Main Street Business

The sweetest of sweet
Cover photo: Lauren and Natasha and the store Catskill Chocolate Co.
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
Charles M. Schultz wrote that. He was the creator of one of the greatest comic strips ever, Peanuts. A wise man. And how prophetic a phrase for the month of February, which is all about love – and chocolate.
If you’re serious about either – both! – but especially about chocolate, there’s no better place to start than a shop where there’s a reverence for the confection, and where it’s made with an abundance of love. In our area, we’re lucky to have several places that meet those criteria.
First up is Catskill Chocolate Co. at 473 Main Street in Catskill.
Before you even step inside, the storefront sends out a welcoming, warm vibe. It’s located at the top of Main Street on a corner, with windows facing in two directions. When I visited, there were big, black cats painted on the large windows on one side, a nod to the town that embraces the feline association with its name. Inside, it’s all warm wood and glass and mirrors, with café tables set up along one side of the store and, on the other, a nearly room-length, antique wood-and-glass display case that shows off the stars of the show, the chocolates. It’s a place you want to settle into and stay a while.
Goodness everywhere
The selection of chocolates is mouthwatering – truffles and creams and caramels and nonpareils and fruit dipped in chocolate and fudge in flavor combinations that surprise and delight. There’s a raspberry bergamot treat of dark chocolate, raspberry, and bergamot ganache in a white chocolate shell; a rose truffle of dark chocolate rose ganache with rose hip jam; a fig and balsamic caramel that’s gooey fig and balsamic caramel in a milk chocolate shell; a marzipan bramble of white chocolate marzipan ganache with bramble berries in a dark chocolate shell – okay, is your mouth watering? – and so much more! In addition to selling chocolates, the shop is a café that serves coffees, teas, pastries, soups, sandwiches, and other home-made goodies for breakfast and lunch. You can also get home-made gelato there in a fun assortment of flavors.
Catskill Chocolate Co. is the realized dream of several lifelong friends who mostly grew up together: Natasha Witka Amanna, Lauren Robbiani, Nicole Mower, and Lauren Caspar. (Lauren C. is from Georgia and met Lauren R. through dance in NYC.) All of them are passionate about food; in fact, Natasha was a co-founder of New York Restaurant in the heart of Catskill, which earned rave reviews for the nine years it was open. Lauren Robbiani worked in a chocolate shop growing up and was part of a “food-centric family” that had a passion for confections. Nicole worked with Lauren R. in the chocolate shop, and Lauren C. and Lauren R. worked together in several establishments in Brooklyn, including Sel de Mer and Sweetwater. They also worked together at Gaskin’s in Germantown. “We gleaned a lot from working with folks at all of these locations,” Lauren R. related.
I met with Natasha and Lauren R. on a Sunday morning that started quiet but didn’t stay that way for long as customers started streaming in. They are a neighborhood staple at this point, as they will be celebrating the third anniversary of the store’s opening in March 2025. “It took over a year for the space to evolve,” Lauren notes when we talk about how long they’ve been in business. The building is over 200 years old, and it had to be remodeled to become the store they needed and envisioned. “Our landlord is an architect,” Lauren says, “and he’s been wonderful and helpful.”
Passionate people
Seeing the variety of chocolates displayed so beautifully, it’s easy to overlook what goes into their creation. Because they’ve learned so much about it over the years, Lauren and Natasha are very fussy about chocolate. For them it’s about flavor, of course. “We like chocolate that is rich, dark, velvety, supple, full of flavor and well rounded,” Lauren says, “but we’re also sensitive to how it’s grown and produced.” Natasha adds that the chocolate they source is made with sunflower lecithin rather than soy lecithin, which is unusual for commercial chocolate. They are also sensitive to the farming and labor practices of the producers they work with. “It’s all gluten-free,” Lauren says, “with no gelatin, and we produce a lot of vegan chocolates. We try to be as sensitive to allergies and inclusive as possible.”
As for flavor combinations and creations, they both confess to loving food and experimenting with ingredients. They enjoy playing with exotic flavors, like the Asian citrus fruit, yuzu, which was recently trendy. They like to focus on seasonal selections, and have worked with spruce tips and pawpaw, a tropical fruit that actually grows in the Hudson Valley. For especially celebratory occasions, they’ve created gold-flaked champagne truffles with pop rocks in them that crackle in your mouth.
Favorites
They find customers tend to gravitate toward either traditional favorites or the more unusual bonbons. One they’re especially proud of is a tahini-lime gianduja, made with tahini (sesame paste), lime jelly, and candied sesame seeds, enrobed in gianduja, a blend of chocolate and hazelnut paste created in Turin, Italy, over 200 years ago. They describe it as “tart, earthy, and just a little sweet.” Wow!
They’re also delighted by their collaboration with the master chocolatier, Fritz Knipschildt, who is in Norwalk, Connecticut. He is an award-winning craftsman of chocolate whose accolades include winning in a showdown with Bobby Flay; being dubbed a “favorite” of Oprah Winfrey; and being a three-time SOFI gold winner (A SOFI award recognizes culinary excellence in specialty food and beverages). Catskill Chocolate Co. offers a special assortment “inspired by the picturesque Catskills region of New York and their personal tastes,” and Knipschildt provides exquisite finishing touches by painting each piece with colored chocolates. (This is a must-try box of chocolates!)
