[Mister Choc]

I've not had a good cup of hot chocolate in the UK. The best I've had have been in Italy and in Cafe Slavia in Prague. They are proper, dark, thick and rich with or without cream.
I now look for those chocolate churning machines on the back counter. I saw one at Carluccio's and was so happy till I got the drink. It just wasn't right. I went a couple of times to give them a chance but it got worse. It was too milky.
I tried one at Cafe Nova and it was pretty good but not rich enough.
The chocolate from Prague was from one of those churny things while the ones in Italy seemed to be the steam blasted ones from the espresso/capuccino machine.
I bought a tub of Carluccio's hot chocolate to make at home. Not good.
_________________
Cake!!! Gimme, Gimme,Gimme!

[Mister Choc]

The mall where Carluccio's and Cafe Nova are also has a lot of other such places. I might trawl through them to compare chocolate. There's a little French place, possibly Albert Roux or something, which I might try next.

The chocolate I'm thinking of is called sipping chocolate or continental chocolate.
_________________
Cake!!! Gimme, Gimme,Gimme!

[Griffin]

Mr Choc,

Have you tried Green & Black's Drinking chocolate? Or some of the others like Hotel Chocolat or the posh one who's name is eluding me at the moment and isn't Whittard's?!

Otherwise, it's cocoa and sugar/honey and a teensy bit of milk/cream. Of course you then have to work out which cocoa to get!!

Welcome to C&Z by the way.
_________________
Confusion comes fitted as standard.

[Mister Choc]

Nice to be here.

I have tried G and B. It was okay. I used to be really into Charbonnel et Walker, then I went off it. C & B is just grated chocolate.
I've currently got Carluccio's chocolate . The first time I made it it wasn't great. The second time was better.I'll get it right eventually.This one is cocoa powder.
I've seen in the shop Spanish Drinking Chocolate which I may get next.

All these thick continental drinks have cornflour in as a thickener.
You can make your own drink with cocoa powder, sugar and a bit of cornstarch.
_________________
Cake!!! Gimme, Gimme,Gimme!

[Griffin]

Charbonnel et Walker was the one I was thinking of! Pure cocoa with sugar and cream would probably do just as well too.
_________________
Confusion comes fitted as standard.

[Mister Choc]

I went to Cafe Nero. They had the chocolate that gets steamed.It was nice but the whipped cream diluted the flavour and cooled down the drink. It was called Milano chocolate

I went to a bar which did food and they had continental chocolate. So maybe it's spreading and I've not noticed.
_________________
Cake!!! Gimme, Gimme,Gimme!

[jenyfari]

The best hot chocolate I have had was actually an Atkins recipe. Can't remember exactly but I think it was called Mexican Hot Chocolate and had almond extract in it (amongst other things) which just gave it a wonderful flavor.
_________________
Paula (and sometimes Wanda) from Only Cookware
http://www.only-cookware.com/

[Lilia Dignan]

The best chocolate I've had is a cup of "Chocolat Africain" (chocolat noir) at Angelina's on rue di Rivoli in Paris. The next best thing there is the packet of chocolate mix that you take home for those cold, rainy evenings. It is so thick and rich!
-Lilia
_________________
"A man hath no better thing under the sun than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry."

[Mister Choc]

I went to a small cafe in my town, Stockport, and had a chocolate. It was just Cadburys from a catering sized tub. It was actually alright. It had some foam on top.
Tomorrow I'm making some Charbonnel et Walker made with a bit of double cream. I have one of those electric frothers which might really make it thicken up. I might end up falling asleep after.
_________________
Cake!!! Gimme, Gimme,Gimme!

[madameshawshank]

oh Mister Choc chocolate-coated thanks for the chocolate post..and anything that brings King Chocolate Griffin on board is always a treat!!!

I add my welcome..

agree about the Italian hot chocolate...that wondrous stuff so thick it's almost like mud...

Vita Sackville-West used a brown ink ...someone said her writing was like a chocolate scrawl...am tempted to begin handwriting letters again..the idea of chocolate letters..ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

a dear friend of mine is coming to the end of a rather difficult time...soon a party of celebration...I said I'd make the dessert/cake...and the must-have ingredient I asked her...chocolate! well, indeed..

chocolate-coated hugs this day
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

[msue]

There's a place in my town called Chocolate Secrets. It is the kind of place where your knees almost buckle when you walk in the front door. I almost crashed my car across four lanes of traffic the first time I saw their sign.

Cases holding neat rows of chocolates meet you as you enter. The locally produced chocolates are fat and sprawling, full of various additions like nuts, coconut, and pieces of fruit. But the front and center chocolates are smaller, more elegant, and, most exotically, are French. Even the employees speak mostly French, and have a quizzical look if you should speak in a drawl (not that that ever happens)! At least one night a week, a perfectly dressed woman floats through the store, offering to teach French lessons to customers.

They also make a hot chocolate, or maybe they call it a drinking chocolate. I'm waiting to try it until we have a cold day here - hopefully in a few months.

Oh, now I have it on my mind...maybe a trip over there today might not be such a bad idea.

[madameshawshank]

msue...oh how I long to visit there!...anywhere in Texas perhaps?
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

[msue]

Definitely in Texas! I pass by there on the way to and from work, and I have to wrestle with the steering wheel not to automatically pull into a parking place. I've learned to practice restraint, tenuous at best.

They offer a wine and chocolate pairing - for only $25 you are able to indulge in multiple ways.

mustnotthinkaboutit, mustnotdrool, mustnotthinkaboutit, etc.

[gingerpale]

Madame--lol--when I read about the "floating" woman I immediately thought of you-- (the image just fit !)

msue--could this have been a dream? If not, do they sell online?

[msue]

Dreamy, but not a dream. It doesn't seem like the sort of place that sells online, but I'm not sure.

Their link: http://www.chocolatesecrets.net