definite connection to furry friends.  The tip jar contents go to their local rescue shelter.











There is even an adoption wall.




Hopefully you can enlarge all the photos and have a better look.  In the sign below it says the walls are covered with photos of rescue animals from a no-kill shelter that they support.  This cafe definitely has a big heart.



Attached to the cafe is a place that sells all kinds of chocolates, and I will share photos from there in another post, but here is a 'taste' of what to expect.
















44 comments:

  1. Chocolate, good food, friends and compassion? Definitely a winner.

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  2. Lovely shots of flowers and furry friends on the wall!

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  3. Oh, I've seen that place. I did not know they had something besides candy. Good to know.

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  4. Oh my gosh, you would have to DRAG me out of there!! What a wonderful place. I love the little paw prints on the walls. Your first picture is gorgeous! I see the Skipper!

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    1. Thank you Ginnie :). Me too, I could have stayed much longer.

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  5. I am drooling at the thought of all that chocolate. Love the stuff! It's lovely that you have these get-togethers - it gives Greg the chance to do his own thing.

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    1. It is one of my vices but I don't buy it too often :) Yes, it is nice for Gregg to do his own thing.

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  6. My favourite shot is the one of your home with all the books in the background. When I enter a home for the first time that is my "rule of thumb" judgement on the people who live there - which is probably an awful reverse snobbery of some kind, but I confess to being guilty. My wife, Miriam, is still is part of a regular group of women who all first met in high school, and they do all manner of things together, including rotating dinner at their various homes. When they come here I cook for them and serve them, all the while staying out of the way. As you might imagine they enjoy coming here!

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    1. Thanks David, in this electronic world where we can read books on our devices, it is still lovely to be able to pick up an honest-to-goodness, real book :) There is also another built-in bookshelf on the other side of the fireplace. The side you see in the photo is my selection. We have collected our books for many years and enjoy re-reading them. We have also given many away. It means extra dusting but small price to pay :) How lovely for Miriam to have her friends from high school and you and Gregg seem to have a lot in common:)

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  7. Ha ha even the name is mouth watering. I love the pet connection and one charity I will always give to is anything to do with animals. They really cannot help their selves, humans I believe can generally do that in many cases. Happy weekend Diane

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    1. I loved the pet connection too and will be very happy to go back some time. Me too. Happy weekend Diane :)

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  8. Hello, the Chocolate Cafe sounds like a must visit place. The sweets looks fabulous. Wonderful photos of your Gregg and your friends. Where are you? Sounds like a fun time. Happy Friday, enjoy your day and the Labor Day weekend!

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    1. Thanks Eileen, I am in part 2 :) Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend :)

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  9. I absolutely love all your photos, Denise, and the Chocolate Cafe looks like my kind of place! I also love the adoption wall!

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  10. as I read the post I wondered why the name, but at the end I found out why. it really is a beautiful café, I love the décor. and the idea of tips for the pets is amazing and wonderful... I like the way they put the ruffles across the middle of that big window.. sounds like you had a lot of fun with your lady friends. good you have a getaway for hubby

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    1. Thanks Sandra, happy you enjoyed it :) it is a great place and hubby might agree with you as he loves watching his sports.

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  11. Oh, so much chocolate! I could be quite happy in there.

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  12. Love the Chocolate Café! And how wonderful they do so much for the animals. Your flower photos are lovely! What fun to have a girls' night...glad Greg can retreat from the women in his "man-cave." :-)

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    1. Thank you Marie, it was a great weekend for all of us, even for the man in his man-cave, lol :)

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  13. Oh What a selection of chocolates! I love too many of them!

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  14. That was nice of your friend to treat you to lunch. Such a nice café, too.

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  15. Gregg is a good sport for sure, and the Chocolate Café sounds like a wonderful place.

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  16. Oh, my, I bet we would all love this place! Sounds like the nicest place, too.

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  17. What a cool place...

    Got to say, I love the paw print adoption board! :-) tugs at the heart.

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  18. Looks like a good place for me to stop in sometime. So nice to have a ladies evening together. I love doing that.

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    1. Ladies weekends are always fun aren't they Betsy :)

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  19. Being a choc-o-holic this looks like the perfect place for me and I love all furry critters!!
    Have a truly fantastic weekend :)

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    1. Thank you Prunella, you have a great weekend also :)

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