Jacques Torres Chocolate Store
I had to do it. I usually frequent the Grey Dog on Thursday afternoons with our middle daughter, Emily, before picking up our youngest, Josh at bball. Today was a different day.
Emily and I picked up Josh and walked over to Jacques Torres new store on Hudson and King. Wow! The store opened yesterday. They are still under construction. The glass windows over looking Hudson bring life to a neighborhood that could use a good shot in the arm.
The store is situated between two huge areas where they actually make the chocolate. You sort of get the feeling that Willy Wonka could walk in any minute. The space is open and airy. There is a chocolate bar that serves up hot chocolate and croissants. Very french. The other side is a large counter that is the length of the store with all the chocolate products. Above is a huge piece that twirls around that looks like wrapping paper. There is also an area towards the front with tables and small leather square stools that have the color and look of a small chocolate square.
Today they were giving out plenty of tastes. We were treated to small cups of hot chocolate that were out of this world. I have never tasted a hot chocolate so rich and utterly delicious! We also tasted a variety of the chocolate treats. White chocolate covered cranberries with chocolate covered raisins, chocolate covered espresso beans, chocolate covered macadamian nuts finished off with confectioners sugar, chocolate covered nuts too.
We made a few purchases for tasting. We bought the peanut butter filled pretzels bites covered with dark chocolate. What an explosion in the mouth. Quick, move them away from me now. We came home with dark chocolate covered corn flakes, dark chocolate covered fortune cookies and the cranberry/raisin mixture we had tasted. The dried orange and apricots dipped in chocolate looked tempting too. We decided against buying the hot chocolate which you can buy either Wicked or Regular. I am not sure which one we tasted today.
What a great new addition to downtown NYC. I would hope that their footprint in that area will create a variety of new developments below Houston on the Westside. It would make sense. The development of the Westside Highway and the variety of work spaces over there. I will tell u that Jacques Torres was packed, so there is no lack of customers.
Personally, I am absolutely going back!