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23 Comments:
i think "best" is subjective when it comes to hot chocolate, but i had a stellar one at grom on broadway last winter. one of my friends is very fond of the chocolate at the city bakery on 18th street.
cybercita at 6:30PM on 12/01/08
Although its probably a little passe by now, I still love love love Mariebelle's hot chocolate.
Pure drinkable chocolate. Satisfying depth of chocolate flavor and richness. No sweetened greasy water mixes here.
If you sit down in their cafe to have a cup, it comes with a glass of water to cut the decadence with.
It's expensive, but a little really goes a long way.
fuuchan at 6:33PM on 12/01/08
Lunettes et Chocolat, on the north side of Spring Street, near Elizabeth Street, makes lovely, thick chocolate (I believe they have some connection with Mariebelle).
mongoose at 4:49AM on 12/02/08
Rumpelmeyer's.
juliebugsmama at 9:25AM on 12/02/08
have you tried City Bakery and Jacques Torres?
foodinmouth at 9:37AM on 12/02/08
Christopher Norman Chocolates on New Street in the Financial District
nelson5757 at 9:53AM on 12/02/08
Jacques Torres chocolate is so rich and thick it's almost impossible to sip. It's so good it almost overcomes the diner-style take-out coffee cup it's served in. I know that washing ceramic cups would add to the expense, but the vessel should serve and not detract from the contents.
Lippy at 11:46AM on 12/02/08
city bakery, end of story.
however i haven't tried jacques torres. i should probably get on that.
sarahlucy at 11:54AM on 12/02/08
I third City Bakery and Jacques Torres.
Another option would be the luxurious (in price as well as taste and texture) option would be La Maison du Chocolat.
wanderingeater at 2:11PM on 12/02/08
This is probably going to come off badly, considering it is not the p.c. thing to say on these boards, but I just have to put it out there that Dunkin Donuts makes the best hot chocolate (you must NOT get the milkey way kind, just the regular hot coco with whipped cream) I have every tasted. Let me also just note that I am not a dark chocolate fan, but I love milk chocolate (so all that dessert trunk, maison, etc... is not for me).
thebooth at 2:32PM on 12/02/08
I've tried both Grom and Jacques Torres, and while they're both good, I felt they were runny and filled with too much milk.
I've had amazing hot chocolate outside of NYC (Burdock's-Boston and Naked-Philly). The perfect hot chocolate is essentially a cup of melted bittersweet chocolate - it has to be thick and rich.
Anyone try Max Brenner's hot chocolate?
lizicle at 3:10PM on 12/02/08
Jacques Torres - not impressive unfortunately
Vosges - only the spicy is good, and it's quite spicy with a nice, throat-burning kick
La Maison du Chocolat - excellent but not that creamy
City Bakery - great but insanely rich and thick, almost like a hot pudding
Max Brenner - only the Italian is worth getting, it's definitely on the thick side
MarieBelle - not creamy or chocolate-y enough
kathryn at 6:54PM on 12/02/08
City Bakery: as Kathryn said, insanely rich so go for the Wimpy: Half hot chocolate, half milk or the shot which is the perfect size if you must have insane richness:
http://www.izzyeats.com/2008/09/he-needed-shotof-doctors-hot-chocolate.html
izzy's mama at 7:10PM on 12/02/08
dunkin donuts.
dearrie at 7:15PM on 12/02/08
the kind you make in your apartment.
Christina at 7:24PM on 12/02/08
@Kathryn:
As someone who really enjoys the hot chocolate at Mariebelle's...Are you kidding?!
Its pure melted chocolate! You can get it American style, made with milk if you want it creamier, but I think its plenty rich enough without the dairy.
It's thick and chocolaty enough to coat the spoon! Get the dark if you think it isn't chocolaty enough!
I've gotten Jacques Torres' hot chocolate mix before and its almost as good as Mariebelle's. I haven't tried it at the store, yet however.
I want to try Vosges' but haven't had the chance.
fuuchan at 1:43AM on 12/03/08
I've had it in the cafe in the back of the store, maybe MarieBelle were taking shortcuts that day, but it didn't seem as tasty as other places' hot chocolate. I'm talking purely about getting it to order there, not the box mixes.
kathryn at 2:59PM on 12/03/08
Jacque Torres' is my favorite thing for the fall/winter. It is wonderfully rich, thick dark chocolate. Quite decadent!
lovelyhoney at 3:29PM on 12/03/08
I love Jacques Torres's spicy hot chocolate. I'm surprised that a poster above found it runny. I bought a tin of it for my brother, who insists that the recipe on the tin must have a typo in it, since it produces such a thick beverage.
floretbroc at 4:33PM on 12/03/08
Dessert Truck's cocoa rivals City Bakery and Jacque Torres, for sure.
Dunkin' Donuts? I'm going to have to get on that!
Sweet Freak at 11:55PM on 12/03/08
Dessert Truck is in my opinion best. Thick, rich, chocolatey, sweet, divine. Jacques Torres and City Bakery are also quite good. I like Chocolate Bar's liquid chocolate better cold than hot. La Maison's chocolate is more "civilized" -- delicous, but not super thick. Shake Shack's hot chocolate is also excellent.
The Vegetarian New Yorker: http://vegny.blogspot.com/
vegny at 11:40AM on 12/04/08
In my experience, for Vosges and Jacques Torres and MarieBelle, the mix you get and make at home can differ A LOT from ordering hot chocolate in the store. The recipes printed on the boxes seem to ask people to add a lot less liquid than the store versions.
I like Shake Shack's version a lot but the toffee-studded marshmallow is a little odd and might turn off people some. I love it but my fiance thinks it's weird.
kathryn at 11:53AM on 12/04/08
Weird, I don't go by instructions on the box, and I usually end up with a mugful of a thinner but perfectly satisfying hot chocolate than I get at the store.
Considering that they serve their hot chocolate in cups not much bigger than a demitasse, I have a hard time believing that the home recipe calls for LESS water. I don't have the tin on me right now, so I cant verify that, but the shop version can't get much thicker or richer.
fuuchan at 11:43PM on 12/07/08