Calling all chocolate and history lovers
It seems Thomas Jefferson was a chocoholic too, and on Saturday, February 4, from noon-4pm, Monticello will serve up history enrobed in chocolate. From 1-1:30pm, get a lesson on its history in colonial times and see an 18th century method of grinding roasted cacao beans with sugar and spices. You’ll watch (and taste) it go from “bean to beverage.”
From 1:45-2:15pm, Brookville Restaurant chef/owner Harrison Keevil will demonstrate modern recipes using chocolate and from 2:30-3pm, Virginia wine pioneer Gabriele Rausse will pair three Virginia wines with chocolate. The event, which includes a tour of Monticello, costs $49 per person and should be reserved in advance at monticello.org/site/visit/tours/ taste-chocolate-monticello.
And Johnny Depp lovers too
If eating chocolate and tasting wine in the middle of the afternoon, followed by a few hours with Johnny Depp, sounds like the perfect Valentine’s Day, then you’re in luck. On Sunday, February 12, the Paramount Theater’s Food, Wine & Film series adds passion to the mix. At 3:30pm, local sweets and wine will be on offer in the theater lobby, then C-VILLE’s food and wine editor, Megan Headley, will host an on-stage discussion with Hunter Smith and Damien Blanchon of Afton Mountain Vineyards, Tim Gearhart of Gearhart’s Chocolates, and Jenny Peterson of Paradox Pastry. The movie Chocolat will be shown after the discussion.
For those looking for a little more indulgence, a dinner at Fleurie featuring caviar, foie gras, and truffles will follow. Tickets for the tasting, discussion, and movie cost $12. The dinner brings the ticket price up to $100 (exclusive of beverages, tax, and tip), but is sure to be more memorable than your average meal out on Valentine’s Day. Visit theparamount.net/2011/food-wine-film-passion/ for tickets.