Fleur de Cocoa's chocolates really melt in your mouth.

Pascal Janvier, pastry chef, chocolatier and owner of the Los Gatos artisan chocolate shop Fleur de Cocoa, has nothing to say about See's Candies. And Godiva's chocolates, he says, which are made in Belgium and then shipped to the states, just can't compare to the fresh chocolates at Fleur de Cocoa, which have a shelf life of two to three weeks.

In fact, Janvier is convinced that in the Silicon Valley, there is just no comparison to Fleur de Cocoa. Working with high-quality, preservative-free chocolate, Janvier uses about 68 to 70 percent dark chocolate in his hand-held treats.

Janvier's wife, Nicola, met her husband while taking a chocolate class. The couple opened their shop in 2000, where they sell pastries, lunch items and artisan chocolates.

Nicola speculates there are more artisan chocolate shops opening in the area because the public wants to get to know cocoa on a more intimate level.

"People are beginning to understand and appreciate chocolate," Nicola says.

Part of the attraction, Nicola theorizes, is due to recent reports that claim dark chocolate contains chemicals that might have the potential to reduce heart disease. But she also thinks chocolate appreciation is the next step for novice foodies.

"I think people are moving on. They've already learned wines and coffee, and are now jumping to tea and chocolate," Nicola says.

Born in Normandy, France, Janvier got his first taste of chocolate from his grandmother when he was 11 years old. Two years later, he worked as a pastry apprentice, and later received his master's in pastry and chocolate in Paris.

Greeting customers when they first walk into the store is a case of delectable delights. On the right are chocolates, and for some, that's just what they came for.

The most popular item is the fleur de cocoa--a dark chocolate filled with an extra-dark chocolate ganache.

Other chocolate inventions include the gingembre. The quarter-sized delicacies are candied ginger slices enrobed in dark chocolate. There are also the orangettes, candied orange peels covered in dark chocolate. And then, there is the candy that is a tribute to Julia Child. The silky, milk chocolate ganache is peppered with pink peppercorn, and the outer later is speckled with a cream color on the dark chocolate.

Customer Esin Slater has been frequenting Fleur de Cocoa since it first opened. Now she stops by the store nearly every week. She also ordered her wedding cake from the shop.

"There were absolutely no leftovers," she says.

She does not consider herself a chocolate connoisseur, but when it comes to dark chocolate, all other options pale in comparison. One of her favorites at the shop is the Fifth Avenue, a rectangular-shaped dark chocolate filled with pistachio, cinnamon and a white chocolate ganache.

A few steps from the door and away from the chocolate case, customers will find a tantalizing display of cakes, tarts, pastries and eclairs.

While Janvier prides himself on operating the only French, artisan chocolate shop in the area, Schurra's Candy Factory on The Alameda in San Jose boasts a 91-year-old tradition of candy making.

Creating small batches of hand-decorated candy, the store specializes in truffles, boxed chocolates and novelty molds, such as the peppermint chews.

Albert Schurra, who was born in France, opened his first candy factory in Stockton in 1912. Before the Great Depression hit, he operated five shops throughout the Sacramento area. In 1937, he bought the shop on The Alameda, which Hank and Gayle Viehweger later bought and ran for nearly 40 years. Bill Mundy bought the shop 20 years ago, and his son, Brian Mundy, runs it. The store appeals to old-timers and newcomers alike, and its nostalgia offers something for everyone.

Chris Hutchins and his wife, Elaine, opened Cocoa Bon hoping that they, too, would have a chocolate for everyone, whether it's chocolate-covered cherries, mint or the addicting almond toffee. In 2005, they opened a store in Valley Fair.

The venture started when Elaine began experimenting with chocolates nearly six years ago. Now, the Los Gatos couple is watching its venture take off. The success could be partly due to the chocolates and partly due to the creative packaging scheme--the candies are packed in a 2.58-ounce aluminum tin.

What's more, the cashiers at Cocoa Bon seem eager to pass out tasters of all the flavors. But Hutchins and his wife don't consider their Cocoa Bon a gourmet chocolate shop; they see their store as a chocolate lifestyle shop.

"We want to take our chocolate and teach people how to consume chocolates in ways that are different," Hutchins says.

Cocoa Bon plans to offer classes on how to pair chocolates with wines, as well as how to cook with chocolate.

While Fleur de Cocoa, Cocoa Bon and Schurra's serve up a personal touch in the quality chocolates, gourmet chocolate shops such as Godiva and Joseph Schmidt remain popular.

Joseph Schmidt is located in Santana Row and is known for its trademark egg-shaped truffle. Godiva is in Valley Fair, across the way from Cocoa Bon, and entices customers with its large and luscious-looking chocolate-dipped strawberries.

Hutchins is convinced that the American palate is maturing, and that people are demanding higher-quality products with no artificial flavors--and this, he says, certainly applies to chocolate. So the next time that chocolate craving sneaks up, skip the Hershey's and opt for a chocolate that will really melt in your mouth.

Cocoa Bon Fine Chocolates, Westfield Valley Fair, 2855 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite B2295, Santa Clara, 408.261.2439.

Fleur de Cocoa, 39 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos, 408.354.3574.

Godiva Chocolatier Inc., 2855 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 2215, Santa Clara, 800.9GO.DIVA.

Joseph Schmidt, 356 Santana Row, San Jose, 408.244.2553.

Schurra's Candy Factory, 840 The Alameda, San Jose, 408.289.1562.