Now that Scarlett and P_M have started a chocofest on the <b><font color="red">U.<font color="blue">S.</font></font> </b>Boards...it got me thinking...

Where have you had the <b><font color="brown"> best chocolate </font></b>ever?

My favourite is Pierre Marcolini in Brussels. They had a winter range of chocolates last year that were just incredible.

Best chocolate ever? Well, let me thing. . .

My host sister and I used to wait until our parents were gone, then we would take the entire jar of Nocilla (Spain's version of Nutella) and put it into the microwave for 30 seconds, then dip baguette into it like it was fondue.

Speaking of fondue. . . best chocolate fondue hands down was in Fondu del Born in Barcelona.

Best chocolate cake- Harry's American Bar in Venice.

Best chocolate ice-cream- Gelato de Gr&agrave;cia in Barcelona. . . the owners come in from Italy every summer to make it themselves.

In Spanish, chocolate is slang for hash, but that is a whole other post, n'est pas?

Pierre Marcolini in Brussels. Terrific artisan-chocolates: from chocolates to patisserie to ice cream and sorbet. I have heard from some people I know that during their European trip, they'd would take a quick side trip to Brussels just to be able to get a few boxes of his chocolates.

Hi

I still find the Norwegian milk chocolates to be very good for regular &quot;consumption&quot; If you ever get a chance to visit Norway I recommend Melkesjokolade from Freia and Stratos from Nidar. Both are excellent milk chocolates. Lately I have used more and more dark chocolate (86%) but that is mainly for baking. You get some lovely cakes if you just good butter, sugar and dark chocolate

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

I tried several chocolate shops in Antwerp and found all of them superb. Belgian chocolate is my favorite chocolate in Europe -- and I've eaten artisanal chocolate throughout Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Britain and the Netherlands.

Mendaro´s Chocolates Saint-Gerons ... I shouldn´t have mentioned, one of the best guarded secrets in the Basque Country.

Homemade chocolate since 1850, and oh so yummy ... You can buy it at the factory or in their shops in Bilbao and San Sebastian ...

I must have their website someplace ...

Rgds, Cova

Ps. And Claire, try the chocolate and cookies ice-cream from Mercadona once you are back in Barcelona ... absolutely amazing, and barely 2 euros ...

Although we live in Belgium part-time and are spoiled for choice, our favorite remains the small, nontrendy, family run Schiesser chocolate makers from Basel, Switzerland.

http://www.confiserie-schiesser.ch/

Here it is the site :

http://www.chocolatesdemendaro.com/

Only in spanish, but under PRODUCTOS you will find yummy pics ...

Cova

I'm currently addicted to Zotter's (chocolate bars) from Austria... yum yum!

ttt

Barecelona - Enric Rovira

Paris - Cacao et Chocolat

I also love Michel Cluizel (and I am eating it now - Los Ancones

I agree about the Pierre Marcolini chocolate. I wish I had some right now! Those truffles....groan!!

Lyon--Bernachon

Cova, hey girlfriend. Were these the chocolates you gave me as a gift in Rome? Those were yummy and we devoured them on the plane on the way home.

Granmere, been thinking of you. Glad to see you in a chocolate thread!

My favorites: Michel Chadon, Paris. The little pavee dark chocolate squares. Oo La La!

Love you chocolate lovers, debbie

Omg! How did I miss this thread?!?!?

Ok, I will start taking notes now.....

Tuscan ... not at all, those were Arrese truffles ... not so good as the Mendaro ones (but easier to buy since they have a tiny shop at Bilbao airport).

Love, Cova

taking notes...we are taking a day trip to Brussels from Paris and chocolate will be the first thing we buy

There is a good chocolate shop in the Gare du Midi train station where the trains from Paris come in. So if it's a warm day* and you're worried about dragging chocolate along in the heat, you can get some at the train station before you leave.
*It's traditional at Brussels cafes to get a piece of chocolate and/or a cookie with your coffee. On Saturday, when it was about 90 degrees F, the chocolate that came with my cappuccino was completely melted. I couldn't even take the wrapper off.

check out this article :
http://tinyurl.com/g5zt5

Excerpt from the article:

<i>Late last year, I grew curious about an Italian chocolate brand called Amedei. I mean curious in the same sense that sharks are curious about surfers.

In November, a competition in London awarded a gold prize to one of Cecilia's handiworks, a single-plantation chocolate called Chuao. Two other Amedei products tied for silver.
</i>