By Steve Gersman
Have you ever been to France? Have you ever had “chocolat chaud” there? For chocolate lovers, it’s the nectar of the gods. It’s not like a bar of chocolate, or those sumptuous desserts with hot, thick chocolate oozing out of them. It’s not like “pot au chocolat” or even a dreamy mousse.
Have you ever been to France? Have you ever had “chocolat chaud” there? For chocolate lovers, it’s the nectar of the gods. It’s not like a bar of chocolate, or those sumptuous desserts with hot, thick chocolate oozing out of them. It’s not like “pot au chocolat” or even a dreamy mousse.
Chocolat
chaud stands alone.
It’s a
liquid, comes in a cup, but is almost too thick to drink. So you get a spoon.
But I never use the spoon. For me, tiny sips give the most pleasure, like
savoring the first sip of a superb vintage wine. Made from three different
types of solid chocolate, melted, then blended with cream and sugar, this is
not for the faint-hearted. The drink is so rich that I have sometimes, when I
am not feeling totally self-focused, shared a single cup with a friend.
To call
this potion a hot chocolate is to call Versailles a house. If I wax nostalgic,
that is only partly true. I always order chocolat chaud when I’m in Paris. Put
it down to my love of chocolate and some of the finer pleasures in life.
But it’s
not just about Paris. It’s about pleasure. If you haven’t been near Pike Place
Market in years, you now have a reason to make an exception. On First Ave, just
one storefront down from the SW corner of Stewart, is a French bistro called Le
Pichet. If you live in Seattle or are lucky enough to visit, Le Pichet or its
sister restaurant, Cafe Presse make it as only the best in France do. Le Pichet or Cafe Presse
Oh, and
if you like French cuisine, they make the best French onion soup too, but only
in winter. Bon appetite!
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