Dining: At these Sacramento-area spots, the sweets are something special By Blair Anthony Robertson of  The Sacramento Bee

In the past two years, this attractive gourmet chocolate shop has become a mecca for those who appreciate quality and don’t mind paying for it. It also offers a window into the world of chocolate making – they create everything in house, and you can watch them work.

Ginger Elizabeth Hahn is a prodigy. She grew up in Camino, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, worked with some renowned chocolatiers in New York and Chicago, returned to her roots, got married, opened her business, had a baby and, whew, she’s only 28.

I often stop in after work and take home a couple of little desserts: the Gianduja cake ($5.50), a layered rectangle of bittersweet chocolate mousse with a delicious hazelnut bottom that has a pleasing little crunch; and the café cremeaux ($5), a beautiful dome of flourless chocolate espresso cake with orange-scented shortbread. Also try a Parisian macaron ($1.50), a little puff of air brimming with flavor.

We haven’t even gotten to the reason the store exists – those handmade chocolates. You could take a trip around the world and find nothing better than what comes out of this shop on L Street. On the Web site, hover your cursor over the picture of each chocolate to learn its details. My favorites include the Palet D’Or, the Meyer lemon and the exotic Olmec spice.

The hot chocolate is excellent, made with high-quality chocolate. Choose housemade marshmallows or whipped cream, and you have a gourmet treat in a cup for three bucks in three versions. Try the Oaxacan spicy version for something extra-special.