Andelman

This was actually a 3 star review, but it really rubbed me the wrong way. Say what you want about the chocolates, customer service, whatever... But by saying that you felt ill after eating  one piece of chocolate is absolutely ridiculous as it totally undermines the sanitation of my shop. I can guarantee that there is no gluten in that particular piece and I can assure you that our kitchen is probably one of the cleanliest around. Why even write anything at all? I hate this, because if I write back or post on Yelp, I look like a whiny business owner and it always comes off as defensive. I wonder if there will ever be a day when internet "reviewers" can be held liable for their false accusations? Rant over.

• Celia C.

Fairfax, VA

Any news on Phase 2 of Mosaic, or has it kind of fizzled?  I feel like Union Market, Mosaic still needs a few additions to make it more well rounded.  I like going there, but the shops aren't open very late and there isn't a good bar, really.  I think when Gypsy Soul opens that should help, but it still needs more sit downs though, it needs to be a bit more Bethesda Row/Old Town.  At least for me to go there more regularly.  I see this as being an alternative for suburbanites to have an urban experience without driving into DC and I think that includes, "going out" so to speak.  I don't really shop at MOM regularly.  I mainly go for Target and the restaurants.  Need to try out the movie theater.  If they don't keep developing, it will probably lose its draw for me pretty quickly.  I like some of the boutiques, but there aren't enough for me to go there over going to Old Town.  It just needs a bit more.  

What you see there now is just the beginning. I can attest to the fact that permitting through Fairfax County is a nightmare, and thus a lot of the restaurants have been behind in their build-outs due the permitting process. For my little 625 sq ft space it was a nightmare and many, many months to get a building permit (and I didn't even have a kitchen). I can't imagine what those large spaces are going through.. Be patient. The development plan for the entire Mosaic District is very impressive and the buildings that are there are only about 30% of the whole project, but just like Reston Town Center it is going to take some time to get going.

Thanks, Don. Much appreciated!

Many thanks to all that attended last night. I hope you all had a good time. It was also really beneficial for us, as it was great practice for the events next week.

Hope to see you all again soon.

Best,

Jason

Ok. Just a reminder about tomorrow nights event. I contacted everyone directly last week, so if your plans have changed, please let me know.

Please try to arrive as close to 7 PM as you can (to the Arlington shop!) and we can get started right away. I imagine we will be all done by 8:15-8:30.

There is free parking in the garage below our building, and there is often street parking out front.

I think we have about 15 people attending, so if anybody else wants to join in, please let me know by 3 PM tomorrow.

If you have any questions, please post them here and I look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow.

Regards,

Jason

Had  an early dinner (at the very crowded) bar yesterday for happy hour. I have to agree, that the pizzas were pretty damn good. Nice char on the crust and quite flavorful. We got a Margherita and the one with the olives and artichokes. 2 pizzas, 2 cocktails (which were also very tasty) and our bill was like $30. Great addition to the DC pizza scene! Would definitely go back to try some of the other menu items..

So we already have a nice group of about 10 pp. Would love to have a few more if possible.

Tell your friends. All are welcome and the more the merrier!

Thanks,

Jason

So, this is something we did last year and I'd like to do it again (for those that couldn't make it or for new members).

Full disclosure, I am actually using you fine folks as a practice run for a similiar tasting we will be doing for a press event the following week. Unfortunately, I am going to be out of town for said press event, so I want to show my staff what they will need to do. So, here we go....

WHEN: Wednesday August 7th at 7 PM

WHERE: Artisan Confections shop in Clarendon (1025 N Fillmore St.)

WHO: only DR.com members. I (Jason) will be conducting the tasting.

WHAT and WHY: Well, I really just want to share with you all what we do here at Artisan Confections. I'm going to give a demo/talk about how we make our bon-bons and caramels and we will taste a multitude of products as we go. My goal is to have everyone walk away with a better idea of what we are all about. In that same vein, I would like to have an open discussion about the business side of things and how we operate. Look at the evening at as a 'behind the scenes" look at what we do here, both on the production and business sides. I am only inviting Dr.com members to this event because I am looking for some lively conversation from people that really, truly care about food and (from what I can tell) small businesses in general.

COST: Like last time, I am just going to put out a box for tips in order to help cover costs. No payment is necessary, but if you'd like to contribute a small amount we'd appreciate it. Don't feel obligated though....

