RainDrop Chocolate

No flavoring used. only the real thing, now that’s my kind of chocolate /​gelato /​sweet!
Now I did read though the grapevine of blogs on this vast internet that RainDrop was closing *pout* hopefully they’ll just move a bit closer to little neighborhood mmmkay? But if this is the case go there while you can and give em a try!!!

Ever since we moved away from Houston, I have scoured Los Angeles for the better truffles, and I would have to say that none of them compare… Don makes these truffles fresh with great care. Talk about a man who really puts his heart into his work.
The one thing I can’t seem to forget about is his WHITE CHOCOLATE MATCHA truffles. As much I love my dark chocolate, this truffle was the perfect combination. I mean the man makes his own Matcha from scratch for pete’s sake! I can only wish that one day that Raindrop Chocolate shops would pop up all over like Pinkberry. but that’s only so I can be a drive away from my favorite truffle in the whole wide world…

The owner is a great guy who has a wonderful story of how he started Raindrop. You should know that he hand makes everything in his shop from the freshest ingredients that are usually imported… he only uses the best. My favorite gelato is the chocolate chip cookie; you must try it! Delicious! His chocolate is very rich, which is made FROM THE BEANS! He is the real deal! You must stop by and check him out.
Ps…ask him how he got the name. It will melt your heart.

The location is weird, hard to find, and for some reason it’s always raining when I go there (what is that about???), but it’s the best gelato in town. Trust me, I’ve tried every single one.
The signature flavor is blood orange chocolate. It is a must to sample it at a bare minimum. You will quickly be addicted and not want to try anything else, but move forward and ask for some more samples.
The selection of gelato isn’t as wide as Paciugo, for example, and they only let you have one flavor in the small-​sized cup. They make up for these minor misgivings with the intensity and quality of flavor in each and every bite.
Some of the gelato flavors I’ve tried are blood orange chocolate (of course), dark chocolate, vanilla (this is really vanilla, people. It’s worth trying even if it seems a little «boring» to you like it did to me), raspberry, and orange. They also have some crazy alcohol flavors like whiskey and port wine, but I haven’t tried them yet. I’m still hooked on Amy’s Ice Cream’s Shiner Bock flavor.
Raindrop also has truffles and a variety of chocolate-​covered sweets. They are made with extreme care and also of a very high quality. The only very minor critique I have is that the truffle filling had a slightly gritty texture because of the sugar they used.

Having a major truffle craving, but not wanting to venture to my favorite wine bar (and change out of sweats while its pouring outside… no thanks!) for Laura’s mouth-​watering homemade truffles, I found this place on the internet. I got there about 6pm. Honestly I didn’t even think it was open because it looks dark inside from the street. The manager was very friendly and informative. Apparently the truffles are real chocolate with none of the wax or other additives (I didn’t even know people put wax in truffles). I bought a box of 8 (PMS probably) mixed… selecting any that had alcohol in the name. I tasted the blood orange and some chocolate raz gelato. I was not that impressed with either and they seemed a little stingy («You are allowed a sample» I was told by the owner, indicating to me, one was IT). I ended up buying a small cup of the blood orange gelato. A more chocolaty flavor would have made it perfect, but it was mostly just the blood orange flavor. Not to say it wasn’t good (again, PMS probably…). The little bitty cup was $ 3.47 I believe. I left the place spending $ 17.75. Next I go to Specs Discount and buy a couple of bottles of wine (Pinot Noir and a Shiraz), because truffles just aren’t truffles without bubbly, vino, or $*X, right? When I got home I ate 6 of those truffles (again, PMS probably… oh, did I already say that?). I have to say, comparatively speaking (to Laura’s truffles at the Corkscrew) I was quite disappointed. The amaretto one didn’t taste a bit like amaretto. The others didn’t really taste as you think they would either. But heck, I’m in a state of chocolate frenzy so what do I care? I gobbled ‘em up anyway. Consistency-​wise, the truffle filling was a bit sugar-​grainy. I must say that if you want the best truffle that tastes like silk in your mouth and with flavors that pop your taste buds and send you into pure ecstasy, go to Corkscrew and get theirs. They have this peppery one that I didn’t think I’d like but geez its awesome. And NO… I don’t work at or for this place (Cork). I’m just extatic I found it. I’m going to get some REAL truffles tonight (probably PMS).

Some of the better Houston gelato, but, bewarned, everything is saccharine sweet.
Raindrop makes varied gelato flavors. The blood orange-​chocolate tasted of orange, nicely so, though SUPER sweet, and no chocolate taste to speak of. The stracciatella was also sweet, and not enough chocolate taste to write home about. The banana-​cinnamon –something was a kool-​aid version of bananas foster but hey — if you like sugar, this might be the place for you. The texture needs work, as it is icy with granules.
I tried one chocolate orange truffle. No orange taste, and weirdly enough, very little chocolate taste either. We also tried a slice of yellow cake, the cake was spongy, a little stale, but could be great on another day — the icing however, was grocery store variety (e.g., crisco here you come).
Service-​wise I was a little surprised, that only «3 tastings» are allowed of the gelato, very… small…½ tsps. Maybe it’s annoying to have people taste your gelato but we were the only people in the store.
My friend says this gelato satisfies your sugar itch, but I am going to keep looking for my gelato elsewhere.

Why didn’t someone tell me about this place? This store blows all other local chocolatiers’ offerings right out of the water.
1. Handmade truffles and other tasty chocolates
I spoke with Don for a while about his methods, and he is a man devoted to quality. You don’t have to take my word for it — one bite will prove it to you. Flavors include the delicious 85% dark truffle, lavender, chipotle tequila, and a wide range of fruits.
2. Gelato
It’s all made fresh in the store, so flavors tend to vary. Today we had dark chocolate blood orange and almond fig, both of which were delicious beyond description. All of the flavors are just so — some are complex and some are straightforward, but each is well controlled.
3. Cakes and baked goods
Sadly, we didn’t have a chance to sample these today, but we will do our best in the near future. They looked heavenly!
Raindrop Chocolate’s interior is cool, clean, and sparse (in a good way), with lime accents. One wall features local art (currently photography) — underexposed local artists, take note! Don is passionate about chocolate and has a great story behind the store — check it out on their website. This really is a must visit for chocolate lovers — no sweetened, milky, waxy chocolates, just rich, creamy treats to be savored.

Amazing gelato! It is all hand made every day. The quality definitely shows. This place also offers a variety of other chocolate treats, however I would stick to the gelato (go to the chocolate bar if you want some high quality chocolate). The ambiance was very plain, nothing on any of the walls (may just be because it is new). I would definitely recommend.