The Best Hot Chocolate in New York
Monday is about Things to Do
Photos by Anne
I love chocolate. There is simply no other way to put it. Not just the kind of chocolate you can buy in a candy store, but the rich dark chocolate that has flavor nuances like good wines. Chocolate that is rich and fulfilling so all you need is a small amount to be satisfied. Chocolate that is diluted with very little milk, and not too much sugar, but is as pure as possible. I am the type who makes an annual pilgrimage to the New York Chocolate Show. I simply love chocolate. So when I recently saw a video on the NYTimes webpage about the Best Hot Chocolate in New York, I knew immediately that I would have to try all of these places.
Being such an avid (or perhaps rabid) chocolate fan, I was already familiar with the Jacques Torres chocolate shop mentioned in the video. It is one of my “must go to” places when I visit friends in Brooklyn. His hot chocolate is certainly one of the best. It is rich and complex, thick and satisfying. Plus he offers two versions: a regular and one that is spicy and pays homage to the Mexican roots of this drink. The biggest plus to his chocolate, is you can buy a can of the mixture (but be prepared for sticker shock) to make your own hot chocolate at home.
Wanting to try something new, I decided to go The City Bakery on 18th street to taste their version. Bottom line: it’s great! Their hot chocolate is definitely made from a mixture of chocolate that is melted down and diluted with milk to form a thick and satisfying drink. It is very, very rich and heavy, but in a good “chocolate satisfaction” way. They have been able to strike the right balance of intense chocolate flavor, without too much sugar which can make it too cloying, or too much milk which can dilute the flavor. Interestingly, the chocolate was not too hot, so it’s savoring the flavor that makes you sip it, rather than the heat. The picture above is a cup of our hot chocolate after my four year old got to it (she dove right in before I was able to get a picture). They also have huge marshmallows available, that are nice but not necessary for a good hot chocolate treat. Since they serve the hot chocolate at a cooler temperature, the marshmallow did not melt quickly. However, the chocolate has enough heat to make the surface of the marshmallow soft and easy to scrape off with a spoon. If you like a strong marshmallow flavor, then it’s worth it. My four year old was not interested, and wanted to focus all her energies on the hot chocolate itself.
In addition to their signature drink, the City Bakery is a real bakery and offers lots of pastries, cookies, foods and other treats available to satisfy your hunger (my 14 year old loved the mac and cheese). The biggest problem was that seats were hard to find in this place. Some people clearly were there to spend a few hours reading a paper, or working on their laptops. However, I was a mom with two kids in tow and finding a table was difficult. Since we went on a Saturday afternoon, I am not surprised the place was filled, and seating may be better at other times. Also, this place is definitely not a bargain. The prices are high, but if you limit yourself to the hot chocolate and a pastry, you can visit without breaking the bank. If you want to eat (especially with a couple of kids) then I would recommend going to Republic instead, which is an inexpensive noodle place a couple of blocks away.
So overall, this was definitely worth a trip into Manhattan (I live 30 minutes outside of the city), and I will go back to check out the other hot chocolate spots in the city.
Anne
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