Food & Wine

I eat chocolate multiple times a day, usually after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sometimes on its own. Needless to say, I like chocolate very much. As the readers of WPS know, I get very involved with my hobbies and interests, and I've since toured and e...  

This seems right up my alley, being a 'serious choco-holic' .... If they're not available on the web, I'll make certain I get some during my Swiss trip in June . Cheers, Filip

Not unless I want to spend 60 Euros on shipping for only a few bars! I'd spend 60 Euros for shipping maybe 60 bars, but not for sub-ten bars. Nice to know you're a serious choco-holic. We seem to have similar afflictions!

But I will say, the one confection I miraculously love even more than traditional chocolate is ice-cream in all its glorious varieties . Chocolate and ice-cream are, in my opinion, the only products in the world that can hardly ever fail to satisfy consum... 

Hmm, I haven't had a great chocolate ice cream in a while... Hmm. I had a nice Earl Grey ice cream from Leeuwen's in New York City. Can't think of anything else that's been exceptoinal lately.

I just bought pistachio ice cream from them yesterday , our taste buds are in fact highly alike! Cheers, Filip

Their flavor of Pistachio is very pistachio-buttery (like peanut-buttery) compared to other brands that are more milky and creamy. A very strong pistachio flavor. That's my second flavor at Leeuwen's.

I've still got two pints in my freezer! Deeelicious!

Bought it last night at my local grocery store on Montana Avenue, it's a truly unique but totally low-key flavor that sits well after pretty much any savory meal . Very pleased I 'discovered' both of these from VL, I had not tried them in quite a long tim... 

But I bought all the flavors at my local Whole Foods Supermarket, and the Earl Grey and Pistachio were the standouts from the selection I had.

I buy them at Pavilions. Besides these they have a vanilla bean flavor which I haven't tried, and a red-boxed flavor which I'm forgetting the description of....

I haven't tried that one. They were sold out of that one. But I do recall having seen it before in the red carton.

Like Honey Lavender. I had a Lavende ice cream in San Francisco at Bi-Rite (a local ice cream parlour) that was so good. And I recall having a French Yogurt in Lavende flavor that was exemplary. Too bad I was traveling and wasn't ever able to find that fl... 

I remember having something along those lines from one of the small-batch artisanal ice-cream makers, at one of the specialty grocers in LA.... Van Leeuwen, I just discovered, actually makes a decent enough 'portfolio' of interesting flavors, it doesn't s... 

So I'll just wait until I go to NYC and try the flavors not offered at the grocery store at their brick and mortar location in NYC. But with two Earl Greys in the freezer, plus a Pistachio flavored Gelato from a different brand, and fairly cool weather, I... 

They carry 100+ different bars, some mainstream-ish and some not. I found it as I was looking for bars from Fossa, a Singaporean marker that has some really tasty and interesting bars. I don’t normally eat non dark (I am usually 80% +) but Fossa have a wh... 

Ok. Definitely on my list! And that white chocolate with seaweed sounds very interesting!

I'll just have to find you the next time I'm in Switzerland! Shipping is a little risky. I can imagine the Customs agent just seizing all of my chocolate and eating it himself! I'd be heartbroken!

Here's one of my favorites from from Lindt, "Varesino con Panna", a DELICIOUS espresso with chocolate and whipped cream on top....note even the chocolate spoon that comes with it! OK, I already put up 5 kilos by writing this, glad that I only eat it 4 mon...  

The Swiss converted me to eating a small piece of chocolate after each meal; breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Maybe I'd be better off adopting the Italian version, just eating one gigantic chocolate coffee drink once a day!

The bears will get the best deal, since they'll be eating twice as much (and drinking twice as much) and they get it all for free!

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I'm familiar with the Ovomaltine drink, but not of the bars.

Check out Zak's Honestly, compares favorably with any chocolate I've had (and that's a lot!) from Belgium, Switzerland or Italy. Plus they're really nice people. Kent ...  

I haven't been to Zak's. But that does look delicious! But definitely something for a special treat - like visiting Arizona!

I'm a bit of a dark chocolate enthusiast. I've regularly returned with a few pounds of the stuff from certain European cities. It was a relief when Laderach opened a location in NYC a few years ago. And there are other less expensive Swiss brands, includi... 

I've seen the Laderach store in mid-town. The NYC store is much more expensive than the 70 Euros a kilogram for Laderach in Europe. So I buy a lot when I'm in Europe. It's a pity that USA customs lets you come back with such little amount of money worth o... 

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squares . Either the 72%, or the 86% for extra cacao kick. Today I had a couple squares with a fresh orange and a cup of Earl Grey. Ahhhhh!

Sounds like someone had a very nice day! Ahhh!

what you consider a 2 or 3 level Michelin star chocolates. But this Lindt recommendation is much appreciated.

I'll have to let you know! The Bernachon chocolate bar with the pistachio marzipan is definitely one that's very very nice. I definitely go out of my way to get it in Paris every time I'm in Paris. Bernachon is based in Marseille, but they have a dealer i... 

although I normally am a Valrhona-preferring individual. Recently got some Republica de Cacao 70% pastilles. Would recommend: the flavor is unusual, with a lot of personality.

Knowing you are quite the cook, I'm sure that those 70% pastilles are great! I always liked pastilles, since they're thin and they melt perfectly.

When I walk around in Geneva, I am always amazed by the many shops that specialise in chocolate and I am actually surprised that so few are available in the US. When I lived in New York I was almost forced to get used to Nestle, but that really is another... 

It's funny, Belgium, Switzerland, some of the biggest chocolate producers are countries that don't grow cacao trees at all!

I know they sell a Lindt raspberry bar here in the states, but not this combination. Their 90% bar is our everyday chocolate.

The 90% is very dark! Very healthy. I like it, but I want something that's got a bit more personality. I also wished Lindt would do single origin chocolates.