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Schokolade. Chocolat’. Cioccolato. Chocolate.

No matter what country you are from or how you say it, chocolate is a staple food item in almost every culture. Whether you prefer 70% bitter dark chocolate or sweet milk chocolate, this indescribably rich, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth food is the number one flavor for desserts.

People love to eat chocolate. Some would eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner if they had the choice. Because of the human fascination with this tasty little treat, restaurants are beginning make their business primarily around the sale of chocolate. Chocolate bars and dessert cafés are beginning to pop up. In the Fairfield area, three delicious, yet very distinct chocolate distributers stand out among the rest: Café Chocopologie in South Norwalk, Amore Baking Company in Fairfield, and The Melting Pot in Darien.

Café Chocopologie

The name Fritz Knipschildt might not roll off the tongue quite as easily as Willy Wonka, but we can bet that once you taste his chocolates at Café Chocopologie in South Norwalk, your old views on chocolate will be transformed faster than you can say oompaloompa.

If you’re looking for top-notch chocolate within a decent driving distance from Fairfield, Chocopologie is the right place. The café, located on Main Street in South Norwalk, is an extension of Knipschildt Chocolatier, Knipschildt’s retail and wholesale chocolate enterprise.

Fritz Knipschildt, a native of Denmark, moved to America in 1999 after being trained as a chef in France and Spain. His real passion, however, lies in chocolate. And so in 1999 Knipschildt Chocolatier was opened, with Cafe Chocopologie soon to follow in 2001. The cafe features not only Knipschildt’s now world-famous chocolates, but also reasonably priced specialty drinks and an all-day menu of breakfast, lunch, appetizers and dinner entrees.

“A few years ago, the city of Norwalk learned that I was looking for a space, so they said, ‘You should come to South Norwalk! We’d love to have you,’” said Knipschildt of how Chocopologie ended up where it is today. He lived in Norwalk since moving from Denmark and feels that South Norwalk’s hip, almost European vibe is a perfect fit for the boutique chocolate factory.

“I really wanted to have a storefront and a good location. Obviously, the train station is right there, so this turned out to be a really good place for us,” he said.

Since its relatively recent opening, both Knipschildt Chocolatier and Chocopologie have received recognition from Oprah Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, the New York Times, and other esteemed publications. He was even featured on an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay on the Food Network.

It’s no wonder his gourmet chocolates have been receiving such world-class attention. The smell of the café alone can produce instant chocolate cravings, with an intense mixture of scents wafting into the storefront from the kitchen and bakery that it is attached to. But the variety of choices that Chocopologie offers is what sets it apart from more traditional chocolate stores and bakeries. Between the lunch and dinner menus, the drink specials, and the specialty chocolates on display in a lighted case near the register, one hardly knows where to begin his dining experience.

“The most popular product is the caramel with the Hawaiian sea-salt,” said Knipschildt. “A lot of the flavors are actually inspired by the savory cuisine. As a chef, I know what flavors work well together, say, apple and rosemary. So I know I could make a great ice cream from that. I just try to take things from the savory world and bring them into the sweet world.”

Although the ingredients in his chocolates do seem a bit out of the ordinary (Sea-salt? Lavender? Chili powder?!), they make for, as Knipschildt says, sweet and savory mixtures that truly transcend the traditional chocolate experience.

“I just tried the burnt caramel and hawaiian sea-salt chocolate,” said Emily Dougherty, 22, a native of Saint Louis, MO and a senior at Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT.

“It sounds like it would be really exotic. But you know, it’s actually the perfect pairing of two of my favorite flavors: salty and sweet,” Dougherty said.

Such innovative integration of chocolate into more savory foods is not merely limited to the dessert menu, however. Knipschildt still tries to infuse chocolate into his dishes where he can, keeping the theme of the café alive in every course. One example of this is the short ribs, braised in a chocolate stout. This unexpected take on a classic dish is the sort of innovation that sets Chocopologie apart from other cafes in the area.

As if the food were not tantalizing enough, the atmosphere of the café makes one wish he had brought a book along, so he can hang out long after he has finished his homemade hot chocolate. (And trust me, with hot chocolate as rich as a melted brownie, finishing just one cup takes a while). The café is as eclectic as the menu, with cozy chairs, chocolate Easter eggs to celebrate the season, and mannequins dressed head to toe in chocolate fashion. There is so much to see, all the way to the back entrance, where a long corridor with several windows allows you to peer into the kitchen for a sneak-peek at the chocolate-making process.

“I took my girlfriend to Chocopologie for Valentine’s Day this year,” said Richard Bradley, 25, of Meriden, Conn.

