California Eats: Amara Chocolate & Coffee

One of the most romantic places that I have ever been to has to be Amara in Pasadena. My Husband and I stumbled upon this place through Yelp when we were searching for a spot to end the night. We wanted something sweet. When its Yelp reviews mentioned authentic Spanish churros, we knew we hit gold.

The Place: This quaint little storefront is a hidden gem. We walked through the crowded streets, down a bar filled alley way, and made our way to the backside of Old Town Pasadena. It was late and most of the neighboring stores were closed, leaving most of the hustle and bustle to the main streets. Lucky for us, there were no people in the tiny shop that night. However, even if there were, it looks as though this place has a capacity of 20 people MAX. The small chocolate shop is perfect for snuggling and close elbow to elbow conversation. Cue the soft lighting and Spanish music and you got yourself the perfect date place.

The Menu: Variety isn't necessary in a place like this. A few choices of chocolate drinks and truffles and a decision of how many churros you can handle is all it takes. There are a few exotic coffees you can try, but really, this place is known for its chocolate.

The Eats: Churros and chocolate. Need I say more? I could leave it at that, really I could, but I'll go on. I consider myself a Churro fanatic, never leaving an amusement park or fair without covering my lips with cinnamon sugar. Oh, the joy. But, this is the real thing. Piping hot dough with long grooves nestling the cinnamon and sugar, a perfect vehicle for the Venezuelan dipping chocolate. I could eat either one by itself, but they are a perfect combination in your mouth. We also ordered a Venezuelan Hot Chocolate because we couldn't resist the smell when we walked in.

The man behind the counter was so nice. Since we were his last customers of the night, he gave us free champagne truffles. They packed a punch and Hubby and I both agreed that the alcohol was the star of that show.

My husband and I couldn't get enough of their churros and hot chocolate everything. We sat together at a tiny table and fed each other bites of Spanish treats and chocolate kisses. When you go to place where the atmosphere is just as sweet as the chocolate dipped churros, you know you found a great dessert spot.