Help, my mother is visiting from Germany and she loves chocolate. Where should we go to find the finest in NYC.

See's.

There are outlets for the big Swiss, German, and Belgian chocolates in NYC, but she can get all of those at home. If she's interested in local NYC chocolate, I would recommend Li-Lac. The original store is on Christopher Street, a block or so west of 7th Avenue. They also have an outlet in the food hall at Grand Central Station.

This perhaps gets away from the subject just a tad but I just had Godiva's Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream. I simultaneously compared it to Dreamery's Chocolate Truffle Explosion to see which was better. Dreamery is very good but nothing, ever, will beat Godiva's. I was never a huge ice cream fan (and I grew up around frozen custard) but I am now. Go to your local grocery store and get a pint, or two, or three. I think you and your mother will be impressed. And if you don't like cheesecase, try a different Godiva flavor, they're all very good - creamy and rich.

Mary, I know what you mean, that Godiva ice cream is outrageously good but it's so darn fattening, it's worse than any of the other top line brands. I tried their Pralines ice cream and it was deelish.

I would suggest taking her to Veniero's which is on 2nd Ave and 11th St, for the most amazing chocolate anything. Lots of the major restaurants in town serve their pasteries and cakes.

You might bring a few goodies home for later.

Another suggestion is America on 18th St between 5th and Broadway. The Death by Chocolate desert they have is wonderful and it's so good I have yet to be able to finish it at one sitting.

Hope she enjoys her trip to the city.

tweedy

tweedy:
Nothing against the restaurants you recommend for dessert, but they are not gennerally known for top knotch desserts
Veniero's has a big selection of deserts, but the overal quality to average. America is another restaurant known more for it's extentive menu than their general food quality.

Anthony, do you have anything positive to say? I am noticing that you are answering many threads with only negative comments.
Vinieros is excellent.
If your mother likes ice cream with her chocolate, a Frozen Hot Chocolate or Hot Fudge sundae at Serendipity will be memorable for her.

As a chocoholic, I can attest that the best chocolates I have ever had are from Leonidas. My husband gets them for me online but they have a branch on 230 Park Street in New York. Their website is: http://leonidaschocolatier.com/ballotins.htm

Well, I'd suggest going to Brooklyn to Jacques Torres' factory & store (they serve a hot chocolate to die for - but so does Avenue, City Bakery & other places). Jacques was the pastry chef at Le Cirque; his place is on Water St. between the Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridges in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn.

Other stores with fab chocolates I've heard about are Chocolate Bar at 48 Eighth Ave (& Horatio), Lunette & Chocolat at 25 Prince St and Maribel's at 484 Broome St - all downtown. On the Upper East Side there's Maison du Chocolat on Madison & 77th/78th St and Payard Patisserie at 1032 Lexington between 73rd/74th St.

The Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity blends 8 or 9 exotic types of rich chocolate. It's divine, a must-try.

Evelyn's chocolates at 4 John Street in lower Manhattan.

Jacques Torres on Water Street in Dumbo has some of the best chocolate I've ever tasted. The factory is right there...you can watch them making the chocolates.