IF YOU GO
Place: Chuao Chocolatier.Address: 70 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables.Contact: 305-448-2335, ChuaoChocolatier.com.Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, until 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Special Sunday hours this weekend.Prices: Truffles $2.25 by the piece, boxes $19-$67, cocoa mix $18.This is the time of year when hearts pound a little harder in anticipation of Valentine's Day -- the candlelit dinner, the red roses and, of course, the box of chocolates.
To really wow that special person in your life, head to Chuao (pronounced chew-WOW) Chocolatier on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. The beautiful boutique with frosted glass windows has glass-topped counters where bonbons and truffles are arranged like jewels. Large carved wood cacao pods are scattered about, and shelves hold bags and boxes of cocoa powder, nibs, flavor bars, cocoa pods (small oval-shaped chocolates) and chocolate-covered nuts, orange peel and candied ginger.
Chuao was founded five years ago in Southern California by brothers Michael and Richard Antonorsi, who named it for a river valley in the central coastal highlands of their native Venezuela that has been famous for cacao for centuries. (A map of the region comes in each box of chocolates.)
Michael crafts the innovative sweets and Richard does the marketing and accounting. They buy bars of chocolate made from criollo beans, the most expensive type, with the best aroma and flavor. The chocolate is tempered and conched (mixed) and the candies crafted in California.
You can wow your sweetie with a box of bonbons in unexpected flavors. Among the most delectable are Le Citron (Meyer lemon puree and mint-infused caramel), heart-shaped Parchita (passion fruit caramel) in milk or dark chocolate, Noccello (hazelnut butter cream), Modena (strawberry caramel with balsamic vinegar), Zen (green tea-infused ginger ganache) and Melao (salt butter caramel).
Orange blossom honey ganache is coated in dark chocolate and rolled in powdered sugar to make honey truffles. Almond truffles have a hazelnut and almond praline center and a coating of milk chocolate and crushed nuts. Wild truffles are simply dark chocolate ganache rolled in cocoa powder.
All can be nested in boxes of various sizes and tied with red ribbons, but the most elegant choice is the $67 jewelry box (two tiers with a little drawer). A ring could replace one of the 32 chocolates for anyone planning to pop the question.
The Antonorsis chose South Florida for their first out-of-state venture because they thought our Latin flavor was a good match for their spicy chocolates. (A bestseller is the Maya bar with chile and cinnamon.)
A Caracas couple, Phillip and Maria Vonk, opened the Coral Gables shop four months ago in an old art-gallery space. They offer small cups of hot chocolate to customers and plan to serve desserts and coffee soon.
The shop also offers chocolate and wine pairings. And speaking of wine, your can't go wrong with a heart-shaped box of champagne truffles.
Linda Bladholm's latest book is Latin and Caribbean Grocery Stores Demystified.
