best chocolate

World's Best Sweets

Filed under: Dining

Luxist Readers cast their votes for the best chocolates, truffles, cakes, cookies and cupcakes. The winners for each of these categories are:

Best Cake
Crumbs Bake Shop is the winner of the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award for Best Cake. The bakery is also famous for its cupcakes (it was nominated for a Readers' Choice Award in the cupcake category, accordingly).

Crumbs offers an irresistible blend of comfort-oriented classics and elegant baked goods. Crumbs homemade cakes come in a variety of delicious flavors, from Red Velvet to Vanilla Cake and Chocolate. Crumbs cupcakes come in three different sizes. At each of its bake shops, it offers more than 50 varieties baked fresh daily and a new cupcake of the week every Monday. Crumbs also offers a variety of delicious cakes, from Red Velvet to Vanilla Cake and Chocolate. Accordingly, Crumbs Bake Shop is also a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award for Best Cake.

Currently, Crumbs has locations in California, Connecticut and New Jersey. Its baked goods can also available by placing an order online.

Gallery: Best in Sweets

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Godiva Wins Readers' Choice Award for Best Truffle

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Of all the names associated with fine chocolate, there are few as iconic as Godiva. Founded in 1926 by Joseph Draps, the Belgian chocolatier has since blossomed into one of the world's most celebrated, and is the winner of a Luxist award in the best truffle category.

Draps opened his first store on a cobblestone street in Brussels nearly a century ago, its name inspired by the legendary Lady Godiva. As the story goes, the medieval dame grew upset with the onerous taxes that her husband, Lord Leofric, levied upon his subjects in Coventry, England. Leofric proposed a bargain: If she could ride naked through town without any citizens eyeing her, he'd ease their financial burden. Lady Godiva did exactly that, and Leofric relented.

Gallery: More from Godiva

The name Godiva still evokes images of graciousness, luxury and sensuality. Draps first expanded the company beyond Belgium in 1958, opening a boutique in Paris. The first North American shop followed in 1966; another in Tokyo came in 1972. Today there are over 450 Godiva stores in 80 countries around the globe. Of course, its delectible chocolates can also be ordered at its online shop.

Though Godiva boats a wide range of fine chocolate candies, the chocolatier is as famous for its packaging as Lady Godiva was for her lack thereof. Godiva's signature is the Ballotin, French for "little box of chocolates." The boxes come in all manner of colors, from the traditional gold to seasonal red, and sport festive ribbons. The truffle boxes fit a wide range occasions, from the two-piece Gold Ballotin ($3.50) to the 105-piece set ($115.00).

Tags: awards-main, best chocolate, best truffles, BestChocolate, BestTruffles, godiva, Godiva chocolate, GodivaChocolate, GodivaChocolatier, luxist-awards, truffles, winners-sweets

Godiva Wins Readers' Choice Award for Best Chocolate

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Godiva is the winner of the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award in the best chocolate category.

Of the many names associated with fine chocolate, there are few as iconic as Godiva. Founded in 1926 by Joseph Draps, the Belgian chocolatier has since blossomed into one of the world's most celebrated.

Draps opened his first store on a cobblestone street in Brussels nearly a century ago, its name inspired by the legendary Lady Godiva. As the story goes, the medieval dame grew upset with the onerous taxes that her husband, Lord Leofric, levied upon his subjects in Coventry, England. Leofric proposed a bargain: If she could ride naked through town without any citizens looking at her, he'd ease their financial burden. Lady Godiva did exactly that, and Leofric relented.

Gallery: More from Godiva

The name Godiva still evokes images of graciousness, luxury and sensuality. Draps first expanded the company beyond Belgium in 1958, opening a boutique in Paris. The first North American shop followed in 1966; another in Tokyo came in 1972. Today there are over 450 Godiva stores in 80 countries around the globe. The chocolates can also be ordered at its online store.

Though Godiva is famous for its truffles, the chocolatier also produces a wide range of fine chocolate candy. Delectable offerings include milk chocolate pretzels ($22 per can), caramel pecan bark ($25 per tin) and chocolate bars ranging from white chocolate to almond to raspberry ($70 per 24-piece box). Unlike the original Lady Godiva, all sweets come wrapped in gold foil packaging.

