(Updated, Nov. 9) The Pentagon City mall is getting a little sweeter with the opening of Swiss chocolate shop Läderach.
The large Swiss chocolate retailer is expanding to 30 new U.S. locations, many of which are specifically at Simon shopping centers, including the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.
Arlington Cultural Affairs and BizLaunch are hosting a “lawn chair talk” tonight with chocolatier Jason Andelman, of Artisan Confections in Clarendon, and artist Molly Springfield.
The event is being held from 6-8 p.m. at the Arlington Arts Center in Virginia Square (3550 Wilson Blvd).
Fifteen restaurants and shops are participating in “Shirlie’s Chocolate Crawl,” with free mini-chocolate ganache and chocolate and cream cheese cupcakes at Best Buns and a free chocolate tasting at Cheesetique among the offerings.
The event itself is free for participants, who must register online. With the temperature expected to be in the mid-70s and no rain in sight, the event should draw dozens, if not hundreds, of chocolate lovers to the streets of Shirlington.
The Curious Grape, at 2900 S. Quincy Street in Shirlington, held its first chocolate tasting last night, guiding attendees through tasting five high-end chocolates. It’s the first in a series of chocolate tastings and seminars that Curious Grape plans to offer through August.
During the tastings, which range in price from $3 to $5, customers can come in between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. and taste five “rare heirloom varieties of chocolate,” said Curious Grape owner Suzanne McGrath. Artisan chocolate-making, she said, has been on the rise recently.
