Dark Victory
By Jeffrey Steingarten

“It used to be that when you wanted to send, serve, or nibble on a box of truly fine chocolates, there were just two or three places you could call. Nowadays it’s not so easy. Everywhere you look there’s a brand-new shop selling handmade chocolates. Before the multiverse of chocolatiers expands beyond measuring and spins out of control, I thought I should check it out…I should mention something here: We name the makers of only those bonbons that we, or I, liked…You can assume that none of the rest earned the highest praise…

I admit to liking candy, and these three were the most enjoyable…Valerie surrounds a generous square of crisp toffee with a thick coating of dark chocolate; unlike other versions, each square is flavored with something good (orange, almond with fleur de sel, hazelnuts, ginger) and decorated with a strip of the same flavor, elevating this candy moment into something nearly gastronomic…

Many others produce similar candy. These are the best.”