New Paltz chocolate lovers listen up! I have discovered a
hidden treasure, a gem; It’s the crème
de la crème of chocolates and it’s right here in town! Their name’s Lagusta’s Luscious and knock-your-socks-off chocolate is their game.
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| Taken by Georgia Schunk |
Tucked away behind Pegasus foot ware, Lagusta’s is a quaint,
little house with robin’s-egg blue walls (an overall color scheme of teal and chocolate brown) and artsy, New-Paltz-hippie approved
décor creating an ambiance similar to that of a craft store and a coffee shop
combined.
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| Taken By Georgia Schunk |
On
all sides of the store are deliciously-displayed chocolate bars and a small
refrigerator in the corner is loaded with hand-made products such as cheeses,
jams and sodas
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| Taken By Georgia Schunk |
There are shelves upon shelves of
perfectly organized spices that add to the already intoxicating aroma of fresh
chocolate. If you weren’t craving chocolate before you walked in the door, you certainly
are now!
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| Taken By Georgia Schunk |
In a glass display case (perfectly in view the second you
walk inside) lay an assortment of hand-crafted VEGAN chocolates! When I first
heard that word I thought “oh great, tasteless chocolates… yum” but the little
vegan-babies looks so darn beautiful and delicious I thought it might be worth
the risk… Best decision I ever made!
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| Taken By Georgia Schunk |
After a long debate between the salted Galápagos turtle and
the almond-toffee frog I finally purchased the $3 caramel, chocolate and pecan turtle
with a dash of sea salt on top (my sister getting a coconut pyramid ($2), her
friend a macadamia Maui vanilla cream with chamomile ($2), and my mother: the
almond-toffee frog ($2.50))
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| Strawberries and Cream Bark (Taken By Georgia Schunk) |
Taking my first bite into my turtle I felt an explosion of
spices, followed by a gooey eruption of salted caramel. The pecans, slightly roasted,
snapped apart giving the candy a nice crunch palatable with the chewy caramel.
I found my mouth begging for the next bite until my palm sized turtle was devoured.
My chocolate craving: delightfully satiated
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| Taken from Lagusta's Website |
The recipe for chocolate is of unparalleled taste. An odd
but yet delicious marriage of spices accompanies every chocolate masterpiece
Lagusta’s creates. I will warn those, however, who are not fans of experimenting
or spices. With options such as the caramelized onion and chipotle truffle, the
coriander-beet truffle, and the furious vulva, to call the recipes “crazy
concoctions” would be a gross understatement.
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| Taken from Lagusta's Website |
To make my time at Lagusta’s even more pleasant (which must
seem impossible by now) the most wonderful person was working behind the
counter: the owner/ creator/ genius behind Lagusta’s! She had such a friendly demeanor
and always carried a pleasant smile across her face. She was there to answer my
many questions about her recipes, and gave off a warm and welcome feeling that instantly
made me feel comfortable. Had there been a bed in the front of the store, I
would have moved in permanently!
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| Taken By Georgia Schunk |
Since my first trip to Lagusta’s I have made a weekly ritual
of bringing my friends down and trying out the different chocolate (the selection
varies depending on what’s available, what is prepared that day and what’s in
season). With an assortment of 8 for $15, we split the coast and slowly slip
into a chocolate induced coma.
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| Taken by Georgia Schunk |
Every time my mom stays for the weekend, she ends up leaving
with a bag load of Lagusta’s. On many occasions she has even called me from
home and asked me to bring her back a box for her friend’s birthday, or simply
because she has a burning craving for the divinely enticing Lagusta’s!
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| Taken from Lagusta's Website |
I would tout to anyone and everyone that Lagusta’s Luscious
has the best chocolates in all of New Paltz! Every person I have ever taken along
the ride with me has left with a new favorite. Whether it be the Heathen
Toffee, the Pomegranate Truffle, the Rosemary Sea-Salt Caramel, or the Walk in
the Woods Bonbon, there is something for everyone and always a new thing to
try. Even if you don’t feel like a truffle there are croissants, chocolate
drinks, cookies, teas, sweets galore! Seriously, if you don’t have a foot out
the door already then you must be allergic to chocolate or nowhere near New
Paltz! And if that’s the case then I’m sorry, and I can’t believe you read all
of this, but for those of you who do not have either excuse, grab your wallet,
a friend and an empty stomach and check out Lagusta’s Luscious!
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| Taken from Lagusta's Website |
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