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Published Jan/Feb 2007 |
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Make your chocolate fantasies come true
at these lounges, inns and events. By Sally M. Snell |
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 ove over green tea and tofu. Chocolate has officially joined the club of heart-healthy foods, thanks to the antioxidant power of flavonoids that are found naturally in cocoa plants. Chocolate lovers, of course, might suggest they knew this all along, but now that we can nibble guilt free, here are a few delightfully healthy and slightly decadent options.A touch of European decadence Chocolat by Daniel (shock-oh-LOT) is a new chocolate lounge and dessert bar in Rockford, Ill. Chocolatier Daniel Nelson draws inspiration for his chocolate delights from many places. “I make what strikes me,” said Nelson. This could be a dark chocolate torte, a botanically correct lily or any number of other delights. Nelson stumbled into the world of chocolate a few years ago when he wanted to give a gift to someone who loved chocolate, but Nelson’s personal experience with fine chocolates did not match his expectations. One well-known brand gave him heartburn; others had a waxy aftertaste. So Nelson made his own chocolate, without preservatives, wax, or artificial flavors. By his own admission, “they weren’t very good to look at, but even in that state they tasted far better–amazingly so–than the professional chocolate that I’d been eating. “Chocolate is now what wine was 10 years ago and olive oil was five years ago,” said Nelson. “People are realizing, ‘gosh, in moderation and if I get the good stuff, number one, it’s just darn yummy, and number two, there are health benefits’.” Nelson purchases the highest quality raw chocolate from Belgium, France, Switzerland and Venezuela, blending them with allspice, citrus and even chili pepper to concoct chocolate that is as delightful to the eye as it is to the tongue. Nelson’s Chocolat lounge (211 E. State St.) opened in the fall of 2006 in a revitalized area of downtown Rockford amid spas, art galleries and fine restaurants. Nelson describes the interior as a “slice of Parisian romance” in the heyday of the impressionist painters, inspired by the time he spent in Paris studying at the L’Ecole Du Grand Chocolat. A visit to Kansas City’s André’s Confiserie Suisse is a chocolaty pilgrimage. The Bollier family emigrated from Basel, Switzerland to Kansas City in 1955, bringing with them the Swiss’s confiserie (confectionery, a business specializing in chocolate candy) tradition. Owner Marcel Bollier said he is often asked about wax in chocolate. He explained that some modern chocolate makers use a coating that contains hydrogenated vegetable oil. It is the high melting point of the oil that tends to give it a waxy taste. André’s chocolates, on the other hand, are made with cocoa butter instead of oil. Cocoa butter melts at body temperature, instantly releasing its flavors as it touches the tongue. Pop open a chocolate champagne bottle filled with chocolate-covered almonds, nibble on chocolate leaves filled with a mint fondant, or truffles that use chocolate made from wild Criollo cocoa beans from Bolivia. In addition to fine chocolates, this family operation (recently joined by the third generation) also serves a lunch menu of traditional Swiss fare at its two Kansas City-area locations (5018 Main St. and 4949 W. 119th St. in Overland Park). No blues in St. Lou for chocolate lovers The award-winning Bailey’s Chocolate Bar (1915 Park Ave.) rips the wrapper off this sweet, to the delight of St. Louisians. Swoon over the Lover’s Plate of flourless chocolate cake, spicy and fruit truffles, chocolate mousse, caramelized banana, strawberries, figs and mead (a fermented beverage made of water, honey, malt and yeast). Looking for something light? Consider the Salad Chocolat, an ingenious concoction of mixed greens, dried cherries, toasted nuts, Amish blue cheese, white chocolate and vinaigrette. Or if it’s “just drinks,” consider Bailey’s Signature Martini of chocolate vodka, Irish cream, dark chocolate and milk. Small towns, big taste For anyone who has ever dreamed of living in a chocolate shop, Tibbetts Bed & Breakfast in Highland, Ill., (801 Ninth St.) is the next best thing. This 1914 Craftsman home is bulging to the rafters with antiques and chocolate delights. Overnight guests who choose the Chocolate Lovers Delight package are greeted with chocolate snacks, served more chocolate goodies throughout the evening and get to sneak into the candy shop, The Chocolate Affair, located inside the house. In the morning, guests can enjoy hot-from-the-oven Triple Chocolate Mess cake baked in a crock pot and relax with a chai tea on the deck. There are even chocolate bath products. Can’t bear to go home? Stock up on made-to-order chocolate-covered strawberries, turtles and other goodies at the shop. Mundt’s Candies (207 W. Main) in Madison, Ind., celebrates a chocolate and candy legacy that dates to 1917. Offerings in this historic downtown store include chocolate truffles, famous fish candy and an old-fashioned soda fountain serving phosphates and ice cream delights, including an Army Navy sundae made with coffee ice cream, hot fudge, white chocolate and almonds. For a larger group, order a ’37 Flood that is purported to inundate four to six people. Mundt’s Candies makes their super premium ice cream on-site. Follow your nose along the chocolate trails The Blackhawk Chocolate Trail in northwest Illinois drizzles together four counties’ worth of gooey morsels. Order a chocolate crème pie at the Dutch Diner Family Restaurant, chocolate cheesecake at the New York Bagel & Coffee Shop and some Elk Duds at the Sandy Pine Elk Farm. The complete list of Chocolate Trail stops may be found in a brochure produced by the Blackhawk Waterways Convention & Visitors Bureau. As if chocolate itself isn’t decadent enough, the wineries of Hermann, Mo., have created a Chocolate Wine Trail that pairs wine with chocolate. Six wineries participate in the trail, dishing up chocolate drizzled over fruit and a glass of wine; chocolate cake and a glass of wine; or even chocolate pasta and a glass of wine. Specific offerings vary. Tickets for the Feb. 17–18 event must be purchased in advance either at the Hermann Welcome Center, by phone at 1-800-932-8687 or at www.hermannmo.info. The cost is $15 per person and includes a souvenir wine glass. A chocolate celebration Looking ahead, the Kansas City Chocolate Festival invites area chefs, chocolatiers and retailers to come together for a taste of what the area offers. The event is a fundraiser for Friendship House/ Catherine’s Place, an agency that helps women recovering from alcohol and drug addiction to rebuild a life for themselves and their children. Vendors and exhibits vary each year, but expect diverse activities for children, tasting opportunities, raffles, cooking demonstrations and a chocolate sculpture contest. Vendors and demonstrators for 2007 will include Christopher Elbow Artisinal Chocolates and Domhnall Molloy, executive pastry chef for McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant in Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza. Sally Snell is a contributor from Topeka, Kan. |
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