Brussels Valentine

I arrived in Brussels Thursday for their Salon du chocolat.

How did I forget it was Valentines.

Brussels' chocolate shops did not. They were ready to entice.

Elaborate marionettes fill many candy shop windows.

Elaborate is a good word to describe Brussels' displays.

Mary Chocolat celebrated Valentines with big red painted bows.

Inside delicate pale pink heart-shaped boxes and loads of satin ribbons.

A wonderful excess of guimauve(marshmallow) makes my heart beat faster.

Pierre Marcolini, as always, the more restrained and elegant of Belgian chocolatiers.

The best place to see many fine Belgian chocolatiers is the Galerie de Reine, speaking of elegance. It was early morning so not crowded.

A massive heart from Corne-Port Royal.

I prefer my chocolates identified and described in detail. Remember Whitman's Sampler with the details on the back of the box? Of course you never went down, like a mouse, early morning to raid the chocolate box drawer. Taking bites out of this and that chocolate searching for a caramel. No never.

Red velvet heart boxes are everywhere in Brussels and all sizes.

Leonidas has a smooching Mini on their boxes.

The tall tin Belgian house is another favored candy container along with the cone.

I went out of my way to visit the famous Patisserie Wittamer (pronounced Wit-A-Mare) in the Grand Sablon. Big disappointment. Empty and the atmosphere inside as chilly as it was out. They had standing tables but you must take your hot chocolate outside(emporte) or go up to the tea salon next door. Frankly I couldn't be bothered.

I do wish I'd gone out to the store of Debailleul now at Grand Place 37. I was so impressed by them at the Paris chocolate salon in 2008. and again at the Brussels Salon Thursday night.
Exquisite in everyway taste-wise and packaging.

Do visit their website and sign up for their delightful mailings - truly a joy to receive. Next time I'll visit Debailleul !

I'd like to send a great big valentine to De Noordzee at Saint Catherine for their fabulously warming, delicious soupe de poisson (5€). They serve all day and night sans cease. I saw soup-eaters next morning slurping happily. That's a hunk of garlicky toast with grated cheese plus a squiggle of mayo of all things afloat in the bowl.

You stand at the counter outside in the bitter cold. No tables or chairs. Yet the staff could not be more friendly, happy to explain the dishes. Food is served instantly. Their fresh fish counter is to the right.
Perfection in my eyes.

Naturally I felt a mad attraction to Belgian red postboxes even if somewhat defaced.
If you'd like to give your true love (or yourself) a Valentines gift of  Sketch letters I can easily scan February's monogrammed art.
You simply print it out to deliver on the 14th.
The letter will arrive from Paris soon after.
Et voila!

Debailleul

 Debailleul Ballotin of chocolates, 9" x 11"

 

At the Salon du Chocolat one of the most beautiful, sumptuous displays was from a Belgian company called:

DEBAILLEUL and don't ask me how to pronounce that.

Everything they showed was glistening and lush.

Here is a Buche with little macarons girding it's perameters?

Here's the funny thing about DEBAILLEUL...
Their head chef, Marc Debailleul is not only French but an M.O.F. to boot.
Meaning he's been chosen as the top in his industry as well as winning numerous prizes at the Lyon Pastry D'or etc. And Debailleul is in Brussels! What's more, there is a decidedly "Scottish style" to their presentation like this clan tartan plate or the tartan plaid that lines their divine little info booklet!?
Yet if you took yourself off to Scotland I bet you wouldn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of finding such rare goodies as these. Correct me if I am wrong any of you native Scots out there.
Debailleul has even named one of their very French gateaux "Dumphries"? Does the chef dream of being in Scotland doing a Highland fling while munching some shortbread?
Here's a gateaux that looks like a hedgehog to me... Is that the Scottish national mascot?

Chef Marc Debailleul and their director, Hans Pauwels at the show. I think he told me they may be opening a shop in the US..even New York! Oh Please do!  I think they said come visit next time I'm in Brussels. I do plan to make a side trip from Paris in March to see Belgian chocolates. I must admit I took poetic licence with today's aquarelle. Debailleul dinnae have no blue boxes or chocolate-covered cherries.

