Believe me when I say that I feel your pain. Just when you finally finished last year’s stash of chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, cream filled eggs and other sweet temptations you carefuly hid away from your starving little family, it’s time to endulge once again, to be swept up into the “sweet granache.” It’s a little bit like “deja-vus all, over again” to quote Yogi Berra. Oui mes amis, with Easter and Pacques just a hop hop away, please put on your sweet tooths because we are going to stroll down l’Avenue des Chocolatiers (2ème) and if you need directions just ask any Parisian for assistance he or she will be more than glad to help.
Tout d’abord, a little note of explication (en Anglais svp!) Last year’ blog Mon Dieux Chocolates!, was the first time in my limited adult memory that I tackled such a devilish task of picking the top ten chocolatiers de Paris. The task was sweet and difficult and while my emotions were running high given the importance of what this task meant to the Republic and sugar futures worldwide, they were not running quite as high as my blood sugar (le glycémie) level was by the end of the day. At the conclusion of that most scientific study, conducted over a twenty-four hour period, I was a sugary, glycemic, light headed wretch, a mess of a fellow staggering through the side streets of Paris looking for my next fix! I had so much sugar pumping through my veins that only mass quantities of red wine would cure me, but that’s another story.
Let me preempt the question that I am sure weighs heavily on your collective minds that is, regarding my qualifications for such a noble task. Let me reply with the following statement. I know enough about chocolates personally to be in this cocoa ranking, sweet heavenly mess of a business. For example: I know that after going through two boxes of chocolates I should stop; I know that the tray below always has a better selection and is far more mysterious and delicious than that boring tray on top; I know that pushing one’s finger ever so gently into the heart of a chocolate is a perfectly acceptable practice as long as no one is watching; I know that you can cleverly take a chocolate from the bottom row without disturbing the top row (in total darkness too, OK maybe by the light of the refrigerator); and I know you can unwrap a box of Godiva (shhh, did I say that?) help yourself and wrap it back up just as easily as you can unlock a front door with a credit card. That, ladies and gentlemen, is why I am superbly qualified. I rest my case.
Located near the Luxembourg Garden, Kestener is relatively new to the block and a strong contender to bounce a few of the big boys off my list with his silky ganaches and intense bonbons in flavors like buttery tarte tatin, fresh mint and roasted sunflower seeds. From the pomme tatin macaron to something like the Atlantique, a legendary crispy butter cookie with salted caramel covered with 66% cacao dark Venezuelan chocolate. I have the shakes already! At the young age of only 27, Franck won the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France Award and and three years later went on to win the World Champion of the World Pastry Team. You can see why he is a “top gun” contender, par excellence, I would add.
Le Confiseur d’Auteuil – Servant
30, rue d’Auteuil – 75016
Servant is new to my list but hardly a newcomer to the heady world of high fashion chocolatiers. I would suggest that this is a little store that’s going to be worth your visit. The Maison Servant has been around a for a few years, let’s say since 1913! I dare say my father and his parents probably had their chauffeur drive them in their Rolls from Passy on the Boulevard Suchet all the way to Auteuil (OK a few blocks) just so they could pick up a few boxes of chocolates because we know that a day without chocolates is like a disaster, a sugary meltdown, let alone a day without sunshine! I know my father as a young boy must have had a terrible time between chocolates and those seemingly never ending rows of hard candy. The Maison Servant represents three generations of chocolatiers all of whom have shared the same passion for their work, and it shows.
This is a Maison de Chocolat long ago anointed by royalty as they were appointed as the official chocolatier to the French court-that is a few years ago. Unquestionably, these are some of the finest chocolate bonbon assortments packaged in their official trademark blue, gray, and gold embossed box handmade exclusively for royalty, thank goodness for the revolution because now they are available to the royal public. Le Royal box of chocolates ranges from $143 -$650. It almost looks too good, too nicely put together to even eat…I don’t think so!
Jacques Genin, thank goodness was able to return and make this year’s “Top Gun 2011” list. Jacques is considered by many to be the best chocolatier in the world and you can easily see why he would be considered a chocolate artist in every sense of the word. Jacques has been on more top lists than anyone could possibly imagine. He is very much a humble man but with a stratospheric vision and I can only imagine what he will come up with next. Most recently he has reinvented the caramel (which I thought had long ago reached its perfection) while remaining true to its basic form. The appearance and textures are familiar, but the flavors so ethereal and pure you want every bite to last forever. My dentist recommended that I regularly visit La Chocolaterie de Jacques Genin. I thought that was very nice of him and thanked him for his suggestion. What a swell kinda guy.
225 Rue du Faubourg St. Honoré
Founded in 1977 by Robert Linxe, La Maison du Chocolat has expanded from Tokyo to New York Town. The traditional hand crafted chocolates are recognized for their silky-smooth fillings. Their chocolate bonbons flavored with such fascinating elements as raspberry, fennel, lemon or thyme come highly recommended. For Easter, Robert Linxe has put together a collection of rabbits that never looked so good or so real. I didn’t know whether to shoot them, bake them in a sauce moutarde or just nibble on an ear right then and there.
Michel Chaudun
Guests view his chocolate sculptures, such as feathered ducks, miniature Hermés Kelly Bags, Paris monuments and life-size chocolate sausages/hams that look just like the real thing hanging in some European shops. You will be licking your chops in this store. Michel uses traditional methods. The passionate owner even uses 17th-century furniture casts to mould some more complicated chocolate designs. Not satisfied with being just an incredible chocolatier, Michel, the former head of La Maison du Chocolat, is also an artist and proudly displays his talent throughout the store. Definitely glad to have this master artist on my list.
37 Rue d’Assas
Therefore as you can plainly see, it’s a most impossible task to suggest that any one of these masters of the chocolate universe could be THE one and only UBER CHOCOLATIER! And actually I’m glad because that way we know the competition for the best of the best, the Top Gun du Monde Chocolatier, winner of the Chocolate Oscar will remain a rich sweet goal for all and the true winners, in the end are..wait for it.. that’s right you and I.