Madison Avenue just got a fat sweet treat from Belgium with the arrival of Neuhaus chocolate's third New York City location, which opened its doors a few weeks ago just three blocks from its Lexington Avenue location. The 1,500 square foot flagship store dwarfs its two brothers in size and amenities, like the on-site "museum" chronicling the history of the company alongside video of master chocolatiers at work crafting the sweets. And for those who desire a more hands-on approach to chocolate making, a master chocolatier will be on-call—presumably with a signature bubblegum chocolate pager—to conduct chocolate making workshops, parties and after hours tastings. more ›

Upper West Siders with a sweet tooth, this one is for you. This week a new sweets shop, Chocolate Works, opened in the old Express Supply hardware space on 91st and Amsterdam. And to celebrate, the West Side Rag notes, the shop has been giving away free chocolate truffles. And it isn't done yet. more ›

An entire planet made entirely the most precious element in the known universe: chocolate [Ch]. This is the ideal fantasy evoked by the new boutique Chocolate Earth with its tantalizing name. The little shop will have its grand opening today 4 p.m. to midnight, during which time a chocolate meteor shower of free samples are promised. Of course, it's not as if DUMBO needed another place to buy chocolate, what with Jacques Torres over on Water Street, but when it comes to chocolate, it's not really about what you "need," now is it? more ›

Okay, so it's not technically affiliated with Occupy Wall Street, but righteous candy lovers will be invading the Times Square Hershey's Store tomorrow afternoon to protest the company's use of child labor. That's exactly the sort of thing you don't want to find out about right before Halloween. more ›

Any idiot will tell you that eating chocolate protects your skin. This is just hard science, like gravity or magnets. But Uncle Science now says that eating chocolate can lower your blood pressure and reduce the risk of certain cardiovascular diseases. Finally, watching TV and eating Triple Double Oreos will cancel each other out. more ›

Science! What magical skin remedy will you come up with next? In August alone, science has said that winos and speed freaks will be spared the damaging effects of the sun, and today, chocolate joins the growing ranks of foods that might protect your pasty, withered skin. more ›

Campbell, who has a history of accepting blood diamonds and throwing bedazzled cellphones at her help (and maybe beating her drivers), was outraged by the ad, initially issuing a statement, "I am shocked. It's upsetting to be described as chocolate, not just for me, but for all black women and black people. I do not find any humor in this. It is insulting and hurtful." Later, she sort of accepted Cadbury's apology, "I'm pleased that Cadbury have made a 'sincere apology' in regards to their Bliss ad campaign. The advertisement was in poor taste on a number of levels, not least in the way they likened me to their chocolate bar. It is also a shame that it took so long for Cadbury to offer this apology... I hope they and other multinationals can learn from this; that offense may not be their intention, but when it is shown that it has caused offense a sincere apology straight away goes a long a way... Better still they should avoid causing offense in the first place which is best achieved by having greater diversity at board and senior management level." more ›

arlier this week, supermodel Naomi Campbell was offended by chocolatier Cadbury's new ad for its Bliss bar, which declared, "Move over Naomi, there's a new diva in town," and prompted her to say, "It's upsetting to be described as chocolate, not just for me, but for all black women and black people. I do not find any humor in this. It is insulting and hurtful." Now, Cadbury has removed the ad and issued a statement on its website. more ›

Camera-punching model Naomi Campbell is pissed this week with Cadbury chocolates, over an ad they ran essentially calling the British model chocolate, and she's not the only one upset. more ›

Around Thanksgiving, a fastidious little artisanal chocolate shop called The Chocolate Library opened in the East Village. We know what you're thinking—won't little schoolchildren get confused and wander in there to borrow a copy of My Pet Goat, only to emerge all jacked up on sugar? The State Education Department’s division of library development was thinking the same thing, and bureaucrats quickly swung into action to choc-block the shop! more ›

One chocolate shop wasn't very sweet on the idea of a customer breastfeeding her daughter in their establishment, and now one year after the incident that she claims got her barred from the store, she's suing. Last August Manhattan mom Julia Acevedo-Taylor was at Lily O'Brien's Chocolate Cafe on West 40th Street when she had to breastfeed her then 5-month-old daughter, Jordan—she was with a friend who was also nursing her baby at the time. Her lawyer says, "They were being as discreet as possible. It wasn't one of those things where they were wide open." Even if they were, it's totally within their rights! more ›

