The Chocolate Chase -- A Dirty Job, But Somebody's Got To Do It: Intrepid Tasters Test Eastside's Chocolates

Please understand - this wasn't an easy assignment.

I twisted co-workers' arms to get their help. I traveled from Issaquah to Kirkland to Bellevue for research. I ran up my Visa bill, and, hardest of all, I resisted the offer of free samples with each purchase.

I didn't want to ruin my palate.

With Valentine's Day a week away, we wanted to help you pick the perfect signature chocolate. We risked fillings and diets for you by taste-testing caramels.

Prepacked candy boxes don't compare equally because of the variety. Truffles, liqueur-drenched fillings and orange creams appeal, but not universally. Rare is the person who doesn't like the buttery hit of chocolate-covered caramel, the chewy texture that coats your tongue and teeth, then melts in your mouth.

We focused on signature chocolates because Eastsiders have an unusually large selection of high-end chocolate shops.

Fran Bigelow, owner of Fran's Chocolates, opened a shop in downtown Bellevue in November. Bigelow gained a following with her gold-foil-wrapped chocolate-caramel-nut Gold Bars.

She joined a growing list:

In Bellevue Square there are Ethel M's of Nevada, Chocolat and Godiva Chocalatier. Just north of the Square is See's Candy, a chocolate company started in California.

Bernard C, a Canadian candy maker featuring Belgian chocolates, opened its first U.S. store in downtown Kirkland several years ago. It now has stores in downtown Seattle and California.

Boehm's has been a destination candy stop in Issaquah since 1956.

For our taste test, co-workers didn't know which chocolatier produced the candies. The caramels were placed on paper plates, each chocolate cut in half, and passed around the table. (I wrote the names underneath and put letters on the plates.)

See's and Boehm's tied for first.

Bernard C, Fran's and Chocolat finished within one point of one another, just a couple points behind See's and Boehm's.

I discovered my co-workers have different palates. What pleased one would be dismissed by another as a flaw.

No wonder we have so many chocolate establishments. There's something for everyone.

And I learned one other thing: I must buy too many chocolates. Three of the stores welcomed me by name.

Here are the Eastside chocolate sources we sampled:

Bernard C., 128 Central Way, Kirkland; 822-8889. It sells Belgian-style chocolates for $32 a pound.

Candymaker Bernard Callebaut comes from the European Callebaut family, noted for its chocolates.

The Kirkland store was his first venture into the United States. He's since opened stores in downtown Seattle and California.

Boehm's Homemade Swiss Candies, 255 NE Gilman Blvd., Issaquah; 392-6652. One-pound chocolate-covered caramels are $11.95 with no box. Gift boxes of assorted chocolates start at $15.90 a pound.

This chocolate is the Americanized version of mid-European candy. Customers can watch chocolates being hand-dipped from viewing windows in the chalet-style building.

Boehm's carries sugar-free candies, including a sugar-free chocolate-covered caramel.

Chocolat, second floor of Bellevue Square; 452-1141. It carries Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland. The priciest is $52 a pound.

Forget caramels and enjoy a cup of Angelina, Coco Chanel's favorite hot-chocolate drink. This chocolate is to cocoa what good espresso is to coffee.

Ethel M Chocolates, lower level of Bellevue Square; 635-3597. Cost: $25 a pound.

Experienced Northwest gamblers kept a cash stash so they could pick up a box of Ethel M's as they were leaving Las Vegas or Reno. Now they don't have to travel so far.

Fran's Chocolates, 10305 N.E. 10th St., Bellevue; 453-1698. A box of 12 caramels weighs 7 ounces and costs $14. A pound starts at $32.

Fran spoiled us with her famous Gold Bars, available in most grocery stores. Her chocolates are just as good. Plan your trip to the recently opened store on 10th Street, just west of Bellevue Way, either first thing in the morning or after 2 p.m. Lunchtime crowds for restaurants in the complex overwhelm the minuscule parking lot.

Godiva Chocolatier, lower level Bellevue Square; 646-8837. Cost: $29 a pound.

For years this was considered the premium chocolate purveyor in the country.

See's Candies, 10212 N.E. Eighth St., Bellevue; 455-1019. Cost: 10.70 a pound. Available on the West Coast; always long lines this time of year.

Others we didn't taste but you might want to try:

Oh Chocolate, 10500 N.E. Eighth St., Bellevue (451-1060), and 2703 76th S.E., Mercer Island (232-4974), gets rave reviews from chocolate-loving friends.

Mama 'n Mia Chocolates, 17825 N.E. 65th, Redmond; 558-1021. It sells custom-made chocolate pizzas.

Sweet Addition, Gilman Village, Issaquah; 392-5661. It carries a variety of good chocolates but doesn't make them on the spot. Sherry Grindeland's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in The Seattle Times Eastside edition.

----------------------------------------------------------.

Sauce search

Barbecue. If you love it, you've probably spent some time searching out one of the handful of Eastside restaurants that cater to the hot-ribs crowd.

Sherry Grindeland needs your help as she takes on yet another tough tasting assignment. Have you found a place where the sauce will blow the roof off your head but the smoky taste lingers for days? Know a spot that has atmosphere as well as aroma? Service as well as spice?

If you've got a favorite, you can reach Grindeland by phone at 515-5633, fax at 453-0449, e-mail at sgri-new@ seatimes.com or mail at The Seattle Times Eastside bureau, 10777 Main St., Suite 100, Bellevue, WA 98004.