Get It While It's Hot

By Seth Walls

Residents of a city are all but required to take their hot chocolate seriously when the phrase "winter weather" can mean more than two feet of snow in a single weekend. Good thing, then, that New York City has so many purveyors of molten cocoa. But this embarrassment of riches also poses a problem for the more contemplative among us: How to make sure you're not forking over money for a mediocre cup?

What follows are profiles of five popular hot chocolate destinations. Each house has its own philosophy, though all are worth your while. You'll want to experience each establishment's unique take before the weather turns warmer. Though flavors vary, the prices don't. A cup will run you between $3.50 and $4.50, depending on the size and complexity of the drink.

Hot chocolate from The City Bakery...

THE CITY BAKERY
During New York's hot chocolate season, it's no secret that February belongs to Maury Rubin at The City Bakery. Since 1991, he's been holding a festival of his own creations (this year, his calendar features twenty-six distinct varieties).

...topped with a marshmallow and dusting of cocoa.

"In the beginning, there were just different flavors," Rubin says. "Banana peel, chili pepper, bourbon, and caramel were some of the first ones. More recently, we've had gold-plated hot chocolate, crunchy hot chocolate—some variations that were more about structural qualities than about a particular flavor."

Rubin's list goes on and on. "Ginger hot chocolate is absolutely delicious, a little bit sharp. Arabian Nights has a flavor orientation that is mostly Eastern spices, and those are yummy. Depending on what those characteristics are, the chocolate bases [I use] will either fight the flavors by design, or complement them. For example, with Banana Peel, if you were to do it with a sweeter chocolate, it would become too flabby. Sometimes I'll use a leaner chocolate base just to keep it anchored a little bit. Just to keep it a little more serious, to keep it from going overboard."

MarieBelle in SoHo.

MARIEBELLE
If the wealth of variety on offer at The City Bakery has you thinking you'd need to take a course in hot chocolate in order to get at all its complexity, then head on over to MarieBelle, where Kate Lushpenko conducts a tasting course once a month. Though MarieBelle can accommodate the most discerning of chocoholics—Lushpenko even refers to die-hard "cults" that coalesce around particular flavors—the staff at MarieBelle wants customers to know they can always have the hot chocolate prepared to their individual preference.

"I honestly believe it's about what you like. That's why there are different flavors in the first place," Lushpenko says. "If you come to MarieBelle, you will get a consistently thick cup of hot chocolate. Some [servers] are a little stingier with the water; but we cater to the customer's taste. Some people come in and say, 'I want it as thick as you can make it.' Personally, sometimes I like to cut mine with a little bit of milk."

MarieBelle's Aztec hot chocolate served up in fine French china.

All four of MarieBelle's flavors are called Aztec. Why? "The Aztecs made their chocolates with water," Lushpenko says. "We prefer to make ours with water, and that's how we encourage our customers to try it. Our base hot chocolate is 63% cacao Columbian bean." Noting that MarieBelle's relationship with Venezuela, a trusty old supplier, became complicated after Hugo Chavez's ascension to power, she says the company has been satisfied with its new partner. "The Columbian bean is not too bitter, not too sweet, just right for the average palette."

Going beyond MarieBelle's original hot chocolate, one encounters the Dark Aztec. At 72% cacao, Lushpenko says: "There are people for whom the dark is way too sweet, but they are rare. Even though it's 72%, it might taste a little more bitter to some."

MarieBelle's Spicy Aztec is made from the same 63% cocao base as the original with the addition of cinnamon, nutmeg, ancho chili, and chipotle. Finally, MarieBelle offers an Aztec Mocha, though Lushpenko admits this line not as popular as the other three. "It's not as popular, I think, because people either like coffee or chocolate, but not both. But we have it, so if someone wants it, they can be satisfied."

Jacques Torres checks on the progress of his candied oranges.

JACQUES TORRES CHOCOLATE HAVEN
Keeping people satisfied could be Jacques Torres's mantra. With a sprawling chocolate empire currently taking the city by storm, Torres is best observed at his Chocolate Haven on Hudson Street. His instincts are those of an entertainer. While sitting at his hot chocolate bar, you can peer into the backroom operations, where all manner of chocolate bars and confections are being produced.

Despite such a populist flair, Torres exhibits some surprise at the lack of mass cultural refinement when it comes to tasting authentic flavors, as opposed to artificial flavoring. "When people try my orange hot chocolate, they look at me funny. They're not used to the real flavor; they're used to the flavoring! I'm sorry, but it's made from the same chemicals as urinal soap cakes. It's crap! Why would I open a bottle when I can get the same taste from nature?" As if on a mission, Torres invites me to watch him candy his own oranges in the Haven's kitchen, using a Brix meter to gauge the appropriate amount of sugar in the mix. Satisfied with its progress, he turns to his other hot chocolate flavors.

Wicked or Classic? Photo courtesy of mrchocolate.com

"In our peanut butter hot chocolate, it's our own peanut butter," he says. "Sure, it would be cheaper to buy some peanut butter, but I already have the peanuts. I already have the machinery. To me, that's the essence of being an artisan. I only do things the way I know how to do them."

Add a subtle drink made from white chocolate and mint to the mix and you've got a trifecta of original hot chocolate flavors. Torres also features a Wicked drink that's similar to MarieBelle's Spicy Aztec, aside from the fact that Torres uses 2% milk instead of water. Finally, for those who like their chocolate fuss free, a "classic" cup is available (at 68% cacao, still fairly rich).

The Chocolate Room dishes up a steaming cuppa at 34% cocoa.

THE CHOCOLATE ROOM
But say you're in the mood for something lighter. Or say you're in Brooklyn. Where should you go? Husband-and-wife team Naomi Josepher and Jon Payson will take care of you at The Chocolate Room in Park Slope. Their basic hot chocolate—served with a homemade marshmallow—comes off beautifully at only 34% cacao. Celebrating their first year in business, Josepher is still experimenting with some new flavors—if you're lucky, she'll have Bittersweet Banana in stock when you drop by. However, she only makes that flavor if she has bananas that are appropriately "mushy."

The Chocolate Room's bittersweet chocolate is still pleasant for all palates at 60% cacao, cut with whole milk. "Our philosophy is to let the flavors stay true," Josepher says. "We don't add too much sugar or do anything to distract you from the way it should be."

	A freshly baked croissant pairs well with hot chocolate.

PAYARD
From Flaubert's le mot juste to the world of fine desserts, everyone knows the French are particularly good at getting things the way they should be. At Payard's flagship on the Upper East Side, pastry chef Eric Estrella notes that the right ambience is as much a part of the experience as the hot chocolate itself.

"People walk in here, and it's like they've just stepped inside Paris. There are not that many places you can do that in New York, and so we're proud to offer that," he says.

A bit of Paris in New York City.

Using a mix of cream and milk alongside a 64% cacao base, Estrella says the idea is to keep things as elegant and relaxed as possible. Unlike the experience of "overload" you can reach with some more complicated hot chocolate concoctions, you're guaranteed to finish the cup at Payard's. For a true Parisian feel, go ahead and dunk a piece of your croissant into the drink.  
 

Seth Walls is a freelance writer based in New York City.