Dude, Sweet Chocolate

"Born of an idea hatched in a Dallas dive bar, this brand has grown from a one-woman artisan chocolate outfit (with sweets made for private clients and peddled at farmers' markets) into a small kitchen/storefront in the Bishop Arts District to, now, four shops, several retail outlets (including Whole Foods), and dessert-consulting gigs with major restaurant chains. The success can be attributed to co-founder/noted pastry chef Katherine Clapner’s dedication to quality, and to her commitment to keeping it simple:Without bows, ribbons, or showy packaging, the chocolate speaks for itself. And then there are the flavors, from sweet-and-savory mixes like blue cheese and sea-salt fudge and porcini mushroom and pumpkin-seed toffee, to creamy truffles made with 12-year-old Macallan whiskey and sloe gin, dark chocolate bark with fruits and fenugreek, Valrhona-covered marshmallow puffs, rich hot chocolates, and much more. The staff is happy to let you sample away."