| A Taste of TWI-NY: Chocolate for V-Day |
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 Laurent Richart's fab desserts line up at the Ritz Carlton for Valentine's Month The Art of ChocolateSt. Valentine's Day has been the holiday of love since the Middle Ages; it is perhaps named after a Roman martyr who was beheaded in the third century. Fortunately, most people these days don't lose their heads every February 14, but they willingly give up their hearts -- especially when those hearts are made out of chocolate. Few things go together better than chocolate, romance, and New York City; below are some of the best spots in Manhattan where you can find a whole lot of love to bring home to that person you cherish (or want to cherish).  There's chocolate everywhere you look at the Chocolate Bar in Rise These and other main courses are spread out on glass sheets on a pair of red painters’ ladders. Under the ladders are painting tools and paint, all made out of chocolate. And just to prove that there is always time for chocolate, Richard, who rides into work each day from Brooklyn on his motorcycle, has even made a large broken clock out of chocolate, with various boxes of gears around the room, as if time itself has stopped while you partake of his treats. There are also 10 petits fours to choose from – Coconut Chocolate Urchin, delicious chocolate-covered macaroons; light and airy Elephant Ears dipped in dark chocolate; Chocolate-Covered Strawberries sticking out of a chocolate tree; pretzel rods covered in M&Ms; and wonderfully textured Chocolate Passion Fruit Pates des Fruits, among others. And don’t miss out on the splendid s’mores being made fresh at the far table; Richard’s favorites are the banana marshmallows versions, but you can also go for chocolate or coconut.  Joseph Schmidt features hearts in hearts for V-Day The egg-shaped truffles, which you can’t fit in your mouth whole (and why would you want to?), have a solid bottom and a luscious inside that you’ll want to savor. We especially love the All Dark and the Chocolate Decadence; you will too. Valentine’s Day treats include either the hand-painted or satin Sweet Hearts Box of mini-truffles, heart truffles inside a dark-chocolate heart box, and the Sealed with a Kiss Lips Box of Slicks. Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland 620 Fifth Ave. at 50th St. 212-246-4416 673 Madison Ave. at 61st St. 212-751-8482 teuscher-newyork.com  Teuscher provides chocolate fantasies in Rockefeller Center A box of twelve will cost you nearly thirty bucks, but it’s worth it for a special treat. For Valentine’s Day, they have Fantasy Figures (including a love bug and a heart clown?!), Red Velvet Heart boxes of truffles (a box of sixty-nine is $185), a Puppy Love Box, and a red-foiled valentine heart flower. Richart Design et Chocolat 7 East 55th St. between Madison & Fifth Aves. Closed Sunday 212-371-9369 www.richart-chocolates.com  Richart displays chocolate art in Midtown Richart’s fineries are divided into seven categories — balsamic, fruity, herbal, spiced, roasted, citrus, and floral — and feature such flavors as Venezuela Cocoa Ganache, Hazelnut Praline, Mango/Passion Fruit, Orange Zest Coulis, and even curry, ginger, jasmine tea, rose, basil, lavender, coffee, and vanilla, as well as their new Eternelle Mediterranean Collection (saffron, fig, pistachio, and more, organized by geographic location). For Valentine’s Day this year they have introduced heart-shaped Zenitudes infused with plants and natural herbs to provide a calming, stress-free experience. Richart chocolates are so luscious, so delicate, so magnifique that each box comes with a small pamphlet to describe how best to eat each piece — how to put it in your mouth, how long to let it settle before biting into it, how best to enjoy it with what kind of wine. And each piece is topped with a cool design that identifies what is inside. In addition, Richart always has an art display on the walls, complementing the dazzling chocolate; currently, Chinyee’s abstract paintings add a little romance to the proceedings. Fauchon Paris 442 Park Ave. at 56th St. Closed Sunday 212-308-5919 fauchon.com  Fauchon serves up chocolate delights on Park Ave. Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Other options that will score more points than the standard Godiva ballotin are:
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