Las Vegas Chocolate Festival & Pastry Show

I have been to 3 chocolate festivals this year
April– Las Vegas
May– San Diego
September — San Francisco
October — OC — upcoming
LV choc festival is FUN! VIP ticket is recommended, it is nice to have that hour before the show with only a small crowd. The event is at the Aria in the Crystal Shops. The venue has a nice atmosphere was the perfect temperature for tasting chocolate
Exhibitors are local chocolatiers, patisseries and beverage companies.
Jean Philippe Patisserie is in the lobby of the Aria, I haven’t been but heard is wonderful. However from the outside the design is delicious to behold. Jean Philippe Patisserie exhibited at the festival and did not disappoint.
Jean-​Marie Auboine– This was the standout chocolatier for me. (see Jean-​Marie Auboine post for review) a local chocolatier from LV.
The only recommendation would be a champagne and wine bar.
I will definitely attend next year.

This festival was amazing. I went to the 2014 festival, and it was in the shops at City Center. We had a VIP pass so we got to go earlier than most. It was definitely worth the money because once everyone gets there, there are large lines.
The chocolates were amazing! They also served beer and wine in addition. It was not an all night event, maybe a couple hours worth, but it was so worth it. The chocolates and desserts were so intricately made, and the gift boxes that you get from the booth from the Bellagio’s Jean Philippe Chocolates and Patisserie would actually cost you around the same price as the ticket to the festival. You also receive your own wine glass and carrying tote to take home samples in.
I have seen some bad reviews on here of this festival, but I encourage you to try it anyways, it seems to be getting better and better every year, as most festivals and shows tend to do.
I will definitely be going to the 2015 Chocolate Festival and Pastry Show.

My husband actually worked this event last year and was so excited to attend this year. Unfortunately the event was a huge downgrade from last year. Last year it was in a ballroom and this year was in a shopping mall. Horrible set up, super crowded and not that many stations.
We purchased the VIP tickets and got there around 7:45 to already find huge lines. Half the stations were already giving out chocolates and half were saying they weren’t allowed to until 8 and turning us away.
By 8 the lines were insane and we ended up skipping several of the booths. It just wasn’t worth the wait. It was a bad idea to let the chefs hand out the food themselves, as they would chit chat with people making the lines even longer and not run smoothly. You’d wait 10 – 15 minutes to get 1 bite of chocolate. The wines were low caliber and again you waited 10 – 15 minutes to get a 1 –2 sip serving.
I am a chocolate snob and had high expectations. None of the chocolates were memorable and I even spit out a few that were not good at all.
There was no signage and it was poorly organized. We ended up leaving around 9 and going to dinner instead.

I am a Las Vegas local who attended the event last year and bought 2 VIP admissions and greatly enjoyed my experience last year. This year was very disappointing and I would like to express my concerns why. First things first, I bought 2 VIP admissions again because of my experience last year and it was well worth it and organized. This year we arrived around 7:40 pm, allowed ourselves time to check in and wait for the event to start. When we arrive, there is no check in sign or direction as to where check in is at and I realize that this is an OPEN EVENT where EVERYONE has access and nothing is actually roped off or blocked for the event. I find people standing in an area with the tickets in hand so I figure out this is where we must check in. However at that time I also noticed that there were tons of people at the «open» chocolate booths and it seems as if the event had already started, even though it was not yet 8:00 pm, the official start time. Last year this was not an issue because the event was closed to the public unless you had a ticket and it was in a ballroom area where the event was controlled. Come to find out everyone who was already checked in was in lines and starting the chocolate experience. The person checking the tickets didn’t even glance at my ticket type and asked if we were VIP head over and get a wristband. No one actually confirmed what my ticket said, and if it was even for the event.
So we get our wristband and start waiting in the already long lines from everyone before us. As we are waiting in lines for our chocolate tastings I realize because this is an «open» event to the public that people without wristbands are helping themselves to the chocolate as well when they had no ticket, no wristband, and just happened to be walking around the open mall at the time. I don’t blame the vendors for not checking because if they checked everyone’s wristband then their lines would be even longer however this should be just one example as to why this event should be closed to the public so that people who actually pay for their tickets, especially VIP early admission tickets don’t have to wait so long in line while people with no ticket or admission help themselves. I noticed this many times throughout the night and I can’t say I blame the public for jumping in on an amazing event for FREE. I truly feel that I didn’t even need a ticket to this event to be a part of it. On top of that I paid double for the VIP admission which frustrated me even more. There was nothing VIP about our VIP admissions.
To further my frustration I am not a big drinker at all. I tried asking many vendors if there was a water station, this was actually a problem last year as well, but if you left the ballroom at least there were water fountains by the bathrooms. No one could point me in the right direction and again, nothing was marked. 2 hours later I ended up buying water at the Starbucks because another event participant told me that water was available there and it wasn’t free either, it was their tap water in a trenta cup with ice. I would like to say I greatly enjoyed the chocolates that were offered and I have been looking forward to this event since the last time you were here however I am disappointed at how poorly organized it was and how nothing was clearly marked for this event. We were not told there were any booths upstairs and if we weren’t wandering around we would’ve never have known. I also disliked how open it was. The Crystals mall is already a hot spot for many people because it is in the heart of City Center so to fight the traffic from «spectators» this event should be in an enclosed area and vendors should be marked with a map, balloons, lines on the ground, anything really to identify where vendors were.
I spoke so highly of this event and told many people about it from the previous year, yet this year I was highly disappointed with the overall organization and execution. I would like to see the chocolate festival return again and consider this feedback and hopefully more prepared next year.

