CHOCOLATE, AND HER MANY LOVE AFFAIRS

Chocolate is having a new love affair; she is indulging her attraction to all things exotic and foreign, and her latest lover is a swine. Well, this may sound petty and jealous, but it is no word of a lie. Of all the ingredients in the world, chocolate has embraced bacon, and together they have created a delicious yet unexpected union of savory and sweet. While some may turn up their noses at this mixed marriage, many others are jumping on board and celebrating this unlikely pairing.

Vosges Haut-Chocolat, a new-world chocolatier, has produced several love children from this coupling: Mo’s Bacon Bars, fraternal twins, one a creamy milk chocolate, the other a deep, dark chocolate; and their younger brothers, Bacon Caramel Toffees and Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix — the list goes on in this love affair.

The brainchild of Cordon Bleu-trained chef Katrina Markoff, Vosges Haut- Chocolat has many stores in the U.S., including a flagship in the heart of New York’s SoHo neighborhood. Here, on display in a sumptuous purple environment that recalls a very feminine boudoir, are all of Markoff’s creations. Her recipes find their inspiration in world cultures, fusing indigenous spices, flowers, roots and herbs, and she delicately mixes them with premium chocolate.

At Vosges, there are many other delicious savory and sweet combinations to tempt the palate, such as the Naga Bar, a mix of Indian curry and coconut blended elegantly with 41% milk chocolate, or the Barcelona Bar, with its hickory smoked almonds and fleur de sel sea salt. The latter was likely inspired by Markoff’s apprenticeship under Ferran Adria. The Truffle list is varied, with parfums like Taleggio cheese, balsamic vinegar, star anise and a host of other innovative flavor pairings.

While on the subject of pairings, these chocolates have passed through such gorgeous lips as Isabella Rossellini's, and such talented ones as Bruce Springsteen's; surely they deserve to pass yours?

In the same vibrant part of New York, just down the block and around the corner, is MarieBelle, which provides another unexpected chocolate experience among the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple. In 2000, Mariebel Lieberman, a self-taught chef, opened a shop to sell her chocolates, as well as eyeglasses designed by her best friend, Selima Salaun. It was aptly named Lunettes et Chocolat. The popularity of the chocolates encouraged Lieberman to venture out and open her flagship store in SoHo.

When you step off the busy sidewalk of Broome Street into MarieBelle, you leave behind the car horns and clatter and are transported into an environment that feels more like the Left Bank of Paris, or a café in Argentina. The rich smell of chocolate floats in the air, the voice of Louis Armstrong scratches from the sound system.

The front of the store is like a jewelry boutique. Each chocolate is like a precious jewel, with a delicate design on top of each dark-chocolate square. The packaging is almost as delicious as what’s inside, and has given the brand a memorable and iconic image. If Vosges Haute Chocolat is the new world of chocolate experiences, MarieBelle is the essence of old-world elegance and refinement.

At the rear of the shop is the café, where vintage movies are screened with no sound — a lovely nod to a bygone era that creates an ambiance of sheer poetry. There are many treats to choose from on the varied menu; you can order a light lunch, or just a sweet cake or biscuits with tea, but surely the most decadent choice is one of the 18 hot chocolates. You may have yours prepared with milk or with water, however, water is strongly recommended as the lactic acids in milk counteract the antioxidant properties in the chocolate. The hot chocolate is perhaps the thickest and richest you will find anywhere.

There is no need to feel divided between these two chocolatiers: If you should be in New York, you simply must visit both places and decide for yourself whether you prefer the new-world order of Vosges Haute Chocolat or the classic elegance of MarieBelle.