A visit to New York is punctuated with several food related “musts†that 
all have to be satisfied before I get back on a plane… I must have a thick veal chop, visit the Union Square market, eat a hotdog from a street vendor, consume some serious triple cream cheeses, get supplies for my pantry at Zabar’s, Citarella, Fairway and Economy Candy, eat a lobster and have an aged prime steak, medium-rare please. A visit would also not be complete without a stroll up Madison Avenue and a visit to my favorite chocolate shop, La Maison du Chocolat. Though their chocolates are sublime, another favorite are their pates de fruits, intense confections made of the essence of fruit and just a touch of sugar. Kiwi, blackberry, raspberry, lemon, lime juices are reduced and reduced again until the flavor is just so intense it is unrivalled by any artificial flavor… These pates de fruits are dense yet soft, intensely fruity but not overly sweet and a delicious luxury…just one is enough to cap off a serious meal… Here in the photo they sit confidently on a beautiful hand-painted Meissen porcelain plate that is probably more than 200 years old…
At LMduC (La Maison du Chocolat) today, the shop was filled with all of my favorites… a new air shipment had just arrived from Paris and the shop had orange peel dipped in dark chocolate, lots of pates de fruits, truffles, chocolate almonds as well as pastries (which I believe are made at a New York bakery rather than flown in) that included some small and large macaroons, chocolate tarts, etc. At the back of the small shop on 78th Street and Madison Avenue there is also a small cafe where you can order sinfully rich hot chocolate or indulge in really good chocolate ice cream. Make sure to visit this temple to chocolate the next time you have a chance. Sales staff are a bit aloof here, but so is the chocolate…
6 Responses
Words cannot describe how much I wish I was in your shoes right now! All I can say is: La Maison du Chocolat, oohlala!
I’ve never been to La Maison — will check it out next time I’m in NYC. What I love in New York is the banana pudding in Buttercup and/or Magnolia Bakery.
i can only close my eyes and wish myself in ny right now. You have successfully ruined my resolution to start my diet today, i am sure to satisfy this marketman-induced craving for good chocolate before the day is done, but the pates de fruit is something i will just have to dream about. Thank you for giving life to my monday morning. As wolfgang says – LIVE, LOVE, EAT!!!
Whenever I think of NY, I think of fresh pastrami. In my opinion, the best pastrami sandwiches can be found only in NY.
Correction: All the pastry at Maison du Chocolat is flown in from Paris on Thursdays. It is the pastry at Fauchon that is manufactured in Queens. Fauchon on Madison and 78th closed down early this year, the neighborhood clientele was just too discerning.
Great info. No wonder I didn’t notice the little pink Fauchon awning on Madison… that’s what happens when you sell mediocre stuff in a picky town… The pastry at La Maison looked good…