Monday, February 9, 2015

{Sweet Treats} Hot Chocolate Tour of NYC

While my husband is the coffee fanatic (leading our coffee tour of NYC), I love a hot mug of hot chocolate to warm me up on a cold, wintry day.  With NYC hoping to reach the high 20'sF (or just below 0 C) today, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite hot chocolate spots.

Amongst the pretty and tempting gelato pops at PopBar sits small boxes of hot chocolate on a stick ($3.75, comes in dark chocolate and caramel flavors).  I chose the dark chocolate, and let the square of Belgium chocolate melt into my light and frothy milk.  The hot chocolate is creamy, but not too sweet.  And it warms me right up! (PopBar is located at 5 Carmine Street at Avenue of the Americas)
The most decadent (and at $8, the priciest) hot chocolate I recently enjoyed was at the elegant La Maison du Chocolat (my favorite spot for macarons too).  There are two options:  the Caracas (full bodied, stronger dark chocolate) and the Guayaquil (sweeter and richer semi sweet dark chocolate infused with vanilla).  Both are thick and luxurious...and can come with a dollop of whipped cream.  I prefer the Caracas because I like darker, more bitter chocolate but both should satisfy any sweet tooth! (La Maison du Chocolat has various locations throughout NYC, I visited the cafe at 30 Rockefeller Plaza)
Another decadent favorite is the hot chocolate at LA Burdick ($5+, available in milk, white, or dark chocolate flavors).  It's silky and rich, with a frothy foam and spice sprinkled on top.  (LA Burdick is located at 5 E 20th between 5th and Broadway)
Lastly, Jacques Torres offers hot chocolate in all of his stores (try his subtly spicy Wicked one).  But at Sweetleaf in Long Island City, they take the classic Jacques Torres hot chocolate up a notch with their homemade coconut marshmallows ($4).  The marshmallows are so good - little clouds of subtle coconut flavor add a slight tropical taste to my creamy hot chocolate.  And with icy cold days here in NYC, who doesn't need a little warm taste of island paradise?  (Sweetleaf Coffee & Tea is located at 10-93 Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, Queens, NY)

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