A Connecticut man was caught at JFK Airport with $500,000 worth of cocaine stuffed in chocolate truffles and pistachio shells. Robert Lopera, a seemingly unemployed US citizen, flew into JFK from Medellin, Colombia, (best known because of Vincent Chase's notorious vanity project) on May 11th. Customs and Border Protection agents became suspicious when two bags full of "the chocolates and pistachios were unusually heavy," and discovered 15 pounds of cocaine inside—more specifically, balls of cocaine covered in delicious chocolate, and nut-sized cocaine cubes within the pistachio shells. more ›

Leave some for us! Pure Dark, the chocolate shop on Bleecker Street in the West Village, was recently visited by an unwelcome customer after closing time. Is that not the cutest little rat since Sad Rat stole our hearts? more ›

Epic meat-fest Cochon555 is making its way back to New York again, and is somehow managing to completely outdo itself. Last year, each competing chef got a measly 70 to 80 lb. pig to play with, but this year each heritage breed hog will be a full 125 lbs. Returning champion Corwin Kave of Fatty 'Cue will join Mark Ladner of Del Posto, Marco Canora of Hearth, Adam Kaye of Blue Hill New York, Gavin Kaysen of Cafe Boulud and "VIP Butcher" Tom Mylan to compete for the title of "Prince of Porc." more ›

If you like chocolate, you should get your butt down to the Chocolate Show. The 2009 Chocolate Show opened yesterday with exhibitors from around the world, including several local purveyors. While at the show, you can try all sorts of things derived from the cacao bean and some that aren't like dessert wines and rum from Puerto Rico. Bring your cash too, because you can actually buy chocolate at the show as well. more ›

Trick or treat, it's chocolate Michael Jackson! That Cult that began around the late performer opened their first chapel "praising the life and teachings of Michael Jackson" in Brooklyn earlier this season, and now they're chocolatizing their leader. more ›

From Gothamist Contribute comes the following tip: "Max Brenner's on 2nd ave and 9th street is closed for good. I showed up to work this morning and half an hour later I was out. Not a huge loss to the community, but it's something." A Max Brenner worker answering the phone this afternoon confirmed that the store has indeed closed. Despite the idea that chocolate sales might actually improve during a recession, Brenner's free flowing chocolate fondue fountains have slowed to a trickle on Second Avenue; his hazelnut-caramel calliope is likely just as kaput. The Feedbag discovered a few weeks ago that the fictitious and so-called "Bald Man," a composite of the chain's two founders (one of whom is bald), has nonetheless been giving interviews in Australia. Made up or not, it seems Brenner may ultimately prove to be some kind of Danielle Steel of the cocoa bean: the Second Avenue location may have now closed, but the chain will publish its first cookbook in November, and it's all about chocolate rhapsody and purple prose. The "Bad Boy Chocolate Pizza" recipe not only features "passionately roasted marshmallows," but also recipe notes about "the infinite essence of life." more ›

Just in time for summer: the snow leopards are here! Coming straight from the Bronx, the big cats have been getting some spotlight regarding their move to the Central Park Zoo, who will open their new Allison Maher Stern Snow Leopard Exhibit tomorrow. more ›

For two years now, gourmet chocolate maker Jacque Torres has been selling a pink Champagne bon bon called the "Champagne Kiss." But the Hershey Corporation is worried that customers shopping for cheap, proletariat candy might get confused and buy his Kiss instead, which costs $1.50 each, instead of their waxy sugar pellets. So earlier this month their lawyers sent him a C&D, demanding he immediately retire his Champagne Kiss. But Torres won't pucker up! His lawyers have fired back, and in a letter obtained by Grub Street, they argue that the comparing the two products is analogous to "Chevrolet complaining that Rolls Royce is infringing on the Chevrolet trademark." Furthermore! "This is yet another example of a giant, monolithic corporation attempting to take advantage of 'the little guy,' in this case, a world-renowned artisan from France." An irate Torres tells Grub Street, "They don’t own the world! No way am I going to give up on [the kiss]—it’s completely unfair!" Oh merde, it is on! more ›

