L.A. Burdick - Manhattan

Chocolate Infestation
I'm always happy to welcome a new chocolate spot, you can never have enough of those. I learned about L.A. Burdick from Dessertbuzz a while back and ventured over there today to give it a spin. They're definitely shooting for a high-end clientele. Question is - am I high-end?

Carl Marletti - Paris

Top Notch Treats, White Glove Service
There are a lot of good things about Paris, but service isn't at the top of the list. So it was really amazing to experience the attentiveness at Carl Marletti. I felt like I'd walked into Louis Vuitton, not a patisserie. I was dealing with those drilled in the art of the customer experience - like I'd stepped out of Paris and into Tokyo.

Jean-Paul Hevin - Paris

Heaven's Got a Steep Cover Charge...
If you're ever shopping on rue St. Honore, make this your final visit. It ain't cheap by any means, so consider it a splurge. Jean-Paul Hevin is a master chocolate-maker who slings his creations in Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong. I'd been a few times to buy chocolate and macarons but this time I took the old lady upstairs for "tea." I mean, ok, they serve tea - but who cares about that, as I climbed the stairs to the tearoom I was humming the song "me and my sweet tooth."

Sweet Tooth Winter Mashup - Paris

Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow, Top Shelf
Imagine taking a marshmallow from Pain de Sucre and dropping it into a creamy, dark hot chocolate from La Maison du Chocolat. I did just that. From the window of Pain de Sucre, I calculated that pink and brown would make the best colors for the photo. I was less sure how the flavors would mix.

Pralus - Paris

Return of the New Discovery
Rue Rambuteau is the dividing line between the 3rd and 4th Arondissements in Paris. It is absolutely loaded with food shops, cafes and restaurants. I find myself going back there quite often and recently visited Pralus, which is known for its chocolate.

Patrick Roger - Paris

Un Temple de Chocolat
A wise man once told me "don't trust anyone with two first names." This crossed my mind as I approached the Patrick Roger storefront. However, a few minutes of peeking in the front windows changed all that.

Jacques Genin - Paris

I've Been to Heaven - It's Caramel-Made
My ideal Saturday breakfast is sugared and caffeined in double dosage. So, when I read about the newly-opened Jacques Genin boutique on David Lebovitz' blog, Saturday could not come quickly enough. Vehicle of choice - a caramel eclair. But, I am getting ahead of myself....

Pain de Sucre - Paris

Marshmallows in Paris?
This lovely shop in the Marais makes some absolutely beautiful treats.

Maison du Chocolat - Paris

Pilot's Strike = More Chocolate
My previous visit to Paris ended up being longer than planned due to a pilot's strike. Annoyance quickly turned to glee as Puffin and I thought about all the extra treats we could eat. We took a walk down Rue de Rivoli and popped into the Maison du Chocolat next to the Louvre. Peering through the front window got me all revved up.

Roni-Sue's Chocolates - Manhattan

2+2 = 5
Roni-Sue is a small chocolate shop a few stalls down from Shopsin's in the Essex Market. They have, using some kind of magic-realism, fused two disparate elements into a delicious chimera. I am referring to what we insiders call "Pig-Candy." It is crispy, salty bacon, deep-dipped in chocolate. What kind of a sick mind would associate these, much less retreat to their laboratory to meld them? Roni-Sue, of course. Thank goodness she did.

Chickalicious Dessert Club - Manhattan

Diabetes, Here I Come....
Puffin and I took a test drive to see if this spot could be added to my diabetes express train plan. This is the little cousin of Chickalicious, across the street. Definitely much more low key - you order your desserts at the counter and take them back to your seat. No wine pairings, just plenty of treats to pick from.