by MARK SLUTSKY

Valentine's Day fast approaches, and while for this writer that probably means another night of margarita mix and crying through Waiting to Exhale, the more romantically savvy of you probably have other plans. Nothing beats chocolate if you're looking to woo, and luckily for local lotharios, Montreal is blessed with some really top chocolatiers. For the really good stuff you'll definitely need a little change in your pocket, as the quality cocoa doesn't come cheap. But you may find, as you gaze into your lover's sugar-dilated pupils, that the cost of romance is never too high.

If you're looking to impress and amaze, try Chocolats Geneviève Grandbois, with locations in the Atwater market and on St-Viateur. The latter location offers a peak into the process; peer through the window and you can see the good people at work, ladling rich liquid chocolate over candied fruits and into little square moulds.

They're an adventurous sort at this place, and you'll find experimental combinations you'd never otherwise imagine. Grandbois's chocolates are divided into three categories, or "collections:" Les Classiques, Collection 2004, and Collection Chuao, costing $1.50, $2.25, and $3.50 each, respectively. Well, we warned you. But think about it - wouldn't you rather have one perfect little chocolate than a big, stale, chemical-pumped generic bar made with stuff that the European Union probably doesn't even recognize as chocolate?

Les Classiques is, as the title implies, the more straight-up collection, but even so you've probably never tasted stuff like this before. Like all of Grandbois's chocolates, they're beautiful little objects, with complex patterns on top (made of sugar) to differentiate between varieties. Try the Chai (even one nibble brings the entire, complex taste to life), or the Extra-vierge, made with olive oil. The Caramel à la fleur de sel is one of Grandbois's best offerings, with an interior of golden liquid caramel.

The Collection 2004 is where things really start to get weird. Like the Nori, made with seaweed and sesame seeds, which is much better than it sounds - the flavours actually mesh surprisingly well. The Tabac is made, with, yes, tobacco, though the taste isn't strong enough to make you feel like you're eating a cigarette. Another terrific concoction is the Safran, with a thin layer of saffron-infused cream sitting atop the ganache (the chocolate's filling).

The Classiques and Collection 2004 are both made with Amedei chocolate, from Tuscany. The more expensive Chuao collection is made with the more exclusive chocolate of the same name, grown in Venezuela. The super-chi-chi flavours in this category include the Balsamico, made with 25-year-old balsamic vinegar; the Monte Cristo, infused with the flavour of Monte Cristo cigars (maybe not such a good Valentine's Day gift, come to think of it), and the Truffe noire, made with truffle oil.

Another great local chocolate maker and vendor is Les Chocolats de Chloé, which just opened up a few months ago. A little place, it has a clean, pretty design and, like Grandbois's joint, there's a glass wall through which you can see the sumptuous stuff being made. Chloé's chocolates are not as adventurous as Grandbois's, but they're arguably better; simple and perfect, made with Valrhona chocolate, which may be the finest chocolate in the world.

Ten dollars will get you a box of six; try the milk chocolate/honey combo, which is just perfect, or the intensely flavourful passion fruit. The coffee variety, made with Italian Illy coffee, is a must if the object of your desire is a java-lover. Notice with these how the chocolate shell is just thin enough to contain the smooth, creamy ganache inside - that's the sign of an expert. And don't leave without trying one of their magnificent chocolate bars, like homemade versions of the Caramilk bar, made with rich, vanilla-scented caramel (which you can also buy in jars for $10 a pop).

If you're going to buy chocolate for Valentine's Day this year, why not buy local? And who cares if you're alone - you can, of course, just eat them yourself.

Les Chocolats Geneviève Grandbois is located in the Atwater Market, stall C-1 (933-1331), and at 162 St-Viateur W. (394-1000). Les Chocolats de Chloé is located at 375 Roy E., just west of St-Denis (849-5550)