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.

My One on One with Jacques Torres

Ok - maybe the title is a bit misleading. I did meet Jacques Torres - in fact I’ve met him twice - but I’ve never really sat down and talked to him. No one on one interview…as of yet. This brief blog is about the best hot chocolate I have ever had in my entire life.

I was getting an emergency passport (again) since I had lost mine and was about 10 days away from  flying to Montreal on business. The stress of taking a day off to get my passport and the possibility of leaving the country in less than a fortnight without one was working me up, so I decided to hit up the Jacques Torres Chocolate place on 350 Hudson (conveniently around the corner from the NY Passport Agency) to soothe my aggravated soul. It was 9:30am so I couldnt indulge too much. I have a strick policy of no truffles before noon - once you start down that path it’ll only end up with you eating a bag of a potato chips, 1/2 lb of prosciutto, and a cup of ice cream for dinner.

Anyway, I walked in and did my typical look around the store. It was completely empty — then again it was 9:30am on a Tuesday. I ordered my wicked hot chocolate to the guy behind the counter without really looking at him. It wasn’t until I heard in a French accent “Of course miss….brisk out today isn’t it??” did I realize it was Jacques Torres MAKING MY hot chocolate. Needless to say it was a perfectly balanced cocoa with a hint of spice…just how I like it. I have a lot of respect for a man who still works his stores by his lonesome at 9:30am even after all his success. Kudos Jacques!!

So next time your in the neighborhood (either DUMBO or Hudson) stop on into his place. Who knows, he might just be the one making your hot chocolate.

Location:
350 Hudson at King Street (1 block South of Houston)

Store hours:
Mon - Sat 9:00am - 7:00pm
Sunday 10:00am - 6:00pm