NYC-The New Chocolate Lover's Heaven?

[Bond Girl]

Granted Jacque Torres is a transplanted chocolatier, but some folks think it's mighty cool that his chocolates are made right here in the big apple. Then there is Plantation chocolate's new granache line, which is also made locally. The new kid on the block is Vere, a locally produced chocolate line that is supposedly naturally sweetened, low glycemic, and high fiber-for the health conscious chocoholic. Who's your favorite local chocolatier?

[Dryden]

Jacques, and it isn't close.

[adegiulio]

La Maison du Chocolat. Need I say more?

[docsconz]

La Maison du Chocolat. Need I say more?

←

Is this locally made chocolate? I go with Jacques.

[adegiulio]

La Maison du Chocolat. Need I say more?

←

Is this locally made chocolate? I go with Jacques.

←

Well aren't I stupid (yes). I overlooked the "made" part of local. Though they do make lots of other delicious items locally....some of which have chocolate.

[greenwich st]

Where can one find "Vere" and "Plantation" chocolates? Also, does anyone know the chocolate place on West Fourth Street? Is it any good? I believe those chocolates are locally made, right?

[Bond Girl]

Vere is www.veregoods.com and plantation chocolate you can find at City Bakery. It's the environmentally friendly, eco conscious chocolate.

[Todd36]

I have not been impressed by Jacques. For what its worth, a couple of months ago TONY did a taste taste and they were not impressed either.

Kee's Chocolate makes some very tasty chocolates.

Ditto for Christopher Norman.

Varsano's for things like nut patties.

Mondel for butter crunch.

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes for Chocolate.

People also swear by Martine's.

[Bond Girl]

I personally go for the granache line from Plantation chocolate. Will Goldfarb, former pastry chef at Cru, consulted on these, and they are really intense in taste and flavor.

[docsconz]

I personally go for the granache line from Plantation chocolate.  Will Goldfarb, former pastry chef at Cru, consulted on these, and they are really intense in taste and flavor.

←

Where can one find these?

[Bond Girl]

Let me find out.

[David Lerner]

Kee's Chocolates on Thompson Street is my favorite NYC producer by far. Worlds apart from Torres.

[Bux]

The brand new Vere factory is in Chelsea. I'm not even sure they're distributing yet. This is a new company just beginning production. Vere is using a special Plantations chocolate made for them. A rudimentry vere website is up with a notice that "veregood.com opens Septmber 2005." You can request to be added to their mailing list, make a wholesale inquiry or ask for a press kit.

The eChocolate Plantation Chocolate web page offers information and online sales. A list of retail locations in a number of states and Toronto carrying Plantations chocolate is here. I couldn't find any information about the line of ganaches developed developed by Will Goldfarb. Will's bonbons are true to Plantations intensity with high percentage of cocoa solids and no extraneous flavors such as vanilla.

Kee's sweeter chocolates will appeal to a a more traditional chocolate candy lover with their cream fillings, but she can toss in a few new wrinkles such as chili along with the rasberry, cream, mint, etc. Her bonbons are impressively fine with very thin walls of glossy dark chocolate. Kee's is just south of Spring Street on the east side of Thompson Street.

[Bond Girl]

For the granache from Planatation chocolate email: Will Goldfarb at Will@akwa.org.

[akwa]

if you get bounced

try goldfarb.will@gmail.com

we are just beginning production and have filled our first retail orders,

thank you all for the warm responses

it has been an exciting project so far

[peter_nyc]

The eChocolate Plantation Chocolate web page offers information and online sales. A list of retail locations in a number of states and Toronto carrying Plantations chocolate is here. I couldn't find any information about the line of ganaches developed developed by Will Goldfarb. Will's bonbons are true to Plantations intensity with high percentage of cocoa solids and no extraneous flavors such as vanilla.

←

An assortment of Plantations Arriba chocolate bars can be found at Chocolate Room on 5th Ave between Lincoln Pl. & St. Marks Pl. Great homemade desserts as well.

[Tasteblazer]

Chocolat Moderne based in New York makes really good and exotic truffles/bon bons. Grapefruit caramel, salted espresso (more delicious than it sounds), and tasmanian honey. I knew of them through a store that sold them in Boston, but here you can find them at Chelsea market, and I believe the Chocolate Room in Brooklyn and Dean and Deluca in Soho.

Granted Jacque Torres is a transplanted chocolatier, but some folks think it's mighty cool that his chocolates are made right here in the big apple.  Then there is Plantation chocolate's new granache line, which is also made locally.  The new kid on the block is Vere, a locally produced chocolate line that is supposedly naturally sweetened, low glycemic, and high fiber-for the health conscious chocoholic.  Who's your favorite local chocolatier?

←

[Truffle Guy]

I just spent 4 days in NY visiting as many shops as I could. I enjoyed all of them and appreciate the angle each brings.

