NY Chocolate Show: Payard

Payard is one of the Biggies.  A third generation French pastry chef and chocolatier, Francois is one of the world's best.  Stores all over the world, I was at the Las Vegas location at Caesar's Palace last month.  His food is well worth the trip if you are remotely close.

Look at the size of these Chocolate Chip Cookies!

NY Chocolate Show: Rogue Confections

Rogue Confections was a very unique entrant at the show.  Handmade chocolates inspired by vintage patterns from wallpaper and postcards. The Belgian chocolate base, that the pictures adorn, is excellent.

Chocolate disks, postcards and cupcakes, they can put these unique patterns on almost anything. 
I was told a big order was made by a Dallas retail company featuring the city- I'll try and track them down and give some as gifts for the holidays.

NY Chocolate Shop: Pralus

Francois Pralus is a rare commodity in the chocolate business.  He one of the last artisans to produce his chocolate from beans, grown on his own plantation, to bar.  His other creations are fantastic. 

I took home his "Creme De Noisette".  This is a very smooth spread akin to Nutella but obviously a much more gourmet version.

It was a delight to meet Francois.  I can't wait to visit Paris and see the store first hand.  I also want to visit the plantation!

NY Chocolate Show: Fika Choklad

 

Hakan Martensson is a terrific Chocolate Maker.  He learned his craft in Sweden and was on the national culinary team at the age of 21.Hakan is also a fantastic sculptor. Hakan even won a gold medal in the 2008 Culinary Olympics. If his artistic medium was wood or bronze, Hakan probably would have pieces in several museums in NY and Europe.  Hakan's problem (if you can call it a problem) is he sculpts in chocolate. Because it is so beautiful and tasty,  it gets eaten before he has a chance to petrify it (or whatever you do to chocolate to preserve it for life).  So enjoy it when you have a chance to see it, it may be gone a few minutes later.

Check out Hakan and his delicious products at his 3 NYC stores.