Bean-to-bar chocolate makers are control freaks who want to make their goodies from cocoa beans they roast and grind themselves instead of buying bulk chocolate from a wholesale supplier. While bean-to-bar is all the rage in the United States, until recently, there was only one in Paris, La Manufacture du Chocolat Alain Ducasse, but the other day I stumbled across a new one in a tiny shop in the ninth arrondissement: Ara Chocolat (54, rue de Dunkerque, 75009; 06 70 09 87 75), run by a young couple from Venezuela. They make the chocolate in the back room from mostly organic ingredients and love to explain the subtle differences between chocolate of different origins, backed up by tastings. There’s still time to get there or to another great chocolate shop, Le Furet Tanrade, for your Easter chocolate.
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