HOW: Please send me an email at jason@artisanconfections.com or PM to confirm your spot. No phone calls please. I really only have room for 20(possibly a few more) people maximum, so once it is full I'll start a wait list. The more the merrier, so I hope we can get a full house!

If you have any general questions, please post them here I will answer as promptly as I can.

Best,

So, this is something we did last year and I'd like to do it again (for those that couldn't make it or for new members).

Full disclosure, I am actually using you fine folks as a practice run for a similiar tasting we will be doing for a press event the following week. Unfortunately, I am going to be out of town for said press event, so I want to show my staff what they will need to do. So, here we go....

WHEN: Wednesday August 7th at 7 PM

WHERE: Artisan Confections shop in Clarendon (1025 N Fillmore St.)

WHO: only DR.com members. I (Jason) will be conducting the tasting.

WHAT and WHY: Well, I really just want to share with you all what we do here at Artisan Confections. I'm going to give a demo/talk about how we make our bon-bons and caramels and we will taste a multitude of products as we go. My goal is to have everyone walk away with a better idea of what we are all about. In that same vein, I would like to have an open discussion about the business side of things and how we operate. Look at the evening at as a 'behind the scenes" look at what we do here, both on the production and business sides. I am only inviting Dr.com members to this event because I am looking for some lively conversation from people that really, truly care about food and (from what I can tell) small businesses in general.It'll be a good old time, I promise.

COST: Like last time, I am just going to put out a box for tips in order to help cover costs. No payment is necessary, but if you'd like to contribute a small amount we'd appreciate it. Don't feel obligated though....

HOW: Please send me an email at jason@artisanconfections.com or PM to confirm your spot. No phone calls please. I really only have room for 20(possibly a few more) people maximum, so once it is full I'll start a wait list. The more the merrier, so I hope we can get a full house!

If you have any general questions, please post them here I will answer as promptly as I can.

Best,
Jason

Seriously. Why is this even 'news'?

He is a chef, not some elected official. Not to make light of domestic abuse, but who really cares what this guy does in his personal life??

Sort of getting tired of all the media hype surrounding people that cook food for a living. (see Paula Deen).

Well, as it turns out the brother of one of my employees owns a peeler shack down on the northern neck. She brought be back a dozen "whales" for $30.00! . They came out of the water on Sunday afternoon and were in my frying pan on Monday evening.

Pan-fried them up with a simple coating of cornmeal and flour. Served on a lightly toasted soft roll with a lemon-horseradish mayo and some shredded lettuce. About as perfect of a dinner as I've had in a long time....

Thanks all! I definitely want them live, so I'll give Wegmans or Blacksalt a shot.

I just read a blurb on Eater about soft shells (in restaurants) and now I am hankering for a soft shell sandwich---on white bread, of course!

Has anyone seen any at a fish market/grocery/etc..? I just want to buy a few and take em' home to cook up.

(I also want to see if I can get my daughter to eat one )

I'm in Arlington, so the closer, the better.

Thanks in advance.

An empty Pupatella at 4:15 on Thursday afternoon. This crust is superb; my only beef is that the tomato sauce is a smidge too sweet, and the red pizza a touch too charred. All is well, Enzo and Anastasia - you don't need to be there.

My compositions:

Pizza ($7), White Sauce, Garlic, Sautéed Onions ($1), Prosciutto di Parma ($3) <-- Get this combination - it doesn't need cheese. While not inherently "seasonal," this is nevertheless a great springtime pizza.

Pizza ($7), Red Sauce, Garlic, Fresh Mozzarella ($1.50) Button Mushrooms Sautéed in Wine ($1), Beef Pepperoni ($1) <-- As with playing a Mozart sonata using the sparest of connective pedaling, the tiniest error in execution is fed through an amplifier. They forgot my pepperoni.

Vino ($30, discounted to $20 with the purchase of two pizzas), Sunday Mountain (Single Vineyard) Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, NZ <-- A perfect, absolutely perfect, combination with the white pizza. Do try.

Thanks for the tips. I am going to be over there in about an hour and a half!

I wish instead of what is going into that space Cava would have put one of their fast casual outlets in there, or agreed Sweetgreen, or a Taylor Gourmet, or a Pret, or.... There really do need to be some non-taco, non-burger fast causal options for when you are shopping in that area and don't want to have a sit down meal.

