UK-based Hotel Chocolat has opened its first US shop right here in Boston. If you’re thinking “Hang on, the English aren’t exactly known for fine chocolate”, you’re right. Hotel tries too hard and their product’s quality is mixed, but they have some solid ideas. (more…)
Bespoke is a little chocolate shop in NYC that opened this past Spring. Its address is 6 Extra Place, shown above (insert joke about invisible store). Chocolatier Rachel Insler does all her production in the little shop and still finds space for some tasteful shelving and a nice sales counter. Rachel and her staff (there were three other people working when I went, including the register) have no tempering machine, but use a big melter and round truffle molds. Everyone was very friendly and open; when I first visited the chocolatier was describing her process to a pack of chocolate fiends. (more…)
If you’re vacationing on Hawaii (which I highly recommend), you might think you’re already having a hell of a good time. But there’s always room for chocolate, and the Original Hawaiian Chocolate factory is there to make life a little more complete. (more…)
Lake Champlain recently added a fifth entry in their Five Star Bar line. This is the first new 5 Star in years, and presumably something they’ve been working intensively on (in Steve Almond’s Candyfreak there is discussion of a fifth bar). I had assumed that when the new Five Star came out it would be a brilliant fusion of confectionery innovation and widespread consumer appeal. Instead, it’s granola. (more…)
At Easter, the giant Kinder eggs come out. A Kinder egg is a wonderful thing: small, surprisingly intricate toy inside, strange bendy chocolate outside. It stand to reason, then, that a giant kinder egg would be much more awesome. (more…)
I picked up this little Amedei at the Chocolate Show in NYC and set it aside for a moment when I wanted some really decent chocolate. I was setting myself up for disappointment. I’m very fond of some of Amedei’s bars, but this Trinidad (70%) tastes like it was made from a barnyard animal. (more…)
No one has gone unaffected by the economic crisis in which we find ourselves. In times like these, chocolate enthusiasts may find themselves facing tough choices. For some of us, giving up what has become an expensive chocolate habit is not an option. Neither is a $30 Porcelana bar. Where can a cash-strapped chocolate lover turn to satisfy their habit without compromising their tastes?
The answer–surprisingly–is Trader Joe’s. (more…)
Thanks to a generous friend who just visited from Washington, I’ve had a chance to sample Theo’s bonbons (their shelf life does not allow for them to be sold nationally). It’s a rare thing…er, kind of…for a bean-to-bar company to make bonbons as well. Typically a company that specializes in bars doesn’t have the resources or will to make quality bonbons. Despite Theo’s dedication to organics and fair trade, their flavored bars and new confections are the standouts in their line, and I had high hopes for their bonbons. (more…)
Chocolate produced in the country of origin is a trend we’ve been seeing more of. A few years ago I could only name one retail chocolate produced in a cacao growing nation; now I can think of several without trying too hard. The latest to come under my radar is Madecasse, a company founded by former Peace Corps volunteers. Their focus is on the greater economic benefit that follows from manufacturing chocolate in Madagascar, as opposed to simply buying their beans. I came across these Madecasse bars at a chi-chi grocery in NYC; they were the only bar on the rack I’d never heard of, so I decided to give them a try. (more…)
When the subject is raised, it is often pointed out that the chocolate available in Europe, the British Isles, etc. is superior to ours in the States. Where fine chocolate is concerned this is certainly not the case. Where pedestrian, everyday, convenience-store chocolate is concerned, however, they have us whipped. As evidence, I give you the Mars Delight. (more…)
