Did someone say chocolate? Until recently, I wasn't the biggest fan of chocolate -- mind you I liked it but I just wasn't one of those chocolate crazed people -- but that's all changed in the past few months.

First up: Bond Street Chocolate (63 E. Fourth Street between Bowery and 2nd Avenue). Recently opened on East 4th Street, Bond Street Chocolate is unlike any other chocolate shop I've been to. They lured me in to get the custom made dark skull chocolate box set that I gave away as a Valentines' Day present to Terence Koh's production guy as a thank you for all his hard work on our recent project.

Once inside, it became clear that the gimmick of skull chocolates isn't the forte of owner Linda Stern. Amazingly inventive homemade chocolate is. Stern -- a former pastry chef at Atlas and Village -- started her chocolate wholesale business first, catering to places like Dean & Deluca and City Bakery. That business was on Bond Street, hence the name of the shop despite it's non Bond Street location. She's now opened the retail location to bring her chocolate mastery to the world without the middle man.

Stern is very experimental with her work and likes to fill her chocolates with liquor like Tequila. The guy in line in front of me came all the way from Queens to get his sweetie a box of Tequila filled chocolates, which were housed in the most amazing brown faux alligator skin box. There's also a level of irreverance, with chocolates in the shape of Buddha, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and, of course, skulls!

If you're in the East Village, do yourself a favor and stop by. You can thank me for it later.

Next up, chocolate with a twist. Roni Sue's Chocolates in the Essex Street Market (120 Essex Street) is dipping strips of bacon in dark and milk chocolate and selling it under the name Pig Candy.

Yes, I've tried it. Yes, it's amazing. Would I eat it every day? No. The sweet and salt together, though, are perfect and if you know anything about me, you know I live for bacon.

And let's not forget the $38/pound price tag. I got 1/4 of a pound for $10 and that was even a bit too much for one person. If you like bacon and you like chocolate, try it. It sounds weird, but trust me, it's good.