#artisanal-chocolate

#artisanal-chocolate

This year, the American public is expected to blow $29 billion on Valentine's Day, according to the National Retail Federation. That's $1.5 billion more in consumer spending than 2025 somehow, against all odds, the country is in the mood for lovin'. Some of that money will go toward flowers, spa treatments and classy dinners, some no doubt toward lingerie and boxers. And a lot will go toward chocolate. After the winter holidays, Valentine's is the busiest time of year for most chocolate shops.

Plenty of chocolate brands carry bars in flavors like peppermint, coffee, sea salt, orange, and almond. These are tried and true combinations that have pleased consumers for years by complementing the bitterness of cacao with sweet, salty, tangy, sour, and sometimes even spicy elements. But have you ever bit into a chocolate bar infused with kumquat? Or savored a bar filled with black glutinous rice?

The family-owned brand, which traces its origins back more than 350 years to Paris, is unveiling its first-ever New York boutique: a milestone moment for a chocolatier that's long prided itself on marrying old-world craftsmanship with modern indulgence. Located on the sixth floor of Macy's Herald Square, the new shop transforms a corner of the historic department store into a full-fledged chocolate destination, inviting visitors to sample, shop and savor its artisanal creations.