On the cover
10 What’s better than a delicious strawberry or cookie? A strawberry or cookie (or salty pecan cluster with caramel or even a spicy Cheeto) covered in chocolate! In this week’s issue, John Fladd looks into the transformative power of covering tasty stuff in chocolate to make it even tastier. He gets advice from the experts on buying (cough, Valentine’s Day, cough) and making your own chocolate treats.
Also on the cover: Which restaurant serves the best Indian food? Where can you find a great cookie? Who does a great steak? Answer these delicious questions and more in Hippo’s Best of 2025, our annual readers’ poll. Find a link to the survey at hippopress.com.
It’s good weekend for music. Michael Witthaus talks to Chris Nelson of Lotus Land, which is playing Friday and Saturday at Tupelo (page 26). Find more ticketed shows in the Concert listings (page 30). Or just chill out with a band playing a local brewery or restaurant — find music daily in the Music This Week listing on page 27.






