Comestiblog

Valentine's Day Chocolates for Your Sweetie 2011

If you remember my Valentine's Day post from 2009, you'll recall how much I enjoy Fauchon's chocolates, and how I lamented the closing of their Manhattan outpost.  With that in mind, you can undoubtedly imagine my surprise and delight to discover those familiar Parisian sweets at The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English.  Though The Plaza Hotel's subterranean food bazaar may be a far cry from the erstwhile salon de thé on Park Avenue, at least it's a local purveyor of Fauchon's wares.

The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English

The Plaza Hotel, Concourse Level
1 West 59^th Street (SW corner FIfth Av),
Midtown Manhattan

(212) 986-9260

http://theplazafoodhall.com/

By train: N,Q,R to 5 Av / 59 St
By bus: M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, Q32

Valentine's Day Sweets for Your Sweetie 2010

Although my Valentine's Day picks for 2009 remain perennial favorites, my roster of preferred chocolatiers is expanding (in sympathy with my waistline).

The 2010 edition of the Comestiblog Valentine's Day cacao recommendations begins with MarieBelle, one of New York's most attractive artisanal chocolates.  Founder Maribel Lieberman uses the aid of computers to craft the intricate designs that adorn her sweets.  Several new ones have been added for Valentine's Day—each a work of art.

MarieBelle's 100-piece Cien Box

MarieBelle's prices may not seem quite so attractive, however.  Ranging from $10 for a two-piece Red Tote Box to $260 for a 100-piece Cien Box (pictured above), these are among the most expensive chocolates in New York.

For something fun, but slightly less extravagant, head over to Essex Street Market and look for Shoppe Roni~Sue.  Namesake Rhonda Kave offers samples of a variety of innovative sweets such as pickle truffles, bacon buttercrunch, and pig candy.  Though they may sound somewhat bizarre, they're rather good—and quite reasonable.

Ronnie-Sue's Cocktail truffles

Standard assortments range from $10 for a 6-piece box to $25 for a 15-piece box.  Special collections are also available.

Has Ronnie-Sue captured the true spirit of Valentine's Day?

L. A. Burdick makes world-class chocolates in the quaint New England town of Walpole, New Hampshire.  Using cocoa from the Caribbean island nation of Grenada, Larry Burdick handcrafts his exquisite wares into a variety of inventive shapes, sizes, and flavors.  His mice, penguins, and cigars are as delicious as they are fun.

Should the Granite State be too far afield, however, the new Burdick Café & Chocolate Shop is now open in Manhattan's Flatiron district.

The quality and price of Burdick's Valentine's Day assortments represent a bargain and make for an ideal treat on the day of love.  To help celebrate the 14^th with an eastern twist, Burdick is also offering special Lunar New Year's collections in honor of the coincidental arrival of the Year of the Tiger.  What a marvelous idea!  Whether for 2010 or 4708, L. A. Burdick is the Comestiblog chocolate choice of the year.

MarieBelle

484 Broome Street (between Wooster St & West Broadway), SoHo, Manhattan

(212) 884-9707

http://www.mariebelle.com/

Shoppe Roni~Sue

Essex Street Market
120 Essex Street (NE corner Delancey St), Lower East Side, Manhattan

(212) 260-0421

http://www.roni-sue.com/

L. A. Burdick

5 East 20^th Street (between Fifth Av & Broadway), Flatiron District, Manhattan

(212) 796-0143

http://www.burdickchocolate.com/

Valentine's Day Sweets for Your Sweetie

Since its American debut in New York, Fauchon had topped our list of favorite chocolatiers.  To enter the elegant Park Avenue salon de thé was to step into a little corner of Paris; to sample their ethereal wares was to taste a little piece of heaven.  Sadly, our special seller of sublime sweets shuttered its Manhattan outpost last year.  While Fauchon's closing may have left a cavity in the Big Apple, other fine purveyors around town have reduced the void with their superb chocolate fillings.

The Paris-based La Maison du Chocolat was our chocolatier of choice until the arrival of Fauchon.  The House of Chocolate's exquisitely crafted cacao creations—including the Dark Ganache with Two Vanillas (made with Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar and aromatic beans from Tahiti) and the masterly Dark Ganache Porcelana (a Maison du Chocolat exclusive, made with the Venezuelan Porcelana bean)—are available in various Stitches of Love Valentine's Day collections.  Prices for the assortments range from $15 (for a box of four) to $85 (for a box of 39).

While I enjoy the large selection at La Maison du Chocolat's premier boutique on the Upper East Side, I prefer the quiet and convenience of the new location on Wall Street.

