Cool Hunting

Pierre Marcolini Chocolatier
Wondering what to get us for the holidays? Our birthdays? Any days? We're obsessed with the chocolate craft of Pierre Marcolini, an artisian chocolatier in Brussels (with shops in Tokyo, London, Paris and New York). What makes Pierre Marcolini chocolate so good? Like Blanxart they make their own chocolate from scratch, an increasingly rare art. They primarily use Criollo cacao beans grown in Venezuela,...

Chocolate Thongs
We've spent the last hour writing clever things about these tasty thongs, but decided it would be best to let them speak for themselves. Stay tuned for more gifts in CH Valentine's Finds. Belgian milk chocolate thongs, £5, for men and women from BoysStuff....

Artist Chocolate Bars
Yoyamart and Chocolate Bar teamed up to create a gift box of chocolate bars wrapped in packaging created by the likes of Gary Baseman, Dalek, Tim Biskup, and Friends With You. Limited edition boxes come with 10 different chocolate bars including flavor combos like Dark Chocolate Pretzel and Milk Toffee Crunch, each with a different artist-designed label. A portion of the proceeds benefits The Third...

Chocolate Show Roundup
Highlights from the Chocolate Show, in NYC until 11/13/2005. Bissinger's has just launched a line of dark chocolate covered seeds and nuts they call Naturals. The Black Sesame Crunch is one of the best things I've tasted recently. Crunchy, savory, handmade...they are high in antioxidants and protein and low in sugar and carbs. The bag disappered within two minutes at CH HQ. Available online...

Chocolate Vitale Hot Chocolate
We had the opportunity to taste this new hot chocolate from Chocolate Vitale at an Ubercool event the other night. Inspired by the celebrated hot chocolate cafés in Paris and conceived by an American couple from Seattle, this mix is pure chocolate and does not include cocoa powder. Simply melt it in some hot milk and you are good to go. We were impressed...

Blanxart Chocolate Canela a la Taza
As Autumn approaches and the temperatures drop it's time to start stocking up on hot chocolate. The first (of several we'll share with you this fall) is in bar form and is made by Bombons Blanxart, the celebrated Spanish chocolate company that has been making fine chocolate for more than 50 years. Truly artisinal, Blanxart uses cacao from Ecuador, Brazil and Africa and complements...