Rim Cafe's Volcano

I stumbled on this quirky cafe near the Italian Market one weekend and what a pleasant surprise:) Rim's electic mix of furnishings and an occasional jazz quartet practicing for a gig lends itself to a feeling of being transported out of the city to bohemia. Rene, the owner, personally tends to the making of the signature hot chocolate that Rim is famous for. The beverage is flamboyantly named Volcano and this definitely upped my expectations, especially with the visible hype in the form of awards plastered all over the cafe's windows and walls.

click the photo to visit Rim Cafe's official website

As Rene hums and sings, he fusses over our orders, grating a dizzying array of dark and milk chocolate, cinammon, and spices on top of a tall glass of hot chocolate. It was almost like a chef plating an elegant dessert. He definitely has that flair of being a performer and it's a spectacle just watching him preparing the drink in a non-chalant but still meticulous manner.

Sipping the Volcano for the first time, it was clear that this was no ordinary hot chocolate. Make no mistake - this is THE hot chocolate to savor, especially on a cold wintry day. Volcano is such an apt name because it's more a lava-licious glass of molten chocolate warm mousse than it is a beverage. And unlike normal hot chocolate, it's not as sweet and the hints of spices and grated dark chocolate make it a truly unique treat.

While the Volcano is more pricey than most hot chocolate in other cafes (it's priced at $5 each), it is truly deserving of its hype, various awards, and multiple repeat visits. . . .