How Much Would You Pay for Chocolate Covered Cherries in a Pretty Box?
Written: Apr 24 '03 (Updated Apr 25 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Delicious!
Cons: Very expensive!
The Bottom Line: Wonderful cherries, but poor value for the money.
|
|
|
| naphtalia's Full Review: Italian Chocolate-Covered Cherries |
I am a chocolate covered cherry eater from way back. I love Russell Stover's cherry cordials. I adore Ethyl M's. Up until recently, my absolute favorite were those made by a lady down the street. As a child, chocolate covered cherries were my favorite confection. There is something about the drippy and sweet center, the chewiness of the fruit and the bitter-sweetness of the chocolate that just goes together.
When I went away to university, I had a roommate who insisted that the only way to really enjoy these was along with a dry red wine. I don't remember the particular vintage we decided went best with the cherries and our budget, but I remember having a great time trying to find it.
Chocolate covered cherries are a classic. After helping my former roommate's mother to move into a retirement living center, I was surprised and delighted to get a package from Red Envelope containing a gift from her. It was a beautiful half pound box of chocolate covered cherries in a red Shaker-style box all tied up with a matching ribbon. Elegant and delicious, what was most meaningful was that she remembered my fondness for this particular kind of candy.
The cherries were delicious. These were not drippy cordials, but just what was advertised - chocolate covered cherries - like chocolate covered raisins. Simply fruit in chocolate. They were among the best I've ever had. The cherries are a beautiful, dark-burgundy color. They have a wonderful balance of tart and sweet. The cherries are coated with dark Italian chocolate. They are specially made by master chocolatier Christopher Norman who is clearly at the top of his craft. The cherries are smaller than the ones I normally find. This is nice as they don't require opening one's mouth like some great, gaping cavern to fit the whole thing in or biting it and ending up with all the cherry in one half. Also, unlike cordials which will drip down your chin, because these are dry inside, one can really taste the cherries.
I was impressed enough with these cherries to want to buy some for another friend. That's when reality set in. A trip to the Red Envelope web site allowed me to find my half pound box of cherries on sale for $45/half pound box. That translates to $90/pound. The box that my cherries came packed in cost $4.95. Shipping for a half pound box of cherries was $7.95. This translates into about $58 for my half pound, 7.75" box of cherries. As much as I enjoyed them, I didn't enjoy them that much!
People who say that price is no object are everywhere; people who say it and mean it are rare. I would much rather have had a box of Ethyl M's cherry cordials ($18/9 ounce box) and a bottle of red wine sent to my house. If you can honestly say that cost is not an issue, then these are as good as I've had. I can't say it. They may be worth the calories, but at $90 a pound, they're just not worth the money.
Recommended:
No
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
naphtalia
|
 in Restaurants & Gourmet |
 - Top 100 |
|
Location: Somewhere in Southern California for Now
Reviews written: 1601
Trusted by: 450 members
About Me:
Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the_circus has left town.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.