Copyright Š 2010 by Rob Monahan and Neill Alleva. All Rights Reserved All tour names in this guide are reserved and trademarked by Chocological Publishing. Professor Chocolate™ is a trademark of Rob Monahan and Neill Alleva.
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Pure Dark
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™ 2 350 Bleecker Street New York, NY 10014 917.284.1927 puredark.com
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Mars, Inc™
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History: For much of the 20th century, the American chocolate scene was dominated by two competing companies: Mars™ and Hershey™. The Mars company makes beloved American confections such as Snickers, M&M’s, and Orbit Gum. We are known to chomp on the occasional Snickers or throw back a few M&M’s, but with the caveat that it’s closer to candy than it is to chocolate. Enter Pure Dark. Pure Dark is ensconced on a cute and unassuming corner of Bleecker Street in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. According to the spiel that customers receive from a trained employee, Americans have been fixated on milk chocolate for quite some time, so Pure Dark has taken up the task of educating the American consumer about why smallbatch dark chocolate is just as good, 123
Proprietary blend of premium chocolate beans from West Africa, Dominican Republic, and South America.
and may be even better for you than milk chocolate. Though Pure Dark is not run by a single chocolatier, the chocolate is handcrafted and unprocessed, certainly with the discerning chocolate consumer in mind. Namely, you.
Experience: Pure Dark opened in the fall of 2008 with a focus on chocolate education. Truffles and bonbons are not sold here, but don’t let this keep
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HOURS: Mon–Thurs: 12pm–7pm Fri and Sat:11am–8pm Sun: 11am–6pm
SUBWAYS: 1 to Christopher Street/ Sheridan Square
SHIPPING: Year-round shipping via FedEx and USPS within the Unites States.
you away from the exquisite and pristine-like character of Pure Dark. The brown-hued walls and faux cacao trees and pods resembles the interior of a South American rainforest. There are a couple of different stations or “bars” in Pure Dark, all offering top-shelf chocolate in a variety of ways. For starters, there is the chocolate bark station. This station offers different blends and percentages of cocoa bark with helpful taste tests from willing employees. Toward the back of Pure Dark, there is another station. This one is devoted to a fun chocolate enterGreenwich VIllage
prise: mixing fruits, nuts, and chocolate, which can be bought by the ounce. The trail-like mixes alone are worth the visit to Pure Dark, invigoratingly crunchy from the first to the last handful. Ask for free samples, and the friendly staff will always oblige and educate. Be sure to also try the hot chocolate mixes, but beware! The hot chocolate is very rich and worth sharing with a buddy.
PROFESSOR PICKS
May we suggest our favorites?
• Trail Mix: Pure Dark™ Chocolate-Covered Nibs, Crystallized Ginger & Pecans • Chocolate SLAB: Serious Dark Chocolate with Caramelized Nibs & Coarse Sugar 124
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BACK TO THE FUTURE Pure Dark™ Purchases Truffles & Bonbons:
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Bars & Barks: Name/Description: Rating: Name/Description: Rating: Name/Description: Rating:
Drinks & Others: Name/Description: Rating: Name/Description: Rating: 125
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BACK TO THE FUTURE Notes:
Share your feedback with us @ professorchocolate.com 126