Don’t let the name throw you off the caffeine track. The Chocolate House is not just driving chocolate, it’s got coffee in the passenger’s seat. Mad mix and brew master Jacob Smith conducts some of the finest coffee’s and chocolate’s in Ann Arbor, Mi. Tucked between a Chinese food resturant and Prickly Pear Southwest café, it is the ONLY standing Victorian house left in downtown.

Formerly Carillon Chocolates, The Chocolate House 330 S. Main St. Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104 is brewing and melting like mad. Walk through the front door to a kitschy, cozy front room with a rectangle, chocolate brown couch, few tables with random chairs. The walls are a delicious lime green and robins eggs blue with lived-in wood floors and give the room a 1970’s vibe.

“I’m not a coffee drinker myself,” Smith said, but since he roasts and grinds it there in the store, “I can only drink the coffee I roast”. Which is understandable with the clean and crisp taste of it The espresso roast is a palette pleasing experience. The slightly fruity bean has a clean taste that doesn’t coat the entire tongue, but hit’s the sides of it. “We like to keep it lighter,“ Smith commented, “the importance is to keep the flavor of the coffee, not the roast.“ He watches numerous people walk by the house through-out the day and has had people comment that they didn’t realize he was there or that they had coffee. He wants people to know what high quality coffee they have without having to add much syrups or things like that.

“I won’t sell it unless it’s the best quality it can be,” Smith said. He is a self-taught roast and brew master, yet he sounds like a seasoned one. They roast weekly and grind it per pot to serve. Now that’s fresh!

High quality coffee and high quality accents. Hot and cold drinks range from mochas, lattes, coco’s, coffee, blended coffee drinks, tea, Chai, fruit smoothies, Italian sodas, milkshakes, and malts. Along with their phenomenal chocolates there, they also offer Stroh’s ice cream. Fondue is an eye catcher on the menu. It’s available for $7 a person with a minimum of two people to acquire it. The chocolate offered is a smart trip to fall into. Zelda Moran, the chocolatier there, is also a self-taught master. She does the art of the truffles, chocolate covered graham crackers, cream center chocolates, chocolate bark, covered rice crispy treats, toffee, smores confection, covered nuts and fruits. The also offer chocolate candy by the pound. Cheesecakes and layered cakes are also there for the tasting.

No room inside to sit? Head through the house to the back door and take a seat out on the patio. Stop in to see what you’ve been missing and it won’t be your only visit. A website is in the works as well. (734) 222-0552.