Cheryl Shops

Website of the week*
Sometimes, especially during, shall we say, certain times of the month, we ladies need the chocolate. Okay, I pretty much always need it, but right now I am dying for it. But instead of throwing on my shoes and trenchcoat and running downstairs to the bodega to score some low-grade Twix (hey, man, there's a freakin' noreaster outside!), I've decided to torture myself by looking at the website for Vosges Haut Chocolat, one of my favorite places in NYC to satisfy my fix. (I happen to live right around the corner from Chocolate Bar, which will work in a pinch, but Vosges is a destination.) Now, Vosges made its name by creating such unusual chocolates as Tuscan fennel pollen, balsamic vinegar, Ancho chili, and Red Stripe Beer. While these are fun and exciting for the adventurous chocolate eater or foodie, I think they probably only sound like a good idea when you're stoned. You can get a sampling of both the crazy (ginger & wasabi) and the tame (Mexican vanilla bean) in the Dark Chocolate Truffle Collection, or an even less adventurous (but equally good) selection with the Milk Chocolate Truffle Collection (love that Dulce de Leche). For the hot chocolate purists (my friend ES comes to mind), they have an excellent collection of ultra-creamy Couture Cocoas (yes, it's $79 for three flavors, but I guarantee this is some of the best hot chocolate you'll ever have). But even with all this crazy-good chocolate, I must say, my favorite thing in the whole store is the Caramel Toffee. Now, I make a mean toffee (known affectionately as "Treat"), but I once received a box of this stuff as a thank-you present from a publicist, and it was so good, I nearly fell out of my chair. I then made the mistake of saying, "Oh my god, you guys have to try this stuff!" to my coworkers and watched it all disappear in a matter of seconds. But right now, the thing that sounds the best to me is the Caramel Marshmallow--marshmallows sandwiching caramel, walnuts, and pecans, covered in dark chocolate. Yum. Oh, if only they delivered. I'm now off to chew on my arm until bedtime. If, tomorrow morning, you see a crazy woman in a pink bathrobe with chocolate smeared all over her face, staggering down Spring Street, well, that will be me.

*No, I was not stoned while writing this entry.