Piece, Love & Chocolate will soon move into the old Bayleaf spot on Boulder's Pearl Street

A couple of months ago, Bayleaf traded in its digs at 850 Pearl Street in Boulder for a move up the mall, relocating to a larger spot at 1222 Pearl. That left the market's old storefront vacant, and opened up an opportunity for another purveyor to move in.

Turns out, that purveyor will be a gourmet chocolatier called Piece, Love & Chocolate.

The chocolate boutique is the brainchild of Sarah Amorese, a long-time graphic designer with a sensual history with chocolate. Amorese's parents owned a bakery, which served as a pastry education in her teenage years. After moving to Europe and tasting the chocolate produced by world-class chocolatiers, she became hooked on the stuff, and focused her work as a professional pastry chef on honing her skills with chocolate.

Now she's putting her chocolate-making education to use in Boulder at her shop, which will sell chocolates and pastries as well as art, books and cosmetics. Amorese will also offer classes detailing the health benefits and history of the confection. She's started some of the education process already, keeping a company blog that contains recipes and poetic waxings on the dessert that she loves so much.

Piece, Love & Chocolate plans to open its doors on February 7, just in time for Valentine's Day.