“We only went for dessert, not dinner. It was perfect–it was late, so there were only one or two other couples. The music wasn’t so loud that we could barely hold a conversation, like a lot of places nowadays. And I didn’t mind the music. Plus, milk and cookies are my favorite. It was a cool twist on a classic, but they didn’t overdo it. Everything was just right,” Bradley said.

Word is catching on fast. Knipschildt recently committed to international expansion of the Knipschildt Chocolatier/Chocopologie name—but not in any of the traditional venues that you might expect.

“A year ago, a company from the UAE (United Arab Emirates) called and said that they were looking for a US-based chocolate company…for both wholesale and retail. They came and they just really fell in love with Chocopologie. So we signed a license agreement with them, and they will be the exclusive retailer of Knipschildt products in the UAE, and they will be opening up three Chocopologies within the first five years,” said Knipschildt.

The first international café will open in Dubai, where even more people from around the world will get to experience the joy of Knipschildt chocolates.

Just a quick dessert at Chocopologie is the kind of meal that you will be telling people about for years to come. Eating at Chocopologie is not just a meal, but a revolutionary, chocolate-drenched dining experience.

Take a virtual tour of Chocopologie.

12 South Main Street

Norwalk, CT 06854

203-854-4754

Amore Baking Company

Patti Jonker made quite the leap from Wall Street to Post Road, trading in her business suit for an apron. After taking time off to raise her children, Jonker decided that she did not want to return to her career in finance but rather pursue her passion of baking. She began studying the art of baking and decorating at the Culinary Institute of America and at the Institute of Culinary Education. What started off as favors for friends and family soon thrived into running her own shop.

Amore Baking Company has now been open for 6 months at the new Brickwalk Promenade and business has been successful with people stopping in to check out the new shopping area. Customers entering the store are immediately tempted by display cases filled with decadent desserts including breads, cupcakes, biscotti and cakes. As they decide which sweet to sample, patrons can watch the products being made by Jonker or her assistant pastry chef in the open work area. Jonker can be found in her shop from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and often returns after dinner with her family.

Although bakeries are plentiful in Fairfield County, Amore sets itself apart from the rest by giving traditional desserts a twist, especially cupcakes. These individual desserts seem to be their specialty. With a wide variety to choose from, a flavor can be found for anyone. According to Jonker, “the red velvet cupcake has made a huge comeback” and coconut is another front runner amongst customers. But people’s favorites change every day and Amore is ready for that change, with other cupcakes such as Devil’s Food Cake, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Carrot Cake and German Chocolate.

Jill Kovalski, a Fairfield University student, was very impressed upon her first visit to Amore. “I tried the Devil’s Food cupcake with milk chocolate frosting. I thought it would be too much chocolate…but is there such a thing? It was delicious!”

1215 Post Road

Fairfield, CT 06824

203-292-8475

The Melting Pot

The Melting Pot is a fun and interactive fondue restaurant franchise that offers a four course meal of salad, cheese, entre, and chocolate. But despite that, most people enjoy coming in just for the chocolate. One of their 145 locations is located right here in Darien, Connecticut.

You can choose from any of their famous dark, milk, or white chocolate fondues, which are melted and swirled right in from of you on the on-table burner. Chocolates can be melted with accompaniments like crushed Oreos, caramel, marshmallow, amaretto, and so much more.

“Chocolate is like my own weakness, it’s like kryptonite for superman,” said Victoria Monte,18, a Penn State freshman from Long Island. “The Melting Pot has so many different kinds and with the endless amount of stuff to dip in it, I could eat an entire pot by myself.”

With names such as Bananas Foster and Cookies ’n Cream Marshmallow Dream, who wouldn’t want to just sit there and eat the whole thing?

Each fondue comes with a tray of dessert dippers. Fresh strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, brownies, pound cake, and marshmallows rolled in crushed Oreos and graham crackers. And if your dippers run out faster than your chocolate, just ask for more.

With the dimly lit, almost romantic style of lighting, the restaurant itself takes on a chic atmosphere. The oversized tables can hold up to 4 burners, for the pots of chocolate of course, and the large booths add to its unique experience of the dozens of combinations one can indulge in.

“It’s the perfect first date place,” said Kate Warch,21, a Fairfield University junior out celebrating her 21st birthday.  “It’s cute inside and going out for fondue is like an activity you can both do together. It can be fun.”

14 Grove Street

Darien, CT06820

203-656-4774

Whether you prefer the Fresh Baked Cookies and Milk from Chocopologie, the Chocolate S’mores fondue at The Melting Pot, or unique cupcakes from Amore Baking Company, these new and fun ways to eat chocolate prove that it is a food that will never go out of style.

