The flavors varied from the super sweet tanariva lait to the wildly rich abinao. And everyone who attended the sampling/anniversary event at Chocolopolis, couldn't get enough.
Dozens of chocolate lovers popped by the chocolate shop atop Queen Anne hill at 1527 Queen Anne Ave. N., to get a taste of the good stuff and to say hello and congratulate Lauren Adler, owner of Chocolopolis, for having survived two years in what has been some of the toughest years to be in business.
Adler brings in all sorts of high-end chocolate, including Seattle's own, Theo. And one of the more renowned brands is the French company Valrhona, based in the small town of Tain L'Hermitage in Hermitage, a wine-growing district near Lyon, and which has been in business since 1922.
The company distributes out of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Carolina Gavet, marketing manager there wanted to come to Seattle to show off some of the bars.
"We're really honored they're here," Adler said. "They're amazing."
Gavet stood behind a table festooned with chocolate bars, actual cacao beans and an avocado-sized pod in which the beans grow. She explained that the process of making chocolate is a lot like wine making. It requires a lot of fermenting and buyers are very particular about the beans they buy. Oftentimes, when buyers like a particular crop, they will do whatever is necessary to have exclusive rights to the growing area.
Adler was just as enthused about the event, more than happy to show the various blends she carries, and the quirks of some of her customers. She said one customer, likes to buy the Bonnat Porcelana bars (at $20 apiece) and have Adler mix them up to make hot chocolate right there. The customer even brings his own half-and-half.[[In-content Ad]]