Agree. A Sweetgreen would kill it there. I'm partial to (takeout) salads for lunch, and my options now are somewhat limited. Usually a just get a $3.99 pre-made salad from Trader Joes, or I'll splurge and get one from the WF salad bar (which usually ends up costing at least $10, even when I carefully select only the lightest of ingredients )

One place I do frequent a lot is South Block Smoothie. The smoothies and sandwiches are healthy and tasty, and the prices are fair.

The lunch options at our Mosaic shop are WAY better! (Sweetgreen, Cava Grill, and Taylor Gourmet)

The craziest thing about that whole story is that the owe roughly $65,000/month in sales tax, which is 6% of their monthly sales. That translates to to about 1.1 million in sales monthly. That is a lot of f*cking cupcakes! And that is just for the DC store!

I am sure the tax thing was just a glitch. I am pretty confident they are perfectly fine in the financial side of running a business.

Hey all-

We have a couple spots available in out class this Sunday (1/13) from 3-5 PM. If any of you have never taken one our classes, they really are a lot of fun. We look at it more as a 'behind-the scenes" look at what we do here, but you should gain a bit of knowledge and you get to eat (and take home) a decent amount of chocolate. In any case, I have a limited number of spots available (we had a couple last minute cancellations). The class normally run $85/pp, but I am happy to discount it down to $75/pp for DR.com members. If you are interested in reserving a spot, please email me directly at jason@artisanconfections.com. Please leave your phone number on the email and I'll call you back to get all of your details and credit card info over the phone to confirm. If you have any questions, please ask here and 'll try to answer them...

Thanks,

Jason

Artisan Confections (AC) is one of those places I felt like I knew even though I'd never been there. So much great stuff here on dr.com between all the fab reviews, the owner's engagement with the community (love that!), the events held in the past and, of course, the recent expansion of the business to a second store out by Merrifield.

Earlier this week, I finally made it to AC. I was able to stop by the Arlington store. While bummed Jason wasn't there so didn't get a chance to meet him, the women working were great (though incredibly they did not recognize the donrockwell name at all--que horror! ). The shop and chocolates are all beautiful; almost like a museum. Plenty of space to browse with a fairly open production area in the back and immaculately maintained glass cases displaying a relatively small number of chocolates.

There's a simplicity and elegance to AC in how most of the space is open and you're not overwhelmed by 1000 skus in all directions. This intensifies focus on the product, a relatively small number of choices and upon the seriousness with which everything is crafted balancing design/art and flavor. If AC was a smartphone, clearly it'd be an iphone and not a blackberry; very bauhausian. Steve Jobs would approve.

I bought a single sea salt caramel, one of my normal benchmarks in a first visit. A perfectly symmetrical dark chocolate orb with the most elegant and wispy patina of butter yellow atop the truffle. And...delicious. So refined and rich, befitting the focus on exceptional ingredients I know is at the shop's core.

Then got a bag of simple 70% coins for someone who likes chocolate more for health reasons than, well, other reasons. Her eyebrows rose when she tried a first one.

Finally, a box of chocolate covered buttery rich toffee. Mmmmm.

Hopefully one of these days I'll be able to make a class/event if done again for dr.com. What a great shop for holiday time (or anytime)!

Thanks for all the kind words. Yeah, I've been back and forth a lot between the 2 stores these days, so I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you in person. The 70% coins we sell are Valrhona Guanaja. I am pretty sure it is the same chocolate Robb uses in his gelato as well. Good stuff.

The one I'm not sure of has orange and green leaves as the pattern.

Also: after finally trying one of the butterscotches, I think Earl Grey might have a competitor for my favorite.

Green and orange leaves would be Orange-Clove (61% ganache infused with orange zest and clove)

Yeah, I am a big fan of the Earl Grey Tea as well. We use the very fruity 64% Manjari in the particular bon-bon, which seems to work with the Earl Grey.

Welcome to America.

Haha. I mean, I love sharing what we make, but it was a serious feeding frenzy over there on Saturday. We had of four us working , and basically all I was doing the entire day was replenishing the sample plates. I think we ended up going through 3 gallons of hot chocolate. And I will say, that there is no place more "America" than Fairfax County, Va.! (I grew up there, so that's okay for me to say, right? )

Thanks to all those that came out to the Grand Opening on Saturday. It was pretty damn busy the entire day and luckily we didn't run out of anything (samples yes, chocolates no). Good to see a lot of old faces mixed in with the plethora of new faces.

