Gothamist has debated where to find the best hot chocolate in the city many times, so we're always on the lookout for new hot chocolate vendors. Today, we were walking down Spring Street and noticed that Vosges Haut Chocolat, the Chicago truffle emporium, had opened up a new shop. They advertised three varieties of hot chocolate, but we only sampled two: the dark chocolate with vanilla bean, and the spicy hot chocolate with cinnamon and chili peppers. The verdict? The regular hot chocolate is our new favorite winter chocolate beverage. It had a sweet, sophisticated dark chocolate taste, and a clean, delicious aftertaste. It knocked out our old favorite, the Maribelle/Lunettes et Chocolate hot chocolate, because it has a much more digestible texture. Sure, we love the pudding-like consistency of Mariebelle, but it's not something you can imbibe every day. As for the spicy hot chocolate, as at Mariebelle, it simply is not to our taste. It had a strong cinnamon aftertaste, and tasted a little bit medicinal.
Bonus chocolate points for Vosges' interior design, which featured dark purple walls and glass display cases, and for packaging design, including the Chinese takeout box sampler pictured below. And bonus points for a name that reminds us of another favorite chocolate shop in the Place de Vosges in the Parisian Marais.
