Vila Dolce

Vila Dolce

1828 Parmenter Street 

Middleton WI, 53562

Andy and I spent one lovely Friday afternoon at a local restaurant in downtown Middleton Wisconsin called Vila Dolce. The restaurant is famous for it's authentic Italian pizza, fresh gelato, and sweet wine. However, we wanted to put our coco craving taste buds to the test and enjoy some of Vila Dolce's delicious hot chocolate. 

Taste:

At first sip, it was obvious that this was no easy-make powder mix hot chocolate. It was homemade. Like a liquified piece of heaven in our mouths. Cinnamon and warm chocolate drizzle was layered over the whipped cream topping that was sweet and thick. The hot chocolate was "burn-your-toungue" hot but still very tasty. One thing, however, the coco had a hint of coffee flavor. So if you're crazy, and you absolutely hate coffee, you probably wouldn't be too big of a fan of Vila's coco. Personally, I loved it. 

Presentation:

Very similar to Fair Trade's and Michelangelo's presentation. Vila Dolce is keeping it classy with the  large clean, white coffee mugs. The mini spoon was helpful and a nice touch.

Environment:

I was impressed with Vila Dolce's layout. The outside of the restaurant had a "feel at home" vibe,  yet once you step foot through the door there is a blast of modernized interior design that's extremely appealing to the eye. It almost felt like we were in someone's New York loft, while having a cup of coco, hoping to catch the next subway train to make it to our 6 o' clock Broadway show.

Overall, the experience was fantastic and I will definitely taking, yet another, trip back to Vila Dolce for some hot chocolate.

http://www.villadolcecafe.com/

Michelangelo's Coffee House

Michelangelo's Coffee House

114 State St, Madison, WI 53703

Another coffee shop in downtown Madison, WI that Katlyn and I went to was Michelangelo's. This coffee shop is very similar to its sister store, Fair Trade. We ended the year of 2013 on a positive note by drinking some delicious hot chocolate. At first, going into Michelangelo's, there is a warm sense of welcomeness. It felt a lot like an art gallery, probably because the walls were filled with art. This wasn't our first time at this coffeeshop. The last time we were here, the idea of this blog was born.

Taste:

Although we thought the hot chocolate was at a perfect temperature and the whipped cream made a nice addition to the drink itself, we do question the integrity of the chocolate in the drink. When first served, the hot chocolate was piping hot and it tasted great. But as time went on, the drink slowly cooled and the taste quality of the chocolate decreased. You could clearly taste the artificial-like chocolate that was used in the production of the hot chocolate. It tasted like milk with some Hershey squirts.

 Presentation: I won't be to descriptive about the coco presentation, because it is rather similar to Fair Trades hot chocolate. The coco was topped with cream and served in a plain white mug.

Environment: Although there was no cozy fire to snuggle up next to, there was a large leather couch and several comfy chairs.  Perfect for lounging to make yourself feel right at home while having a nice cup of coco. Andy made note that the fish tank, lamps, and leather furniture all reminded him of a dental or doctor waiting room, which I could see where he was coming from.  However, in this building, the walls were filled with beautiful yet humorous paintings, such as this replica of the Sistine Chapel, holding a coffee mug.