Our Chef, Christopher Michael.
Christopher's culinary passion was ignited as a child, growing up in a home where the dinner table was the medium for great conversation and family bonding. It was also where he found his interest in cooking; watching his mother preparing nightly meals the old-fashioned way, with wholesome, fresh ingredients and with as much attention you would expect when cooking for people you care about. As you will find, this is one of the pillars of Christopher's philosophy which makes his chocolates so special and delicious.
Our chef has spent years in the restaurant industry. In the beginning, most of his time was spent in front of the house serving or managing. More often than not however, Christopher was drawn to the cooking line, preparing whenever he could seize the opportunity. He took advantage of this experience, and would pick the minds of the chefs—trying to squeeze any little secrets out of them about their signature dishes. Christopher would even spend countless hours after closing, experimenting on his own with different recipes and intriguing flavor combinations.
The next logical step for Christopher was culinary school, where he excelled in his studies and always rose to the top of his class. During his training, our chef prepared food for members of the entertainment industry during special events like the Oscars. On a couple of occasions, Christopher also worked alongside culinary icon Wolfgang Puck at his self-titled catering enterprise in Hollywood.
His conversion from savory cook to chocolate chef was fueled after a fate-altering trip to New York. While pursuing further avenues in his culinary adventure, Christopher had made it a point to try some of the local fare—which brought him to a little chocolate shop in SoHo. The chocolate was made on-site, using no preservatives and only the freshest ingredients. After biting into one of their divine chocolate truffles, he knew he had arrived at a crossroads. Christopher’s quest to find a quality chocolate like that one brought him back to California, searching to duplicate the flavor experience of tasting such an exquisite chocolate creation. Fortunately for us, he didn’t, and so came Christopher’s new found obsession…
Christopher scoured every piece of literature on chocolate he could get his hands on, and worked and studied under some of the most influential chefs in the chocolate industry. He found that chocolate was one of the most versatile, yet challenging bases to work with. Even more curious was that he realized chocolate paired well not only with sweet ingredients, but true to his beginnings, how exceptionally and delightful chocolate pairs with savory ingredients too!! Christopher infuses the likes of bacon, chili peppers, rosemary, cardamom, star anise, lemongrass, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar into his caramels and ganache, just to name a few.
After noticing that no one in Southern California was creating these types of flavor combinations, along with just producing superior and great tasting chocolates, he decided to take the next big step…In 2006, Christopher Michael Artisan Chocolates was born. Today, you can experience his fine, hand-crafted creations at The Cacao Bar in Newport Beach, California.
A special note from Christopher
I am passionate (if not obsessed) with bringing you the finest, freshest, preservative-free chocolates!! I try to satisfy every palate; from the most traditional flavors to our exciting savory blends, I dare to push the flavor thresholds beyond what you have ever experienced!! So please keep an open mind when sampling my creations…after all, who would have ever known that lemongrass and rosemary could have paired so well with chocolate? In the end, you may be surprised at what actually tantalizes your taste…I see it happen all the time! Thank you sincerely for your patronage, and for supporting me in my great chocolate adventure!