73146 Wed Sep 07 21:30:29 -0700 2005 39 2 Los Angeles Area 0 401059 Hi, there, I'm on a lofty quest to find the best chocolate/hot chocolate/chocolate everything in Los Angeles and very willing to search far and wide. They have great hot chocolate at Chocolatt in Brentwood, but might you have any suggestions? Thanks! melissa Wed Sep 07 21:30:29 -0700 2005 0 Melissa Lo 1 401069 Teuscher, BH. Leonidas, Larchmont & Santa Monica. Wed Sep 07 22:42:06 -0700 2005 401059 0 mc michael 2 401073 i second teuscher, their champagne truffles are unbelievable Wed Sep 07 22:46:30 -0700 2005 401069 0 woofer 3 401075 "K" Chocolatier is very good. In Beverly Hills by the Peninsula Hotel. Teuscher is also worth a try. Wed Sep 07 22:56:24 -0700 2005 401073 0 Just Larry 4 401120 "K" Chocolatier--high end chocolates manufactured by Diane Kron, who is usually in her tiny shop--is not by the Peninsula Hotel; it is near the southwest corner of Camden and little Santa Monica, on the south side of little Santa Monica. Thu Sep 08 09:25:55 -0700 2005 401075 0 Foodseeker 5 401161 I agree on Teuscher's champagne truffles; I also like the walnut buttercrunch. I find K only ok overall -- I really enjoyed the alcohol filled pieces, though. Chuao Chocolatier (based in Encinitas) is coming to the Irvine Spectrum at the end of September. Their caramel-based chocolates (banana, passion fruit and strawberry-balsamic) are excellent. Thu Sep 08 12:26:25 -0700 2005 401120 0 Emily 6 401422 The passion fruit heart is absolutely one of my faves! OMG I didn't know they were coming to Irvine! Thanks for the info! Fri Sep 09 11:34:41 -0700 2005 401161 0 jschyun 6 2925206 They're already at Irvine spectrun-they've been there for a while now. Sun Sep 09 17:37:44 -0700 2007 401161 86544 cookee 6 2932303 I agree completely on K - just okay, and the alcohol-filled pieces are the best. I find the chocolates there really are marked up way, way too high for what they are, too. I personally expect more creativity at that price point. She does have a great sales technique though: She plies customers with enough of her chocolates to get them buzzed, and somehow, wallets tend to open. Then, ten minutes later, one finds oneself three blocks away, holding a tiny bag of chocolate and fifty dollars poorer... Tue Sep 11 16:27:33 -0700 2007 401161 100515 Woolsey 1 401074 The absolute best chocolate in LA is not sold at any price. I was told it is only given as a gift to clients. Box is totally unmarked. I was lucky enough to be offered a taste. Belgian Bittersweet Chocolate. Flavors are unusual. I recall Mango infused with French Napoleon Brandy, Apricot infused with Orange Licquor and something with Thai Chili Paste. Since that is not an option, there is a very good chocolate shop in Pacific Palisades on the street behind the Bank of America. Try the Pave. They are little squares of intense chocolate ganache. Does anyone know anything about the Mystery Chocolatier? Wed Sep 07 22:53:04 -0700 2005 401059 0 Billion Dollar Baby 2 401278 no clue about the mystery choclatier but the palisades shop is called "intemperantia" and it's on antioch. Thu Sep 08 17:15:52 -0700 2005 401074 0 e 1 401125 I, too have been on that quest. (And managed to make it to a few artisanal chocolate shops on the east coast as well, this summer.) That said... In tem pur a tia (I think that's how they spell it) in the Pacific Palisades, has amazing truffles. They are ridiculously expensive. I haven't tried their hot chocolate. The L'Artisan du Chocolat, next door to Picholine in Silverlake, has lovely truffles. Unfortunately their hours are odd. Call to make certain they are open. Thu Sep 08 10:23:34 -0700 2005 401059 0 Sandra W. 2 401502 "In tem pur a tia" in Pacific Palisades. I can not find them on the web -- no mention. Maybe the spelling. Can you help? Also, do they have coffee? Fri Sep 09 17:04:45 -0700 2005 401125 0 Like-Go-Eat? 1 401187 You'll find an excellent selection of chocolate bars, mostly made in France, at The Wine House. (My favorite brand is Michel Cluizel) Wine House 2311 Cotner Avenue Phone: 310-479-3731 x260 Fax: 310.478.5609 Store Hours: Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Friday nights open until 9 p.m. Sunday