Leonidas: Belgian Chocolates in Chicago

LEONIDAS

Belgian Praline in Chicago

Today is Saint Nicholas day and as I sit here, contemplating the dreary, Belgian-like sky above us here in Chicago this morning, my thoughts turn to the very amusing festivities surrounding this small holiday that I got to witness several times while living in Belgium... Saint Nick, in his bishop's garb, accompanied by Zwarte Piet ('Black Peter'), bursting into lecture halls and having some fun at the cost of otherwise unapproachable professors... And of course, the treats that one gave and received, placed in shoes in a normal domestic setting, or otherwise hidden away by someone dear, in the mailbox, in the pocket of a coat left unattended...

The most typical treats, at least to my mind, are nuts, oranges -- and especially Clementines which have only just appeared on the market for the occasion -- and chocolate.

Belgian chocolate is famous and for good reason. Basic bars by Callebaut or Cote d'Or are excellent and , of course, there are then the many shops that produce bonbons, especially praline. In addition to the simple independent chocolatiers all over the country and the exquisite and expensive independent makers in the major cities, there are also three large Belgian chains, the more famous and widespread of which in the States are, I believe, Neuhaus and especially Godiva. But in Belgium, the best regarded of the chains, at least among the becs fins that I know, is Leonidas.

Leonidas chocolates are available outside Belgium at a number of locations around the world, including Chicago. I believe the products are flown in regularly from Belgium and, in the case of some of their praline, especially the fabulous manons blancs/witte manons, freshness is very much an issue. They are not cheap and when I compare the price here with what I used to pay in Belgium (BF 250 or ca. $5-8 for 1/2 kilo), I flinch, but they are worth it. A pound is about $30; you can purchase various sizes of premade assortments or make your own assortment. Amata and I are especially fond of the aforementioned manons (with or without walnut), the buches, the gianduja... Well, they're all pretty swell.

Eet smakelijk,
Antonius

Leonidas
231 South LaSalle Street
in the Bank America Building, southside (by Jackson) of the ground floor
enter from LaSalle or Clark

8-6 Mon-Fri

http://www.leonidaschocolate.com/

My last employer had its European office in Brugge and we often received Leonidas Chocolate. Then my friend worked in the US Embassy in Belgium. Great stuff.

I *thought* that they had a shop at either Woodfield or O'Hare at one point.

A friend needed a source for corporate gifts, so Saturday we headed to Belgian Chocolatier Piron, 509 Main Street, Evanston (1/2 block east of Chicago - which is the northern extension of Clark St. in Chicago) (847) 864 5504 - it's a good idea to call first, so they can tell you when the tiny place won't be completely jammed with customers ordering for the holidays. The owner, Bob Piron, studied chocolate-making in Belgium and has won numerous awards for his chocolate skills.

They don't have a website (it's a very small place) but here's an info link:

http://www.evanstonroundtable.com/rt200 ... 1/hot.html

My friend ordered a selection of 9 different chocolates, served in a dark chocolate edible candy dish.

All the chocolates there are flavor-intense, and it's all made exclusively from Callebaut Chocolate. From the storefront, you can peek into the back to see the chocolates being made.

I tried Leonidas for the first time last Christmas, purchased from their Georgetown (DC) shop. They were good, but they didn't seem that special to me. I don't recall exactly what I got--some mixture of truffles, I suppose. My fancy chocolate experiences are, I suppose, relatively few and far between, so it's hard to make one-to-one comparisons, but I really like Piron. My favorite truffles are made by Christopher Norman, and are available at Fox and Obel.

Cheers,

Aaron

Oh, goodness. It's madeleine time pour moi. As a poor student doing a year-abroad in '79 we lived very very cheap. Home made toasted cheese sandwiches, salad, Cadbury's from vending machines and scotch eggs from pubs or corner markets were our staples. But somewhere I discovered Leonidas chocolates. They were flown in 2-3 times per week and I allowed my self 1/4 lb. a couple of times a month. Haven't had them since. Oh boy.

BULLETIN: the Leonidas Chocolate Cafe in Wilmette has moved, and is now on Central St. in Evanston, just west of Green Bay Road and east of Prairie Avenue, about a block away from the Spice House. Sweet!

1907 Central St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 686-0910

Leonidas-USA.com

nr706 wrote:A friend needed a source for corporate gifts, so Saturday we headed to Belgian Chocolatier Piron, 509 Main Street, Evanston (1/2 block east of Chicago - which is the northern extension of Clark St. in Chicago) (847) 864 5504 - it's a good idea to call first, so they can tell you when the tiny place won't be completely jammed with customers ordering for the holidays. The owner, Bob Piron, studied chocolate-making in Belgium and has won numerous awards for his chocolate skills.

They don't have a website (it's a very small place)...

They do now, website of Belgian Chocolatier Piron

I just realized it has been ages since I've purchased any fine chocolates.

Closest was the Red Fire Bar made by Vosges Haut-Chocolat, it contained: Mexican ancho & chipotle chillies + Ceylon cinnamon + dark chocolate, 55% cacao

I had a chocolate croissant here the other day which was fairly raw inside. As a small business owner, I struggle as to whether to address these types of things or just let them go. However, I do think of a croissant as the benchmark of a good French bakery, and I personally feel that I would really like to know if something is wrong at my shop so I can address it. I think it is fair to give the owner a chance to fix this first, before posting anything. So I decided to let the owner know, maybe the oven is not working properly or the new hire was not trained yet, who knows. I brought the croissant up to the counter so she could see what I was talking about. Her response was, "That is how they are supposed to be, the French like them that way and you Americans aren't used to them that way". Oh and at the end she did add a less than sincere sounding Thank You. I guess from now on, I will be getting croissants from bakeries where they are cooked until not still dough as we Americans like them, like La Fournette or Cellar Door Provisions.

I had a chocolate croissant here the other day which was fairly raw inside. As a small business owner, I struggle as to whether to address these types of things or just let them go. However, I do think of a croissant as the benchmark of a good French bakery, and I personally feel that I would really like to know if something is wrong at my shop so I can address it. I think it is fair to give the owner a chance to fix this first, before posting anything. So I decided to let the owner know, maybe the oven is not working properly or the new hire was not trained yet, who knows. I brought the croissant up to the counter so she could see what I was talking about. Her response was, "That is how they are supposed to be, the French like them that way and you Americans aren't used to them that way". Oh and at the end she did add a less than sincere sounding Thank You. I guess from now on, I will be getting croissants from bakeries where they are cooked until not still dough as we Americans like them, like La Fournette or Cellar Door Provisions.

I just spent 10 days in France (Paris and Caen) and every morning had croissant and pain au chocolat which were baked through. Not a doughy center to be found in several establishments I visited.

Davooda

I guess from now on, I will be getting croissants from bakeries where they are cooked until not still dough as we Americans like them, like La Fournette or Cellar Door Provisions.

Or Bennison's Bakery. Keep it hyperlocal.

Better still, Patisserie Coralie - best in town!

Well, from raw inside to overdone. The LDC just dropped in Leonidas for the first time, curious about it since there was a Leonidas shop just across the street from our hotel in Paris. She got an almond croissant which we split. The outside was a deep dark brown, the hallmark of a quite overdone croissant. To our surprise, the inside was excellent. Not very almond-y, perhaps, but far better inside than the exterior promised. The outer couple layers, while not burnt, were quite clearly overdone, though. I guess that, though I find them pricey, it's back to Coralie for my croissant fix. They may cost $3 (we routinely bought excellent ones for $1.25 in Paris a month ago) but once in a while, you just crave the real thing.