Chocolatier Blue Morphs Into Ice Cream Parlor

Introducing the Chocolatier Blue Parlor. [Photo: Jessica Steeve]

If the chocolate bars and bon bons in impulse buy-friendly Technicolors weren't enough, there are quite a few new temptations over at Chocolatier Blue's Fourth Street location in Berkeley, now known as the Chocolatier Blue Parlor. The former candy shop has had a pastel-hued makeover and hired pastry chef Danyelle Forte, a veteran of Alain Ducasse and Daniel Boulud restaurants. A heated patio is expected to open before the summer, which will be a big bonus for this tiny space.

Forte's ice cream flavors rotate monthly; current eye-catchers are mole and goat's milk with Ennis hazelnuts, a caramelized banana split, and a sweet lime with lemon thyme sundae. And in exciting news for suburban kids, the section of floats, frosts, and freezes includes a take on the dearly departed mall drink known as the Orange Julius.

This concept is exclusive to Fourth Street since there are no plans to convert Chocolatier Blue's other stores (which include a flagship spot in Berkeley and outposts in Danville, Mill Valley, Nebraska, and Maine) into parlors.