open 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Thu Sep 08 13:51:06 -0700 2005 401059 0 RicRios 1 401191 I like K for truffles and chocolate covered marzipan, L'Artisan du chocolate for truffles and filled chocolates, and Teuscher for champagne truffles. Boule makes excellent chocolates but I generally prefer the others. I was also quite impressed with Whoodhouse when we were in Napa last year. Link: http://www.woodhousechocolate.com/ Thu Sep 08 14:02:59 -0700 2005 401059 0 JudiAU 2 401200 Teuscher's champagne truffles are heavenly! Try Leonidas (Santa Monica) - their Mocha drinks are amazing and their chocolates are really good as well. Fantastic sugar free options. I think "K" is a bit over-rated and overpriced. The chocolate was good but not the best in my opinion. I have not tried all varietys there though. It didn't have the melt in your mouth component. The owner are wonderful though - will offer tastes of many of the items. Thu Sep 08 14:24:32 -0700 2005 401191 0 PD 2 3399101 I like Woodhouse, but for mail order, Hotel Chocolat is amazing. It is a UK brand that just began a US operation. www.hotelchocolat.com The gold box "Hand Piped Selection" is amazing and I have never been disappointed with their seasonal boxes. Their new US website, however, is a pain to navigate. Thu Feb 14 18:20:01 -0800 2008 401191 10568 Jwsel 1 401226 most of the replies seem to be dealing with truffles. Although I love the truffles at Teuscher and the chocolate fish, and the lubeck (marzipan) chocolate - here are two alternatives that I like. Edelweiss on Canon in Beverly Hills. Not for the truffles. They have wonderful fresh and preserved fruit in chocolate - the pineapple and orange peel are great, as is the ginger. They have their own specialties as well. for those of you starf@(#*$%&s, acdg to Scott Berg, katherine Hepburn always demanded a box of edelweiss whenever people would go east to visit her. My fave almond bark, dark, Littlejohn's in the farmers market. Formerly the best and no longer extant, the chocolates at Bit of Sweetland, near the Bev'y Center. Had there been a chowhounds, they would have lasted. They had gerbeaud's recipe book for chocolate (best confiserie patisserie in Budapest). Great things. They went wholesale for a while as Jerbo in camarillo, left the business and the folks now make strikingly good "gourmet" peanut butters. I was surprized to learn it was the same people. maybe they'll get back into the chocolate making business. LITTLE JOHN'S ENGLISH TOFFEE 6333 W 3RD ST #432 90036 LOS ANGELES EDELWEISS CANDY KITCHEN 444 N CANON DR 90210 BEVERLY HILLS Thu Sep 08 15:29:22 -0700 2005 401059 0 Jerome 2 3333782 I'll join in on Edelweiss. Some of the best chocolate covered marshmallows I ever used to eat (age and waistline are restrictive to amybe once a year). If you have small children you can call them and they will tell yo when you can bring the children in to see the chocolates made. If you are an adult who thinks you are a child I'm pretty sure they would let you in too. Fri Jan 25 17:21:01 -0800 2008 401226 12033 Hughlipton 1 401249 Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! I can't wait to taste! Thu Sep 08 16:23:54 -0700 2005 401059 0 Melissa Lo 1 401285 My chocolate loves in LA: 1. L'Artisan du chocolate (Virgil & 1st next door to Picholine): Plain truffels and carmel fleur de sel. 2. K Chocolatier (Bev. Hills): Plain truffels, marzipan covered and liqueur filled. 3. Boulde (La Cienega): Chocolate tart. 4. Sweet Lady Jane (Melrose & Orlando): Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake. 5. There is a woman in a small Olvera Street cafe that makes the best Mexican Hot Chocolate I've found in LA. 6. The Mexican Chocloate cream pie at Border Grill in Santa Monica. I still haven't found great hot chocolate of the non-Mexican variety and make my own. I don't care for Leonidas and I like Teaucher but find it not chocolatey enough. Thu Sep 08 17:30:17 -0700 2005 401059 0 sku 2 2923530 Try MarieBelle. It's pure couveture and was voted No. 1 by the New York Times last year. Sat Sep 08 20:07:24 -0700 2007 401285 125803 kreilich 1 401307 Here's a list with addresses. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/66963#363061 Thu Sep 08 18:34:06 -0700 2005 401059 0 petradish 1 401451 Try the chocolate truffles (hazelnut or coffee) and the chcolate macaroons at L'Artiste Patisserie. All handmade, rich and delicious. L'Artiste Patisserie 17312-A Ventura Boulevard Encino Fri Sep 09 13:16:56 -0700 2005 401059 0 chocolate lover 1 2925111 Any current take on this ? Especially dark chocolate? Sun Sep 09 16:50:37 -0700 2007 401059 12397 kel 2 2925900 I was wondering whether this thread had been revived for a reason! If Picholine is still doing chocolate, I'd nominate them as the best. Picholine 3360 W 1st St Los Angeles, CA 90004-6000 Phone: (213) 252-8722 Mon Sep 10 01:14:09 -0700 2007 2925111 11028 DanaB 3 2932319 Picholine is now L'Aritsan du Chocolat. http://www.lartisanduchocolat.com/ Tue Sep 11 16:31:33 -0700 2007 2925900 100515 Woolsey 1 2925888 K Chocolatier is hands down the best. Their truffles are amazing. They aren't inexpensive, but they are well worth the price. Mon Sep 10 00:57:40 -0700 2007 401059 92059 pinpei 1 2931816 Boule is great! Carver: peanut praline, Brittany: fleur de sel caramel, Isis: rose-caramel, Lilli: passionfruit-ivoire, Bronte: earl grey-rasberry truffles are alllllll delicious! They have great gelato also. Tue Sep 11 14:17:33 -0700 2007 401059 125742 mermy 1 2932328 No love for Jin Pâtisserie? They're not my favorite chocolates, but I prefer them over Boule, which has been mentioned several times. http://www.jinpatisserie.com/ Tue Sep 11 16:33:43 -0700 2007 401059 100515 Woolsey 1 3400261 Neiman Marcus has a great chocolate selection Fri Feb 15 07:39:52 -0800 2008 401059 60617 rednyellow 1 3401995 in terms of hot chocolate, the one at senior fred with churros is spectacular. city bakery at the brentwood country mart is good too. Fri Feb 15 13:51:36 -0800 2008 401059 153047 cdub 1 3402264 Has anyone tried Sprinkles hot chocolate? It sounds good on the website, but I've never heard any reviews. Fri Feb 15 15:03:27 -0800 2008 401059 18705 emily 1 3446229 what about some good ole fashioned chocolate pudding?? there's this place by my folks in white plains, NY that makes theirs w/ valhrona chocolate...can anyone say OH MY GOD?! and what about a jacques torres style hot chocolate; they must have something like that here. if i could get that pudding though, forget it... Fri Feb 29 00:50:04 -0800 2008 401059 22888 unocal 1 3462214 Compartes (www.compartes.com) in Brentwood has some of the most innovative and delicious choco I have ever laid my lips on... it's a weekly obsession for me!! Wed Mar 05 09:32:19 -0800 2008 401059 107840 pravada17 1 5108723 The Chocolate Bar in Encino has a great selection of bars and truffles/bonbons. They carry chocolates by several chocolatiers in the US and Europe. May favorite is the Sultane Nue. It's a rich creamy milk chocolate with a cherry that has been aged in brandy and a layer of cream on the bottom. Ooh, La La. You can find them on yelp. Fri Oct 16 13:17:24 -0700 2009 401059 179007 simpsonslaw 1 5109161 Possibly the best chocolate bars I've had anywhere anytime are the Amedei bars (in particular the 9 and Chuao), which, as far as I know, can only be found in LA at Wally's Wines and Niemans. They're not for everyone and they're on the pricey side, but if you're on a quest for the best, you need to at least give these a shot. I also second Wine House, which always has a pretty good selection of chocolates. Fri Oct 16 16:19:16 -0700 2009 401059 239779 krick 1 5109702 Leonidas is my favorite chocolate in the world. Their hazelnut pralines are to die for. I used to have to wait for someone to come back from Europe to get them, then they came to NYC, and now they're in Santa Monica. Fri Oct 16 21:40:06 -0700 2009 401059 13463 OC Mutt 2 5115689 Don't they have an outlet in Pasadena as well? At least it used to be there and the website is still up. Mon Oct 19 17:07:26 -0700 2009 5109702 10246 choctastic 1 5110399 If you are downtown, Rivera has a chocolate cake with pineapple thing, it more like a slice of super rich choc truffle. I could do without the pineapple, but without a doubt one of the best chocolate tastes I have ever come across. Sat Oct 17 11:03:40 -0700 2009 401059 212582 schrutefarms