Tags: awards-main, best chocolate, best truffles, BestChocolate, BestTruffles, godiva, luxist-awards, truffles, winners-sweets

Nominees for Best in Sweets

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Best Cake
Nominees for best cake include a five-year old upstart that has already been selected as a "favorite thing" by Oprah, herself. The cakes of the second nominee are bound to evoke memories of your childhood. The third nominee was started by a former NYC caterer who fled for warmer climates where he makes mouth-watering desserts. The fourth nominee is a New York institution with a line that wraps around the block while the final nominee has a motto that baked goods are a hallmark of happiness.

Baked
Crumbs
Ice Box Cafe
Magnolia Bakery
SusieCakes

Best Chocolate
The first nominee has a name that is nothing short of iconic, while the second is known for the incredible detail paid to the component parts of its chocolates--details that are noticed at first bite. The third nominee was founded in 1987 by an American after he spent years studying the art of chocolate in France and Switzerland. The fourth nominee was founded in the Holy Land and is now a global company while the last nominee has kitchens in Switzerland that make over 100 varieties of chocolates.

Godiva
L.A. Burdick
La Maison du Chocolat
Max Brenner
Teuscher

Best Cookies
Best cookie nominees include one that bakes recipes originating from the founder's mother. The second nominee is a NYC darling while the third nominee is a favorite in the Bay Area. The fourth nominee was founded by a enterprising woman who started baking when she was only 11 years old. The last nominee is a bakery in the Midwest with a loyal following all over the country--some of its customers have even used its cookies as wedding cakes.

Eleni's New York
Levain Bakery
Sweet Adeline Bakeshop
Tate's Bake Shop
Tom's Mom's Cookies

Best Cupcakes
The first nominee for best cupcake was started in Brooklyn by two former advertising executives and is now nationally recognized while the second offers cupcakes in three different mouth-watering sizes. The third nominee hasn't been the same since it was featured on Sex & the City, while the fourth nominee is a favorite of Hollywood stars. The last nominee is known for its frosting filling---after one bite, you will never be the same.

Baked
Crumbs
Magnolia Bakery
Sprinkles
SusieCakes

Best Truffles
Some of the finest chocolatiers are nominees for best truffles. The packaging of the first nominee is as famous as its chocolate delicacies while the second nominee started in Brooklyn 23 years ago after its founder spent years studying the art of chocolate in France and Switzerland. The third nominee pays a great deal of attention toward the ingredients it uses, subtlety of balance, richness of taste and palette of flavors. The fourth nominee's roots date back 70 years ago in the Alps, while the final nominee is a relative newcomer founded in 1998.

Godiva
L.A. Burdick
La Maison du Chocolat
Teuscher
Vosges Haut-Chocolat

Tags: best cake, best chocolate, best cupcake, best in sweets, BestCake, BestChocolate, BestCupcake, BestInSweets, luxist-awards, luxsit-awards, winners-sweets

Godiva: One of the World's Most Celebrated Chocolatiers

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Of the many names associated with fine chocolate, there are few as iconic as Godiva. Founded in 1926 by Joseph Draps, the Belgian chocolatier has since blossomed into one of the world's most celebrated, earning it a Luxist award nomination in the best chocolate candy category.

Draps opened his first store on a cobblestone street in Brussels nearly a century ago, its name inspired by the legendary Lady Godiva. As the story goes, the medieval dame grew upset with the onerous taxes that her husband, Lord Leofric, levied upon his subjects in Coventry, England. Leofric proposed a bargain: If she could ride naked through town without any citizens looking at her, he'd ease their financial burden. Lady Godiva did exactly that, and Leofric relented.

Gallery: More from Godiva

The name Godiva still evokes images of graciousness, luxury and sensuality. Draps first expanded the company beyond Belgium in 1958, opening a boutique in Paris. The first North American shop followed in 1966; another in Tokyo came in 1972. Today there are over 450 Godiva stores in 80 countries around the globe. The chocolates can also be ordered at its online store.