This review is for the 2014 show at Crystals. What a disappointment. I went last year and really enjoyed it so this year, I persuaded a few friends to join me. However, this year it was chaotic & unorganized. I paid a $ 100 for a VIP ticket & patrons of the shopping mall were getting the same service as me without paying for anything. They didn’t check people in properly. There also was hardly anything to drink to wash the sweets down with. On a positive note, the sweets were delicious & beautifully presented. You can tell a lot of hard work was put in by the vendors. Will I go back next year? No, I don’t think so!

I hate to not give a high review for a fundraiser but with so many worth causes and most people having limited funds, I’ll just be honest and state the good and the bad
Bad:
1. The venue and set up was really not great. In the walkways and multiple levels in a shopping area with no signage and a bit unorganized just didn’t work.
2. There were long lines, no places to sit, not enough tables to stand up and taste so balancing a plate and a wine glass was delicate… at best.
3. High heels were a bad idea!
Good
1. The chocolate — lots of varieties of beautiful little bits, bigger bites, things in little plastic containers that looked awefull pretty.
2. Alcohol if you wanted it although those lines were longer
3. Friendly staff and guests
The big surprise… I didn’t know I could have my fill of chocolate in such a short period of time! I love sweets and chocolate but wow… about 5 bites into in and I was done. Between so many rich treats and too much walking and standing in heels I should have thought twice about… I was done tasting in 15 minutes and done with the whole event in an hour!

It’s great that they have chocolate, and it is great that they have cupcakes, and even better that they offer meats to help you go down on your sugar rush. What’s not great is the layout and the people.
I don’t know what the problem with people here was, it’s a fucking chocolate festival! You would assume everyone would be mellow, but no, a vast majority of people here were complete jerks. The room they hold this in is so very small, and there’s a ton of people, so it stands to reason you are going to bump someone, you just are. That doesn’t mean everyone needs to be all bitchy about you being alive by them.
The tables are all smooshed together, and so that makes for incoherent lines, which makes for confusion. Which cues in Angry Asian Man. God damn was this dude pissy about life. We were standing in a line that we assumed was for the meats so my boyfriend could get some before dying of sugar overload. Then a few minutes later we see the line split into two lines; one for the meat and one for the alcohol right by it. Then we start to question ourselves: Are we in the right line? I watched as the people behind the first few for the alcohol stay for the alcohol, and then I watch as a lady gets behind the meat line. Ok. Wrong line. So we move. And all hell breaks lose.
Angry Asian Man proceeds to tell us we are cutting. It is all ONE line. My bad, we will move back into the other line. It happens. Mistakes you know. No. Fuck that, Angry Asian Man then turns his head to the side (mind you he is now looking completely away from us, at the alcohol now) and says «Dumbass.» Aw. Hell. No.
That was uncalled for. And I told him so. And he, surprised I heard him, acted like it was nothing. No. No. FUCK YOU NO. Act like an adult and not a 2 year old who needs to be coddled. Needless to say this Angry Asian Man, although very pissy. would not muster the balls to say anything to my face. And thus, I walked away without having to smack his middle aged face off.
The rest of the night we never saw him, so I am assuming he either left because he hates life, or he was thrown out for his constipated attitude.
The food here, if you can get it, can be good. But you have to stand in long ass lines (even if you get the VIP band, which was useless since within five minutes of it opening it was packed) then you may or may not be able to put what you want on your plate. I was literally told I could only take one thing at a time, and would have to get back in line for the other stuff. What the Fuck did we pay for if not to fucking try every fucking thing when I want?
This event seriously needs to be put in a bigger room, where they can space out the tables and maybe even hire some people to help keep the lines sane for god’s sake. That, or put a cap on the amount of people you let in. For the prices of the tickets we shouldn’t have to deal with such bullshit as crappy lines and crappy people.

