Madison Chocolate Company opened its second bakery/chocolate shop/coffee shop this summer on Odana Road, and I bet it will keep expanding based on how good everything is.
All the bakery items are gluten-free, including the pain au chocolate ($5.50). The chocolate inside was very good, but the croissant wasn’t as flaky or buttery as I had hoped.
I had better luck with the chocolate chip cookie ($5). It had the right sweetness, ample chocolate and a good softness while still having structure. On the other hand, the vegan chocolate chip zucchini muffin ($5) was very dense but tasty. It felt like there was more chocolate than zucchini, which I’m not complaining about, with a strong dose of nutmeg.
Other items include hand pies ($5.75), apple scale ($6.50) and cinnamon rolls ($6.50).
To my pleasant surprise, there are a few “cafe eats.” Most of the flavor of the focaccia sandwich ($12) comes from the delicious bread itself, some of the best I’ve had. It was fluffy inside with a perfect, chewy crust and a little spice from the crushed red peppers. Meanwhile, the egg and arugula were pretty bland though helped by the vinaigrette.
The chive & pepper jack cheese quiche ($8) is less airy than the average quiche, making it hard to cut pieces with your plastic fork. However, once you get through, you’re rewarded with a wonderful mix of seasonings and cheese.
I didn’t try any of the coffees, but I will note that the beans originate from Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica and Papau New Guinea. Instead, I ordered the Rishi iced tea ($3.50), and you can choose from several flavors.
Madison Chocolate Company is open every day for breakfast and lunch. There’s also a drive-thru.
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See more photos in our Madison Chocolate Company Flickr album.
Tags: bakery, coffee, gluten-free, west side
