Sarah Amorese is passionate about chocolate. The owner behind Boulder’s Piece, Love & Chocolate, which opened in March, fell in love with the ingredient as a kid, when she would spend hours in her parents' bakery. Her passion was reignited as an adult after a failed search to find the perfect chocolate wedding cake. (Amorese ended up decorating the cake herself.) She eventually teamed up with “cocoa coordinator” Genny Fetherston and “gift guru” Heidi Lewis to meet the needs of others by providing fine chocolates and cocoa-inspired gifts.

And she’s off to a good start: The latest addition to the Pearl Street Mall's west end is a charming, European-style boutique, bursting at its sinful seams with all things chocolate. Piece, Love & Chocolate offers an impressive selection of individual artisan sweets, including some from Colorado-based chocolatiers (think Robin Chocolates, The Art of Chocolate, and Desiderio Chocolates), as well as handcrafted champagne, dark, white, and milk chocolate truffles.

But Amorese truly shines in her baked desserts. From a silky flourless chocolate cake to a dark-chocolate-raspberry linzertorte with a light crumb, every bite is packed with deep chocolate flavor without being overly sweet. To wit, grab a cup of my favorite item: the hot, dark sipping chocolate infused with roasted cascabel and ancho chile peppers. It’s a bittersweet finale you don’t want to miss .

Tip: Keep an eye out for chocolate cooking classes, which Amorese will soon begin hosting in the shop’s small demonstration kitchen.

805 Pearl St., Boulder 303-449-4804