Restaurant Renaissance in Norfolk Attracts Chocophiles

New Chefs Bring New Ways to Enjoy Chocolate

Researchers report that Americans are consuming more chocolate than ever before, an annual average of 12 pounds per person. That accounts for almost half the world’s chocolate consumption.

In response to the demand for chocolate, chefs are incorporating it into a variety of new recipes and developing unique twists on the flavor that was once limited to dessert.   A wave of interest in dark chocolate and high quality fillings, like exotically flavored ganaches, has established a new image for chocolate as an upscale, indulgence for adults. Yesterday’s candy story has become a trendy chocolate boutique and chocolate appears on the most sophisticated menus in any course, from savory to sweet.

Norfolk, the historic port on the Elizabeth River that is a favorite base for families visiting nearby Jamestown and other Southern Virginia attractions, is enjoying a restaurant renaissance. Restaurants have seen an influx of talented chefs who are designing menus that meet the demand for chocolate.

Pastry Chef Kathryn Garofalo of Todd Jurich’s Bistro credited with creating the sensational Valhrona Dark Chocolate Molten Cake. (For the recipe, click here.) Chef Garofalo says she prefers working with bittersweet chocolate because of its versatility. “I can do anything from cakes and pies to mousses and decorations.”  Valhrona, the fine French brand of chocolate known for its high cocoa content, is her choice.

Vintage Kitchen at Elizabeth River Mile Marker Zero is a new restaurant, but it has an experienced chef. Phillip Craig Thomason studied in France at the revered Le Cordon Bleu and worked at the Hotel de Crillon in Paris. One of the chocolate stars on his dessert menu at Vintage Kitchen is Mocha Crème Brulee.

The fascination with chocolate includes coffee and liquors, as evidenced by the widespread consumption of morning mochas and the rising popularity of cocktails with the word “chocolate” in their descriptions. Norfolk-based, First Colony Coffee and Tea Co. has partnered with Ghirardelli to create a product line of flavors such as Chocolate Hazelnut, Chocolate Raspberry and White Chocolate Almandine. First Colony Coffee is the only vertically-integrated coffee company in the United States, growing, harvesting and roasting their coffee.

Metropolitan eatery Club Soda offers a chocolate martini.  Chocophiles can conclude their dining experience with the Chocolate Ganache, a flourless cake with a gooey chocolate Bing cherry core atop a fresh raspberry sauce and served with a Caribbean coconut sorbet.

Chocophiles on sugar-restricted diets can indulge in a sugar-free chocolate pound cake at Rowena’s Tearoom or from www.rowenas.com  After several attempts to come up with a sugar-free version of her nationally known pound cake, Rowena Fullwinder says she has devised a recipe that uses the sweetener maltitol without sacrificing any taste.

www.norfolk.va.us

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