Local gourmands should get ready to put in some serious time at the gym. A trio of new foodie must-tries is bringing hard-to-find cheeses and chocolates to the area, and these epicurean indulgences are worth every calorie.

For Kellie and Steve Long, the decision to open a branch of Chocolate Apothecary near their Highland Village home didn't require much soul-searching. "We made the trip to Spokane, where the original store is," Kellie explains, "and then discussed it on the plane ride home." By touchdown, it was settled.

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Chocolate Apothecary

The first franchise of the Washington-based gourmet chocolate shop opened July 1 in the Shops at Highland Village, tempting chocoholics with high-end European imports, handmade truffles from Oregon, decadent drinking chocolate, and creamy gelato crafted in small batches in San Francisco. Don't know where to start (or stop)? Sign up for one of the shop's regular chocolate- tasting classes.

The ability to try before you buy is also a big draw at the new artisanal cheese shop Molto Formaggio. "When people come in here, they haven't tasted the majority of our cheeses, so everything is available for sampling," says co-owner Michael Perlmeter. You'd best bring an appetite, as the Preston Royal store stocks more than 200 cheeses from around the world, all cut to order.

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Molto Formaggio

Other gourmet goodies include charcuterie and three varieties of bulk olive oil, but the emphasis is most assuredly on fromage. A second Molto Formaggio is scheduled to open next month in Highland Park Village. "Cheese is the new wine," Perlmeter says with a laugh.

Rich Rogers must agree. He's the owner of Scardello Artisan Cheese, a gourmet cheese boutique located in a circa-1928 building on Oak Lawn Avenue. Like Molto Formaggio, Scardello is a full-service shop where tasting is encouraged and all 120 cheeses are cut to order. The inventory features about 60 percent European imports and 40 percent American cheeses, with a nice assortment from Texas and what Rogers refers to as a "thoughtful selection of cheese-friendly accompaniments." To wit: artisan salami, gourmet crackers, jellies, honey and wines chosen for their cheese-pairing abilities. Tasting classes are also on the board. "We're cheese enthusiasts," says Rogers, "and we're going to ply as much cheese information as our customers can handle."