Chocolates from Christopher Michael in Newport Beach

Did you know that it's Chocolate Day?  It is and in celebration, we're eating some now and writing about it in relation to Orange County.  The chocolates in the photo are from Christopher Michael Chocolatier in Newport Beach.  They recently received a First Place win for Best Truffle in Taste TV's Chocolate Salon event in Los Angeles.  And Second Place for Best Flavored Chocolate Bar and Top Artisian Chocolatier.  Their chocolates look like small pieces of art and the flavors are unique.  Their newest creation is the Sizzling Bacon Bar -- It's made with bacon, sea salt, popping candy and chocolate.  In addition to the above, C. Salt Gourmet is another chocolatier that's raved about by the locals.  All chocolates are made by hand with love using the best ingredients available on earth.

Chocolate Fountains are becoming more popular at weddings, parties and events these days, thus Orange County rents out a fair share.  They're a great conversation piece and a fun way to jazz up a party without too much expense.  And some smaller scale chocolate fountains even sell for under $50.  Chocolate Fondue is another terrific way to enjoy chocolate -- In March of this year, OC Menus posted the Top 10 Ways To Do Chocolate, whereas it named the Melting Pot's Chocolate Fondue as one that comes with bananas, strawberries, marshmallows, pound cake and brownies for dipping.

In addition to the above, there's a lot more chocolate to be enjoyed in Orange County.  The preceding list includes a city listing and telephone number for each.  Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory should be mentioned as an OC favorite and good old-fashioned See's Candies and Helen Grace Chocolates for their quality and longevity.  And Chocolate Day shouldn't happen without mentioning Godiva Chocolatier, who offers festively packed gourmet chocolates for seasonal gifts and tasty chocolate liqueurs for toasting the day. 

Have you seen what a chocolate bean looks like or how chocolate is made?  It's quite an evolution.  Once in sell-able form, chocolate can be savored straight from its package or used to make an amazing chocolaty dessert.  Happy Chocolate Day!