I have to agree with Molly T’s review of this event. Like many people, I purchased a Groupon for a VIP pass and was happily anticipating a classier event. This show was a loud, «in-​your-​face» type of atmosphere, with many folks electing to imbibe (heavily) with their dessert samples. The live music was too loud for the ballroom, in my opinion, and detracted from the overall atmosphere that the event organizers promoted (again, IMO).
On the bright side, the chocolate and pastry samples I tasted were all fantastic. Fresh, beautiful, and indulgent. I got to speak with a chocolate maker in detail about the whys and hows of artisan chocolate. That was the highlight of the night for me. In fact, I wished that there were more opportunities to do that (a lower decibel level in the ballroom would also have helped…). Cake pops, mousses, mini cupcakes, gourmet chocolates, mini tarts… I was stuffed at the end of my (short) visit.
Was I glad I went? Somewhat. It was good to learn more firsthand about one of my favourite foods (chocolate!). Would I come again? No. The whole experience was a bit too «mosh pit» for me. However, I got to taste delicious desserts, so all was not a loss. :)

This was not what I expected AT ALL. It was marketed as an elegant experience and was anything but. I think I described it as a «free-​for-​all» to more than one person. And, if I do say, a clusterf$&@. At 9pm, when the VIP was over, everybody stormed the place and started shoving their mouths with whatever they could stuff in there. It wasn’t quite the level of people eating with their faces and stuffing chocolates down their bra, but it came close.
I’m sure I don’t know, but «Wobble» by V.I.C. sure doesn’t seem like the most appropriate of songs for a chocolate and pastry show. Also «Gangnam» and a drunken «karaōke» of «Lean on Me» were featured. I say «karaōke» in quotes because there wasn’t a karaōke machine but three drunken attendees and the DJ onstage bleeting to the crowd.
There were more alcohol vendors it seemed than chocolate or pastry vendors (hence the aforementioned «Lean on Me» debacle). Also a lot more pudding/​flan type desserts than I was expecting. Don’t get me wrong, everything was amazing, but it lacked the oomph and elegance I was expecting. Oh yeah, there was a booth there for Paul Mitchell pet shampoo. UH WHAT.
We had to wait to get wine glasses, as they had run out by around 9:10. Seeing this wasn’t the affair I had anticipated, my friend and I took shots of wild strawberry Skyy like we were teenagers. We then acted like teenage groupies at, you guessed it, the illusionist’s performance (?!?), where yours truly was selected to go onstage and assist. You will be happy to learn I did not staple gun the dude in the forearm, abdomen, or temple.
Had the $ 45 I paid for my ticket not gone to St. Jude’s, I would be pretty furious. But since it is supporting a very worthy cause and my friend and I loved all the people watching with alcohol-​fueled snark, I’m not mad. I just won’t go back.

