Be sure to try Sublime. It’s available on every street corner, from every vendor, for a mere pittance. It has nuts and is very, very good chocolate. And a bargain too.
I also love dark chocolate, and have to agree with the ‘Belgian as best’ thing. Although, I once had airflown Swiss truffles in Singapore (of all places) that were to die for!
Lindt is excellent. They even make good white chocolate – somthing I always thought was impossible. 
As far as candy bars go, the best are Toblerone, Hershey’s Special Dark, and Cadbury Dairy Milk. Milky Way Darks are also quite impressive.
Guiderelli from San Francisco makes the best American chocolate overall. Peruga is also a first-class brand. Godiva is good, but pricey.
Man, my mouth is watering.
Well, I’m not sure if should be in the “best chocolate” thread or “best after dinner drink” thread, but Godiva Liqueur! Yum. Better than dessert.
Yeah, yeah, you low countries always stick together, don’t you. Why don’t you try to elevate your sights a little, and learn to appreciate real chocolate?
On your recommendation I will check out the local Leonidas chocolate place. I’ll let you know the results of the tast test. In perusing their website though, I see a much smaller selection than I would find at the local Godivas chocolatier.
As a youngster I worked for two summers at a place that made fine handmade chocolate truffles. I got so saturated that I couldn’t eat such rich chocolate very often after that. My job was to form the ganash into the round balls. So when I was 17, I could tell people that I balled for a living. We even had little buttons made “Live to dip, Born to ball”. 
You people are dribbling try-hards.
The answer is Valrona 70%.
This is a French chocolate with the source of the cacoa on the label. There is no room to describe conching methods or so-called other ingredients: too much cocoa is barely enough for these choco-artisans.
Your milky-white confection: bah: I expectorate in their general direction; truly the Belgians do waffle with their proferred balls; the Swiss they may cant on with their bell-ringing happy-cow promoting promises, but it is the bean and only the bean that counts!
Trust me: die happy with Valrona: it kicks Mozart’s kugels and makes Godiva look overly swathed.
picmr
I’m a cheap date. I can easily be plied with Hershey’s special dark chocolate. And you know what’s really good? Those $1 “World’s Finest Chocolate” bars kids sell for school fundraisers. Especially good as a complete meal.
Chicago residents must hop on the El to Main Street in Evanston and sample the wares of Piron Belgian Chocolatier.
You may never get back on the train.
I apparently eat more chocolate than what is healthy. (Is more than one bar a day too much?)
My favourite fancy chocolates are Guylian sea shells. They practically melt in your mouth.
As for bars, I like Caramilk, Jersey Milk, Dairy Milk… I really like milk chocolate.
Yum.
Damn it SLYTHE, you WOULD post that “offer” after Ex-Lax changed it’s formulation.
See’s Truffles.
Le Petit Ecolier is a good cooky. And, ahem, I will admit to loving those orange balls you whack to break apart.
BUT, I will leap over furniture, crawl through transoms, tackle my lovely sister, and shout “Ohmigod, what’s THAT over THERE” to get to those truffles first.
Count in my years of experience in the chocolate world. FOr pure chocolate or truffles, it has to be Lindt. If you have to have it mixed with nuts and stuff (adulterated chocolate! NO!), Johnny Reb’s is the best. (sometimes you gotta compromise)
I think there are what, seven different degrees of chocolate?
But my husband keeps telling me that white chocolate isn’t really chocolate! He almost lost a limb for that one!
No nuts in any for me if it has to have something in it, it had better be caramel! The sweet creamy stuff.
But, alas, Easter is the only time I get white chocolate, and I am trying to lose weight so the caramel filled darker stuff is out also. 
I have been told that Fanny Mays’ is good stuff, and I used to have a guest at the Fox and Hound that used to get martinis made with Godiva Liqueur. It was call chocolate covered cherries.
Kricket–I’m afraid your husband’s right. White chocolate really isn’t chocolate, as there is absolutely not one bit of cocoa in the product. It’s called “chocolate” because it has all the other components of chocolate, like all the fat and vanilla flavorings, just without the real benefit of cocoa.
Best damn chocolate for baking: Scharfen-Berger. It comes from the Pacific Northwest, and I can’t think of anything better for cakes and brownies. Callebaut and Valrohna also run a very close 2nd & 3rd for baking/sauces/candy-making/etc. Scharfen-Berger also just recently came out with their own candy bars, that are to die for. There is a supplier just across the street from my school campus, so when I have a break (hah!) I sometimes run over to get one.
I have to admit, though, I’m also a sucker for Godiva chocolates. Especially the raspberry-filled ones. Yummmmmm.
See’s truffles are good. (I love the white mint truffle, and the lemon truffle as well.)
RealityChuck, I can not agree, the best american chocolate is Esther Price Gharidelli is good, but not as good as Mrs. Price.
You can give me Hershey’s anyday…Save your money, just give me lots of those kisses!!!
Well, Ghirardelli, Valrhona, and Scharfen-Berger have all been mentioned, so I’ll put in a vote for a little chocolate shop I know.
If you’re ever in Vancouver go to Chocolate Arts on Fourth St. They make the best truffles I’ve ever tasted (better than Godiva, IMHO) in a huge variety of flavours, including lemon-basil (you’ve got to taste it to believe it) and Earl Grey. The chocolate itself is rich and flavourful, and even the milk chocolate (which I avoid like the plague most of the time) is not too sweet.
And they have wonderful chocolate carvings in the display window, too.
I snack on Cadbury’s Old Gold (although I had a falling out with my Aussie supplier and can’t get it anymore) and Ghirardelli double chocolate chips.
Chocolate…oh, my…chocolate…how absolutely cruel you all are…
I adore chocolate, I worship chocolate…
But, I can’t have any right now. I promised myself I wouldn’t until I’ve lost all the weight I need to lose. So, no chocolate for this chocoholic for some time…
<If anyone cares, you can check up on me in my thread: Support Group for the Well-Endowed TM’s, and no, I don’t know how to post a link>
Eyes glazing over at the thought of having chocolate someday again…purplebear leaves the room before she loses all control… :eek:
<BTW, I love truffles, dark chocolate, and way too many more to mention here, sigh…>
I love those See’s candies. Yummy!
Give me a Snickers bar anyday. I really dont go for that fancy stuff.