Ranking Hanover’s Best Hot Chocolate Pt. II

By Caroline Berens, The Dartmouth Staff | 2/18/15 8:40am

Earlier this winter, Dartbeat published an article ranking the best cup of hot chocolate in Hanover. This piece —if we may say so ourselves —was met with general acclaim. Although we covered Dirt Cowboy, Lou’s, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and KAF in our original investigation, it appears that we were guilty of leaving a single stone unturned. In other words, as anonymous commentator “anonym” pointed out, we skipped the hot chocolate on offer at Morano Gelato. So, to right this wrong, we dispatched a reporter out into the icy tundra to see if Morano’s hot chocolate was as good as its gelato. In keeping with the previous post, we asked our reporter to order a small hot chocolate, judging on its time of delivery, distance from campus, price, whipped cream quality and overall quality. Here are her results:

Morano Gelato:

Overall ranking: 9.5/10Whipped cream ranking: 9.9/10 Price (small): $2.50 Wait time: 50 seconds Distance from campus: 528 ft.

In a sophisticated — but unsurprising — turn given the nature of Morano Gelato, hot chocolate at Morano is listed as Chocolate Calda, using the Italian for “hot.” The drink is served in a miniature teacup with a teaspoon. The cost is reasonable compared to other Hanover establishments ($2.50 with whipped cream, $2.00 without), particularly for such high quality. Plus, less than a minute after I ordered, my drink was brought to my seat. Scooping the fluffy, decadent whipped cream was a nearly divine experience, and I started the hot chocolate thinking it couldn’t surpass what I’d just had — but it came very close. Unlike traditional hot chocolate, Morano’s beverage had a heavy, pudding-like consistency, allowing unbelievably rich and savory flavors to flourish. It tasted almost like melted fudge, and though the taste was overpowering at times, I ate it slowly and left satisfied and appreciative.

Updated awards are as follows:
Best Overall Quality: Morano Gelato
Best Whipped Cream Quality: Lou’s & Morano Gelato (tie)


Caroline Berens, The Dartmouth Staff