1) definitely search Groupon in November or December for a ½ off vip pass. With the vip pass you get into the event one hour early and avoid huge lines. You also get into Tao Nightclub after.
2) We spent the first hour gorging ourselves and meeting people and getting very intoxicated on wine, vodka and saki concoctions. The Fantasy girls sang, there was an illusionist. We got to see the cupcake wars winner and other famous pastry chefs we never heard of. There was a dried meat station with salami’s and delicious roast pork. We tried coconut cream cilantro chocolate and blood orange gluten free chocolate.
3) We thought it would be bigger or that there would be something more after the vip session. Nope. After the hour was over, the only new thing was the non-vip’s entering the room. We left shortly after the hour was up and sat in the venetian sportsbook contemplating our next move.
1 – 2 hours is definitely the max you could spend here. The fifth star is the wow factor. There simply wasn’t a wow factor once your eyes took in all the chocolate. In fact, even in the vip session there was little time to observe the artistry of the chocolate displays. It would have been nice if there was some period before the tasting began to just walk around and look at the displays.
Everyone was very friendly and eager to explain their contributions to the world of chocolate, only problem was people got upset because it held up the line. Maybe if there was a mingler outside the booth speaking it would have been better.
Still we ate and drank until we could drink no more and left happy.

This review is for the 2013 Chocolate and Pastry show. It sounds from reading the reviews from last year that much is the same. I, too, got a Groupon for VIP admission and it was so worth it to have an hour to forage before the doors were opened to the general public.
There was some very good chocolate. There was also the dried meat table but I didn’t wait in line for that. By then I was in such caloric overdrive that I wasn’t in any mood for some real food. I just wanted the sugar stuff.
For the hotels, the desserts made by the chefs at Excalibur/​Luxor were the tops in look and taste. But there exquisite chocolates at almost every station you went.
I don’t drink so I really needed some water to cleanse my palate. Unfortunately, the two large containers were dry.
I was so glad I attended this event and I think I’ll go again next year with a game plan already being devised. This plan, however, will have to remain classified.
The fact that the event benefits St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital is just icing on the cake. It was as good as it gets except for one thing – Robin Leach. He really is well named!

This event was really well done. The only thing that could have made it better would have been some none chocoloate/​sweet treats. Don’t misunderstand. I love chocolate more than most people. It just would have been nice to have something to cleanse the palate.
All the vendors were great, especially the Cake Buzz guys. And it’s not just because the carpenter-​looking owner had muscles for days but that was an added bonus. Enjoyed everything. The Hoegarden and Stella tables were NOT stingy and I posted up close by. Chocolate, charity and alcohol. .. what’s not to love?

On Saturday night, July 7, the Venetian Ballroom was THE place to be for foodies, especially those with a sweet tooth. The occasion was the Las Vegas Chocolate Festival and Pastry Show, and my husband Mike and I were not going to miss it. We even sprang for VIP tix so we could get into the party an hour early.
As we walked in, we were each handed a keepsake wine glass, etched with the event logo. It was generously sized and and pretty, but it was awkward to tote around while trying to juggle samples and taking photos.
The event featured the best chocolate and pastry chefs in Las Vegas. I was particularly excited to sample the soda-​and-​cocktail treats from Pick Your Poison Bake Shop. The Get Loopy Cake Pop was multicolored and infused with vodka. The surprising grape-​flavored interior made me laugh out loud.
Some of the items were nearly full size, so I tried to take just a single bite and savor it. In some cases, things were so yummy — like the chocolate-​covered cheesecake bites — that it was hard not to gobble it all down. The Fudge Brownie Cookies from Sweet Ruby Jane Confections melted in our mouths. Mike and I seriously considered storming the table, stuffing our pockets, and then making a run for it.
An unlikely star in this constellation of amazing chocolatiers was the chef at Orleans Arena. I didn’t catch his name, but I sure caught the fever for his White and Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding. Wow! The silky texture was accented by a hint of crunch from the nut topping, and the chocolate flavors both stood out and blended beautifully. Mike doesn’t like bread pudding, but he was in gastronomic heaven after trying this one. Plus, how darling are those tiny martini glasses?!
If we were inclined to feel guilty about such a hedonistic evening (which we definitely were not!), the fact that the event benefitted St. Jude Children’s Hospital eased any concerns. The charity received the net proceeds from this show.
We had a nice evening and thoroughly enjoyed the extraordinary artistry and delicious flavor combinations of the chefs’ creations.
Unfortunately, it was difficult to truly savor the treats and spirits. Only one vendor offered plates, and we didn’t find them until late in our tasting tour. So we spent a lot of time balancing goodies on paper napkins and squeezing into one of the few-​and-​far-​between hightop tables to set things down. Besides the lack of tables, there was no seating. There was plenty of room for seating and more tables, so I’m not sure why the Venetian didn’t provide them.
Also, when we asked a server for water, she told us there wasn’t any. A half hour later, we discovered a water station in the back of the room in the corner. It would have been good to know it was there much earlier on, so we could cleanse our palates before the next tasting.
While I’d love to attend the Vegas Wine & Food Festival coming up in September, I’m not sure it’s going to be worth the price of admission if the facilities aren’t improved.

