Marion St. Cheese Market Gouda [Chocolate] Bar

I visited Marion Street Cheese Market for the first time last week, and among the treats I took home was a Dark Chocolate Gouda Bar, made by the house chocolatier (don't know the name of this person)--56% cacao with L'Amuse gouda and (not on the label) walnuts, I believe. This is my new favorite candy bar.



Since it was my first visit to Marion Street, I was just trying to pick up a variety of items. It was actually the somewhat garish coloring of the Gouda Bar that caught my eye. The cheese and chocolate combination was also completely foreign to me. In other words, I was intrigued even if skeptical. (My photo is of a half-eaten bar because I really wasn't sure that it'd be worth documenting.)

It's difficult to explain the taste, but it was revelatory. I couldn't detect the cheese immediately--it sort of crept up on me (granted, the effect could be because I've kept the bar in the refrigerator and not had the patience for it to come closer to room temperature before eating). The chocolate is the perfect darkness, and L'Amuse, which I haven't had by itself, adds a buttery dimension to the bar like milk chocolate can have, but it's better (and still firmly in the dark chocolate bar category). The taste of the cheese made me think, too, of a darker caramel, which one might guess would overwhelm the chocolate, but the whole thing is surprisingly well balanced and yummy. I wish I had bought more than one (hence the rationing), but I look forward to a return visit for more Gouda Bars and to try Marion Street's other chocolates.

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In Russia, and in several of the Russian / Georgian shops on Devon, children are regularly placated with shokolodniy syr, which is chocolate-covered cheese. This product can range from simple cream cheese studded with currants and coated in a thin layer of crispy chocolate to an overwhelming funky-tangy brick of dark chocolate. In both cases, there is a clear exterior and interior with a "filling." I haven't had the bar from Marion Street - is there a cheese "center," or is the cheese melted right in to the chocolate? Was it refrigerated when you bought it?

Mmmm.. chocolate cheese...

When I was a kid, we went to some outdoors/fishing/boat show in Michigan. There were a few people selling food- someone had a table with samples of Chocolate Cheese. I tried it, and then bought a big chunk of it. It was like fudge- kind of like Mackinac Island fudge, but with a tangy and rich undertone. I ate the ENTIRE package before we left the show, and felt thorougly sick afterwards.

I don't know what exactly it was, but was compelled to do some googling after reading your post. Maybe this is what I ate? It was really addictive...

Santander wrote:I haven't had the bar from Marion Street - is there a cheese "center," or is the cheese melted right in to the chocolate?

OK, so I have a big correction to make. I finally had some of the Gouda Bar at room temp and in the light of day. What I thought were walnuts are actually pieces of L'Amuse. Some pieces are the sized of chopped walnuts, others much smaller, but the taste of the cheese seems to infuse the entire bar (which is why I thought the Gouda had been melted in and the pieces something else). I don't know if there is such a thing as chocolate cheesecake, but that's kind of how the bar tastes to me today, if cheesecake were made with really good cheese and dark chocolate.

Santander wrote:Was it refrigerated when you bought it?

I'm pretty sure it was. It came from a glass case, but I just piled it with the cheese purchases I was holding and didn't take note of whether the chocolate itself was cold.

emdub wrote:Mmmm.. chocolate cheese...

Maybe this is what I ate? It was really addictive...

I have a colleague who regularly goes up to MSU and brings me back cheese. I'll have to make a specific request for his next trip! Again, the description of chocolate cheese doesn't sound all that appealing to me, but neither did the Gouda Bar. I'm expanding my horizons...

This sounds really...interesting. I love cheese and chocolate so I'm sure I'd be up for it.

Santander - want to drop a bar off in-between home and work?

I don't think this has been reported on LTH yet, but I have some very sad news--I learned yesterday that Marion Street Cheese Market no longer has an in-house chocolatier, and therefore the Gouda Bar is no more. I hope my original post got at least a few people to try it for it was one fine candy bar.

Marion Street instead now carries Rich, Flora and Gail Ambrosius chocolate. I don't know anything about the first two chocolate makers except that in taste, their chocolate seems no better or worse than Marion Street's previous non-Gouda Bar offerings (which didn't impress me). As for Gail Ambrosius, I am hereby declaring myself President of her just-created by me, right now Chicago fan club.