Free chocolates and Atlantic City hotel reservations are being handed out at the corner of 48th Street and Sixth Avenue until 10 a.m. this morning, and then from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jacques Torres Hudson Store (350 Hudson). The hotel is Harrah's, and we're told they're distributing 5,000 free overnight stays to publicize the Sunday opening of a café called Temptations that will feature most of the Jacques Torres product line. (Torres has been answering NY Times readers' questions this week, and has revealed the secret to his dangerously addictive chocolate chip cookies.) In other V-Day gimmicks, three couples will be competing in the Netflix "Greatest Kiss" contest at Grand Central this morning. On sets built to resemble the movies, they'll be performing kiss-culminating scenes from Titanic, Gone With the Wind, and the incestuous mom/son kiss from Back to the Future. We're told a panel of judges will rate the "amateur kissers," and the awkwardness begins at 11:30. more ›

One last-minute, Special V-Day promotion that’s actually special can be found through tomorrow at Gothamist favorite Tarallucci e Vino. With little fanfare, the café-bakery has begun selling Amedei, a kind of special chocolate dubbed “The World’s Best” by no less than Times food editor Pete Wells in an article penned for Food & Wine. Amedei chocolate is made (above fair-trade levels) by an Italian brother and sister whose kind of interesting story will likely end up someday in a sprawling New Yorker profile. Now through tomorrow, though, at all three Tarallucci e Vinos (at the Union Square location until 5 p.m., otherwise all-day) any Amedei purchase garners a free gift. Buying an 8.8 oz, powder-keg of hot chocolate mix ($19; made with cocoa mass, vanilla, almonds, and bitter almonds, and enough for many cups), for example, gets you a free cup of the most intense hot chocolate you might ever have, and some valuable time off your feet. Solid bars of the stuff are also available. more ›

Small batch chocolate company Nunu has opened a flagship store on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. As reported last week by the blog Sweet Freak, CEO and CCO (Chief Chocolate Officer) Justine Pringle decided to create a central location to sell her truffles, caramels, chews, crushes, and barks. In time, she said on Tuesday, Pringle hopes to use the long, weathered table that occupies the center of the store for special events like chocolate tastings. She and her husband bought the table at the Brooklyn Flea, where they are vendors on the weekends. Nunu Chocolate also took part in last year’s Unfancy Food Show and is incorporated into Blue Marble Ice Cream for special flavors. more ›

How does Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz spend $6,000 of campaign cash? On Jacques Torres fine chocolates, of course. The NY Post reports that Marty, who is running for re-election this year, laid down all that dough for "staff gifts and gift bags" in December 2007. One watchdog group told the paper that the spending "illustrates yet again the laxity of oversight and guidance the New York law provides for what is and is not an appropriate campaign expense"—but the BBP says: "not a single penny of public funds was used to purchase them." Maybe Marty should get the Brooklyn shop to make chocolate-molded Marty pops for his campaign season. more ›

This summer hasn't been too brutal, so there's no reason not to turn on the AC and make candies. These little truffles are addictive and delicious. more ›

The Dow ended the day up over 276 points to 11,239.28, thanks to higher-than- estimated profit at mortgage underwriter Wells Fargo. Even Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rose over 15% today. The bad news: Consumer prices increased "at the fastest pace in 26 years", the FBI is investigating IndyMac for fraud and even usually "recession- proof" chocolate is hit during these harder times. more ›

The earlier reports of the city’s sudden shutdown of Veniero’s pastry café have been followed up with some rather revolting details, sent to Eater by a tipster at the Department of Health. The beloved East Village institution, founded in 1894 by Antonio Veniero, had posted a sign on the door next to the DOH sticker blaming the shut-down on a “pest problem” caused by “a large Capital Improvement Project.” Pest problem, indeed:

Veniero’s Café was closed on Tuesday, May 6 following an inspection that found a vermin and rodent infestation. Over 300 mice droppings were found in six separate areas of the café. Two dead mice were found, live roaches were observed, and mice droppings were found in a 10 lb box of chocolate... Other conditions contributing to the closing were substantial amounts of food that were in uncovered containers, garbage accumulation, and six holes in walls that would allow rodents to enter.

When you order chocolate mousse in a restaurant, the result can sometimes be heavy and bland. This mousse recipe is light and buoyant because it is made without any dairy, but luscious because it emphasizes high quality chocolate. Dairy products tend to blunt the flavor of chocolate, so if you want to highlight an exceptionally fine chocolate, it is best to substitute water for cream when making your emulsion. more ›