I loaded up on the Costco/Neuhaus chocolate today. They had quite a lot at the Costco nearest me. Just opened a box ... now I need some regular Neuhaus so I can do a side-by-side comparison. Thanks again for the tip.

Did you do the wine and chocolate pairings at Waterford Estate in Stellenbosch? I had to after reading about it on FT. The rock salt chocolate was definitely among the more unusual flavors but it sure worked well with the cab they paired it with. We also had the masala chai dark chocolate with a shiraz and a lavender chocolate, unfortunately I can't remember what wine they paired that with.

I just tried a "Belgian" variety pack in a long (3' or 4'?) box from Trader Joe's - awful. I still think their 3-pack of Belgian dark bars (usually near the registers) are a good deal - about $1.29. Tides me over between Chocolate Runs to BRU.

If anyone is serious about a chocolate-oriented Do, consider Paris during the Salon du Chocolat, late October/early November. Belgium may be a superior source of chocolate--I can't address that from experience--but Paris certainly puts on a good show, about four times the size of the New York Show. Maybe someone who has attended the Tokyo edition can chime in. One of the Paris exhibitors told me that Japanese tour groups travel to the Paris show after experiencing the Tokyo show--this as I watched one renowned chocolatier being mobbed and photographed like a rock star.

Arrive early, sample often ;-)

Those looked like Choxies in disguise (so I passed them up, as
Choxies are just boring as heck - colored wax).

Unfortunately TJ sells the whole gamut of chocolate, from terrible to wonderful, with not much indication as to which is which. Luckily most of their stuff is pretty good, however it goes out of stock regularly.

letiole

I am anxiously awating your taste test.......

Those of us that went to the 2002 Chicago FT do had the best chocolate sampling in the world. I think we had every single top brand on that table.

http://photos.markbach.com/v/events/...go004.jpg.html

Please, do it again.

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/ne...colate+bar.asp

The Chocolate Bar at The Ritz-Carlton
Friday & Saturday Nights in February 2007
Rate: $75 USD per person

Award-winning Pastry Chef Laurent Richard presents a sumptuous gourmet buffet of the most unforgettable decadent chocolate desserts complimented by a bottomless glass of Champagne. Indulge in this sinful selection while experiencing the most breathtaking views in Manhattan.

WHERE: Rise bar on the 14th Floor of
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park
(overlooking the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor)
Two West Street
New York, New York 10004

WHEN: Friday and Saturday Nights
February 2nd through February 24th

Four Seatings: 5:00pm, 7:00pm, 9:00pm, or 11:00pm

Due to limited space, reservations recommended: 917-790-2600

**Additional Chocolate Bar evening in Rise on Valentine's Day, Wednesday, February 14th.
Three Seatings are available at 6:00pm, 8:00pm or 10:00pm

Per person charge is $75.00 (including tax and tip).

I wonder how it compares to the chocolate bar at the Peninsula in Chicago (at 1/3 the price).

Chocolate Bar at The Peninsula
108 E. Superior St.
312-337-2888

The Lobby at The Peninsula Chicago offers hope for the clinically depressed with its Chocolate Bar. From 8 p.m.-midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, an all-you-can-eat chocolate buffet features between 10 and 15 high-end confections, including cinnamon truffles, chocolate-dipped strawberries and chocolate pot de cr�me, plus beverages like lavender-scented white chocolate cocoa and more. $26 per person.

Wish I'd known that when I visited in November...
Although I did discover the Lindt cafe in Sydney yesterday...

seabourn had some pretty fabulous stuff, including giant sculpted pastries (chocolate) on the crossing i did this year. it was one night towards the end, an absolutely enormous dessert spread.

I love Toblerone's white chocolate ^

The Lindt cafe in Sydney (in Martin Place) is rather disappointing. Not bad, but nothing like what Lindt/Sprungli do in Switzerland. Plus the place is jammed, so not much motivation to improve in the future.

The Chicago Pen chocolate buffet was mentioned on FT a couple of years ago and there have been several threads about it. However it is a hard thing to find when you are planning a visit to a city (and not something that most people look for, as it is so rare).

While I love chocolates, I've never had a strong grasp of the process of creating it.

This link is to a food blog that's an "expose" of NoKa Chocolate, but the parts that I really enjoyed were the descriptions of the process of going from bean to bar.

The posts are long, but appear well-researched. Might make good travel reading