Frequently Asked Questions

So how did Lilly come to be?

Well, this fabulous man named Joshua flew me to New York for the weekend for a little mini-vacation. He took me to Daniel Boulud’s Bistro Moderne when we arrived (which I LOVED, OMG, we had the best bottle of champagne, and the lobster bisque was amazing, oh and DESSERT! We could’ve had three courses of dessert…oh, but I’m rambling now…) and had a restful evening in the hotel. The next day he took me through Central Park. The whole time there I’m just complaining (“It’s cold! My feet hurt! Can we go get some food? I’m starving!”)

Little did I know that he had a plan. He was slowly drawing me towards the Delacorte Theatre where a statue of Romeo & Juliet stood. We arrived at the (to me) unknown destination, and he dropped to one knee, pulled out a ring, and asked me to be his wife! Through all the crying and fumbling (I put the ring back in his pocket I was so flustered!) I, of course, said YES! (I am now officially a “Montague.” My Romeo had come!) We proceeded to have the most fabulous afternoon! He took me around to all these fabulous chocolate shops, Maison du Chocolat, Kee’s Chocolates, Jacques Torres, Mariebelle, Neuhaus… it was endless chocolate indulgence! I fell in love with the whole scene.

These bright, bold spaces with these spectacular chocolates with crazy flavors and beautiful designs and I just couldn’t get enough! I said to myself, “We need this at home! Cleveland doesn’t have anything like this!” So when we arrived home, we hatched a plan to open our very own chocolate boutique. After a year and a half, we opened here in the historic neighborhood of Tremont on May 25th 2008, ready to set your tastebuds on fire!

Where did the name Lilly come from? Is it you?

I get this question constantly. There is no “Lilly” – just an Amanda and a Joshua. Tiger Lily’s are my favorite flowers, so that is the real reason we call it “Lilly”.  Short & sweet.

How do I store my chocolates?

Keep these guys in a cool, dry place. Refrigeration isn’t necessary and honestly won’t extend the shelf life that much. Besides, when you place chocolate in the fridge, it begins to condensate and encourages the sugar to push up to the surface of the chocolate, making it white-ish and spotty. Not to mention, it gives a mealy, grainy texture that doesn’t taste so, well, tasty!

The shelf life is 10 days. These chocolates are not to be stuffed in the back of your dresser drawer (ladies, you know who you are!) and saved until you desperately need a piece of chocolate satisfaction! Eat what you purchase and then come get more! Freshest tastes the best.

I’m allergic to nuts/dairy/gluten. Can I still eat your chocolates?

We do have many nut flavors. We use peanuts, pistachios, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts & cashews. We try our very best to keep the nuts from partying both with other types of nuts and other chocolate flavors. If you are severely allergic to any nuts, I’d unfortunately refrain from eating our chocolates. We’re here to make people happy, not queasy!

We do use fresh cream & butter in my truffles. However, we have had many requests for vegan/dairy-free chocolates, so we do have a few options as far as my truffles go. “The Redhead”, “After Midnight” and “Red Planet 2.0″ are all vegan/dairy-free. Also, dark chocolate Bliss Bars, Chomp Monsters & dark chocolate Lilly Bark are also vegan/dairy-free.

Both the “After Midnight” and “Old School” contain gluten, so gluten-free people cannot indulge in these confections.