Matt- Sorry the new and improved website is not up yet, that was the one of the many things that still needs to get completed and we are hoping to have a site up with the next 10 days or so. If you describe the pattern on the chocolate, I can tell you what the flavor is.

Now we march into the holiday season! I look forward to my next day off, which will be on December 25th...... (well I guess I will have this Thursday off, but I wouldn't necessarily call it a 'relaxing' day...)

Hope to see you all this season (either in Arlington or Mosaic).

Cheers,

Jason

Stopped by last night. Nice, clean space, but the reverb in there is deafening. Soon, when there will be more than one person talking at a time in the store, it'll be obnoxious (and noxious). Please, please, please, if for no one else but your employee, deaden that noise somehow! The butterscotch bon bon was terrific. It tasted like a much improved and chocolatey version of a butter rum Life Saver. The bourbon bon bon was nice, although my palate would've enjoyed more bourbon, but I can see how that flavor would need to be tempered for mass marketing. I'm saving my malted mild bon bon for tonight!

Thanks for the feedback. Not sure what can really be done about the sound. It is such a small space and unlike a restaurant, there usually are not a bunch of people in here at once (and most people are in-and-out in a short period of time). Are you sure it wasn't guitar reverb from the soundsystem? I do like me some rock.

I haven't really noticed it as a problem today. We'll haveto see what it is like tomorrow.

Yeah, sometimes we want to up the booze content on the bon-bons, but that often tends to overpower the chocolate. What I like to do is eat the bourbon bon-bon, and then take a shot of Four Roses right after.

Thanks for coming by!

-jason

Thanks. Yeah---we are for the development of the Mosaic District. I was hoping there would be more of the dining establishments open by now, but everyone (myself included) had a lot of delays with Fairfax County building permits. On my block we have Taylor and Cava Grill (probably opening in the late winter at this point) and Sweetgreen (they've been open for a couple of weeks). Dolcezza will probably be opening in the winter as well (after the holidays). Not sure of the status of the other restaurants. The MOM's Organic Market is excellent and we are right next to Four Sisters.

Anyway, hopefully some of you can make it by on Saturday for the Grand Opening event. If not, we are actually open now and will be open (7 days week) from here on out (except holidays, of course).

In addition, for you Arlington folks. We will be participating in Small Business Saturday on 11/24 with all items in the Arlington store 10% off and extended samples and tasting as well.

Thanks!

-jason

Hey all-

Well, it was a long time coming, but this week we are opening our 2nd retail location in the new Mosaic District (Merrifleid, VA)!

The new shop is small (only 625 sq ft) and will be retail only and all production will still take place at our Arlington location. I'm really stoked about design the new space---I hope you all like it. We also have a bunch of new bon-bon flavors,new products, and new packaging as well.

Anyway, we are going to be having a soft opening tomorrow night from 6-9 PM for Fashion Night at the Mosaic District. There will be some tasting going on and all purchases will be discounted 15%. Please stop by if you are in the hood. All of the retail will be open and most are offering discounts for the evening.

However, the big Grand Opening event will be this Saturday 11/17 from 11 AM-4PM. We will have lots of samples, free hot chocolate and brownies, and raffle for a chocolate tasting. Purcahses will be discounted as well. It should be a lot of fun and we'd love to see you all there.

The Mosaic District is still getting going, but there is a lot of small (and large) retail already open. Once all the restaurants open up (most likely in the spring) it should be a real desination spot.

If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a PM or post on this thread.

Also, feel free to move this to the events page if you want.

Loction is here:

http://mosaicdistrict.com/find-visit

We are right across from the Angelika theater. Just look for our orange awning. We are on the same street (Strawberry Lane) as Sweetgreen and Freshbikes.

Best,

Jason

Hey all-

We are starting the hiring process for retail help at our new retail shop in the Mosaic District. If you, or anyone you know is interested in applying, please send me an email at jason@artisanconfections.com. No experience is necessary, but we are looking folks with a love of chocolate and great customer service skills. Some weekends and early evenings (we will be open until 8 PM) are a must. The store will be opening most likely in early November. Below is the ad we posted on Craigslist for some more info.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/ret/3300158462.html

Many Thanks!

-Jason