New York City's 5 Best Artisanal Chocolates For Valentine's Day
Chocolates for Valentine's Day are a classic, can't miss gift. But skip the stuff you find in drugstores for something a little higher end, something a little more rare, something a lot more delicious. Herewith, our picks for the city's best makers and suppliers of artisanal chocolates. By Jessica Allen.
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Today, Aigner Chocolates in Forest Hills is run by the grandchildren of the shop's founder. They grew up roaming around the family confectionary business—and indeed to some degree owe their very existence to sweets, as their father courted their mother long-distance by sending packages full of treats through the mail. For a really special gift, design your own box of handcrafted cremes, truffles, non pariels, marzipan, geles, and nut clusters, along with chocolate pops and other delicious goodies.
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A chocolate company committed to doing good, Fine & Raw specializes in organic chocolate that's good for you, and for the planet, made on site in a factory in Brooklyn. The cooking technique uses low heat (which keeps the chocolate "raw"), and skips the dairy, sugar, and additives included in so many other confections. Try the truffles, the chocolate bars, the "chunky" (a hybrid between truffles and bars), the butter (yes, butter! Made from chocolate!), and the spread (which blends coconut and dulce de leche).
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Since 2002, this Soho chocolate shop has used the finest possible ingredients to produce the finest possible chocolate. Among the other delights made by Kee's are macarons in a wide variety of flavors, from lavender to kiwi with pear. But, as you'd guess from the name, chocolates are a focus here, and you can get your cacao fix in the form of bars or eminently poppable bon bons, including maxito (tamarind mixed with dark chocolate ganache), tiramisu, ginger, mint mocha, elderflower, and green tea.
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"Stubbornly old-fashioned since 1923," Li-Lac was doing the artisanal thing before doing the artisanal thing was even a thing. In other words, this place is old school in the truest, best, and yummiest sense. Everything here is made in small batches from family recipes using techniques our great grandparents would recognize—you can check it out for yourself at its Brooklyn factory. For a very fun take on traditional chocolate, opt for an edible New York landmark, such as the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building.
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The philosophy behind Nunu Chocolates, run by a husband-and-wife team, is simple: "the world is a better place when chocolate is involved." So true, as you can see from the delighted miens of the folks who shop at both of Nunu's locations. You can sit back with a coffee or glass of wine, and watch chocolate being made right in front of your eyes. When it comes to boxes, we're particularly enamored of the one featuring truffles whose ganache centers are made with craft beers, a decidedly original, and adult, version.
