Scoping out the Display Case at Phil's on Front
By MIKE NORTON
A lot of you have commented on my recent post about the sudden explosion of chocolate shops in Traverse City. (“Time to Talk Chocolate,” March 11) Well, there’s even more news in the chocolate biz here.
Two weeks ago, some of us from the Visitor Center were down shooting photos at Phil’s on Front, Phil Murray’s new bistro/chocolate lounge down on Front Street, when we spied a big confab of local chocolatiers at a table near the front windows. We asked why all those competitors were sitting together in the same place, and Phil told us they were drawing up plans for the first ever Traverse City Chocolate Festival, which would be held sometime in April.
Well, the plans have firmed up, and here are the details: the new festival will be held Sunday, April 26 from 1-5 p.m. at the beautifully restored City Opera House. Representatives from Charles Layton Chocolates, The Chocolate Den, Chocolate Exotica, Forest Confections, Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate, Jacques Torres Chocolate and Kilwin’s of Traverse City will be on hand dispensing tasty treats from their respective shops, and author Barbara Disborough will be there to sign copies of her book, The Guide to Chocolate in the Grand Traverse Region.
In addition to all those lovely artisanal chocolates, there’ll be wine and spirits for tasting from Ciccone Vineyard & Winery, Shady Lane Cellars, Black Star Farms, Chateau Chantal, Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery, Good Neighbor Organic Winery, Leelanau Cellars, Bel Lago and Grand Traverse Distillery, as well as locally produced teas and coffees from Higher Grounds and Serenity Tea Bar and Café. Live music and chocolate-making demonstrations will round out the event, and door prizes will be drawn every half hour, donated by the City Opera House, Fischer Design, Hibbard’s Flowers and Wedding Center, The Flower Station and Evergreen Gallery & Floral.
Tickets are $15 and available from the participating chocolatiers and at the door. Proceeds from the event will go (and this is the best part) to 30 regional food banks supported by Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency.
Want more information? Contact any of the participating chocolatiers or visit their website at www.TCChocolateFest.com.
Tags: Charles Layton Chocolates, Chocolate, Chocolate Den, Chocolate Exotica, Forest Confections, Grand Traverse, Grocer's Daughter, Jacques Torres, Kilwin's, Michigan, Phil's on Front, spring, Traverse City
I saw an article in the Kalamazoo Gazette about chocolate tours in Traverse City. I am expecting a large party of friends this Summer at our Lake house in Ludington, MI and would like info on the tours for a day activity.
Thanks,
Deb
Hi, Deb!
I’m so glad you’re interested in our artisan chocolate industry! The article you saw in the Gazette was written by my good friend Kim Schneider, the travel writer for Booth Newspapers, and she did a splendid job on it. Rather than duplicate her work, I’ll just refer you to a link to her article, which includes a fine list of the chocolate shops in our area. (Almost all of them are located along Front Street, Traverse City’s main street, within easy waddling, I mean walking, distance of each other!)
http://www.mlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2009/04/traverse_city_chocolatiers_cre.html
Kim also did a great little video clip of her search among the chocolatiers: http://blog.mlive.com/traveling_coach/2009/03/traverse_city_chocolate_hunt.html
Happy hunting!
I’ll have to say I was a little disappointed with this chocolate event. I arrived and upon paying $15.00 was told there were no more plates and I would have to use a napkin. Hmm someone should have run out for plates seeing as it was only 2.00 pm. Try juggling chocolate, wine, coffee etc… The event itself was very nice, good chocolate and wine. Although the big kicker was when we tried to leave, with our plate in hand of any chocolates we couldn’t eat there, were told you can’t take it with you. What???? I just paid $15.00 and if I wanted to take it with me believe me I would. Needless to say I did take it with me and enjoy it later at home. I understand this was the first year and this was a learning process for everyone but let me give a suggestion. Buy lots of plates, (you can always return what you don’t open) and let vendors know that people are coming not just from locally but all over the state and they would appreciate to enjoy a piece of chocolate at their own leisure not just at the event.
Thanks, Deanna!
I think those are all pretty valid suggestions. Let’s hope next year’s event is more glitch-free.
Hi Mike,
So glad the chocolatiers are organizing again. I was a bit surprised though that Phil Murray and Kilwin’s did not remember being founding participants in the Chocolate Extravaganza’s that took place at the City Opera House in the ’90s. The chairwoman for those fundraising events for the restoration of the Opera House was Peg Simmons, a one woman dynamo who organized the events almost singlehandedly. She loved the interaction with the excellent and generous chocolatiers that were in our area then. Peg turns 99 years old the end of May and is still volunteering. I’m sure she loved your article in that chocolate has once again come to the forefront in downtown Traverse City.