Let's talk chocolate for a while, because why not? Everybody loves chocolate, many love espresso, and therefore it only makes sense to have a look at Firebird's Espresso Dark Chocolate Bar.
What makes this bar a little bit more interesting than your average espresso-based chocolate, is Firebird also being a coffee roaster. In that sense you not only get a chocolate maker which knows its bean, you can also pair the bar with Firebird's coffees quite easily. Or not; you might just decide that to be a form of horrible, horrible up-sell.
Either way, the bar itself is very good. Even at 70% it feels surprisingly creamy, almost like a dark milk chocolate, with the espresso giving just that little kick you want in a bar like this.
Really, the latter is important. Too often there is little balance in espresso bars, where you can either not really taste the coffee, or the coffee overpowers the chocolate. Firebird has the balance down well. We, shockingly enough, like that.
It might be a buck or two more expensive than your average chocolate bar -- at least at Huckleberry's -- but it's worth the price of admission. And if you have issues with the coffee pairing, go with a port instead. Chocolate, espresso, and port. It's a wonderful combination.