Favorite Chocolate & Gift Ideas

[SweetPea914]

Let's just say that to call my sister-in-law a chocoholic would be a vast understatement. Each year we get her a box of chocolate and do a chocolate themed gift for x-mas. Over the years I have gotten her gifts from Jacques Torres, La Maison du Chocolat, Lindt and others. Does anyone have any other new ideas for me, on one hand I feel like the idea is getting old, on the other hand, I think she'd be disappointed if she didn't get some really nice chocolates from us.

[ceekskat]

I second Richart. Expensive but luxuriously delicious. I am not a big chocolate fan but do appreciate high quality dark chocolate & would love it if I received it as a gift:-)

http://www.richart-chocolates.com/b2c...
7 E 55th St
New York, NY 10022
[phone]

[LisaN]

What about ordering different chocolates from Chocosphere? http://www.chocosphere.com/

For a couple years now, I've been gifted with assortments of dark chocolate bars from different places, and think its a wonderful gift to be able to compare them and figure out my favorites!

[emilief]

Burdicks (NH or Vt) has wonderful chocolate including their chocolate mice and penguins. Rechuitti in SF has wonderful chocolate covered salted caramels. Harbor Sweets (Salem MA) has many varieties but the favorite is the sweet sloops- little chocolate sailboats with toffe inside.

[Ruth Lafler]

A wonderful hound sent me a gift of Burdick's and they were wonderful. If you're on the East Coast, then California chocolates like Rechuitti, Chuao or Woodhouse would be something she'd be less familiar with or likely to run across on her own.

[tart1]

You cant look at the site at Ethel M's at http://www.ethelschocolate.com/jump.j...

I've recieved gifts from there and liked it a lot.

[Lucia]

Pierre Marcolini

[fauchon]

Have you tried Pierre Marcolini, Richart or Debauve et Gallet?...all are superb & located in Manhattan...

Also Teuscher (also in NYC) is excellent (esp the champagne truffles) and the chocolate mice from LA Burdick make a charming gift....

http://www.chocolate.com/ has lots & lots of ideas, too...

PS: the bar with crushed cacoa bits from Cluizel is TDF...

[cmarie]

look into ICE-Culinary(institute for culinary education) or The New School usually as a bunch of classes. Has she been to the Chocolate Show? it's a chocoholics dream (or nightmare!)

[SweetPea914]

I don't think she's ever been to the Chocolate Show. It's the first I'm hearing about it and I'm sure she would have mentioned it to me had she been there. I'm going to look it up now.
I just had another idea...Are there any good dessert and coffee places downtown that anyone can recommend? I'm thinking of something along the lines of chikaLicious, but they don't have a very chocolate heavy menu, the one choc. item they do offer has a red wine sauce and that wouldn't work. She would love a GC to such a place.
I know Payard has great desserts, but that wouldn't be her style.

[MMRuth]

Mariebelle comes to mind - lovely hot chocolate.

[cmarie]

i was going to suggest Kee's too, or Vosges. How about a gift card for a chocolate making class. Maybe a local culinary school offers them? or if you live in NY you can give her an early gift to the Chocolate Show in November.

[SweetPea914]

I hadn't thought of a chocolate making class, that's also a great idea. She lives in Brooklyn so I'm sure there must be something here in NY that I could sign her up for!

[MMRuth]

Have you tried Kee's in Manhattan?

[SweetPea914]

No, I'm not really into sweets, which is partly why I posted this. I'm sure I could just google, but where are they located? Do you have any specific recommendations?

[MMRuth]

http://www.keeschocolates.com/

In Soho - beautiful handmade chocolates - fresh everyday. She does do mail order I believe. Favorites include all the nut truffles, the creme brulee chocolate, blood orange, champagne, coconut, ginger, key lime, thai chile, smoked salt.

[SweetPea914]

oohhh, those could actually get me into chocolate. Maybe I shouldn't go, I would have to try the thai chili and champagne :-) Thanks for the recs, I'm always in Soho at some point doing holiday shopping so I will have to stop by!

[MMRuth]

The best time to stop by is early afternoon - too early - she won't have all of them made, too late, well, a lot of them are gone. But, if you check them out and like them, you can call ahead and place an order. She's a lovely woman.