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Learning about Ecosystems and Chocolate By Sandra Scott |
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Travel is the best education. We experience it time and time again while we are traveling. On our drive along the coast of Connecticut we learned about the ecosystems of Long Island Sound and more about chocolate.
Watching the resident seals being fed made us realize it was time for us to have lunch so we headed to Chocopologie, on South Main Street in a revitalized – and now trendy – area of Norwalk. Chocopologie is a European-style cafe that serves light fare, including specialty coffees and teas and, of course, some of the finest chocolates in the United States. Knipschidt chocolates are handmade in the show kitchen. The owner and chocolatier, Fritz Knipschildt,
was just opening the café as we arrived. The café is decorated in
eclectic fashion with country kitchen tables, Louis XV chairs, and
leather ottomans.
“I went to flea markets and antique stores and piled up a truck with stuff I liked,” he explained. Chocopologie has a warm, friendly, bohemian ambience. Knipschildt, a native of Denmark, has made a name for himself as a master chocolatier since arriving in the U.S. in 1993. He founded Knipschildt Chocolatier LLC in 1999 and opened Chocopologie in 2005. Both Knipschildt chocolates and the cafe have been the recipient of one prestigious award after another. Bypassing the tables, my husband and I sat on stools at the counter that lines the arched aisle connecting the cafe to the chocolate kitchen. The menu is as eclectic as the décor and includes quiche, crepes, smoked salmon, and all-day breakfast. The counter is literally a window to the chocolate making process. We watched the chocolate being made and packaged. The look on the face of John, my husband, who is a true chocoholic, as he was watch the chocolate being mixed and then poured into molds caught the attention of Fritz. “Come, here is an apron and chef hat, I will give you a close-up look at chocolate making. We often do this for school groups.”
With great reluctance we left Chocopolgie and headed to Yale University in New Haven, CT, where our learning through traveling continued. Needless to say we didn’t leave empty handed. With a box of Signature Knipschidlt Chocolates we drove off knowing that we had learned more about how the best chocolate is created. Visit Chocopologie:
www.chocopologie.com, |
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Images by Sandra and John Scott. |
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In Norwalk, CT, my husband and I visited the
Maritime Aquarium, which is devoted to Long Island Sound’s
ecosystem. My husband grew up on Long Island Sound but he learned
more at the museum than he did living on the Sound. We learned
about river otters, sea stars, sand tiger sharks, and stingrays,
plus the importance of this extraordinary ecosystem that has
supported the economy and culture of the region since prehistoric
times.
After exchanging greetings, I told Knipschidlt,
“I love the fact that you have brought new life to this old building
and are making use of old furniture.”
John eagerly accepted. The tubs of chocolate
are mouthwatering, but tasting Knipschidlt chocolate is heavenly.
Everything is of the highest quality from the best raw chocolate to
the freshest creams, with no preservatives added. Nothing is left
to chance. Each phase of the process was explained with special
emphasis on the use of only the best ingredients and the fact they
everything is handmade to Knipschidlt’s high standards. Knipschidlt
knows that presentation is part of the thrill of receiving or buying
Knipschidlt chocolates. Attention to detail is the signature of
Knipschidlt chocolates, so even the chocolate boxes have an artistic
flair. Individual chocolates or Petit Fours come in boxes covered in
handmade paper insuring that the boxes with have a second life after
the chocolate is gone.