Chocolate Search (was Re: Profiteroles?

[dumbledore11214]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "P. Alexis Nguyen" 
<alexisnguyen at ...> wrote:
<SNIP>
> I don't know where you're based, so I don't know if these 
suggestions
> will be feasible. At the minimum, though, I should note that I've
> never found a good, inexpensive dark chocolate bar - I've had very
> good bars where the price-quality ratio is exceptional, but that
> doesn't really mean inexpensive since these run anywhere from $3-7 
per
> bar.
> 
> That said, Vosges has boutiques in many large cities across the US,
> and their chocolates are available online - while the chocolate is
> very good here, the standouts are the flavoured bars, which is
> everything from matcha to bacon to acai berries.  Valrhona, the
> chocolates that Balthazar uses in their chocolate sauces [served 
with
> profiteroles], is available fairly widely, as far as I can tell - 
I've
> found in many places including Trader Joe's and gourmet grocery
> stores, but the selections are usually limited to the standard 56% 
and
> 76%. Jacques Torres, the famous chocolatier has good chocolates, 
and
> if you're in the Williamsburg store in NYC, conching happens there,
> which can be a fun thing to watch if you're really into chocolates.
> If you want a good US company, my favourite option is 
Scharfenberger,
> based out of CA - I've seen in occasionally in places like Trader
> Joe's or even the local market, but this stuff is available online.
> (All that being said, Hershey's is putting out a specialty line 
that
> isn't half bad and will do in a pinch, and I've seen this in even
> Midwest cities. Moreover, Ghiradelli, which is available almost
> everywhere these days, is also fairly decent for a quick fix.)
> 
> Really, though, if you want good chocolates, read the label. The 
first
> ingredient should be chocolate. That sounds simple until you start
> reading labels and finding out that the usual first ingredient is
> something like sugar or cocoa butter.
> 
> ~Ali, who is laughing at how "spelling errors" is being picked up 
in this email
>


Alla:

I must say that I am eating Jacques Torres bar right now, well not 
right now, but yesterday and today and I found it lovely.

I also tried Scharfenberger and liked it. I think Girardelli is 
okay, I suppose.

I hate Hershey, I think it is a very low quality stuff, but I did 
see their new line and tried something and actually hmmmm was not 
bad.


But all together, I am sorry, maybe I did not try the right stuff, 
but american chocolate cannot be compared to swiss and switzerland 
one and belgian one in my opinion.

I am chocoholic as well, but I decided long time ago that since I 
love chocolate, I will be eating good quality, high quality or none 
at all.

I mean, for example theutcher chocolates, I find them to be divine, 
simply divine and they have stores through US and available online.

I also love newhouse (spelling?) chocolate. YUM.

Alla