I was awake til five this morning, because I’d visited Starbucks for the first time since Christmas. I’m no longer accustomed to mainlining espresso, and it kept me wired and wakeful long after I wanted to sleep.

While I was there, I tasted Chantico, their new designer drinking chocolate. The taste was a free sample, perhaps an ounce of the stuff, or maybe an ounce and a half. The default size, if you order it, is 6 ounces. I, who generally drink venti coffee drinks, would never be able to survive 6 ounces of Chantico. In truth, the sample cup was more than enough. It’s that good. It’s so good, in fact, that it’s nearly orgasmic, and drinking it in public should be illegal. So should wasting it on serving it to children.

One sip, and instead of being in cold, grey, wintry Texas, I was in slightly warmer, romantically rainy Carcassone, watching people go in and out of quaint shoppes, while I sat at a marble table in a too-cute and far too crowded cafe, and shared chocolat chaud with my family.

Yeah. Chantico is that good.
It’s DARK chocolate.
Liquified dark chocolate.
Criminal chocolate.