Chocolopolis founder Lauren Adler is quite adept at assessing quality chocolate. She’s been proud to carry Elbow’s truffles in her showcase, and is thrilled to have the man himself in her store – and she wants everyone to join in the celebration. This Thursday, you have two opportunities to rub elbows with Elbow. From 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, it’s “Tea & Truffles,” with finger sandwiches to accompany your tea and, of course, samples of Elbow’s chocolate. and then from 7:00 pm- 9:00 pm, join in on cheese, crackers, chocolate, and mingling with the Kansas City-based artisan. Need more incentive? Chocolate raffles throughout both events can make you a winner.

I do. And I did.

Oh! Chocolate hosts frequent chocolate classes at its Madison Park shop. For $59, you get an introductory lesson about chocolate (I especially enjoyed the tour of my personal plate of chocolate: cocoa nibs and dark, milk, and white chocolates in various forms), a quick tempering tutorial, and then a chance to dip berries, pretzels, graham crackers and marshmallows into pools of chocolate. As much as you might sample your sweets along the way, you’ll still walk home with a big box of your creations.

I first met Chris and Nick Masaoka when I was part of the judging panel at the Seattle Chocolate Salon (returning to Seattle on July 12!), and their enthusiasm about chocolate is infectious. Oh! Chocolate’s been a family business since it started in the seventies, and you can buy a variety of their wonderful handmade products (the habanero mango is my personal favorite) in Madison Park, as well as at Bellevue Place, Mercer Island – and even in Atlanta.

And not only does the Madison Park shop now sell wine to match with chocolate, but it’s the site of some newly announced “Parlour Nights” which will feature small plates of food, wine and chocolate for what promises to be fun-filled evenings – which may help explain the exclamation point in Oh! Chocolate.

To learn more, see Oh! Chocolate’s blog for information about its classes.

For many Americans, cheesecake is the Cheesecake Factory. We confess to having family members who absolutely love it. Most amazing is that anyone actually makes it to dessert. After all, when you order meat loaf at this place, you basically get a whole meat loaf on a plate – along with a bucket of mashed potatoes. Our arteries are hardening just thinking about the size of the dessert portion.

That’s part of what we like about The Confectional (1530 Pike Place, in the Triangle Building at Pike Place Market). You can stop by and sample something as small as a cheesecake truffle, or order a full cake for pick-up later in the day. Best are the individual-sized Minis which come in at least a dozen different flavors. We especially like the zing of the Mexican chocolate.

Using high quality, fresh ingredients (for example, the eggs come from cage-free hens), The Confectional takes pride in its product. Step inside the cozy little shop and you just might want to kneel in guilt and appreciation as you behold the fabulous showcase of beckoning sweets. But don’t feel guilty; enjoy a local, delicious delicacy. This is far from a factory cheesecake.

Originally cross-posted at Seattlest (where “we” = me) on October 19, 2007.

Many know that this Queen Anne shop has a tremendous collection of high quality chocolate from around the world. You’ll learn a lot just by deliberating the display, where bars are arranged geographically by the origin of their cacao. Lauren Adler and her team are happy to explain all about bean and bar types, and how to taste chocolate with all of your senses to appreciate it more and to find your favorites. (You can even arrange a private group tasting with your friends or colleagues.)

But what you might not know is that you can sit and stay in the store while sipping some drinking chocolate. In addition to their signature, spicy, and infusion du jour drinks, Chocolopolis features a selection of ever-changing options made with premium chocolates. We recently sampled their whole menu, and while each drink had its merits, we especially liked the premium made from Amedei Chuao, a 70% cocoa, single estate bar from Venezuela. Earthy, rich, fruity—we tasted deep notes of plum that we liked.

There’s much to like at Chocolopolis. Saunter in to see the gorgeous truffles and other treats from around the country (and around the world!), and try to choose just one to go with your drinking chocolate. With Halloween and other holidays approaching, it’s the perfect time for chocolate tasting and shopping. You might even have a chance to experience an Election Day theme; last time we were there, customers could exercise their right to vote in a tasty way by choosing elephant or donkey chocolates. (Donkeys won!)

