Hot chocolate festival heats up, Texas smoke wafts into Coquitlam

If you’re looking for a drink that pairs nicely with a 2024 marshmallow, your festival is about to begin.

Now in its 14th year, the Hot Chocolate Festival is set to start Saturday at 105 locations including five hot spots in the Tri-Cities.

Located in Burquitlam across the street from Safeway, BjornBar Bakery is set to serve up Bjorn the Bear.

Served with a dark chocolate biscotti filled with orange zest and hazelnuts, the beverage is dark chocolate orange.

On Como Lake Avenue, Doughnut Love is set to pour tiramisu hot chocolate topped with an espresso mascarpone whip and served with a mini tiramisu doughnut.

Chocolate enthusiasts with a powerful thirst can get Everything But the Kitchen Sink hot chocolate at Cassandra Cake Co. on Marpole Avenue in Port Coquitlam.

The caramelized white hot chocolate is topped with whipped cream, caramel and crushed pretzels and served with a dessert flight containing one mini fudge brownie, one mini brown butter chocolate chip cookie, one mini cupcake, and one mini macaron.

Besides handling all your cannoli needs, Cannoli King on Seaborne Avenue is dishing up raspberry pistachio hot chocolate for the fest.

Dubbed the Sicilian Orchestra, the drink is layered with pistachio cream, raspberry swirl with raspberry infused milk and served with a pistachio/raspberry mini-cannoli.

C Market Coffee on Village Drive is offering up hot chocolate topped with popping candy. Popping Party is also served with a rice crispy treat ring.

BBQ news

For folks with an appetite for something more savoury, Texas Smoke BBQ is set to brave the cold and serve up slow-roasted brisket and ribs at Mariner Brewing on Friday and Saturday. Click here to read about about Nathan Seeley’s journey from finance to the grill.