“Chocolate is a food that spans all cultures,” said Warch. “No matter where I am, I always go for something chocolaty and the fact that there are so many chocolate places around Fairfield helps fill my constant chocolate craving.”

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*Watch to see a virtual tour of Fairfield!

The town of Fairfield can now call itself number one after earning the top spot in Connecticut Magazine’s “Rating the Towns” November issue.

“I was thrilled and pleasantly surprised,” said Fairfield First Selectman Ken Flatto. “We have been ranked high in the past but this is our first time as number one and it is nice to be recognized by an independent source.”

After years of placing second or third among cities with a population of 50,000 people or more, Fairfield outranked its rival Greenwich due mostly to its excellent scores in education and voter turnout according to the article by Andrew Brady and Patricia Grandjean.

“Fairfield’s educational performance improved markedly this year, while the figures for the two previous winners, Greenwich and West Hartford, stayed relatively static,” said Grandjean, Senior Editor of Connecticut Magazine.

The town rankings are based on five categories: education, economy, cost of living, crime and leisure and are ranked on a scale of 1 to 17, with 1 being the best and 17 the worst. Each category is weighted equally.

Grandjean has been told that Connecticut Magazine’s article has become a hot topic at town meetings, but is not sure of the overall effect of her work as most towns have not improved dramatically since the magazine started doing “Rating the Towns” in 1992. The article has already received feedback from poorly rated towns and Grandjean reminds them that the magazine looks at objective data.

“Our response to them has typically been that this is just a comparative analysis of statistics pertaining to each town; it certainly isn’t meant to be taken as the last word on any one town’s quality,” said Grandjean. “Many towns may not have scored particularly high in this piece, and yet they offer tremendous virtues that make them great places for people to live in. Others may top the list, and yet there are valid reasons, such as cost, that make them not quite as desirable to the average citizen as our numbers might indicate.”

Fairfield scored poorly in the cost of living category with 15 out of 17. According to Flatto, the town has very little control over this and is limited to what it can do to alleviate these costs.

“Fairfield is so close to New York City that it pushes up prices,” said Flatto. “Incomes also drive prices and it is very difficult to change that dynamic.”

But even with the high cost of living, Flatto said he is never leaving this town.

“I moved here 20 years ago from New York City because I wanted my kids to be brought up in a more peaceful environment than the fast pace of the city. I wanted more space,” said Flatto.

After Greenwich, Fairfield beat out West Hartford, Stamford, Milford and Danbury among other Connecticut towns. Bridgeport and Meriden tied for last place due to their poor schools, high crime and economies.

Meagan Flynn, a Fairfield University senior and 21 year resident of Meriden, Conn., considers her hometown to be very different than the place she attends school.

“Although it’s in the same population bracket I feel like it is more of a big city. It’s definitely more populated by buildings than Fairfield is; Fairfield is a little more scenic. It is kind of quaint, you can stroll around the streets and go to shops and things like that,” said Flynn.  See Meagan’s interview here!

Flatto saw this recognition as a reflection of many different factors, including town government and community volunteers. He finds that the one major difference between Fairfield and its surrounding towns is the diverse makeup of the town, whether it is economically or ethnically.

“Fairfield really is a town with many different parts. In each neighborhood, you can find a mansion standing next to a cape. Fairfield is much less homogeneous than it is made out to be,” said Flatto.

Even with its number one ranking, Fairfield’s town government is always at work trying to improve the town. Flatto and his staff are working on two important initiatives, traffic safety and litter. Traffic safety incorporates an alcoholism prevention task force aimed at decreasing drunk driving, which has been a problem in the past. The responsibility of cleaning up litter falls on the town rather than the state and Flatto would like to establish a community program to encourage people not to litter.

Ben Heslin, a junior at Fairfield University and full time resident of Berlin, Conn., enjoys the town overall, but does have one suggestion to help make it a better place.

“I would change the relation with the university just because it is kind of strained but I feel like the university has to do that to,” he said. Watch Ben’s interview here!

Connecticut Magazine's Rating of the Towns: Cities Over 50,000

]]> http://sturner06.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/fairfield-beats-out-greenwich-for-best-town-in-state/feed/ 0 sturner06 overall graph untitled http://sturner06.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/hello-world/ http://sturner06.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/hello-world/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:29:30 +0000 sturner06 ]]> Hi Everyone! Here is my first post on my blog made for my digital journalism course. Hope you like it!

Click here to read stories from my other journalism courses

*Sarah