Cross-posted at Seattlest, where “we” = me.

If you’re craving more chocolate for a cause, you might want to pick up some Athena Chocolates. This is “chocolate to find a cure,” launched October 1 to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Working with Dilettante Chocolates, Athena Partners will donate all of its profits from the chocolate line toward breast cancer research and education. Look for their cherries in dark chocolate or chocolate truffles in certain area stores, or in the skies when flying a certain locally based airline.

Cross-posted at Seattlest, where “we” = me (usually!).

Anyway…a previous year we enjoyed a post-Chinese dinner slice at DeMarco’s, but after trekking there this trip, we met with disappointment that it had disappeared. That settled it. We’d have to return to Di Fara Pizza.

Last year, we planned lunch at the Red Hook ball fields, and since we were voyaging all the way to Brooklyn (it’s quite the distance from Flushing by train), we decided that a slice at Di Fara would be a great late breakfast treat. We timed our Avenue J arrival perfectly for 11:00 – right when we expected Di Fara to open. But after standing silly in front of the door, Domenico De Marco himself stepped out to apologize that he wasn’t opening until noon. We took our hunger pangs to Red Hook and enjoyed some good eats there.

Luckily, my brother brought us back there for some slices later that trip. Amazing. Which is why we had to return. De Marco is getting old, and with reports of a wrist injury slowing him down, I don’t know how many more chances there will be to meet the master – and to sample his masterpieces.

Yes, it can be chaotic. You have to get to the counter, catch his attention, place your order, and then make sure no one “steals” your order once it’s finally ready. But waiting at the counter is part of the fun, as there’s solidarity-building with others in the same situation. And you’ve got a front-row spot for watching De Marco at work: cutting open his specially sourced mozzarella, snipping the fresh basil, pouring that last bit of olive oil. He makes all the pies and handles all the cash transactions; his son is around but seems relegated to fetching the toppings (which, like the sausage, look and taste good). But it’s the simple cheese slice that really shines. Trust me. I’ve done the pizza pilgrimage to Di Fara a few times now, and will gladly go again when the next opportunity comes.

Later that day we were to meet my brother and his kids in Chinatown. But first there was a stop to visit The Pickle Guys to get a snack for later that night. The guys at The Pickle Guys are New Yorkers with New York attitude – proud of their product and lots of fun. But the barrels of laughs don’t detract from the barrels on the floor and the difficult purchasing decisions in store. Lots of pickles, from olives to mushrooms to giardiniera (which, yes, sounds like an STI). We bought cukes: a sour, 3/4 sour, 1/2 sour, horseradish, and a spicy one. (The 1/2 sour would be my favorite.) No sign, though, of Shmuel Fishelis, the Rabbinical supervisor. I assume he blessed our bounty before our arrival.

Chinatown meant another visit to Joe’s Shanghai, which I’ve discussed before with great delight. Walking back to the car, we happened upon a happening place called Rice to Riches, a Baskin Robbinsish place serving nothing but rice pudding  in a multitude of flavors. I loved the sign:

Pickles in hand, we made our way back to the hotel to pick up our U.S. Open tennis tickets, but not before stopping at the Flushing Mall for some mango shaved ice. Not bad, and refreshing after dinner on a warm day, but not as good as what we’ve eaten at Ice Monster in Taipei, which we’ll hit in a few months. And so concluded our final full day in New York City – though there’d be one last meal, providing a xiao long bao taste comparison, before we beat it out of town.

At the Queen Anne Farmers Market (which just finished for the season), we were sampling some of Rococoa Cookies when owner Rocky Rococoa served us a sample of his hot chocolate. Rich, smooth, and—like his cookies—not too sweet. Look for Rocky at the ongoing Ballard Market, and his cookies at some area restaurants.

Chocolopolis was also serving samples at the final farmers market, though you can get a nice variety of their drinking chocolates (add a truffle or two for a real chocolate boost!) anytime at their store. Seattlest will have a further report soon.

