What You Missed Last Night at La Maison Du Chocolat’s “La Nuit du Gâteau”

Last night was one crazy yet controlled chocoholic’s party at all three La Maison du Chocolat boutiques in New York City.

The main party was the boutique in the Upper East Side on Madison Avenue, where the line for the general public to get samples of the pastry line was insanely long, going down half the block along Madison and wrapping around the corner of E 78th Street (seen here). The good things were for the people who hanged on and waited patiently, was that LMDC gave out cups of their sinfully delicious hot chocolate and if you were close enough to the entrance, a jazz band was providing entertainment. Since I was invited as a VIP, I entered through a different entrance, was checked off the list and time to party!

All VIPs were greeted with a glass of bubbly:

Jazz band (left) and Greeted with Champagne

It was a pretty crowded area in the VIP, which normally serves as the cafe section in the back of the boutique. A number were elites of the Upper East Side and close friends of the company when I was there. (According to one of the head marketers I’ve spoken to toward the end of my stay, the journalists came in and brought friends and family along.)

A lot of people. Everywhere.

Though it’s pretty crowded here, Champagne was flowing (in the VIP section) and the chocolate filled pastries were on large platters to eat like their famous French macarons (the best ones in NYC), Pleyel and Lemon Quatre-Quart (loaf cakes, similar to pound cakes), chocolate eclairs, and Salvador cake (a chocolate and raspberry flavored cake). The special thing for VIPs are the special concoction of rosé Champagne with a cube of chocolate ganache.

Most of the tastings

The highlight of the evening to eat was the sTARTElette, chocolate ganache flavored with passion fruit, ginger and sancho (better known as Sichuan) pepper on a sablé biscuit. It’s a harmonious blend of tart, fruity, barely sweet, with a touch of fruity heat from the pepper in a dark chocolate ganache set on top of a buttery, crumbly sable crust. It’s divine.

sTARTElettes

After getting my chocolate rush, I asked my friend, the Creative Director of La Maison du Chocolat, Gilles Marchal to have a photograph with me. Seeing him was the best thing for the entire evening. It flooded back wonderful memories of Paris this summer. Seeing and talking to his friendly, eccentric self, it’s something you can’t replace.

Mr. Marchal and I

For the rest of the photos, please see the slideshow below:

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Address:
La Maison du Chocolat
1018 Madison Avenue (between East 78th & 79th St)
New York, NY 10075
Website & e-shop