Though Godiva is famous for its truffles, the chocolatier also produces a wide range of fine chocolate candy. Delectable offerings include milk chocolate pretzels ($22 per can), caramel pecan bark ($25 per tin) and chocolate bars ranging from white chocolate to almond to raspberry ($70 per 24-piece box). Unlike the original Lady Godiva, all sweets come wrapped in gold foil packaging.

Vote for the company you believe makes the best chocolate. Readers' Choice Winners will be announced on March 1st.

Tags: awards-main, best chocolate, best truffles, BestChocolate, BestTruffles, Brussels, chocolate, godiva, luxist-awards, sweets-main, truffles

Teuscher: Distinctive Chocolates from Switzerland

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

On a blustery day in the Alps some 70 years ago, a curious man was thinking differently about chocolate. That man, Dolf Teuscher, soon started a chocolate company of the same name. Nearly a century later, Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland is one of the world's finest chocolatiers – and a Luxist nominee in the best chocolate candy category.

Dolf Teuscher founded the company in 1932, wandering far from his Alpine roots to comb the globe for the best cocoa, marzipan, fruits and nuts he could find. Over years of experimentation, he developed the distinctive recipes that brought Teuscher to the pinnacle of the chocolate world today.

Dolf's son, Dolf Teuscher, Jr., now oversees an international confectionary empire with stores in major cities from New York to Qatar to Singapore. Its kitchens in Zurich make over 100 varieties of chocolates using the original recipes; all of its products are free of chemicals, additives and preservatives.

Tags: awards-main, best chocolate, best truffle, BestChocolate, BestTruffle, luxist-awards, sweets-awards, sweets-main, Teuscher

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L.A. Burdick: The Art of Chocolate Truffles

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

For nearly a quarter of a century, L.A. Burdick has been bringing the best ingredients in the world together in the offerings of a single company. Small wonder the chocolatier is a nominee for a Luxist Readers' Choice award in the best truffles category.

After years spent studying the art of chocolate in France and Switzerland, Larry Burdick founded his chocolate company in a Brooklyn, New York workshop in 1987. Within a year, he was selling his bonbons to a handful of New York restaurants. In 1990, a positive review in The New York Times sparked interest in Burdick's handwork; a year later, he started his chocolate mail order business.

Gallery: More from L.A. Burdick

In 1993, Burdick and his wife, Paula, moved to Walpole, New Hampshire. They grew the business from a fledgling startup to an international chocolate mail order and retail outfit, with Larrry supplying the chocolate expertise and Paula using design smarts honed at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology to prepare the packaging.

Today, L.A. Burdick operates retail stores in Walpole, N.H., Cambridge, Mass., and New York, N.Y. For those who can't make it to one of the shops, truffles are available online in quantities ranging from the party host-friendly Favor Assortment ($5-$8) to the Connoisseur Collection ($90), which also includes chocolate-covered cigars, caramelized nuts, and chocolate-dipped fruit.

Vote for the company you believe makes the best truffles. Readers' Choice Winners will be announced on March 1st.

Tags: awards-main, best chocolate, best truffles, BestChocolate, BestTruffles, burdick chocolate, BurdickChocolate, cambidge, chocolatier, la burdick, LaBurdick, larry burdick, LarryBurdick, luxist-awards, sweets-main

Teuscher: Truffles are Its Speciality

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

On a blustery day in the Alps some 70 years ago, a curious man was thinking differently about chocolate. That man, Dolf Teuscher, soon launched a chocolate company of the same name. Nearly a century later, Teuscher is one of the world's finest chocolatiers – and a Luxist nominee in the best truffles category.

Dolf Teuscher founded the company in 1932, wandering far from his Alpine roots to comb the globe for the best cocoa, marzipan, fruits and nuts. Over years of experimentation, he developed the distinctive recipes that have brought Teuscher to the pinnacle of the chocolate world today.

