It’s no secret that being an artist and making a living is no easy task. They can only parade themselves around so much before it becomes apparent their work needs a permanent home. The realities of opening a successful gallery are almost worse than restaurant statistics, which have approximately a 60% failure rate. However, as with all things, using a little ingenuity can make great things happen; meaning a delectable little chocolate shop!

Eric Nelson is the owner of Artfully Chocolate in the ever-expanding area of Delray, Alexandria. The idea of this hybrid art/chocolate shop came to him after many, not so successful, efforts to find a place to display his artwork. He knew that being an artist was only half of the puzzle, so he enlisted the help of four local chocolatiers. His shop, which opened in July 2006, is home to Kingsbury Chocolates, Christopher Confections, the coveted Artisan Confections, and Mariam’s Chocolates. Mariam is the newest to join the crew and her organic chocolate creations were recently sampled (for free!) at the shop. Although all of the items in the store would have any self-proclaimed choc-o-holic in a feeding frenzy, there were a few items that definitely caught our eye.

Our first stop was the truffle case, where one can fancy such things as Brie Truffles, Lavender and Pistachio truffles, and ones topped with Fleur de Sel. Other items, besides truffles, included an array of chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate sauces, chocolate dipped fruit wedges and “French Fries,” which are candied orange peels that have been cut to resemble French fries and dipped in chocolate. The store also boasts an assortment of novelty gifts like Chocolate Voodoo dolls, Chocolate Band-Aids, and Chocolate Pasta.

While drooling over the many chocolate creations, customers can peruse Eric’s artwork, which is broken up into three styles. The walls are adorned with Mosaics, paintings done with Translucent Acrylics and Mylar, and he has recently added a few canvas pieces as well. Prices range from the low $100’s to the upper $100’s, but remaining under $1000.

Whether you’re looking for a gift, someone special or even yourself, or just looking for a unique place to explore, we found Artfully Chocolate to be well worth the trip.