Top Chocolate Shops

I spent many years walking around the streets of Manhattan looking for a new chocolate shop. Searching for new flavors and concoctions, hoping that amongst the mediocre chocolate factories I would find gems. Indeed I did find some divine chocolate shops and now I can share my findings with the world!

1 - Jacques Torres

There is something so delightful about the combination of chocolate and chiles. Spicy and sweet at the same time - its definitely addicting. A lot of chocolate shops/cafes make spicy hot chocolate but Jacques makes just about the best one I’ve had. Its thick and creamy without being overly sweet - its also doesnt have just cinnamon and chiles in it. The Wicked Hot Chocolate Try the Wicked Hot Chocolate features allspice, cinnamon, ground, sweet ancho chili peppers, and smoked, ground chipotle chili peppers!   Their french kiss cookies are so sinful - I can’t resist. Also, Jacques still mans his stores - I’ve seen him in them working solo. Man that guys got class….

 

2 - Vosges Haut Chocolat

If you are really into exotic flavors - you are going to love Vosges. Katrina Markoff pairs chocolate with just about everyone and gets wonderful results. Boring chocolate combinations are a thing of the past with her Exotic Truffle Boxes. The Absinthe truffle shines with chinese star anise, fennel and pastis, the Black Pearl pops with ginger, wasabi, and black sesame seeds, and the Naga delights with a mix of coconut and curry. She even has truffles mixed with Taleggio cheese, Wild Tuscan pollen, Balsamic vinegar, and first pressed extra virgin olive oil. Katrina, my tastebuds love you.

 

 

3 - Maribelles

Maribelles also boasts a lot of exotic truffles but my favorites by far are the Caipirinha, Cardamom, and the Saffron. So good! Maribelles also takes hot chocolate one step further than Jacques and Vosges with 4 different flavors: Aztec Original, Aztec Dark, Mocha, and Spicy (cinnamon, nutmeg and chipotle). They are all fantastic and you could do so many different things with them! They even have mixes for Iced Hot Chocolate - in Regular‚ Spicy and Cardamom. Mmmmmmm Cardamom….

4 - Chocolate Bar

There are a lot of things to love about the Chocolate Bar. They have a different spin on truffles called ‘ The Atomic Collection’. These are like truffles but bigger and have more fillings. Examples: the Elvis - which is homemade banana marshmallow & crunchy peanut butter enrobed in dark chocolate. Mmmmmm. They also have delicious biscotti caramel clusters - chocolate biscotti/creamy caramel enrobed in dark chocolate. So good. The only thing that gets me angry is that I can never find the place. Is it just me or are they ALWAYS moving?

 

5 - Evelyns Chocolate

This is quite possibly the oldest chocolate shop in the Financial District. I worked 3 blocks away from this place for about 2 years and would visit Evelyn and her team about once a week. You could not find nicer people. Plus, they have an awesome selection of treats. Classics like peanut clusters, coconut clusters, grand marnier truffles, caramels, orange peels, etc are positively delightful. Looking to purchase a box of chocolates for a loved one? Come here. Ya I know its in the Financial District…just come on your lunch break ok?

6 - La Maison du Chocolat

If you’re looking for super rich chocolate La Maison is for you. The ganaches are scrumptious, the pralines are yummy, and most importantly fruit pastes are divine. These are what I come here for - they taste just like the ones I got the last time I was in Paris. They arent super sweet and are made from untreated fruits. They come in 5 different flavors: red fruits, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit and mandarine.

Diet Desserts I Love

I have always had weight issues  - ever since I was a pudgy 10 year old girl eating almost an entire bucket of KFC in the backseat of my parents car before we got it home for dinner (true story). I love food too much - flavors both sweet and savory. Here a few treats that help me get through the day when I am in serious snack mode.

1 - Weight Watcher’s Smart Ones Chocolate Eclair Frozen Food

These are amazing snacks. 3 points each and they are so tasty. If you love eclairs get these. The only problem is that I STILL haven’t figured out the right microwave temperature. At 25 seconds (recommended on the box) there are cold spots and at 30 seconds you burn your mouth on lava creme. I wish you better luck!

 

 

2 - No Pudge Brownies

Another chocolate item but a huge winner. Even my husband likes these moist brownies (and he is NOT a chocolate fan). The batter is super thick so don’t be alarmed if it seems WAY TOO THICK. I simply puree a pint or less of raspberries/strawberries and mix them into the wet brownie mix. It gives it a delicious berry kick and adds no fat. Want to add a scrumptious antioxidant kick? Mix in a tbs of powdered acai or 1/3 cup of acai juice

Not looking to reduce ALL the fat - add cream cheese instead of yogurt with a little bit of vanilla and soymilk.

3 - Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Cookies

These are a real cookie treat to munch on with a nice cup of lemon tea. I can’t normally stop at just 1 - but at least I feel better about having 2 of them. I also dont follow their expiration dates: there I said it! Only with this product though. I’ve eaten them even 3-4 weeks after the expiration date…don’t judge me!

4 - Orville Redenbacher’s 100 Calorie Smart Pop Mini Bags

These are great salty snack thats not going to break your diet. They aren’t really what I would call ‘jazzy’ but you can make them zippy with a handful of stuff in the house. Wanna make an Italian style popcorn? Mix together some pecorino/parmesean/locatelli (whatever you have in the house), oregano, and garlic powder and add  onto the popcorn. SINFUL!

5 - Frozen Bananas

So simple but this is a great summer treat. Freeze bananas in plastic bags wrapped in parchment (so they dont stick together). If you want to make them extra yummy - dip the bananas in sugar free chocolate sauce and then freeze flat on a parchment covered flat board/pan.

6 - South Beach Living Snack Bar Delights: Whipped BerryI don’t know how ‘New’ these are (at least the box tells me they’re new) but they are delicious!!! As a child I loved the

Dark Chocolate Roman Nougat in the Russell Stovers box (you know, that yummy cherry flavored nougat one with chopped nuts inside??) and this tastes exactly like it! Except this one is 100 calories and has 5 grams of protein. Hooray!

Dans le Noir…in NYC?

Word on the foodie street is that Dans le Noir is coming to NYC. The rest of the details are kinda hazzy… it might be in the East Village, or the West Village…or maybe perhaps somewhere on Bowery. Who knows? I’m going to call Bowery since low-key-yet-upscale-dining has seen in influx here within the past year (Double Crown, DBGB, etc).

Here’s the funny thing - Dans Le Noir’s global website claims their NYC restaurant will open up before the end of 2009 AND you can already sign up for priority reservations (which I did since I’m genuinely curious about this place). Yet there is no solid location yet? So NYC….

So why should we care about this place? Good question. This will be the first of the “eating in the dark” restaurants in NYC. A trend that seems to be sweeping the culinary capitals of the world (locations are in Paris, London, Barcelona, Bangkok, and Moscow). Menus are vague yet interesting: You choose from either: meat, vegetarians, fish, or the chefs surprise (which will be my personal choice). According to the restaurant they promise that “With the help of our blinded guides you are going to completely re-evaluate the notion of taste and smelling through our gastronomic and pedagogical process.” Re-evaluate my notion of taste ehh?? You’re ON!

Mind you, this isnt the first ‘dark eating’ experience in the US. California boasts Opaque which is in San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles. But its not the very global and very famous Dans Le Noir. Will this restaurant be a hit? Or will it close within the year - who knows. But you can be sure I’ll keep you posted.