Sweet and Prickly

By Sandra Scott

What do a chocolatier and a cactus gardener have in common?

A lot! David Bevill, the chocolatier, and Frank Dimalanta, the cactus specialist, work in the sweetest but prickliest place in Las Vegas Nevada—Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden, which produces gourmet chocolates and has the largest cactus garden in Nevada. Bevill’s job is to produce chocolate fresh every day. Dimalanta’s job is to nurture cactus, the older the better.

Forrest Mars, Sr., started Ethel M more than 20 years ago, after he retired from the Mars Candy Company, founded by his father, Frank Mars, in 1919. Forrest, Sr., named his line of gourmet chocolates in honor of his mother, Ethel, and used recipes he learned from her.

In the early days, Forrest, Sr., and his wife lived above the Ethel M factory. His wife wanted a garden and the only viable option in the desert was a cactus garden. Over the years both the garden and Ethel M have grown and prospered. Today the family tradition of producing top quality chocolates is reflected in every scrumptious piece.

On a recent visit, we met Dave Bevill, who has overseen the chocolate production since the company was started. He explains that producing gourmet chocolate means selecting the best ingredients and making everything by hand. The freshness of the candy is insured because each day’s production is based on the previous day’s store sales, which is tabulated during the night. Attention to deal it is the key to success, he says. For instance, in Ethel M’s renowned Lemon Satin Cremes, even the lemons are hand-squeezed. Everyone on the production line is charged with overseeing the quality with stop-the-line power if they feel the quality is not up to par.  The final test comes when confections receive the approval of the professional chocolate tasters. Now, there’s a job any chocolaholic would hunger for!

“The best part of my job is meeting the people and creating new products,” he says. “We have to keep refreshing the product line. We have 50 different varieties, not including seasonal favorites. And, of course, sampling the products is a great perk!”

After shopping at the convenient outlet, we headed outside to the Cactus Garden and met with Frank Dimalanta, who is in charge of the three-acre garden. Dimalanta has the same enthusiasm for his work as Bevill.

“I enjoy meeting the people,” he says. “They appreciate the beauty and serenity of desert landscape. The garden is especially magical at Christmastime when it’s decorated with thousands of lights.”

The award-winning garden, designed in the English style, has more than 300 species of prickly desert flora. Half are cacti and succulents largely native to the American Southwest, and the rest are desert trees and shrubs from the Southwest, Australia and South America.  The plants were chosen for the beauty of their floral displays and their ability to adapt to the climate of southern Arizona. Moss rock from the Grand Canyon region and Utah Bali Hai “chocolate” rocks (of course!) are used throughout the garden.

If the Lemon Satin Cremes are the Ethel M’s signature confection, the magnificent saguaro is the signature cactus. A saguaro can reach 50 feet and some specimens live for 200 years.

“This is the perfect job.  I not only get to sample the chocolate and I get to spend every day outdoors,” says Dimilanta.  If the cactus garden fails, I’ll be out of a job. But they will always be making chocolate!”

Ethel M Chocolates is located at One Sunset Way, Henderson Nevada. The factory and garden is open every day of the year except Christmas Day from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Visit Ethel M at www.EthelM.com.

Sandra Scott is a frequent contributor to travel publications and to Copley News Service and has co-authored two books on local history. She lives in Mexico, NY.

Photos courtesy Sandra Scott

©ChocolateAtlas.com

Contact us:  Editor  Webmaster