Chocolate Gourmets Say It With Spice

You Can't Touch This

Say what you will about the French, but it's tough to match the delicacies created by La Maison du Chocolat. Founder Robert Linxe opened La Maison's first shop in Paris in 1977, expanding to New York, Tokyo and London.

La Maison du Chocolat Subtle flavors, traditional designs and a special jewelry combination.

This grande dame of chocolate creators may be smaller than other confectioners, but here size definitely doesn't matter. La Maison offers subtler flavors and more traditional designs, such as coffee, lemon zest and mountain honey encapsulated in squares, rectangles and circles distinguished by simple chocolate ridges ($39 for 30 pieces).

Jolika, almond paste flavored with pistachio nuts in a dark couverture, is "surprisingly restrained" but "darn good," one taster declared. Similarly, citrus flavors were not overpowering.

"You cannot go wrong buying products from them," Chocophile's Gordon says of La Maison. For Valentine's Day, La Maison and jeweler Bernardaud offer a ganache/necklace combination for her and a ganache/cuff links combo for him (both $215).

There's nothing neutral about Switzerland's Teuscher Chocolates. The venerated chocolatier, which opened its doors more than 70 years ago in a small Alpine town, has become synonymous with champagne truffles. Its classic milk chocolate truffle packs a little punch of Dom Perignon in its silky center. The dark chocolate champagne alternative, dusted in cocoa powder, should quell any hormonal cravings.

For Valentine's Day, Teuscher recommends a traditional velvet heart with your choice of truffles ($30 for six pieces; $325 for a whopping 138). Chocolate ducks and dogs will please the kids.