Dolf's son, Dolf Teuscher, Jr., now oversees an international confectionary empire with stores in major cities from New York to Qatar to Singapore. Its kitchens in Zurich make over 100 varieties of chocolates using the original recipes and fly them to stores across the globe; all products are free of chemicals, additives and preservatives.

Tags: awards-main, best chocolate, best truffles, BestChocolate, BestTruffles, chocolate, luxist-awards, sweets-main, swiss, teuscher, teuscher chocolates, TeuscherChocolates, truffle

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Godiva: Truffles that are Pure Luxury

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Of all the names associated with fine chocolate, there are few as iconic as Godiva. Founded in 1926 by Joseph Draps, the Belgian chocolatier has since blossomed into one of the world's most celebrated, earning it a Luxist award nomination in the best truffles category.

Draps opened his first store on a cobblestone street in Brussels nearly a century ago, its name inspired by the legendary Lady Godiva. As the story goes, the medieval dame grew upset with the onerous taxes that her husband, Lord Leofric, levied upon his subjects in Coventry, England. Leofric proposed a bargain: If she could ride naked through town without any citizens eyeing her, he'd ease their financial burden. Lady Godiva did exactly that, and Leofric relented.

Gallery: More from Godiva

Tags: awards-main, best chocolate, best truffles, BestChocolate, BestTruffles, godiva, luxist-awards, sweets-main

La Maison du Chocolat: Truffles that are Perfection

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Shortly after Robert Linxe opened his first store in Paris, he was dubbed "The Wizard of Ganache." Small wonder the company he founded, La Maison du Chocolat, is a Luxist Readers' Choice nominee in the best truffle category.

Born in the French Basque region, Linxe learned his profession of chocolatier in Bayonne, before perfecting his art in Switzerland. He founded Maison du Chocolat in 1977, taking up residence in the basement of a Parisian building formerly used as a wine cellar on the prestigious Faubourg St. Honoré. Back then, there were very few shops of its kind; chocolate was more of a seasonal delicacy than a year-round staple. A master artisan, he selected this location specifically because it provided ideal conditions to preserve chocolate---much like wine. He installed his laboratory in the basement and worked there for more than ten years.

By 1987, Linxe's shop became such a hit with the locals that he was able to open a second shop. Three years later, he expanded to the U.S. with a location on Madison Avenue in New York.

Gallery: More from Maison du Chocolat

La Maison du Chocolat sets itself apart from other chocolatiers in a number of ways, perhaps none more important than the incredible detail paid to the component parts of its chocolates. Linxe's company combs through plantations in South America and Africa; they study not only the cacao beans, but various vintages and the differences between them. This respect for ingredients, subtlety of balance, richness of taste and palette of flavors is why La Maison du Chocolat's creations are so distinctive and considered the great classics of chocolate.

Tags: awards-main, best chocolate, best truffles, BestChocolate, BestTruffles, luxist-awards, maison du chcolat, MaisonDuChcolat, robert linxe, RobertLinxe, sweets-main

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Vosges Haut-Chocolat: Unique Recipes and Exotic Ingredients

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Filed under: Dining

In a business frequently epitomized by identical delicacies mass-produced and placed in fancy packaging, Vosges Haut-Chocolat is about as outside the box as it gets. Its unique recipes and exotic ingredients have earned Vosges plenty of international recognition, including a Luxist nomination in the best truffles category.

A relative newcomer on the century-old confectionary scene, Vosges was founded in 1998 by chocolatier/entrepreneur Katrina Markoff. After learning the tricks of the French confectionery trade at Le Cordon Blue in Paris, she traversed the globe and completed an array of apprenticeships before returning to open Vosges in Chicago.

Gallery: More from Vosges Haut-Chocolat

Markoff personally selects spices, herbs, roots, flowers, nuts and other ingredients from all over the world. Whether it's combining chocolate with curry or with Applewood bacon, every one of Vosges' chocolates is something of a culinary culture clash. In the spirit of planetary harmony, Vosges' certified-organic facilities are powered by 100% renewable energy.

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World's Best Chocolates

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Luxist readers from around the world have nominated their favorite chocolate companies.

