UPDATE September 2011: Chocolat has changed ownership, and is in fact no longer called Chocolat but Shockolat or something similar. I haven’t tried it under the new ownership and cannot confirm it’s as good as this was.
Dang, I am sick, thanks to a houseguest last week who shall not be named. Yes, like Voldemort. I have been consuming Kleenex at an ungodly pace. But that’s no excuse! It’s lovely, chilly and really sunny outside so I will have to force myself outside a bit more. Exercise is good for a cold, no?
I wrote about doing a Tour del Gelato a few weeks ago and have had to take on this “difficult” task mainly alone. I force Sante out with me, but it’s like pulling teeth to try ice cream everywhere. Heh.
We made our way through the Garibaldi area, then Brera, and then I “maneuvered” him over to the Cadorna area, where I knew there was a gelateria in the area I had heard about.
It’s called Chocolat, and when I stepped inside, I immediately noticed something (besides the people all crowded around the display case). All the people working inside are Indian or African…or chocolat.
I wasn’t sure how to take this, to be honest. If the owner is Indian or African and these are friends/family/etc, it’s kitsch and I guess I forgive them. If the owner is Italian and/or they hire people just based on color, it’s screwed up.
Before I jumped to too many conclusions, I decided to focus on the real reason I came: The Gelato.
The inside of Chocolat is interesting – there is a bar on the left side for coffee (with a piece of chocolate at the bottom), a few different fudgy-looking chocolate cakes and a selection of “bar” drinks you may need to wash down your selection. Though I didn’t see a big vat of milk and a fire hose attached to it, which in my opinion would have been the most effective offering.
On the right side there are a few small tables for seating but you really have to squeeze in there so often people spill out onto the street as seen above. What surprised me, and I didn’t notice until quite later, was that there was a small second floor with seating that was visible through some glass panels that looked down on the lower floor. It’s hard to say how big the seating area was upstairs, I’m guessing for about 10 people.
They have a selection of about 20 flavors which I believe vary continuously. Chocolat is of course known for its chocolate flavors and those vary as well – Orange Chocolate, Hot Pepper Chocolate, Cinnamon Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Amaretto Chocolate (the cookie, not the liquor) and Hazelnut Chocolate are some of the flavors I’ve seen.
In the end I decided to go with Cioccolato fondente, dark chocolate, Fior di Latte, Milk flavor, and Cioccolato con Pepperoncini, Chocolate with Hot Pepper. I am very into dark chocolate lately – something about flavor extremes are calling me as I’m into that, a lot of hot pepper and gorgonzola in this period.
Sante got his standard Pistacchio and Nocciola, hazelnut, which were both very very good for not being chocolate flavors.
I chose Fior di Latte because knew I shouldn’t get all chocolate flavors, but in the end I should have picked a flavor that could stand on its on and therefore contrast better with the chocolate flavors. Even though the 3 flavor serving was still very small, it seemed like too much for me as I struggled to finish it. Two flavors, one being chocolate, would have been a better idea as their chocolate is really rich and lives up to its name.
Chocolat (they have a website but there’s only a coming soon)
via Boccaccio, 9 – Milano (MI) : [Metro Red/1 line: Cadorna] : Tel. 02/48100597
Have an idea for my tour’s next stop? Want to come along?
I’ve been reading your blog lately and it’s quite interesting, but your comments are a bit off-putting. You guess you’d “forgive them” for hiring friends/family??? When many Italian employment organizations function in a nepotistical manner anyway? And if the owner is indeed Italian, it’s more likely the pay is low, so the only people who would take it are those who desperately need it. And – not – because the owner is racist.
I think you need to be careful of how you present your thoughts … there are lots of readers on the internet who would appreciate a cosmopolitan and tolerant outlook on issues regarding race …
Okay I’m a “chocolate” person and I didn’t find your comment offensive. If I walked into the store, I would wonder the same thing since we all know Italy is not as diverse as the USA, UK or France. Having said that, the photos make my mouth water.
Hi Anon – I’m sorry you didn’t leave your name or email so I can’t reply to you personally – but I think you misread my paragraph – I actually said I would forgive the owner for hiring friends/family if they were INDIAN/AFRICAN, not Italian. The comment was about the color. Not nepotism.
I didn’t really like the idea of someone saying “Since my shop is named Chocolat, I want to hire all Chocolate-looking people.” Of course I could be totally wrong and that’s why I mentioned the jumping to conclusions.
Some of my best friends are Indian-American and African-American and I feel that I’m very sensitive about race. And very tolerant. That’s why I was sensitive about the use of it in this case – like NYC said, it was strange and it struck me, and I hoped it was a good situation, not exploitation.
I’m bound to offend someone sooner or later.
Hi, Sara. I’ve been reading your blog for a while now. Love it! I was very excited to read about your visit to Chocolat because I’ve actually been there! I had the wonderful opportunity to live in that neigborhood (nearer to Corso Verchelli) for 2 months end of last year. You have to go Marghera Gelateria on Via Marghera nearby. (Not sure of the exact address). I sampled lots of gelato during my 3 month stay in Italy and the gelato there is absolutely my favorite. Their cioccolato, cioccolato rhum and pistacchio flavors are out of this world. Mmmmm… I really miss gelato.
Great photos as always…I commend you! I don’t know about the hiring policies at Chocolat, but when I was in St. Petersburg, Russia this summer there was a chocolate shop that hired only dark-skinned people on purpose for the “theme” and that was the first time I’d ever seen anything like that before. This being the case I can understand why you may have wondered if the owners of this shop in Milan had the same idea. As an American in Italy I find that race issues are a very touchy subject here because the idea of political correctness or racial sensitivity as we know it in the States is not viewed in the same way here, for a myriad of reasons. For what it’s worth, I think your thoughts are carefully and eloquently worded!
I can’t believe you didnt wait for me to assist you on this gelato tour!
Have you already tried Cardelli, in via Pergolesi, near Loreto?
You guys are welcome to join me on my next stop! :) Silvia, if you want, let’s go together. I haven’t tried it.
Just drop me a line. I work on via Pergolesi!
Oh my! I`ve got the world`s biggest sweet tooth and this would be dream land :) Glad I fell on your blog!
tea
xo
We happened upon Chocolat in Milan on our recent European trip. I have to agree that their chocolate flavors are very rich but delicious. We just “happened” to be in the neighborhood on a second day (Castello Sforzesco) and had to stop to try a few more flavors. Yum! Gelato in Salzburg was fantastic too – dark cherry.