Scott Feinblatt
Now I know where chocoholics go when they don’t want to be anonymous. Long, labyrinthine lines of people inched along the showfloor at the Pasadena Convention Center like a series of enormous caterpillars in search of gourmet chocolates during the 13th annual Los Angeles Chocolate Salon. New devotees joined the chocolate festival veterans as they waited for the opportunity to purchase a variety of products at LA’s “premier artisan chocolate event,” as it advertises itself.
Chocolatiers and confectioners peddling their heavenly treats were joined by other culinary and non-culinary artisans and vendors with chocolate-related products. Among these were barbecue sauces infused with chocolate, perfumes with gourmet chocolate scents, chocolate-scented candles, and other similarly inspired creations.
The event included chef and book author talks and demonstrations and interviews by TasteTV’s Chocolate Television, but mostly, attendees swarmed the couple dozen or so display tables to taste a variety of chocolates, caramels, and toffees, originating from a variety of countries along the cacao belt, become mesmerized by assortments of beautifully designed pieces of chocolate, go gaga over some of the creative packaging, and, of course, consume, consume, consume!
All photos by Scott Feinblatt
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