USA Today
Sweet spots for chocolate
In time for Valentine's Day, USA TODAY's Kitty Bean Yancey enlisted chocolate-loving colleagues Veronica Gould Stoddart and Robert Abitbol to test some notable U.S. artisan chocolates. We took recommendations from experts, including Joan Steuer, whose Chocolate Marketing firm tracks trends. "It's an exciting time" for high-end, hand-made chocolates, she says. Here's our sampling from seven top chocolatiers.
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Our rating system
**** = Connoisseur's nirvana
*** = Divine decadence
** = Very tempting treat
* = Didn't melt our hearts |
**** Chuao Chocolatier, Carlsbad, Calif.
Enjoy (box of 25 mixed chocolates), $39
Chuao (pronounced "chew-wow") puts the "wow" in chocolates. Rich Venezuelan chocolate envelops silky, seductive and extremely creative fillings.
Appearance: Glossy bonbons in a discreet brown box with a chocolate-bean logo.
Taste: An explosion of varied textures and delightful flavors, from magnificent macadamia to goopy caramel with strawberry pulp and balsamic vinegar. A memorable piece: the "picante" with its chili-pepper punch.
Information: 888-635-1444 or chuaochocolatier.com.
piece Valentine's Wood Box, $27
This community-minded young couple, known as the Ben & Jerry of chocolate, use mint tended by inner-city students, fair-trade coffee beans and local organic produce
Appearance: Hand-embossed squares in a tastefully simple wooden box, with red ribbon and heart-embossed wax seal.
Taste: High-quality dark chocolate married with garden-flavorful ingredients. The mint is a standout — julep-fresh and not overpowering. Raspberry-, lemongrass- and ginger-infused squares also astound.
Information: 800-747-4808 or www.johnandkiras.com.
**** XOX Truffles, San Francisco
Butterfly Ballotin, 30 pieces, $30
Chef Jean-Marc Gorce is famed for hand-rolled creations with exotic fillings.
Appearance: Bite-sized orbs in a dazzling gold-and-blue box adorned with a faux monarch butterfly.
Taste: Melt-in-your mouth truffle paradigms, whether cognac (the chef's favorite); red wine (delicate); hazelnut (satisfyingly nutty and crunchy). The subtle flavors build, then linger. Less pleasing were the dark soy/vegan and too-sweet white chocolate truffles.
Information: 415-421-4814 or xoxtruffles.com.
***½ B.T. McElrath Chocolatier, Minneapolis
6-piece Passion Hearts, $10
This Midwest chocolate master melds ingredients from local farms and an artistic sensibility to craft feasts for the eye and mouth.
Appearance: Romantic shiny hearts, perfect for a valentine.
Taste: Love at first bite. The passion fruit mousse encased in white and dark chocolate is light, sweet, original and refreshing — pure joy.
Information: 612-331-8800 or btmcelrath.com.
*** Dagoba Organic Chocolate, Ashland, Ore.
10-piece single-origin tasting-square gift box, $12
"Single-origin" bars — all the cacao beans come from one specific area — are all the rage in the artisan chocolate world. These dark little squares from Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru are best melted on the tongue and savored like fine wine.
Appearance: Nothing flashy, just individually wrapped pieces, which vary in color and texture.
Taste: Powerful, nuanced dark chocolate for purists. We liked the smoky, mild, slightly fruity Costa Rican Pacuare best. The Ecuadoran Los Rios tasted earthier and sweeter, while the Peruvian Milagros was intense, with a hint of bitter aftertaste.
Information: 800-393-6075 or dagobachocolate.com.
**½ Lillie Belle Farms, Jacksonville, Ore.
12-piece Ganache, $22
A few years ago, berry farmer Jeff Shepherd sold his chocolates at local farmers' markets. Now Lillie Belle Farms — named for daughter Lillie and wife Belle — wins national acclaim.
Appearance: Artfully hand-decorated bonbons.
Taste: Shepherd's raspberry ganache has delicate flavor; his espresso ganache is a rich blend of dark chocolate and hand-ground locally roasted coffee beans, too bitter for one taster.
Information: 888-899-2022 or lilliebellefarms.com.
**½ Chocolat Moderne, New York City
4-piece Hylas and the Nymphs assortment, $10
A former banker who began making chocolates in her kitchen after an aha! moment in Belgium is reaping dividends.
Appearance: Appealing and arty — decorated dark-chocolate bonbons and a reproduction of the 1896 epic painting Hylas and the Nymphs on the box.
Taste: Raspberry and peppery pieces didn't make us swoon, but the creative grapefruit-tempered caramel and fine-textured, crunchy pistachio are to die for!
Information: 212-229-4797 or chocolatmoderne.com.
