Have you heard of Puna Chocolate Company? Have you been to the store/cafe? I have heard of the chocolate and have enjoyed it but didn’t realize that there was a store in downtown Hilo right on Keawe Street. It took my pal Deaner visiting from San Francisco to tell me about it! I joined Deaner there on a recent Tuesday evening and got to check out the store and the cafe. It is a great place to pick up gifts for family, friends, or yourself! My friends had coffee on an earlier visit and raved about it. On this visit, we had some chocktails with names like Pistachio Rose Sour, Like Water for Chocolate, and Aztec Old Fashioned. If you like a bit of sweet with your cocktail, you’ll love these. They also serve non-chocolate cocktails as well as beer and wine too so you’ll definitely find something you like there. If you are hungry for a bite to eat, they have charcuterie and chocolate plates to order. We sat at the bar and made friends with Josh and learned that although he is much younger, we were from the same high school and even the same elementary school and small hometown.

The shop closed at 8 or 8:30 so we headed to Temple Bar for a nightcap and to indulge in the pipikaula flatbread. In true Hilo fashion, as we sat near the window at Temple, we saw our new friend Josh walk by. He came to look for us after work because we had forgotten something there. He had heard us talking about going to Temple so he looked for us and delivered our forgotten item! Where would you find this happening? It happened to us in Hilo. One of the many reasons why I love living in Hilo. Who wants to check out Puna Chocolate Company with me? I want to try some of the other things on the menu! Living Hilo Style.