Had a lot of fun at the festival! Who doesn’t love all you can eat chocolate and all you can drink alcohol? They also had a mini fashion show as well, where they displayed different chocolate masks up for auction which were beautifully crafted. I had so many delicious sumptuous chocolate incarnations such as truffles, cupcakes, bars, and even some chocolate wine (The crème chocolate wine tasted like alcoholic YooHoo to me though) and chocolate Patron. Some of the more widely known alcohol vendors included Patron, Bombay Sapphire, Chambord, and Madria Sangria.
The one thing I would have liked to have more of would be more tables for people to eat their chocolates and drink their spirits on. We had to hunt around for an empty table, and there was definitely enough room for more tables in the ballroom.

Chocolate heaven.
Sampling the chocolate and pastry goodies from all the vendors for a good cause? I definitely feel lucky we live in a place where functions like these are easily available to us!
It’s hard to pick my favorite, since so many of them were so good. Guess the highlight were the cakes from Cake Buzz, the sample piece I chose was Interracial Relationship. Quirky names, this cake was made with Bailey’s, Banana Liqueur, Caramel Vodka, Tres Leches Liqueur, and Vodka Espresso. Their slogan is «Have your cake and drink it, too!» Catchy.
Another great one was the White & Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding with Candy Pecan Dust served up by the Orleans Arena Banquet. They were in the cutest miniature martini glasses. I think my boyfriend had three servings total by the end of the night.
I really enjoyed the fruit cheesecake pops from Caesars and the chocolate covered Oreo as well. So many vendors, Pick Your Poison, Goodie Girls, Ethel’s, Sweet Ruby Jane… I’m forgetting so many. You start to keep track, then all the chocolate distraction made it hard… :-/​
As for the event, I agree with almost all the reviews, as far as having the jewelry and psychic reading vendors there. Why were they at a chocolate event? Plus, I think the Venetian ballroom could’ve accommodated more tables. Standing around holding little plates of chocolate AND drinks was quite a juggling act. Also, they did run out of souvenir wine glasses by the time I went back to get them, around 10pm. I wasn’t too bummed, but I think an event should order enough.
Overall, I’d still have to say it was a fun event. I’d go to another one again. After my blood sugar level returns to normal. ;)

This event was great fun. My eyes wanted more chocolate, and sweets than my stomach and feet could handle. The ball room was quite large and it was a good size for the vendors. There were yummy bon bons, truffles, chocolate bars, caramel candies, cakes, root beer floats in the cutest mini soda bottle, and a variety of alcohol. The vendors and chocolatiers were super friendly and very eager to tell you about each of their chocolates. I was just so happy that I could try each one.
Unfortunately my stomach is only so big, and therefore I sacrificed trying any of the cupcakes. I will be back next year.
I definitely had a chocolate high, and had to come home and chase it with milk.

How could I say no to Chocolate and Wine? I could not.
I got chocolate-​wasted at this event. All kinds of chocolates. Chocolates of all shapes and sizes. Oh, and pastries. Yes, the delicious pastries. Throughout the night I sampled from numerous different casinos and chocolatiers from Las Vegas. My girlfriends and I caroused the ballroom floor for who would be pouring the heaviest pour of wine. I don’t think we ever really found it…
The thing about chocolates (and booze) without real food is a problem though. Sweets eventually make your tummy go — STOPPIT GIVE ME SOMETHING NOT SWEET DUMMY! And mine did.
For the future, I suggest the event get rid of the jewelry displays and have in its place a REAL food vendor. Anything that is not sweets.
Since the event benefited St. Jude’s I cannot complain too much. After all the chocolates were all very, very good. I think the atmosphere was a tad boring. And honestly I am glad I did not pay $ 75, but instead got the Travelzoo deal for $ 35.

