The 2011 Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon Offered Great Chocolate, Little Luxury
By: Janice Harper
Published: May 16, 2011

This weekend was a chocolate addict’s Love Fest in Seattle, beginning with the Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon on Saturday and ending with Chocolopolis' Serious Chocolate Contest on Sunday.  The Luxury Salon was sold out days in advance and every table of truffles and chocolate treats was so mobbed with crazed chocoholics snatching up chili-infused chocolates and basil-laced truffles that you would have thought you’d stumbled into a bankers’ banquet offering up free samples of cold hard cash.  It was nearly impossible to sample every chocolate, and even more difficult to strike up a conversation with a chocolatier, given than they were the rock stars of the day and in greater demand than Playboy Bunnies at a politicians’ convention.  
	I was particularly impressed by a spicy and elegant Veracruz Orange pyramid by Seattle Chocolate’s J.Truffles Line (“I flavored the courverture,” chocolatier Neil  Campbell confided in me, a tip for all you chocolate makers out there), while La Chatelaine offered a distinctive flavor selection and Coco Tutti  Confections had some of the loveliest chocolates – but getting close enough to taste them was such a battle that by the time I did, I lunged at the chocolates as if they were crumbs of bread left for a starving prisoner of war.  One of the newest lines of chocolates was presented by catering Chef Michael Poole who from the looks of his chocolates and the few tastes I could snatch up, just might give some of his competitors a run for their money if he continues to extend his culinary artistry to his new love of chocolate making.
	The swarms of people crowded into a single room and the few talks that were scheduled later in the afternoon weren’t alluring enough to hold my attention, however, as much as I would have enjoyed attending in a less chaotic environment.  Let’s hope next year’s salon provides demonstrations and talks throughout the day, a program (if there was one, I didn’t see it and I certainly looked for one, it’s quite possible they ran out shortly after the event began), a more clearly presented and structured judging platform, and a less carnival-like atmosphere so that we can all really enjoy a festive day of chocolate.  Great idea, but just too many people in too small a space with too few demonstrations to justify the price and time in this writer’s view.