Salon du Chocolat NYC 2025 Trip Report: Part 1 of 3

Wednesday – Day 0 (Prescott to NYC)

The day started very early as the trip to the airport takes about 2.5 hours. I awoke to news the plane was delayed by 80 minutes. As I stood in sub-freezing temps in the dark waiting for the shuttle I got news the delay had shortened to 20 minutes and they were asking for volunteers for later flights as the flight was horribly oversold. We lost those 20 minutes in traffic and I was worried that an extensive delay at security would be anxiety-provoking. Fortunately, the wait was just five minutes but the chocolate in my bag was flagged by security resulting in opening the bag, wiping down every bar to check for illegal substances, putting everything through the x-ray again, and then having to repack almost everything in the bag so I could gate check it as I was in the next-to-last boarding group and I was worried about space in the overhead. Fortunately, the flight was an easy one.

But landing in JFK is always a shock compared with many other international arrivals experiences. And, getting from the airport to the city is a ... complicated ... experience. One that can be very expensive for a single traveler. But the AirTrain to Jamaica, the E train to 53rd, and the 6 train to 86th/Lex is pretty straightforward (costing less than $12) – at least for someone who’d lived in the NYC metro area for forty years. I can’t imagine the experience of a first-time visitor whose grasp of English was tenuous.

Thursday – Day 1 (Settling In)

I planned to arrive in NYC a day early so I could get into the time zone and do some reacclimating. It’s been two years since I was last in NYC so I was interested in knowing what had changed – shops no longer there, new shops, and more.

I also wanted to visit the show during setup day, a habit I formed many years ago. I like to visit on setup day so that when I arrive on the first show day I already know where everything is. There’s also an opportunity to chat with organizers and exhibitors, which helps to frame how I approach the show. In this case, I was there as a member of the press and as someone on the advisory board for the Salon – so I was playing a dual role.

Union Square mini-tour

After episode 108 of PodSaveChocolate, I heard from several people that I had to go visit Cocoa Store for its bar selection. One of those people was ChocolateLife contributor Keith Ayoob, so we arranged to meet there at 11:00.

Chocolate in NYC | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 108

Episode 108 of #PodSaveChocolate takes a look at my first steps back in Manhattan and a search for new chocolate experiences after being away for two years. [ Updated with links ]

The Chocolate LifeClay Gordon

I arrived early so I hit up some other places in the vicinity.

1️⃣ Blue Stripes Cacao

This is the original Blue Stripes Cacao Store – but it is not owned by Oded Brenner’s company. While the name is the same as is the interior and much of the counter offerings, no Blue Stripes Cacao retail products are on sale. You will find the mix of baked goods with chocolate (Callebaut) toppings and stuffings with coffee and chocolate beverages. The nib grinder is still there, so ask for a freshly-ground hot chocolate.

2️⃣ Max Brenner

I did not go inside – I just wanted to satisfy myself that it was still there. MB is like the Rainforest Café of chocolate experiences. It’s more interesting as a dine-in experience with younger kids – take the chocolate out of the store and they’re ordinary at best.

3️⃣ Cocoa Store

As it turned out I had visited the original CocoaStore on 18th St and have known the owner, Pepi Di Giacomo, for well over a decade, hearkening back to the time she was importing/distributing Amedei. The new entrance is around the corner on Broadway. As can be seen in the photos below there is a selection of bars with what appears to be only a small overlap with what’s available at The Meadow. Bonus: Everything can be sampled and the sales help is very knowledgeable. So you’ll want to make sure to hit up both Cocoa Store and The Meadow while you’re in NYC.

Union Square to Javits

New York City is great for walking, so I walked from Union Square (roughly 14th and Broadway) to Javits at 30th St/11th Ave, even though it was a chilly, damp, and blustery day.

Along the walk from Union Square to Javits you might run across stores from well-known international makers depending on the route you take. It was not a priority for me to check out their locations and so I do not include them here – this is not meant to be an exhaustive listing.

Closing Thoughts

On a cursory inspection, it might appear that not much has changed in the two years since I was last in Manhattan. But a closer look reveals there has been a lot of change. Many fondly remembered stores that dotted the landscape of my memories are no longer there – some replaced by well-known brands, but many others new to me.

Manhattan is still Manhattan – I remembered back to my first visit back in 1983 over Thanksgiving break walking from W 74th down Broadway toward Columbus Circle and understanding why people loved and hated NYC, for the same reasons. It’s a big place and it can be impersonal and in your face at the same time, vibrating with barely contained pent-up energy that you will either find energizing or off-putting. I remembered that feeling as I experienced Manhattan for the first time in two years – both familiar and new at the same time. I feel at home, but both it and I have changed.

Parts 2 and 3

In part 2 of this series I will be talking about my experience of all three days at the Salon.

In part 3 I will be covering my time on Monday and Thursday walking around the city.