Come see us in our new space as we welcome you to our Grand Opening Weekend, May 26-28. We haven’t gone far, but we’ve come a long way! Our new location is just across the street from the original location. We are now at 2083 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704. The Grand Opening Weekend event … Read more »
Last week I had the pleasure and honor of traveling to Ecuador. The trip was organized by Ecole Chocolat. We had a group consisting of: Gallo, our driver; Daniel, our guide (both are native Ecuadorians); Jeff of Stern’s Confections in Quito; Steve of Devries Chocolate; Paul and James our Scotsman from Cocoa Mountain; Yurin and … Read more »
On April 20-28, 2013, I traveled with a small delegation of the Colombia Support Network (CSN) to Colombia a few weeks ago. The Colombia Support Network is a national grassroots organization based in Madison, Wisconsin, with 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt status, created to provide support to Colombian communities and organizations in areas of conflict which seek … Read more »
The Eiffel Tower Earlier this month I had the extreme pleasure of visiting my favorite city: Paris! The trip also included a visit to Bruge, (no sign of Colin Farrell, darn!) and Brussels the home of some magnificent examples of Art Nouveau. Paris is truly a movable feast! On the agenda the first day was a … Read more »
Packing up chocolates and sharing a laugh with the Amazillia ladies On March 16, I left for my seventh trip to Costa Rica! It had been a year since I last saw my cacao growing friends. The first night I met with Hugo and Hubertien Hemerlink, and Julio and George of Sibu Chocolates, as well … Read more »
Aran and I at our booth This past Saturday was the 25th anniversary of the Great Taste of the Midwest! This wonderful event has been graciously sponsored by the Madison Homebrewers and Tasters Guild since 1983. It isn’t always easy to remember with an event like this, but I believe this was my 10th year … Read more »
The clouds lift at Machu Picchu Wow, where to begin? I am fresh from my first trip to Peru. For nearly three weeks in May, I witnessed amazing scenery and met wonderful people. The main purpose of my trip was to volunteer with the Becky Fund. The foundation raises money to buy and deliver school … Read more »
Cuddling with a sloth I just returned from a trip to Costa Rica. It was pura vida! This is the latest of several trips to the country. My first trip was in 2008, through an Ecole Chocolat tour that included visits to CATIE (a tropical agriculture research center), an organic cacao farm, and several smaller … Read more »
I add the spice to our Chocolate City Saison. Recently, I had the pleasure of presenting at a beer and chocolate tasting at the Marina Grand Resort in New Buffalo, Michigan. The event was in conjunction with a local chocolate festival. My friends at New Holland Brewing invited me to pair up with them again. … Read more »
A vendor displays his bottles at the Winter Fancy Food Show. There was everything a foodie could imagine. I just got back from a visit to San Francisco, a place that is like a second home to me. I got to reconnect with a dear friend there who I haven’t seen in two years. We … Read more »