As a college undergrad, I hated studying organic chemistry. Hated it so much, I failed it in sophomore year and was forced to repeat it in my junior year. To this day, I shudder on a subatomic level at the thought of all those double bonds and bizarro chemical reactions and IUPAC nomenclature.
So it’s usually not a good sign when a cup of hot cocoa triggers horrible flashbacks of mammoth molecules contorting in some caustic solution. Yet that was my fate at Cafe Crescent, where the hot cocoa ($3 to $4, depending on the size) is engineered in a lab, not born in some South American cacao field.
Too bad, because the drink’s presentation and the cafe’s setting are comfortable enough. Bright lights, big windows and a wi-fi signal make for a good study hall, as local coeds have discovered. And the hot cocoa looks more like a sophisticated cappuccino (above), topped with milk foam and a chocolate syrup lattice, than a kiddie drink.
But a grown-up look is no mask for sophomore-year organic chemistry. Cafe Crescent’s hot cocoa is made with whole milk (my lactose-intolerant entrails confirmed that), diluted with hot water. The result: a thin liquid that lacks the milk fat needed to distribute rich and creamy goodness across the palette. Instead, the drink runs from the lips and straight to the gullet, without leaving much of an impression.
A few squirts of Ghirardelli syrup give the drink its milk-chocolate color, though not its flavor. Instead of that slightly bitter tweak of cocoa, one tastes nothing but the burned saccharine of high-fructose corn syrup. It’s a real disaster, much like my studies in organic chemistry were.
For a better chocolate fix, try the cafe’s chocolate croissants. They’re a little on the chewy side (as opposed to flaky and buttery), but the slab of dark chocolate chunk in the middle makes up for things.
Cafe Crescent, 930 Wayne Ave, Silver Spring, (240) 839-7237.
Photos by J. Deseo/SSP.
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I would recommend you not order any more beverages there.
Editor’s note: Good advice. What’s been your experience there? — JD (Feb 4, 2009)
I’m not much of a cocoa drinker, but I do love the mix you can get seasonaly at Williams Sonoma. Yes, it’s not the cheapest around but it’s awesome.
You warm milk and melt in their shaved chocolate mixture. OMG, this stuff will have you running your finger around the mug to get every drop.
Terry they also have Shaferberger (sp?) at Whole Foods with the shaved chocolate mix – do die for.
But does anyone remember when Starbucks had that kind of hot chocolate? They would give it to you in small cups because it was so rich – if you left it cooling for too long it would congeal. Sigh those were delish but only lasted a season, maybe 5 years ago?
It sounds horrible to have to choose between watery/chemically cocoa and stomach problems! Do you ever ask for them to make it with soy milk instead of milk? Personally, I’d be interested to know where to find the best milk-free hot cocoa in Silver Spring. As far as I know it’s Starbucks hot cocoa made with soy milk. But in the interests of buying local I wonder if other places in town make hot cocoa with soy milk.