And just a few doors down is a new branch of Custom Smoothie, where a “Lean & Mean” or “Power Lifter” chocolate smoothie offers a healthy alternative to the Jamba Juice experience. In addition to a huge menu of smoothies, the store sells supplements and snacks that will appeal to athletes and anyone concerned with fitness and health. We let the twin sister owners explain:

Cross-posted on Seattlest, where “we” = me.

Claudio Corallo Chocolate is the newest contributor to the chocolate frenzy. Actually, they’re not so new, but they just opened a store on Market Street in Ballard. A recent opening party gave us a chance to see the store, meet the trio of local employees, and sample some of their fine chocolate. (The bars with crystallized orange or ginger seemed quite popular.) Nice people with a great story to tell about their product.

But, particularly in this economy, can Seattle sustain so many chocolate shops? (Here comes another: Fran’s Chocolate is scheduled to open in the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences in September.) Unlike Chocolate Box and Chocolopolis, with their variety of products, comfortable settings, and eat/drink-in opportunities, the challenge for Claudio Corallo Chocolate will be creating a compelling interior (and exterior) that draws in customers, tells the wonderful story of the chocolate, and makes people want to stay—and pay the price of the bars and other bites.

Cross-posted on Seattlest.

That’s what we said last time we walked into Pochi Tea Station in the University District. They always had a pile of games (the low-tech Jenga being our favorite), but now there was Wii to go along with the noise of the music videos and the crowd of mostly young Asian UWers.

Pochi’s been a popular hangout with students, who sample from the menu of crepes, toast, fried tofu, and other snacks. But we barely glance at the menu, as we’re there for the avocado-chocolate bubble tea, part of the drinks aplenty that include smoothies, juices, and teas both hot and cold – in almost every imaginable flavor.

Bubble tea? Yes, these crazy concoctions come with colorful fat straws through which you suck up huge pearls of tapioca. The tapioca must be prepared perfectly, cooked to a soft texture (with a very slight chew) that reminds kids of boobs (boba, in Chinese; vendors in Taiwan added tapioca and did other tricks to entice children to their carts for boba tea after school). If the tapioca bubbles are too mushy or hard, it’s tempting to turn them into spitballs (those straws provide great range). You just might want to fire a few away when you find out each has an estimated 15 calories.

And did we actually say avocado-chocolate? That’s a resounding YES. Snoop around the store and you’ll see that many of Pochi’s drinks don’t contain any actual fruit or tea. There’s a lot of powder action going on. One day, we asked for something real. The Pochi people poured chocolate syrup along the inside of our cup and then filled it with fresh avocado smoothie. (A former manager, Indonesian, told us the combination was big in his country.) We took one skeptical sip, stood up with a smile, and – instantly hooked – simply said “Wow-Wee.”

This posting originally appeared on Seattlest on January 28, 2008.

About 25 vendors attended, each offering multiple samples of chocolate bars, truffles, and other treats. I tasted chocolates with such flavors as balsamic and strawberry, soy sauce, Thai basil, kalamata olive, and various types of spicy peppers.

My favorite vendor was Cosmic Chocolate, out of Oakland. I enjoyed the playful packaging and product names (check out the fun website!) along with the intriguing flavor combinations—while also appreciating the high quality chocolate. They’ve got some interesting thin bars (would you believe a champagne and pop rocks pairing?), but I especially liked the hand-painted truffles—including dulce de leche chipotle and passionfruit caramel. And the pictured Obama truffles are, well, hopefully a winner!

But to me, nothing beats a bar of good ol’ dark chocolate, and best in show was Utah-based Amano Chocolate. These folks know their stuff, and while I liked all three of their bars, my favorite was the Ocumare Grand Cru Premium—a single origin bar (70% cacao) from Venezuela that’s rich with interesting fruit notes, including an incredible plum finish. At the end of the day (well, another day besides today’s chocolate-filled one), this is the sweet treat I’d most crave, and I’m glad to have discovered it at the salon.