Never content with simply producing a fantastic line of bean-to-bar chocolate, Naive founder and chocolate maker Domantas Uzpalis instead opts for continual reinvention. In 2017, Naive released three brand new, conceptually ambitious chocolate collections: Forager, Equator, and Nano\_Lot. While each collection offers a different approach to craft chocolate, together they make up the Lithuanian innovator’s grand vision for the future of cacao.
This year’s all-star culinary lineup includes Alexa Norlin of Normal Ice Cream, Alicia Pacheco of The Rose Establishment, Manoli Katsanevas of Manoli’s, Courtney McDowell of Pallet Bistro, and Chefs Seth Adams and Mark Peterson of The Riverhorse on Main. These talented chefs will showcase the multilayered, complex flavors and aromas found in Naive’s bars with unique gastronomic applications both sweet and savory. The evening will also offer wine and spirits from Francis Fecteau and Waterpocket Distillery, craft cocktails from Beehive Bitters and Sugar House Distillery, and brewed-to-order coffee from La Barba Coffee Roasters.
“Being an artisan is partially art and partially science. While some more technical chocolate makers may point out the flaws in Naive, I will acknowledge them, but also point out the resulting beauty,” says Caputo’s CEO and chocolate expert Matt Caputo. “Domantas is an artist, not in the least bit concerned with chasing someone else’s ideal. I can’t think of a chocolate more filled with soul.”
The sixth annual Caputo’s Chocolate Festival takes place on Wednesday, November 8th, beginning at 7:00 PM, at the downtown Caputo’s Market & Deli. Space is limited, and tickets must be purchased in advance. All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Initiative.
About Heirloom Cacao Preservation:
The HCP is a non-profit collaboration between the Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to genetically identify strains of cacao that are extraordinary and unique in flavor and quality and preserve them in the face of an agricultural system that is quickly killing them off. For more information, visit [http://www.finechocolateindustry.org/hcp](http://www.finechocolateindustry.org/hcp).
About Chocolate Naive:
Naive is rooted in Lithuania’s Old World agriculture, harvesting wild ingredients from some of the world’s most pristine forests to create distinctly Eastern European chocolate. The innovative brand’s three different collections of bars each showcase different flavors and unique approaches to chocolate making.
Cost:
Chocolate Fest without Pairings: $40.00
Chocolate Fest with Pairings: $60.00
Tickets available at: https://caputos.com/class/chocolate-fest-2017/