Virginia Highland Specialty

Cacao founder Kristen Hard is a bit of a local hero—she opened her shop after taking a sabbatical from her law studies to travel (including working as a chef on a yacht). Hard is one of the only “bean-to-bar” producers in the region, which means she sources the beans herself, the roasts and shells them in-house. The result is ridiculously complex chocolate that you can really only get in Atlanta. (There are also locations in Buckhead and Inman Park).