Gucio Chocolatieri is a new artisan chocolate shop located in Soho. While the idea of making handmade truffles and bonbons is nothing new, what makes Gucio Chocolatieri unique is that we are constantly striving to make the creamiest, richest and tastiest chocolates without ANY preservatives or artificial flavor enhancements added.
Our mission is to ONLY work with the highest quality chocolate and ingredients to produce handmade chocolates that are consistent in flavor, texture and appearance.
Chocolatier Gustaf Mabrouk and Ian Grant are the two primary partners in the business. Gustaf Mabrouks' background is primarily in cooking and pastries. Starting as a pastry chef in his native Sweden, he became the youngest ever national champion in pastry arts 1995. In 1998 Gustaf Mabrouk immersed himself into the wonderful world of chocolates.
Together with Sommelier Duane Dove, while using Valrhona Chocolate and Appleton Rums, he pioneered a tasting program where rum and chocolate were paired to decadent perfection. His achievements would later take him to New York where he worked for Charlie Palmer's restaurant, Aureole.
Ian Grants' background in Network Engineering and Project Management forged his acute business sense and financed his real estate enterprises. Yet it was his love of food and passion for entertaining that made him enter the Institute of Culinary Education. This same passion for life, living and cooking ultimately led him to open 3rd Plate Gourmet Catering, now located in Manhattan. And as an avid choice chocolate lover, Ian was very keen to help Gustaf open Gucio Chocolatieri.
Well, chocolate is measured by its cocoa content and the higher the cocoa content the more bitter the mouth feel, which translates into a more complex flavor profile and that is why it is usually paired with fortified wines. The aging process that goes into making the wines, works very well with the overall mouth feel and characteristics of the chocolate.
The same idea works for a well aged rum or any barrel aged liquor and to a certain extend full bodied wines.
We at Gucio have taken that in mind! The Gucio truffle is a perfect match to any port or dark rum out there. Try it for yourself.
Want to know more! Gucio chocolatieri is pleased to offer a 2 hour introduction class to chocolates and the tasting and pairings of chocolates. We will touch on topics mentioned above and more!