 

 

 

Rue de Ganshoren 27-39 1081 Bruxelles Belgium  Another reason I must visit - it behooves (Scottish?) me to make a more accurate painting of their chocolates. The arrow is pointing to their excellent booklet full of tempting "chocolate maps" that will make you want to jump on the next plane to Brussels!
 None of this matters a trice. Debailleul's pastries and chocolates are superb in appearance and taste. They kindly gave me a box of chockies. If only I had it here to paint.

All of their graphics and packaging are superior - the best I saw at the Paris chocolate Salon.This ballotin of chocolates...sigh. Everything was under glass, well protected from greedy hands and yearning eyes.
 

Chocolate Maps

I LOVE/HEART maps.

I'll throw a map into a post in at any opportunity.

Maps give us the chance to dream.

What would it be like to walk down that street in Paris.
 I have the NY Metro map as a shower curtain. But a map of Paris would suit me so much better. Never mind all that, the maps dearest to my heart are "Chocolate Maps". And you get them aplenty at any chocolate show, whether Paris or Tokyo. It's a universal concept that delights universally.

Charbonnel et Walker has created the almost perfect Chocolate Map. And it's hand-made as lovingly as are their chocolates. But the size is wrong.Ideally a Chocolate Map should fit inside your purse or pocket - you want to be able to pull it out and study it during moments of boredom like on the subway or while at a party of someone you don't know.

Chuao Chocolatier from Venezuela was at the NY Show...

Listen to this: "CHEVRE" Goat cheese, Pear Williams and crushed black pepper butter-cream.This one chocolate would do nicely for dinner.

Patisserie Payard has this small booklet showing a charming variant on the chocolate map.

Coppeneur of Germany was at the New York Show and gave out this sweet little book. Here you get German lessons as well as the pertinent info on the interior of their chocolates in a 3" x 4" 32-page book.

JOHN & KIRA'S had this lovely full-color foldout for the NY Choco Show. I wish they showed their terrific tasting chocolates as well as the ingredients-SHOW US THOSE CHOCOLATES!

Chocolat Michel Cluizel knows the value of a good map. Although some of his maps have too much geography for my tastes and I wish they were a smaller - more pocket-sized... Chocolats Cluizel was at both the NY and Paris show - so there were plenty of opps to collect his info. Are Chocolate Maps the new collectible?

Jean-Charles Rochoux' chocolate map is perfection. There are 7 leafs to his accordian foldout. GENIUS! And his chocolates are perfection. He understands well the value of a miniature map. His only shop can be found at:

JEAN-CHARLES ROCHOUX 16, rue d'Assas

75006 - Paris

A Gerard Mulot chocolate map that...sadly I'm damaged or destroyed. It's missing it's better half.

La Maison Du Chocolat understands the chocolate map concept perfectly!Each season they reel these out for their discerning customers.I've started to make notes on this - it's so irresistable.

Only text on a chocolate map will not do. What fun is that? SHOW US THE CHOCOLATES PLEASE! PHerme understands what goes on in our hearts and minds. He gives us MACARON maps to keep us hooked and dreaming.
Just 3.25" x 3.25" - perfect for pocket or purse.
 This big sheet (8.50" x 9") is too big to carry around and study at length I'm afraid.
A new Belgian company at the Paris Salon, Debailleul.
Their graphics were every bit as enticing as their chocolates. They threatened they're coming to New York.
PLEASE DO COME Debailleul.
I found Chantal Coady's THE CHOCOLATE COMPANION at the New York show. It's the chocolate map collector's dream come true - detailed descriptions. Pictures of chocolatiers' samples around the world. CHOCOLATIERS Listen up. SHOW US THE CHCOCOLATES!
What do you think of all this nonsense?
HAPPY CHOCOLATE DREAMS dear PB readers