Just returned from The Venetian after recovering from sweet overindulgence at the sold out Las Vegas Chocolate Festival & Pastry Show after unwittingly arriving one hour early with general admission tickets, and having to bide some time before gaining admittance to the highly anticipated event. Once we did, the festival turned out to be all it was cracked up to be. But I learned that there is a limit to how many chocolate goodies and other sweet treats one’s body can tolerate. Eventually I had my fill, and was glad for the diversions of watching the parade of Venetian masks prepared by various pastry chefs, and listening to superior live music played by a versatile combo and sung by a talented female chanteuse.
By a series of weird circumstances Diane and I barely made it back to the party in time for an authorized entry. For, after a security guard politely kicked Diane out of her seat on a rock ledge outside the area of what was posted as Kobe Bryant’s Private Function «to keep the flow moving,» she banished herself to a seat at an Outback Jack penny slot machine inside The Palazzo and quickly placed a maximum $ 1.50 bet and pressed a button to activate the device – whereupon she almost immediately won 4 bonus games that escalated into a win of 18 free bonus spins. Besides the bonus wheel pointer landing once just next to the maximum $ 10,000 + jackpot delivered by the machine, Diane and I passively watched as Outback Jack kept bashing, slamming, and tossing crocodiles around as she got 2X, then 5X, and finally 10X significant points during the course of the lengthy and productive bonus play. When all was said and done, she won a cool $ 152.28 on that 150 penny wager. And, at length we were able to return to the Grand Ballroom. Her Nevada license plate reads «SLOTGAL» for a reason! On the way back to the festival, she ran into and thanked the security guard for rousting her from her seat.
The festival was really indulgent, chocolate-​crazed fun. Besides receiving a specially engraved souvenir event wine glass upon entry, what surprised me most were the many purveyors of alcoholic beverages and alcohol-​infused treats who were offering free samples to all attendees. One could easily recover the cost of a $ 25 general admission ticket in the first fifteen minutes inside the room. Sales reps, chefs, the numerous waiters on hand, and festival goers were all very friendly and in a festive mood. Diane and I ran into Unilocal friends Nelson and Sylvia Q., and compared notes before moving on to sample more sweets.
My favorites were Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes presented by Goodie Girls, White & Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding with Candy Pecan Dust served up by the Orleans Arena Banquet Department, Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas Chocolate Flourless Cake Salted Leche & Cocoa Crumbles by Chef Gi Haunghi, and Chocolate-​dipped Pineapples displayed by Edible Arrangements. It was also fun to be in the company of Miss Nevada and Miss Teen Nevada, have a bird’s-eye view alongside the runway for the parade of edible Venetian Masks, and see the Pastry Team from Mexico that will soon be competing in the 2012 Amoretti World Pastry Team Championships at Red Rock Casino Resort. And, while Diane enjoyed a short psychic reading, I took photos of the event.
At first I yearned for water, but then I found abundant ice water dispensers on one side of the ballroom, and wanted for nothing. Of countless treats sampled, there were only two I didn’t like – because they were TOO sweet.
On the way out of the ballroom I saw 6 alcohol-​infused cakes being served up by Cake Buzz. The Harry Belafonte alone contained 5 different liqueurs. No doubt these cakes will bring on a serious buzz! Not a good idea to have a slice prior to picking up the car from the hotel valet and then zigzagging home. It made me glad that I no longer drink or ingest alcohol. But you can save the chocolate for me!