I really did like Kee's flavors and her ganaches were very light and creamy and the sweetest of all I tasted. I went twice and another appeal is the shop and her accessibility to share her passion. Hard to compare her chocolates to others as they have a very different technique and sweetness which are her signatures.

I have to say for overall flavor, La Masion actually really impressed me. I'm not one to go for the "safe" and "traditional" choice but they were excellent. In addition, I had 2 fairly novice chocolate tasters with me and they both agreed for overall taste, they felt La Maison was their favorite. Both would not normally go for "snob" appeals.

I loved the setup at Richart and the flavors were okay but the presentation outdistanced the taste in my opinion. Great marketing and style though.

Vosges was similar in that the marketing was excellent but the flavors, while interesting were not memorable.

Mariebelle again was very strong in marketing and the taste just didn't match the expectations. Probably the weakest flavors for me of all the ones I tried.

Christopher Norman was a nice visit and very friendly staff. They, along with Vosges, Kee's and Richarts actually offered samples in addition to my purchase. Very nice looking chocolates and nice flavor as well. My friends felt they were in the top for taste and for marketing.

Jacques Torres shop was interesting. I liked the flavors, as did my friends and we felt the chocolates were comparable to Christopher Normans with again a strong marketing approach. I did feel the people I saw working on the chocolate actually took away from my perception of the skills required to make great chocolates. It looked very much like an assembly line. It probably isn't fair or accurate but I sensed the people I saw working were only hitting buttons while the machines did the magic, they looked like they could just as easily have been at McDonalds. It may have been an unusual day but it looked like "work" and I really was taken by the passion and real excitement about chocolate I got from Kee's, Vosges, Christopher Norman, Mariebelles and Richarts....didn't get that message on my visit to Jacques but I realize one visit is not a fair gauge.

Payards was also very good but the employees didn't have much interest or knowlege.

I also visited 2-3 others not worth mentioning. Anyone visiting NYC should find time to visit Kee's as much for the chocolate as the experience. All the others are definetly worth trying, I enjoyed them all but I remember Kee's most vividly.

Granted Jacque Torres is a transplanted chocolatier, but some folks think it's mighty cool that his chocolates are made right here in the big apple.  Then there is Plantation chocolate's new granache line, which is also made locally.  The new kid on the block is Vere, a locally produced chocolate line that is supposedly naturally sweetened, low glycemic, and high fiber-for the health conscious chocoholic.  Who's your favorite local chocolatier?

←

[Pan]

[...]I also visited 2-3 others not worth mentioning.[...]

←

I wish you'd mention them, so we know which ones to avoid. Thanks for your report.

Edited July 27, 2006 by Pan (log)

[SusanGiff]

Can the first person to try the Bald Guy please let us know how his chocolates are? Don't know anything about him or them but what I read in the Times yesterday.

Susan

[Truffle Guy]

Really these are all just my opinions. Nobody can really define what is best....give everyone a try.

[...]I also visited 2-3 others not worth mentioning.[...]

←

I wish you'd mention them, so we know which ones to avoid. Thanks for your report.

←

[Pan]

Really these are all just my opinions.  Nobody can really define what is best....give everyone a try.

←

I won't beat a dead horse except to say that it's because your opinions are credible that I'd be interested in seeing more of them. But more importantly, I'm glad for what you already posted.

[flinflon28]

Can the first person to try the Bald Guy please let us know how his chocolates are? Don't know anything about him or them but what I read in the Times yesterday.

Susan

←

Stumbled in the store by mistake on Thursday on our way to see Little Miss Sunshine in Union Square (good movie). It had a Willy Wonka style set up and an overabundance of clerks. I'm assuming they were overstaffed due to the opening. Everyone was friendly and helpful. I don't know much about chocolate but we bought a 1 lb chunk of milk chocolate and it was spectacular. The packaging is very nice too.

[ulterior epicure]

Chocolat Moderne based in New York makes really good and exotic truffles/bon bons.  Grapefruit caramel, salted espresso (more delicious than it sounds), and tasmanian honey.  I knew of them through a store that sold them in Boston, but here you can find them at Chelsea market, and I believe the Chocolate Room in Brooklyn and Dean and Deluca in Soho.

I just bought a few of these from the Dean and Deluca's near me. I haven't tried them yet, but you can see them here. They're the last seven in the set (scroll to the bottom and you can click on them individually).

I actually need some help identifying a couple of the bon bons. I'm pretty sure that both the "Pecan Bourbon" and "Mon Petit Kumquat" are from Chocolat Moderne, but I'm not sure where the "Rose Tea" is from. I'll have to call D&D's for a positive I.D. They said that they get all of their chocolates from either Chocolat Moderne or Christopher Norman. I suspect the Rose Tea is C.N., but I'm pretty sure all the rest (six of the last seven) are from C.M.

u.e.