Dear Food Diary:
Last Saturday we went down to this year’s NY Chocolate Show with one thing in mind… make our sweet tooth silly happy. With my press pass in hand, I went off to sampling bite after bite of chocolate goodies like an true chocoholic.

There were some old favorites around and tons of treats I’ve never seen. And though only 6 degrees of separation between the bar and melting in my mouth, some sweet indulgences stood out in the crowd, which wasn’t easy after a couple hours of “sampling”.

My TOP 6 favorites of the show:

#1

ECLAT CHOCOLATE
After making my rounds, I couldn’t help but take one of their CUZ Toasted Corn Chocolate Bars home. 54%, not too milky or bitter, the toasted corn gives it that popcorn like flavor with a bit more crunch. One of the most unique bars I had that day. While I was paying, their creator/owner/master chocolatier Christopher Curtin (Who  also happens to have created the Good & Evil along with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert) agreed that this also was his favorite bar.
www.eclatchocolate.com

#2

SALT OF THE EARTH BAKERY
It’s no secret, salt and chocolate are a great pair and a flavor that’s here to stay. At Salt of the Earth Bakery they put a grain of “sel” in everything. From brownies to cookies and everything in between. The Chocoholic Cookie has dark chocolate and sprinkles of Maldon Sea Salt. They weren’t kidding with the name! It’s a bit chewy and as the chocolate chunks start melting, the Maldon Sea Salt flakes just gives it that hint of contrast. Love it! This can cheer me up in any mood. Their brownies were pretty organismic too.
www.saltoftheearthbakery.com

#3

JAZZ BROWNIES
They add things like orange, dulce de leche and coconut flakes to their brownies, but my favorite was the sesame brownie.  I’ve never had them before, what a great idea! The aroma brightened the chewy bites.
jazzbrownies@gmail.com
#4

TACHE
Aside from the pretty packaging and colors (I like pretty), everything is hand made in NYC. Their Champagne Truffles stood out amongst the sea of truffles (literally almost every vendor had truffles to offer). 75% dark chocolate with that delicate boozy hint and pecans all around. Ultra rich and creamy. Worked for me. Plus they also offer chocolate making classes, which I’m very very tempted by.
www.tachechocolate.com

#5

BOISSIER CHOCOLATE PETALS
One of Paris oldest sweets shop had these chocolate petals that were so pretty and interesting. The flavors were fruity varieties and fragrant teas. I liked the jasmin tea one, the perfume like quality lingered for a while. I couldn’t find a website, but if you’re ever in Paris, here’s the addy. I’m sure the store/packaging is just as unique and cute. Adding to my list for my next trip.

#6

GNOSIS CHOCOLATE
The raw chocolate tastes a bit less creamy (no dairy) and sweet. Plus, aside from the health benefits of “dark chocolate”, they’ve taken it a step further by adding medicinal herbs (which you can’t really taste, but know it’s there and according to the descriptions, it is of course good for you). It was also surprisingly fruity from the peach. A win-win treat here.
www.gnosischocolate.com

Other things that are worth mentioning:

Choc&Nut, a dairy free alternative to Nutella. Think Nutella but healthier and organic. Does it taste exactly like Nutella? No. Was it good? Yes!

The folks at ChocoArt can make anything into chocolate form! Yeap, even the President and Mario.

CHOCOLATE SHOP
Brought two of my favorite things in the world, wine and chocolate together! It was good, but I didn’t love it. But it would be great as a gift or entertaining during the holidays

After a couple hours of sampling, learning and seeing all things chocolate I left a happy addict.