Chocolate lovers flock to Javits Center for return of cacao salon (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Salon du Chocolat
Javits Center
655 West 34th St. at 11th Ave.
Saturday, November 16, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, and Sunday, November 17, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Admission: $10-$25 in advance, $12-$35 onsite
www.salonduchocolatny.com
www.javitscenter.com
The return of Salon du Chocolat to New York has attracted a big crowd to the Javits Center, where chocolate-obsessed minions can experience all things cacao, from samples and demonstrations to workshops and fashion. There are more than eighty booths and dozens of events, so navigating it can be tricky. Several popular purveyors — including two that are offering alcohol-infused chocolate — have long lines, so we suggest skipping those. However, where there are lines, please acknowledge them; we saw far too many people not honoring the queues, rudely pushing in front of others to snag a free bonbon, truffle, or nib. There is a lot to try, and many of the men and women behind the booths are the owners, chefs, or creators and love talking about their process, so do engage them (and perhaps even get a bonus taste). We were impressed with brands from South America (Hoja Verde — Global Cadena), New Zealand (Hogarth), Vanuatu (Aelan), Haiti (Askanya), and Vietnam (Marou) as well as New Jersey (Knipschildt), Connecticut (Le Rouge), Texas (Maggie Louise), and the Lower East Side (Roni Sue’s) on our international chocolate tour; below are some of our favorite stops.
The Harlem Chocolate Factory adds 1920s glamour to confection convention (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Goodnow Farms uses fresh-pressed single origin South American beans in creating unique flavors (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
The Honey Jack caramel bonbon at Two Chicks with Chocolate is a stand-out (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Le Rouge Aartisan Chocolates adds an Indian twist to French delights (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Chocolate Genius Paul Joachim molds the elephant in the room (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Austin-based Maggie Louise Confections offers generous samples of sweet treats (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
The Choc Doc is on the case, offering Chocolate for the Spirit (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Karl Hogarth has traveled from New Zealand to serve his bean-to-bar chocolate (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Pastry chefs and other industry pros give talks and demonstrations at Salon du Chocolat (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Master chocolatier Håkan Mårtensson has sculpted chocolate dragons at his booth (photo by twi-ny/mdr)