Online & Wholesale

Arte y Chocolate bonbons and barks (Photo by John Anderson)

Arte y Chocolate

Arte y Chocolate is named in tribute to the raw chocolate that comes from Central America and to demonstrate the owners' desire to pair chocolate with art. Austin native Krystal Craig and New Yorker Lila Browne met in 2004 and put their mutual interest and experience together to form a fine-chocolate company. They spent a year researching the best chocolates, equipment, trends, techniques, and people in the industry. With technical advice from Jacques Torres and inspiration from the work of Jean Pierre Wybauw, Arte y Chocolate was born in 2005.

AYC's handcrafted products use dark chocolate from El Rey, Valrhona, and Schokinag. Many of the chocolates are covered with beautiful printed patterns whose colors and designs hint at the flavors inside. They use 24-karat edible gold; luster dusts; dried flowers; organic ingredients like butter, cream, flavoring oils, toppings, and honey; candied orange and lemon peel from Paris; feuillantines from Belgium; and local ingredients such as Tito's Handmade Vodka and Ruta Maya coffee. A variety of vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free products is available.

For Valentine's Day, AYC is offering chocolate barks such as pink peppercorn-caramel, toffee-almond, cinnamon-pecan, and coffee-crepe crunch (3-ounce bags, $6.50; 4-ounce bags, $8.50). Bonbon assortments include raspberry, cognac-marzipan, PatisFrance orange peel, full-bodied espresso, blackberry, gardenia, and lavender honey with peanut butter (available in eight-, 12-, and 16-piece boxes, $18, $26, and $34, with larger sizes available).

AYC products are available online and at Talulah Bleu Tarrytown Florist, 2815 Exposi­tion, and Prima Dora, 1912 S. Congress. AYC is currently building a retail facility on Hamil­ton Pool Road, scheduled to open next summer. – MM Pack