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La Maison du Chocolat
212 744 7117
1018 Madison Avenue (near 78th)
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We first tried La Maison du Chocolat in Paris, way back when. We loved
the hot chocolate with its creaminess and bitterness and sheer
intensity of flavor. Then we discovered that they had opened a store in
New York City, but they only sold cakes and confections. They were in a
little shop off Madison Avenue and just did not have room to serve
their wonderful hot chocolates and dark, rich coffees.
A few years ago they moved into a bigger shop and opened a little
serving area towards the back. They serve several delicious types of
coffee that make you wonder if the American term "French Roast" is an
insult. The coffee here is dark and deep, but it never tastes burnt.
The true glory, however, is the hot chocolate. The Paris shop had five
or six kinds, but the New York shop has two, and they are both
excellent. We keep switching our favorite. Is it the more bitter
Guayaquil, or the milder, slightly sweeter Caracas? We can argue this
for hours, often over several cups of hot chocolate.
The pastries and confections are quite
good, but we are really not fans of French pastries. Like the overblown
cakes at a certain type of Greek coffee shop in New York, French
pastries often look better than they taste. The Austrians and
Hungarians are the real pastry people. Still, the various chocolate and
meringue cakes at Maison du Chocolat are delicious, with the bitterness
of the cocoa coming through in excellent balance. If you want a quick
pick me up before or after museuming, La Maison du Chocolat is an
excellent choice.
REVIEW: 5 November 2004
