Written By: Shawn Krajewski
Most people going to Salem Massachusetts are looking for two things, tricks, and treats; and no other places in Salem are better for treats than Kakawa Chocolate House and Lulu's Bakery.
Kakawa
Founded in 2007 (not the Salem location however), Kakawa has always prided itself on its hand-crafted chocolates that are made in the very store. You can even watch them make the chocolate in front of you with the convenient window in the back.
Stationed downtown past the fountain on 173 Essex Street, Kakawa sells all chocolate types from dark and milk, including a few outside of that range. At Kakawa they have a constantly shifting selection of goodies and treats. Some of the most popular chocolates include peppermint patties, top hats, three-layer chocolates with marshmallow on the inside, sesame seed bars covered with dark chocolate (my dad's personal favorite), truffles, and many more miniature chocolates, each perfectly crafted to brighten your day. All of which use insanely high-quality chocolate and cacao.
But it's not just truffles and bars that this establishment specializes in, they also create delicious shakes, hot chocolates, and pastries. The milkshakes are my personal favorite as I have had various flavors like mango, strawberry, and vanilla. However, milk chocolate, my favorite milkshake flavor was recently removed, which I'm still mad about. Speaking of which, when getting the dark chocolate milkshake, I hope you like chocolate because drinking it tastes like pure ground chocolate is being injected into your veins. That is why I suggest getting a mix of chocolate and vanilla.
The real showstopper at Kakawa is the hot chocolate. Their hot cocoas are the most creative and interesting hot chocolates I've ever tasted throughout my very few years of being on this planet. There are tangy hot chocolates, fruity hot chocolates, nutty hot chocolates, and most uniquely, spicy hot chocolates. The spicy ones are not to be underestimated, in fact, some of the drinks will hurt if you are not prepared to handle the level of heat. Finally, there are a few pastries, including cookies and mini cakes. As expected, all of these are delicious. However, there is nothing noteworthy except that the cakes are particularly good and surprisingly inexpensive given their quality and size.
Lulu’s
Lulu's Bakery is another delicious sweet spot in Salem, positioned at 285th Derby Street. This bakery provides a heap of different options and tastes that satisfy everyone who goes there, even those who aren't into sweets.
As soon as you enter through the doors and look to your left, you'll find an array of pastries. They have everything from cookies to croissants, brownies, scones, and even delicious giant flaky muffins that you can grab and enjoy on the go. The cookies are beautiful, and delicious in every way. Plus, there are so many different kinds: snickerdoodles, chocolate chip, full chocolate cookies, and my favorite, golden raisin oatmeal cookies. These aren't regular raisin oatmeal cookies, these are golden raisin cookies, which I will describe more in the recommendations section. The other pastries are good, but pale in comparison with these tasty treats.
Then, of course, we have items that are not brownies or pastries. Although I'm not a coffee drinker, I've heard that their coffee is very good. More importantly, Lulu's Bakery has surprisingly good pizza, some of the highest quality in Salem. This is a significant statement considering there are approximately 8 different pizza places just a short distance away. What makes Lulu's so special is their square deep-dish pizza with an insanely fluffy crust and a nice, moist mouthfeel that most lower-quality pizzas lack. These pastries and goodies are all created in the bakery with a delicious dedication that really makes the flavors pop.
Recommendations
Finally, here are the things I recommend if you are coming to Salem for the first time, and you so happened to be going to these places because a writer told you too on a food blog that's named after a common saying...
First, I would go to Lulu's at the beginning of the day, because they open earlier, and their food is more focused on breakfast/brunch. I highly recommend getting a coffee due to its supposed quality, and I would definitely get a scone or muffin. They're a really good source of energy for the beginning of your day and are generally really tasty. But if it's closer to brunch or lunch, get a piece of pizza----they're really tasty and perfectly fluffy. However, you also have to get their oatmeal raisin cookies! I don't care what people say about oatmeal raisin cookies, Lulu's are different and they taste so good. Not only do they use golden raisins----which are far sweeter----but they use high-quality honey to keep the whole thing together. If you're not a fan of chewy cookies, then just get a Snickerdoodle.
As for Kakawa, I suggest you get it later in the day because a lot of chocolate early in the day will make all other foods taste bad due to how our taste receptors work. But when you do go, you should get three chocolates and one shake/drink. For the chocolate, you have to get a top hat and a sesame seed bar. Both chocolates are tasty in completely different ways. The top hat is gooey, sweet, and chewy, while the bar is a nice hard savory delight. The other two chocolates can be whatever you want, go wild. Then, you should also get a drink. I highly recommend a milkshake, but if you're daring enough, you can try one of their highly potent hot cocoas, which come in many different flavors to suit your fancy.
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