bernachon chocolate craving

[nicolekaplan]

anybody have any leads on how to get bernachon chocolates here in the us other than calling them directly and trying to decipher an order with my poor french?

[jhlurie]

If your written French is better, their website has an e-mail address - chocolat@bernachon.com

Welcome to eGullet, by the way!

[Dave the Cook]

There are a number of fluent Francophones on eGullet. One of them might be willing to help you out.

And welcome.

[Fat Guy]

Nicole, I believe the last time I checked (and this was maybe 5 years ago) they were selling Bernachon chocolate truffles at the Takashimaya department store, at the chocolate counter. I'm not sure if this is the case anymore, but a call to Takashimaya would settle the matter quickly.

[Jonathan Day]

Their website (www.bernachon.com) says that they don't take orders by phone -- only by mail or fax.

42, cours Franklin-Roosevelt-

69006 Lyon - FRANCE -

Tél. :(0033)04 78 24 37 98 -

Fax : (0033)04 78 52 67 77-

[Fat Guy]

Here's what Ed Levine wrote in New York Eats in 1997:

The Tea Box Cafe and Specialty Shop: At the upscale Japanese department store Takashimaya, everything it sells is about elegance, simplicity, and perfection. So that's why they go to the trouble of flying in Bernachon Chocolates from Lyons, France, once a week. . . . . 693 Fifth Avenue (between 54th and 55th Streets) PHONE: (212) 350-0100.

[nicolekaplan]

thanks everyone, i know they haven't sold them at takashimaya in years, i live around the neighborhood. but i will try the website and email as i can atleast read a bit better than i speak

[Ellen Shapiro]

Let us know! I would love to get some.

Do you think Bernachon are really the best still? I used to think so and have not had side by side comparison opportunities but I think La Maison du Chocolat may be as good and also Torres is local so no wear and tear from shipping. The last Bernachon ones I tasted though, which were hand-carried back, weren't as good as I remembered.

[nicolekaplan]

i am a huge fan of maison, especially "romeo" a piece of perfection. however last time i was in paris i had some bernachon chocolate, from a little shop by the moulin rouge and it was another amazing earth shattering thing. of course stupid me only bought a tiny amount. i have been craving it ever since.

[budrichard]

My faxes are written in English along with the dollar amount and the kinds of chocolates I want, filled, bars or thier 'Gold Coins' or whatever combination. Amexo information is included along with US shipping address and expected delivery. Works like a charm! THE BEST IN THE WORLD! The hazelnut filled are truly to die for. People keep giving designer choclates made in the US to try and I don't even bother to comment on them anymore. A few months until my Easter order. -Dick

[Fat Guy]

I've sent an e-mail inquiry in what I believe to be French asking if there are any US-based retailers of Bernachon chocolates. I'll let you all know if I hear back.

[budrichard]

There are none up to this time or they are doing a good job keeping the news secret. If you mail them and ask for a brochure, they will send one to you that will make it a little easier to order. Ordering from France by fax is no problem and entails no risk. -Dick

[bleudauvergne]

It was 6 weeks ago, but I remember it as if it was yesterday. I had had a long hard day, and it was time to get Mamy Durandeau's truffles off my list. Bernachon was a nightmare! First, there was a line out the door. And it was going slow. There was a desperate aura over the group. Everyone was staring longingly at the cases where there were very tasteful white packages with dark brown fabric ribbon. Quite Hermes looking. The people in line were keeping tabs on everyone around them, the lot of which were shifting, shuffling, sidling, poking, interfereing and waging mini space battles between themselves while at the same time waiting in a velvet roped line. The wait was 45 minutes. Once we got to the case, we had to decide what we wanted immediately. Fast talking impatient frowning girls in ponytails were barking at the customers.

I made it simple: truffles only, wrapped in white paper like in the case.

- No, can't have that. That's not the packaging you get with truffles.

- I don't understand, if I am paying nearly 30 Euros for 250 grams of truffles, I want white paper, I said in a very American way.

I imagined the Christmas gifts at Mamy's. A muddled looking pyramid of small packages wrapped in non-descript, mass produced christmas paper waiting to be sorted by the santon display. And lo and behold, who could be responsible for this? A box from Bernachon! Tastefully adorned in simple white, glowing like the Christmas star atop of the sapin de noel.

My husband's face began to redden.

- Do you want truffles or not? barked the girl.

- I want truffles, in white paper, I responded.

The girl became very still. The other customers began to huff and sigh and make blathering blubbery noises. She went back to the women furiously wrapping boxes in cheesy looking patterned Christmas paper, and announced what I was demanding. The wrappers stopped and looked at me for a second. Then continued wrapping.

A manager intervened.

-Madame, what do you want?! She impatiently spat at me.

People were murmuring. I restated my desire, clearly and distinctly. I was beginning to feel like poor little old Oliver with his soup bowl. The manager simply stared, right through me, it seemed, and gave a twitch, a kind of half nod, and briskly walked away.

My husband had suddenly taken a great interest in something down at the other end of the counter.

The girl, having been given the cue, sullenly tore a piece of white paper and wrapped the box. The wrapping ladies would not be contaminated with a task so inherently corrupt. This whole situation was beginning to freak me out. She displayed the package to me. It had a smear of chocolate on it. I dared not complain. I accepted the package. They marked something on a tag and attached it to the bag. (it said 250g. truffles - pk. speciale) We paid the cashier who made no effort to hide an open hostile stare and we left. I was furious.

Along Cours Vitton, along the walk with the with symettrical trees all lit and pretty, cheerful Christmas lights twinkling in the cold december evening, I was begging my husband for an explanation - why why why? My feet were killing me. It's supposed to be special, it's supposed to be happy, it's supposed to be good! They spoiled it! For goodness' sake, what's the big deal about white paper? I didn't like the other paper! They shouldn't display tasteful white packaging unless they plan to give it! When my husband responded, well, my dear, it looks like you managed to get the paper usually reserved for pre-wrapped boxes of mixed chocolates wrapped around your truffles.

REVOLUTION! I yelled, laughing. We acted normal for the remainder of the walk to the Metro.

- Lucy

Edited February 12, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[bleudauvergne]

I would like to add that I never got a taste. Mamy stashed them away without even opening them.

[jeff29992001]

Takashimaya wasn't a very good place to sell chocolates in the first place, the basement was always warm, and the chocolates would be sitting at room temperature. I did one time (last year) notice a tiny box of miniature chocolates sitting on the counter in a handmade paper box. It didn't say where it was from, but looking through the cellophane wrapper, i noticed some blooming on the chocolate.

same goes for saks, I visited the candy section on the 8th fl at one point before christmas, and man was it hot up there, so hot that whenI reached over to touch a chocolate novelty, the chocolate simply bent in half.

bergdoff and macy's dept stores also sell chocolate, and they, esp. macy's take better care of whatever they have in stock, even if it has to sit for weeks on the shelf.

Edited February 15, 2004 by jeff29992001 (log)

[Bux]

The last time I was in Lyon, I bought myself a box of Bernachon's Palets d'Or, maybe a pound or less, on our way back to NY. The first one or two were more bitter than I remembered and rather intense, almost too intense. By the time the box was finished however, I had no interest in other chocolates for some time. A diet of that kind of thing can really ruin you for just candy.

[nicolekaplan]

i finally got around to placing an order today only to find out that they no longer ship to the us due to the difficulty with customs. i was very dissapointed to say the least