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Wednesday August 23, 2006

THE STAR-LEDGER

TAKING CHOCOLATE SERIOUSLY IS FUN

Whoever said fine chocolates have to be wrapped in designer boxes and only be presented on special occasions hasn’t met Alison Nelson.

The winner of a dozen media and food industry awards for her popular Manhattan candy store for grown ups (chocolate bar 48 8th Ave., 212-367-7181) and the author of a cookbook celebrating “a chocolate-centered lifestyle” in its second printing (“chocolate bar; Recipes and Entertaining Ideas for Living the Sweet Life” by Matt Lewis and Alison Nelson, Running Press 2004.) Nelson’s mantra is simple: “Shake your bon-bon.”

Now this may not strike you as someone who takes her chocolates seriously, especially in a world where candy from Belgium and France and other far-flung places where “the only real” chocolates come is sold at shops on Madison and Fifth Avenues – often at the same prices per pound that a decent pair of shoes can cost. And, boy, are these places formal. Hushed even.

Then there’s the chocolate bar. It’s serious alright, but it’s a hoot. Funny and cheerful and way too much fun. The candy itself is beautiful. Truffles are made with cocoa butter transfers, so the tops are geometric patterns, tiny monkeys, cherries, “tattoos” of blazing hearts, anchors or raspberries. Some of the individual candy bars are colorful artwork from well known artists, and even the T-shirts make you laugh out loud.

So let’s get this straight: You giggle through your shopping and you get to eat real chocolate. Oh yeah, and it’s on Long Beach Island. Not bad. Nelson’s first shop in New Jersey opened in Beach Haven on Memorial Day weekend, and she chose the location because it’s just across the street from her mom’s bed and breakfast, The Steal Away. The B&B is known for it’s breakfast, because as Nelson puts it, her mom, Megan McGonigal “is an amazing baker.”

At the shop – a tiny space – your eye is immediately drawn to the food on the counter, and McGonigal’s brownies ($2.50, classic or spicy) , biscotti ($1.50), large cookies ($2, double chocolate espresso, oatmeal chocolate butterscotch, or Mandarin orange chocolate chip) and French toast ($2.50) are on display along with the candy. It’s a nice, homey touch, and since French toast is a weakness of mine, I went for the thick slice of cinnamon raisin and passed on the banana chocolate chip. Good choice: It had been made in a large pan earlier that morning, and was still warm, filled with a delicious sweet cream cheese.

The chocolate bar has everything from a small snack to a large gift, so if you just want something a little sweet, you can buy a loose caramel for $1 in pecan nougat, chocolate pecan or Kahlua or buttercrunch bites for 50 cents. I like the chocolate covered pretzels ($2.50) and thought the peanut butter crispy rice treats topped with chocolate were also good. ($2.50)

Three Manhattan based chefs make candy for the shops, using Belgian Bekolade and Callebaut chocolates and Guittarde from San Francisco. These chefs usually make candy for fine hotels in the city and don’t sell retail, so Nelson contracted with them when she opened her first store and she’s been able to maintain a top quality product that cannot be duplicated.

A good example of Nelson’s irreverent attitude and the trio’s level of craft is their take on fudge pops. They’re just adorable: 4 ounces of homemade fudge (maple walnut, rum raisin caramel swirl or nutty nougat) dipped in chocolate, then topped with swirls, nuts, circles, or polka dots and eaten on a popsicle stick. ($7.50).

Black and whites are thick layers of marshmallow, caramel and graham crackers in dark chocolate, and astros are creamy nougat, almonds and dark chocolate. Caramel nougat bars have almonds, pistachios, hazelnut cream and caramel in dark chocolate. Yum.

Truffle are intense. I’ve already told you how pretty they are, but they’re also free of preservatives and additives, and even though they’re almost too pretty to eat, you’ll get over that fast. Flavors include jasmine-infused ganache, hazelnut crème, praline trio, pure dark, salted caramel, and strawberry balsamic.

There are two lines of packaged candy bars – all extremely well priced for this quality of chocolate. They cost $3 each or you can buy eight for $22 in gift boxes. They retro bars come in salty pretzel, Key lime, caramel apple, peanut butter caramel, raspberry jam, malted milk, and coconut cream pie (some come in both milk and dark.)

Each of the 10 artist bars are designed by notables like Gary Baseman (whom my children told me I’d know if I were cooler.), David Horvath (He’s responsible for the Ugly Dolls, which I guess I should know.) and Nathan Jurevicius (Aha! I know this one: he’s an animator illustrator.) They chose their favorite flavors and drew wild interpretations of them – you’ve got to see these.

The shop also sells more hot/cold and frozen drinks than you can name and a line of teas, chocolate candles and those cute T-shirts (chocolate baby, chocolate girl/boy).
Nelson went to college to be a poet, and never had any real intention of going into the food industry, but poetry was a tough way to make a living, so, like lots of students needing quick cash, she worked in restaurants and at catered functions. She began producing business events and met her husband Adam, – a working actor in New York – when she staged one of his shows. Now he owns his own PR and marketing firm in the city – and plans events – and she’s back in the food business.

With an apartment in the city, two shops, two careers, a darling little girl named Lulu and another one on the way, you’d think the Nelson’s have a lot on their plates. But next year, they expect to open 24 stores in the Middle East, mostly in Dubai. Then they’re considering an aggressive rollout of new shops in the next years. Shake those bon bons, indeed.