With all these amazing confections to choose from, I wonder if Lauren and Natasha have favorites. Natasha confesses to particularly liking salted vanilla caramel enrobed in dark chocolate. For Lauren, it’s milk chocolate “turtles” (caramel, chocolate, and a pecan), and milk chocolate sponge toffee (an old-style of confection, also known as sponge or angel food, in which baking soda is added to a cooked-down sugar to puff it up). I’m also curious about what has surprised them most with their business.
“I thought the focus would be more of a corporate or wholesale demand,” Lauren says, “but with great turnout from the community, we realized the demand was for the café along with the chocolates. We listened.”
“I enjoy the collaborations we have with other women-owned businesses in the area, too,” Natasha says. “It’s a great community.”
And when they’re not making chocolates or gelato or paninis or soups? “I love to cook, and I’m always moving,” Natasha says. “Napping,” Laura says with a chuckle.
For Valentine’s Day, Catskill Chocolate Co. will have their in-demand chocolate covered strawberries available. They use organic strawberries and dip them for same-day consumption. Super fresh, super tasty, and guaranteed to super-impress your Valentine.
Whatever inspires you at the shop, indulge. The Catskill Chocolate Co. is a gem.
Heading to Hudson
Across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge in the city of Hudson is another woman-owned shop that showcases fine chocolates along with an extensive selection of tea, fabulous baked goods, and hot chocolates that have a reputation throughout the Hudson Valley. The shop is Verdigris Tea, at 135 Warren Street. It’s owned by Kim Bach, who opened it nearly 20 years ago.
Kim’s shop is also on a corner, with windows facing in two directions and seating where customers can sit comfortably while people-watching the passersby on Warren Street, Hudson’s main promenade. Kim’s passion for tea and the comfort and community it provides (along with delicious food) is inherited from her mother, who ran a tea shop in Park City, Utah, until she decided to retire from it when she was in her 80s. When she retired, Kim brought the contents of her mother’s shop cross-country with her to create Verdigris. A former teacher in New York City, the tea shop in upstate was a perfect transition for her.
Recognizing that people enjoy a scone or cookie or even a savory baked good with their tea (or coffee or hot chocolate), Kim started working with the baker extraordinaire Regina Simmons from the beginning. Today, the shop wouldn’t be complete without her cakes, cookies, scones, and other goodies, and she has a loyal following.

Kim Bach and her store, Verdigris.
Bonbons, bars, and beverages
People love chocolate. Kim included! From the store’s early days, Kim wanted to provide chocolate in many forms. “I always looked for local chocolate makers,” Kim says. “Christopher Norman was amazingly right down the street from the shop at one time, so I could walk down to pick up the chocolates.” He eventually moved back to Canada, and Kim started working with Oliver Kita, the master chocolatier and proprietor of Oliver Kita Fine Confections in Woodstock. Kita was awarded a gold medal by International Chocolate Awards in 2017, and was several times voted best chocolatier in the Hudson Valley. Sadly, he passed away in 2023. Kim has been working with Asher Chocolate Co. since then. Asher’s is a five-generation family-owned chocolate-making business based in Souderton, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia.
Kim also sells a large variety of packaged chocolates. “I stay as regional as possible with this selection,” she says, which includes Saratoga Chocolates, Fruition Chocolate Works, and Bella’s, among others.
Angelina, s’il vous plâit
A signature offering at Verdigris is the Angelina hot chocolate. “It’s a totally decadent treat that people love to indulge in,” Kim says. And it’s no wonder! The Angelina is copied “straight from Angelina’s in Paris,” Kim shares. “It’s the highest standard, made from melted chocolate with added chocolate ganache that’s served in a pouring cup with whipped cream on the side.” Verdigris also offers a Mexican hot chocolate with warming spices and an iced hot chocolate that Kim says is “pretty profound,” and “very decadent.” People enjoy it whether it’s hot and humid out or cold and snowy.
There are also chocolatey teas at Verdigris. A fan favorite? The chocolate monkey tea. It’s a rooibos-based tea mixed with red peppercorns, banana, and chocolate. “There’s no caffeine,” Kim explains, “so it’s a nice treat at night. Also there’s no sugar, but it tastes sweet.” Verdigris’s chocolate mint rooibos is also popular, and there’s a black tea with chocolate chips for those looking for caffeine.
Favorites
Kim is also an artist and avid hiker, who completed the Camino de Santiago walk of the pilgrims in Spain several times. She has had the opportunity to try foods from around the world, and of course all the confections that she selects and sells at Verdigris. Her favorite chocolates? “There are so many!” she exclaims, before confessing that for her at this time it’s Asher’s sea salt caramel chocolate truffles. “Salt and chocolate are such a great combination,” she swoons.
Customers love the chocolate-dipped orange peel, and classics like patties, clusters, and peanut butter cups.
If it’s sweet you seek, for yourself or a loved one, consider Verdigris for a real treat.
Keep up with delicious offerings and news from both these sweet shops by visiting their websites and signing up for emails. Follow them both on Facebook and Instagram. Reach Catskill Chocolate Co. at catskillchocolateco.com. Reach Verdigris at verdigristea.com. Both offer online ordering, as well!