Note: It's time for another edition of Street Food Profiles. This week we scoot across the pond to meet a mobile chocolate bar in London. —The Mgmt. [Flickr: Weefz] Name: Choc Star Twitter: @chocstarvan Vendor: Petra Barran What's on the menu? Chocolate in many forms: hot chocolate, milkshakes, ice cream, sundaes, truffles, frozen chocolate-dipped bananas, iced chocolate martini shots, brownies, and of course chocolate bars. From left: chocolate milkshake, Mexican chocolate ice cream. [Flickr: su-lin] Location and hours? We move around London and beyond. Also look for us once a month at the Slow Food Market on the Southbank and at the Venn Street Market in Clapham. We also hang out at festivals, weddings, parties, and film sets. Our hours... More

The Grocery Ninja leaves no aisle unexplored, no jar unopened, no produce untasted. Creep along with her below, and read all her mission reports here. Sweet glutinous rice in Pinoy hot chocolate. Photograph from chotda on Flickr The boyfriend mentioned something interesting recently: Coffee breaks are the nonsmoker's smoke break. He wasn't referring to the communal pot of watered down joe most offices brew up in the morning and keep on a burner all day, though. He was referring to the process of pulling a perfect shot of espresso, frothing milk till it's just right, then bringing it all together in an earnest little cappuccino. I had never thought of it that way, but making coffee can be a meditative... More

Sprinkles? White chocolate? A mountain of whipped cream? Yes, please? Marisol, of Once Upon a Plate, makes a white hot chocolate worthy of a fairy tale. There's heavy cream and half-and-half in there, but I never think that's a bad thing. I'm sure you could substitute milk or more half-and-half though if you'd like something a little less rich. Besides, all the wow factor is in that gorgeous whipped cream mountain and the smattering of sprinkles on top. Sprinkles make everything better on a dreary day.... More

The you warm my heart cocoa mix from Fred Flare is actually a cute idea. It comes with heart cut-out marshmallows and a single serving of hot cocoa mix to send to your beloved on Valentine's Day. Buyer beware: The mixes sell for $8 a pop at fredflare.com. You could also make homemade versions for Christmas next year if you're not a big fan of Valentine's Day. [via Tastespotting]... More

As winter, with its gray skies, whipping winds, and white Christmases rolls in, all I want at the end of the day (or in the morning when I first wake up, or right now, in the office) is a magically warming and charming and energizing cup of hot chocolate. But it seems like the only way to make one without much effort is to rip open a paper packet of powder. Even Starbucks starts with syrup. But I don't want hot cocoa. I don't want hot chocolate milk. I want hot C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E. Dynamic duo Williams-Sonoma and Bialetti (of espresso pot fame) have co-released the Hot Chocolate Pot. Plug it in, pour in some milk, and add fresh chopped chocolate—or... More

Photograph from food_in_mouth on Flickr Hot beverage poetry doesn't get enough respect. The above example inspired me to write my own 5-7-5 metrical ode to hot chocolate: once just a powder but hot liquids transform you, brown winter mustache Let's see what you've got, fellow haikuists. Related A Poem: Fast Food Smell 2005 Pizza Haiku Entries [Slice] Food Poems [Talk]... More

What is the first thing you do when you get off the plane at Heathrow? If you are anything like me and usually opt for the red-eye, chances are you go straight to your hotel. If you are lucky enough to call that hotel Claridge's, leave your bags at the door, and stop in for a Rich Organic Dark Chocolate before dragging yourself to your room. Claridge's serves, hands down, the most delicious, and most lovely, hot chocolate that I've ever experienced. And I say experienced because that is what it is, an experience—particularly English in its refinement, and particularly European in its quality. It arrives in Wonderland tea party-style, with whimsical mint-striped cups and pitchers, one filled with... More

Margie's sundae sure looks good, but is it Chicago's best? Photograph from lisa_h on Flickr. There’s nothing more exciting than a “best of” list from a national publication, probably written from a cubicle and based on surfing a few websites. People who actually live in the spotlighted regions perk up when an outsider chooses the best. Blogger Andrew Huff of Gapers Block, for example, was not a fan of Forbes Traveler's choice for best Chicago ice cream in a recent national round-up, and I am totally with him. Writing about America’s best ice creams in the middle of summer is as journalistically unique as a story about Britney Spears gracing us with another crotch shot. But, geez, you figured... More

Photograph courtesy of Peter Costantinidis With about a dozen banquette seats sandwiched between flame-red walls, and with just as many hot chocolate flavors (American-style dark chocolate, Venezuelan chile spice, coconut curry, Chinese five-spice, passion fruit, raspberry, citrus, peanut butter, hazelnut, mint, mocha, and espresso), the new Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolate shop is open for business in San Francisco's Hayes Valley. Christopher Elbow flew in from his home base in Kansas City, Missouri, to open the doors just nine days before Valentine's Day, with a lineup featuring his signature Peanut Praline with Pop Rocks bon bon and a special-edition Absinthe Ganache candy, named for the restaurant across the street.... More

The holiday season is hot cocoa/hot chocolate season no matter where you live, so as a public service we've endeavored to taste every hot cocoa and hot chocolate we could find at a reasonable price. More