We already feel like part of the fabric of the neighborhood. I know this is a bit of a grandiose statement to make, but it is real. Most of our customers live within a short walk of the store, and for a good number, we are becoming a weekly or bi-weekly stop. Some just want a couple of little hearts to enjoy as they walk home, others come in for gifts. An inordinate number seem to be on their way to dinner parties, as they stop in to buy a gift box for their hosts. 8th graders from the King...
The chocolaterie build out took a lot of energy on the part of an excellent team, but we are now finally ready for our day in the sun! We had our first pre-opening tasting yesterday with our direct neighbors at West End Place, and it was delightful. We shared every flavor in the shop, along with the gorgeous little pies of Renee by the Bay (lemon curd) and the vegan Dellie Bites of Joyful Spirit. Both Renee and Ellie are colleagues from the Fork Food Lab, and I look forward to pairing their confections with our Mariage Frères teas and...
Save the date! On September 12, 2018, at 1 P.M., we open our chocolate creation and boutique space in the heart of Portland's West End. We will be open from 1 P.M. to 7 P.M. every Wednesday to Sunday. Back in March, our West End Place landlord selected our proposal, which was among a good half dozen, all made by food makers. Ever since we have been planning the build out. The great team of Ryan and Ryan, under the direction of our fabulous builder Warren O'Shea, has been hard at work for the last 6 weeks. Their tasks went...
Tourism in my world always includes chocolate visits. When the destination is Paris, the experience is of course exquisite and always creates sensory overload. There is only time to visit la crème de la crème among the many chocolatiers of the City of Light, and they aim to stun you with their virtuosity. A chocolate visit is more straightforward in a place like Barcelona, where I was last month. The focus of Barcelona's chocolatiers is clearly more modest and less competitive, making this otherwise world class city feel a bit provincial chocolate-wise. But the Chocolate Museum was superb and a...
The Chocolate Lovers' Fling proved to be everything promised and more. It raised a great deal of money for SARSSM, particularly with the lively and highly convincing auctioneer skills of Eva and Blake from Coast 93.1. And clearly the attendees had a wonderful time! The display of the 100+ Crunchy Salted Caramel Tiny Planets I had arranged before the show got raided within minutes during the first break, which I took as a high compliment. And at the end, Chocolats Passion first received a prize for best specialty confection before claiming the People's Choice award, where audience member cast a...
What is better than supporting a great cause? While swooning over chocolate of course! For the 32nd year, the Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine (SARSSM) is holding its biggest benefit of the year with a grand menu of delicious chocolate goodies. Chocolats Passion, along with a dozen other confectioners, are each contributing about 600 delectable bites to the over 400 chocolate lovers who will make up the audience. Each chocolatier's offering is a closely guarded secret into the big day. Let's say I had fun tweaking classic goodies, and I am hopeful the result will be worthy of...
