Customer Reviews

The Chocolate Guide: To Local Chocolatiers, Chocolate Makers, Boutiques, Patisseries and Shops - Western Edition

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What frustrates me most about this book is that it's a real good idea that was poorly executed. It is poorly organized and much of the information is incomplete.

Don't expect to find contact information (e.g., phone numbers or web site addresses) for any but a small handful of featured companies. Instead, be prepared to spend some time on-line looking this information up.

Why?

It's also not clear why some companies are not only featured but are treated to multiple-page spreads of useless pictures. The room wasted on those pictures would have been more than enough to accommodate all of the information that is missing that should be there.

Notwithstanding these objections, the book does contain a list of lots of different chocolatiers and chocolate makers you should probably know about - if you like chocolate. However, the editors and publishers seem to have gone out of their way to make it difficult to use the information they do provide.

Sadly executed, vastly overpriced collection of bad sepia photographs and ad copy printed on poor quality paper. Very little text. Many entries are nothing more than name, address, phone number, and website. There are actual descriptions of approximately forty chocolatiers, most of which are in New York City, Chicago, Massachusetts, or the DC area. In a guide to "local chocolatiers" many mass market chocolate manufacturers, with nationwide distribution, such as Lindt, Vosges, Divine, Lake Champlain, and Asher's are featured. Most chocolate aficionados already would be familiar with these. The guide purports to cover the east, but there are no chocolatiers at all listed for Maryland, Delaware, Georgia, South Carolina, and many other eastern states. The authors, however, did find space to feature California wineries, the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon, and pictures of the founders of Putumayo World Music and Perfumer Yosh Han. I expected more comprehensive listings of local chocolatiers (such as Kirchmayer in Maryland), not pictures of perfumers and world music promoters. The book includes numerous ads, e.g., Tim's Chocolate Mission, Taste TV (with so many ads, this overpriced and flimsy book should be a free promotional item), but no index. Save your money!

If you take your chocolate seriously (as I do), you'll appreciate the time and thought that went into the selections in this guide. As someone who enjoys sharing fine chocolates as gifts, it's wonderful to find those one of a kind sources who create memorable taste experiences. With it's elegant photography, this book is the perfect hostess gift or holdiay gift for the chocolate connoisseur in your office or family.

The Chocolate Guide: To Local Chocolatiers, Chocolate Makers, Boutiques, Patisseries and Shops - Eastern Edition

Very interesting chocolate picks, if you love chocolate this is the book for you, well taken black and white images, thoughtful design. Try it you'll like it.

All the best,
Gerry

There's never been another book like this before, and it is lovely to look at. All the photographs make me want to dive into chocolate or get the web and contact the chocolatier to send me samples. The concept of making it a region by region edition is usefuly, because when you're in a certain area you know just where to go. Plus, there's no snobbery in the presentation of the chocolatiers, no ratings system, and no piece by piece deconstruction of what makes chocolate good. It's just a guide for those who love great and undiscovered chocolate.

The Chocolate Guide will probably sit right next to my monitor for constant reference for quite a while to come! For those who do their chocolatier-explorations on foot, it's a good sized book to tuck into your purse or backpack.

One of the most useful, concise-yet-info-packed books on finding the good chokkies yet!

[...]

If you really want to know about chocolate, this is the book. It's not only beautiful but informative. I loved the fact that it answered the questions I had and the ones I didn't even know I had. It is really complete. It's the kind of book you keep returning to, almost like that favorite cook book that has the recipes that you know never fail. I definitely recommend it.

There are very few people in the world who do not like chocolate. "The Chocolate Guide: To Local Chocolatiers, Chocolate Makers, Boutiques, Patisseries and Shops - Eastern Edition" is a guide to all things chocolate up and down the eastern seaboard of the United States. Every region has its own spin on the beloved treat, and each being a culinary delight to the taster's senses. For the traveler who loves chocolate and trying new varieties, "The Chocolate Guide" is highly recommended.