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Old school meets modern age at Bespoke Chocolates. Photography by Corey Lugg | THE NIBBLE. Styling by Lauren LaPenna. |
| WHAT IT IS: Artisan chocolates. |
| WHY IT’S DIFFERENT: Intense cacao flavors, classically inspired with modern flair. |
WHY WE LOVE IT: Great quality and some memorable “favorites.” |
| WHERE TO BUY IT: BespokeChocolates.com. See below. |
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America’s Artisan Chocolatiers ~ Part IV:
Bespoke Chocolates
EDITOR’S NOTE:
We regret that this wonderful chocolatier closed in May 2011 due to high New York City rents. We hope they’ll find a new way to deliver their products!
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This is Page 3 of a seven-page review. Click on the black links below to visit other pages.
INDEX OF REVIEW
MORE TO DISCOVER
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Bespoke Chocolates
Ho hum, I thought. Another single-origin chocolate truffle. I hadn’t really wanted to include one in my box at all, but I ordered just after Valentine’s Day, and naturally Bespoke was out of a number of their chocolates.
I was in for a huge surprise; this was the best single-origin truffle I’ve had in several years (other NIBBLE staff members second that emotion!). Officially referred to as the Single-Estate Colombian Dark Chocolate Truffle, it does indeed feature the “strong chocolate flavor” and “particularly delicate texture” advertised. Not overly bitter, with a gorgeously creamy interior and a micro-thin chocolate shell dusted in unsweetened cocoa powder, this truffle was a mouthful of perfection. I could cheerfully have devoured an entire boxful.
Almost as good is the Passionfruit, a heart-shaped piece with a white chocolate exterior and a surprisingly tart filling that tempers the sweetness of the white chocolate (shown at front of top photo). Bespoke opened its New York City boutique shortly before Valentine’s Day of this year, but for such a young business, the team really seems to have its act together.
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Clockwise from top: Southampton Tea Truffle, the divine Pretzel-Covered Sea-Salted Caramel and the Espresso Dome. |
Chocolatier and co-owner Rachel Zoe Insler is classically trained, with a Grand Diplôme in Pastry Arts from the French Culinary Institute. Ms. Insler is a decoration minimalist who eschews the use of bright colors for her chocolates. While multi-hued chocolates can be pretty, you’ll never miss their presence here once you taste her products. Choose your chocolates from a modest list of a dozen varieties. In addition to the Single-Estate Colombian Truffle and Passionfruit Heart, I enjoyed the French Milk Chocolate piece, with its unusually high cocoa content.
The Pretzel-Covered Sea-Salted Caramel is a petite bite of heaven, a 66% cacao shell encapsulating divine, almost liquid salted caramel, then covered in a crunchy layer of artisan pretzel crumbs from Martin’s Pretzels. A bittersweet chocolate shell filled with bittersweet ganache also hit the spot. There were no misses here, only the missed opportunity not to have tried every piece on the menu!
Ms. Zoe matches her couvertures to her centers, variously employing Valrhona Grands Crus chocolates, Santander’s 70% single estate and El Rey’s ICOA white chocolate. If you’re curious about the name of the company, “bespoke” is a U.K. term that refers to something custom-made. Give Bespoke Chocolates a try, and you might feel as though these chocolates had been custom-made just for you.
Bespoke Chocolates
Artisan Bonbons & Truffles
- Box Of 9 Or 24 Pieces
$2.25/Piece
First Check The Website For A Selection:
BespokeChocolates.com
(Note that products are made fresh daily
and selections will vary.)
Then Order By Phone:
1.212.260.7103
Tuesday-Friday 11:00am-7:00pm ET
Saturday-Sunday 12:00pm-8:00pm ET
If you live in Manhattan below 106th Street and order less than ten pounds of chocolate, you can have your purchase delivered by bicycle courier.
East Village Boutique: 6 Extra Place, New York City |
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Continue To Page 4: Hunt Chocolate Studio
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