Hot Chocolate To Go
The Aztecs believed that chocolate had medicinal qualities from building up resistance to fighting fatigue. When the bitter winter winds begin to churn and the temperatures drop, I’m inclined to buy into any theory that prescribes a hot, steaming cup of chocolate as the cure.
One of the richest and most indulgent cups in the city can be found at the MarieBelle Cacao Bar & Tea Salon (484 Broome Street, 212-925-6999). Made from single-origin Columbian cacao, the hot chocolate comes in 4 flavors – Aztec Original (63%), Dark (72%), Mocha and Spicy. To recreate the sweet luxury at home, try MarieBelle’s Hot Chocolate to go in two sizes – 10oz tin ($18) and 20oz tin ($24).
In A Sip for Apres-Whatever, in the New York Times yesterday, Seth Kugel does a fantastic job of rounding up the best gourmet hot chocolate in town (listed below) and interviewing the most notable chocolatiers (on video). Consider it a winter survival guide.
City Bakery, 3 West 18th Street, (212) 366-1414; www.thecitybakery.com.
Jacques Torres Chocolate, 350 Hudson Street and 285 Amsterdam Avenue (at 73rd Street), (212) 414-2462; 66 Water Street, Brooklyn, (718) 875-9772; www.jacquestorres.com.
Tisserie, 857 Broadway (at 17th Street), (212) 463-0850; www.tisserie.com
Boqueria, 53 West 19th Street, (212) 255-4160; www.boquerianyc.com.
Bar Jamon, 125 East 17th Street, (212) 253-2773; www.mariobatali.com.
Five Points, 31 Great Jones Street, (212) 253-5700; www.fivepointsrestaurant.com.
La Maison du Chocolat, 1018 Madison Avenue, at 78th Street, (212) 744-7117; 30 Rockefeller Plaza, (212) 265-9404; www.lamaisonduchocolat.com.
MarieBelle, 484 Broome Street, (212) 925-6999; 762 Madison Avenue, at 65th Street; (212) 249-4585; www.mariebelle.com.
Comments
Yum. After reading this post, I took my 3 year-old for hot chocolate. She is very grateful for the Notes on a Party inspiration. The Chocolate Bar on 8th Avenue is another great cocoa spot downtown.
I personally love drinking chocolate, but there is a big difference between hot chocolate and drinking chocolate. I found a lot of info and good recipes at http://www.drinkingchocolates.com. They even have flavorings you can add like raspberry and hot chili. Yum! The Italian Style Drinking Chocolate at drinkingchocolates.com is so delicious – better than any cocoa mix I’ve ever had at least.
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