The top five finalists are:

Godiva
Founded in 1926 by Joseph Draps, the Belgian chocolatier has since blossomed into one of the world's most celebrated chocolatiers. Draps opened his first store on a cobblestone street in Brussels nearly a century ago, its name inspired by the legendary Lady Godiva. Though Godiva is famous for its truffles, the chocolatier also produces a wide range of fine chocolate candy.

L.A. Burdick
After years spent studying the art of chocolate in France and Switzerland, Larry Burdick founded his chocolate company in a Brooklyn, New York workshop in 1987. Within a year, he was selling his bonbons to a handful of New York restaurants. In 1990, a positive review in The New York Times sparked interest in Burdick's handwork; a year later, he started his chocolate mail order business.

Gallery: More of the World's Best Chocolate

La Maison du Chocolat
La Maison du Chocolat sets itself apart from other chocolatiers in a number of ways, perhaps none more important than the incredible detail paid to the component parts of its chocolates. The company combs through plantations in South America and Africa; they study not only the cacao beans, but various vintages and the differences between them.

Max Brenner
Founded in 1996 in Israel, Max Brenner bears the combined names of its originators Max Fichtman and Oded Brenner. The company opened ten stores in the Holy Land in its first three years; in 2001, Max Brenner was purchased by Strauss Group, a large food conglomerate. Five years later, the company made its first foray into the U.S. market.

Teuscher
Dolf Teuscher founded the company in 1932, wandering far from his Alpine roots to comb the globe for the best cocoa, marzipan, fruits and nuts he could find. Over years of experimentation, he developed the distinctive recipes that brought Teuscher to the pinnacle of the chocolate world today.

Vote for the company you believe makes the best in chocolate. The winner will be announced on March 1st.

Tags: awardsmain, best chocolate, BestChocolate, chocolate, godiva, l.a. burdick, L.a.Burdick, la burdick, la maison du chocolat, LaBurdick, LaMaisonDuChocolat, luxist-awards, maison du chocolate, MaisonDuChocolate, max brenner, MaxBrenner, readers choice award, ReadersChoiceAward, sweets-main, teuscher, teuscher chocolates, TeuscherChocolates

La Maison du Chocolat: Taking the Art of Chocolate to a Higher Level

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Shortly after Robert Linxe opened his first store in Paris, he was dubbed "The Wizard of Ganache." Small wonder the company he founded, La Maison du Chocolat, is a Luxist Readers' Choice nominee in the best chocolate category. The company is also a nominee in the best truffle category.

Linxe founded La Maison du Chocolat in 1977, taking up residence in the basement of a building formerly used as a wine cellar. Back then, there were very few shops of its kind; chocolate was more of a seasonal delicacy than a year-round staple. By 1987, Linxe's shop became such a hit with Parisians that he was able to open a second shop. Three years later, he expanded to the U.S. with a location on Madison Avenue in New York. La Maison du Chocolat continued to expand and now has locations in Hong Kong, London, Tokyo and Cannes, in addition to seven locations in Paris and four in New York (the chocolates are also available at Bergdorf Goodman).

Gallery: More from Maison du Chocolat

Tags: awards-main, best chocolate, best truffles, BestChocolate, BestTruffles, luxist-awards, maison du chocolat, MaisonDuChocolat, sweets-awards, sweets-main

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L.A. Burdick: Bringing the Best Ingredients in the World Together

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

For nearly a quarter of a century, L.A. Burdick has been bringing the best ingredients in the world together in the offerings of a single company. Small wonder the chocolatier is a nominee for a Luxist Readers' Choice award in the best chocolate category.

After years spent studying the art of chocolate in France and Switzerland, Larry Burdick founded his chocolate company in a Brooklyn, New York workshop in 1987. Within a year, he was selling his bonbons to a handful of New York restaurants. In 1990, a positive review in The New York Times sparked interest in Burdick's handwork; a year later, he started his chocolate mail order business.

Gallery: More from L.A. Burdick

Tags: awards-main, best chocolate, best truffle, BestChocolate, BestTruffle, chocolate, la burdick, LaBurdick, luxist-awards, readers choice, ReadersChoice, sweets-main