May 31 2008
Ovedia: Amesbury’s secret sweet spot
Nestled behind the brick building at 36 Main Street in Amesbury is an artisan chocolate shop called Ovedia that is sure to soon be known as Amesbury’s sweet spot.
I discovered the place a week before Valentine’s day in 2007 in a frantic search for sea salt caramels (One of my wife’s favorites) and I didn’t want to pay the stupid amount of money that Crate & Barrel was charging. (And shipping was almost as much as the product!) Granted, my time and options were running short, but I was loathe to throw unnecessary money at big chain stores instead of supporting local merchants. That’s when I found Ovedia online.
It was obvious by the copy on the site that folks at Ovedia see candy as passion, and weren’t in business just to hawk chocolates. Artisan chocolates, no doubt!
I called from work and found out that I would not be able to get to the shop before it closed, so I inquired about delivery. The proprietor asked where I lived and as our house was so close to downtown Amesbury, she offered to drop them off with a note as well. I’m proud to say that I was the shop’s first delivery customer. But whether the shop delivers regularly, I couldn’t say.
Well, the sea salt caramels, with milk or dark chocolate, were a huge success. Every night for about three weeks, my wife would, chew, smack her gums, lick her fingers and thoroughly enjoy her confections while I sat watching her, with my jaw agape and drool slowly collecting at the corner of my mouth. She was almost through the entire box before she finally gave me one. I could see why she didn’t want to share.
Ovedia makes its own candy, as well as some of the best hot chocolate my wife and I ever had. You’ll always see a couple cars parked by the front door—no doubt someone enjoying a cup of hot chocolate or some coffee with a few sweets. Aside from a sure win with Valentine’s Day treats, I highly recommend Ovedia for any special occasion, a perfect hot drink and accompanying treats to warm you on cold days or for a quick morsel to satisfy your sweet tooth.
2 responses so far
Make sure to also pick up one of their chewy, chocolate-ginger cookies if they have them that day. I have been known to return the salted-caramel favor and bring home a few cookies for Paul who is a fan of ginger-snaps. Yummy.
I discovered Ovedia 2 weeks ago, thanks to a recommendation from Paul who owns Phat Cats Bistro (THANKS Paul!!). We had driven up from Beverly for lunch and decided to treat ourselves to something sweet. I have fallen in love with the orange + ginger dark chocolate bark — yummy and different. I was in Amesbury again with a friend and decided to introduce her to the shop. We had the raspberry hot chocolate with home made marshmallows (fabulous!) AND whipped cream. …delicously decadent. It was almost closing, but Barbara was kind enough to not only answer our questions, but really spend time telling us about her establishment and her wares, including her chocolate ganache filled pear (which I can’t wait to give a friend for Christmas). She also mentioned a number of other establishments to visit in Amesbury (what a terrific ambassador for your town). Barbara and her sweets are definitely worth the drive!!