Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/607470
photography courtesy of chocolate & spice (oranges); by anthony Mair (hexx) Hot for CHoColate As if vegAs didn't AlreAdy hAve enough sweet temptAtions, gourmet ArtisAnAl chocolAtes Are the city's newest indulgence. by tovin lapan Artisanal chocolate makers are popping up around Vegas, coaxing out the natural, nuanced favors of cocoa beans from around the world. Here are fve artisanal chocolate treats you should let melt in your mouth as soon as possible. Single-origin ChoColate barS Before launching Hexx Chocolate & Confexxions (Paris Las Vegas, 702-331- 5551; hexxlasvegas.com), chefs Matthew Silverman and Matthew Piekarski traveled the world choosing growers and beans for the fve single- origin dark chocolate bars they would make in their open kitchen. Their new methods avoid emulsifers, using nothing but cocoa and organic coconut palm sugar. The Madagascar bar has the highest percentage of cocoa, and the naturally sweet bean produces strong citrus notes. Hexx offers free chocolate tastings and tours. Double Sea-Salt ChoColate Caramel French chef Jean-Marie Auboine made stops at the Fountainbleu in Miami and Bellagio before striking out on his own to open Jean-Marie Auboine Chocolatier (4780 W. Harmon Ave., 702-222-0535; jmauboinechocolates.com). His signature chocolate cara- mels have garnered national attention for their soft, mild caramel center. The simple double sea-salt caramel com- bines caramel with a rich, smooth coating made from 65 percent Putumayo dark chocolate and a generous dash of sea salt. Fortunato no. 4 At JinJu Chocolates (Container Park, 702-348-9407; jinjuchocolates.com), Jin Caldwell is one of a handful of chocolatiers with access to the Nacional cocoa bean from the Marañon Canyon in Peru. The rare Fortunato No. 4 was only recently rediscovered. The beans are slow-roasted, preserving the natural fruity, foral, and nutty favors. Caldwell crafts small chocolate disks, mixing them with favors like honey and raspberry, but the pure Fortunato No. 4 bar allows the famous bean to shine. ChoColate-DippeD CanDieD orangeS Megan Romano's bakery, Chocolate & Spice (7293 W. Sahara Ave., 702-527-7772; chocolatenspice.com), has been a local favorite since open- ing in 2012. The shop offers cakes, pastries, and fne chocolate treats, including her unique chocolate-covered citrus. Dipping candied oranges in a dark chocolate couverture from the Brazilian chocolate company Sicao lets the chocolate's own citrus profle blend seamlessly with the oranges, and the contrast with the citrus allows the natural favors of the dark chocolate to stand out. CoCoa truFFle Winner of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, the high- est award for pastry chefs, Jean Philipe Maury moved his Las Vegas production facility and 110 -member team from Bellagio into a 6,000 -square-foot kitchen at Aria when it opened in 2009, and branches of Jean Philipe Patisserie (702-590-7227; jpchocolates.com) can be found at both resorts. The Bellagio shop is known for its choco- late fountain, the world's largest, but the refned, expertly crafted chocolates are the real showstoppers. V TasTe The Dish 88 vegasmagazine.com