Tweet Sweet

So one of my friends knew my obsession with Hot Cocoa… heck, half a shelf in my pantry is full of the stuff… and clipped an article out of the USA Today for me last Christmas. I just ran across it today while looking for some old paperwork and thought it a perfect Tweet Sweet blog subject.

The coolest idea I gleened from this article called “10 Great Places to Savor Exquisite Hot Chocolate” was a hot cocoa that was served in the NoMI Lounge in Chicago. Since the online version didn’t include the photo that the one clipped from the paper did, you’ll have to have a little imagination (my scanner’s not hooked up, sorry folks) but it shows 3 champaign glasses with truffles in the bottom of them. The center glass is being topped off with steaming milk. The caption reads “Steaming hot milk is poured tableside into truffle-filled liqueur glasses at the NoMI Lounge in the Park Hyatt” What an awesome way to serve hot cocoa!

The article highlights 10 warm spots to take a break from holiday shopping and savor a hot chocolate treat. Listed are:

Since I haven’t been to any of the locations mentioned, I can’t comment on them, but it’s on my list of to-do’s and to see’s!

So I found myself in Time Square last week when I was shipped out to check out our exhibit at the Interop Trade Show event. I was excited to get the opportunity to go to New York City, even though my trip would only afford me two short evenings to see what sweet trouble I could get into. But unfortunate events with my airline travel - United sucks!, caused me to lose my first evening in endless travel delays, and be clothes-less the entire next day. So needless to say, I didn’t get to any dessert shops. In New York City and no dessert shops? What a sin!

But our hotel happened to be just around the corner from the Hershey’s Time Square which was quite a display.

From the outside, the 215-ft tall, 60-ft wide store facade is the largest permanent fixture ever constructed in Times Square. Featuring 34 dimensional props, four steam machines, over 4,000 chasing lights, 30 programmable lights, 56 neon letters, 14 front-lit signs, and every major signage technique used today. Here’s the photo I took: (Notice the steaming hot cocoa)

Inside, you’ll find the perfect gifts for every occasion, including tins and jars loaded with HERSHEY’S chocolates, collectible HERSHEY’S souvenirs, HERSHEY’S clothing and toys. Believe it or not, it was CLOSED when I went to visit it at midnight, though the outside was still all lit up. One of my co-workers who stayed longer at the tradeshow got a chance to go inside, and raved about a giant jar of Hershey’s syrup and the fact that you could imprint your own message on a Hershey’s Kiss flag. Well, all I can say, is there is always next time I’m in town to check it out. Cause I don’t think a display that big is going anywhere (unless perhaps if Godzilla makes a visit again).

Any other suggestions for dessert in New York City? Something sweet, something delectable, something I’ll never forget?