Should you fancy French chocolates with a Brooklyn twist, you could look to our own (somewhat) local hero, Jacques Torres.  Originally from Bandol, France (a small, seaside resort town in the south of Provence), the self-proclaimed Mr. Chocolate established his first factory along with a diminutive retail shop in D.U.M.B.O. (the lowland between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges—a former paper-box manufacturing area once known as Gairville).  His December, 2000 opening came at a time when that deserted part of Brooklyn had little else to recommend it.  My late wife and I were among Jacques Torres' first customers; I remain a devotee.

Jacques Torres' spaces are more approachable and his prices are more accessible than those of the upscale Parisian-styled boutiques.  And Mr. Chocolate seems to convey a greater sense of fun.  Valentine's Day treats like The Spanker ($12; "it's sure to leave a mark!"), Body Paint, Love Tonic, and Body Butter ($9 apiece; "don't make us give you instructions…") demonstrate a sort of playfulness not readily apparent at La Maison du Chocolat or the erstwhile Fauchon.  Of course, Jacques also offers various artisanal collections ranging from the seven-piece Heart Truffle Box ($10.50) to the 50-piece Champagne Kisses ($57.50) as well as the large, 34-piece heart-shaped box of bonbons ($49).  I opted to create my own assortment of 25 quasi-Valentine's Day chocolates ($33, please see below).  Chocolate was never so much fun!

My personal selection. (The hexagonal Liquid Caramel was my late wife's favorite.)

In addition to expanding his original D.U.M.B.O. space, Jacques Torres has opened shops on Hudson Street and on Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan.  The newest store (and the first outside New York) is scheduled to open next month in Traverse City, Michigan.

 

Fauchon

http://www.fauchon.com/

 

La Maison du Chocolat (Manhattan)

1018 Madison Avenue (between 78^th & 79^th Sts), Upper East Side
(212) 744-7117

30 Rockefeller Center, Midtown
(212) 265-9404

63 Wall Street (near Hanover St), Financial District
(212) 952-1123

http://www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/

 

Jacques Torres

66 Water Street, D.U.M.B.O., Brooklyn
(718) 875-9772

350 Hudson Street (SE corner King St), South Village, Manhattan
(212) 414-2462

285 Amsterdam Avenue (between 73^rd & 74^th Sts), Upper West Side, Manhattan
(212) 787-3256

http://www.mrchocolate.com/

Cocoa-Loco at City Bakery

Ever try an Arabian Nights or Earl Grey Tea hot chocolate?  Baker-and-owner Maury Rubin tempts us with these and other daily flavors throughout February at his 17^th Annual City Bakery Hot Chocolate Festival.  Other creative con-cocoa-tions include the ever-popular Banana Peel, the Sunken Treasure, the Passion Fruit Cream, the Hot Chocolate A-Go Go, and, on Valentine's Day, the Love Potion.  Since City Bakery hasn't a license to serve alcohol, it'll be interesting to taste the Beer and Bourbon cocoas.  The festival culminates with a surprise finale on the 28^th.

The City Bakery

3 West 18^th Street (near Fifth Av), Flatiron District, Manhattan

(212) 366-1414

http://www.hotchocolatefestival.com/

By train: 4,5,6 (IRT),N,Q,R,W (BMT),F,V (IND),PATH to 14^th Street

By bus: M1, M2, M3, M5, M6, M7

Light or Dark, a Sweet Ending to Summer

How about some chocolate as a sweet finish to the summer and to our Down East jaunt?  Strolling through Stonington, Maine's Friday morning farmer's market, we were not surprised to find fresh vegetables, dairy products, baked goods, and meats.  We did not expect to find artisanal chocolates, however.

A couple of samples from Black Dinah Chocolatiers convinced us that this was the genuine article.  The husband-and-wife team of Steve and Kate Schaffer started their business just over a year ago on the remote Isle au Haut, "nestled into the long shadows of Black Dinah Mountain."  Their beautiful handcrafted chocolates combine fresh, local ingredients with flavors from farther afield.  For instance, the Varietal is made with rare Peruvian cacao, the Chocolate Gingerbread contains Barbados molasses, and most of the other selections are infused with Venezuelan chocolate.  It's hard to pick a favorite.

The price for all this sweet pleasure is as steep as some of the area's mountains, however.  At just under $2 apiece, these truffles are more expensive than those of Jacques Torres, but darn it, they're good!

Black Dinah Chocolatiers

P.O. Box 13
1 Moore's Harbor Road
Isle au Haut, ME   04645

(207) 335-5010

http://www.blackdinahchocolatiers.com/