It’s been more than 12-​hours since I attended the Las Vegas Chocolate Festival & Pastry Show, and I’m still trying to recover from my chocolate coma and refuse to consume any foods with even a hint of sweetness. Heck, I can’t even think about eating.
So much chocolate and so much wine. I’m unable to recall most of the booths I visited, because I drifted from one to another collecting an array of chocolate goodies on my tiny plate.
HIGHLIGHTS
Real quick — Robin Leach walked by our table. I was in «awe» for 5 seconds.
Cake Buzz: The cakes served were infused with either wine or liqueur. It was difficult to choose which cake I wanted to try because they were all a sweet feast for the eyes, but I chose to have a slice of the North America. Topped with blueberries, raspberries, and coated with a white boozy frosting, this patriotic cake was infused with blueberry vodka, Godiva White Chocolate, Remy V Pomegranate Vodka, Red Headed Burst, and Blue Curaçao Liqueur — that’s a lot of alcohol which did give me a slight buzz to tell you the truth. Woo! The cake was beautiful, and it was a surprise to see its red and blue inside. It was sweet, but the tart berries helped balance the sweetness and boozyness.
Also, I have to give props to Cake Buzz for creating menus to handout to people. It made it much more convenient for me to write and recall this portion my review and discuss what I ate with others.
Mandarin Oriental: Their chocolate flourless cake with caramel sauce was decadent, but it was one of the best desserts I sampled at the event. The little take-​out containers, I thought, were a good idea for those wanting seconds on that cake.
Unsure who concocted what I’d like to call, «Adult Chocolate Pudding» — it contained alcohol, not a surprise — but it was fantastic. I wonder what Bill Cosby would say? (
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OTHER THINGS TO NOTE
This was a chocolate event, but why were jewelry vendors present? They just seemed out of place among the chocolate and wine booths.
The Venetian Ballroom is *huge*, so I was expecting more booths than there were present, or at least more tables and seating.
OVERALL
Not bad. I enjoyed myself and had a fun time exploring each of the booths and trying the most delicious chocolate delicacies prepared by some of the best pastry chefs and confectioners in the industry.

What a win-​win situation this was! Benefiting St. Jude’s, attendees got to live a chocoholic’s dream for an evening and indulge in all the chocolate, sweets and cocktails created by some of the worlds top pastry chefs. Aside from their offerings, a silent auction was going on and each station had a Carnivale-​inspired mask made out of chocolate and/​or sugar that would later be auctioned off to the highest bidder, and the proceeds would also go to St. Jude’s.
Here’s how the sugar rush went down:
CAKE BUZZ
At first glance, you would have thought Chef Sean Allen was a personal trainer, not a pastry chef. His wine and liqueur infused cakes were a hit with the crowd, and I decided to get a bite of his Twilight Cake which was infused with Francis Ford Coppola Cabernet. Not overly sweet, and very moist.
JEAN-​MARIE AUBOINE CHOCOLATIER
JINJU CHOCOLATES
STEPHANE TREAND
Chefs Jean-​marie Auboine and Jin Caldwell provided a great assortment of Bonbons, Nougat, and Caramels, and Stephane Treand gave attendees a taste of three different chocolates frome three different parts of the world (Hilo, Hawaii, The Ivory Coast, and Trinidad and Tobago) That went from cocoa bean to chocolate bar production in one facility.
CACAO BARRY/​CALLEBAUT served up mini chocolate root beer floats while CHAMBORD mixed up a tasty concoction of their own… SWEET RUBY JANE CONFECTIONS served an upscale version of violet crumble and had a lawn full of cake pops. Treats on a stick continued as Chef Carlos Salazar of CAESAR’S PALACE had a spread of his own-​chocolate dipped oreos, cheesecakes and cake pops.
PUUR CHOCOLAT
Chef Ramon Perez was one of my favorite stops. His Agumi Sea Salt Caramels and Passionfruit Bonbons with Basil Seed were very good, as was his mini plated dessert of Soft Guayaquil Chocolate with Black Sesame Seeds, Micro Greens, Passionfruit Gel and Yuzu Koshi Ice Cream… my favorite bite of the evening.
PATRON packed a coffee and chocolate punch with their shots, and BOMBAY SAPPHIRE had interactive gin and tonic stations, and were handing out $ 10 bills for taking their survey (no joke!)
THE GOODIE GIRLS had a delicious Blueberry Pancake Cupcake as well as sweet push-​pops, Gil Morales of THE ORLEANS had a killer Chocolate bread pudding, pastry students of OREGON CULINARY INSTITUE served up a petite Chocolate Crunch Cake with Raspberry Coulis, cosmopolitan popsicles were being passed out by Sno-​Bar, and Chefs from LUXOR/​EXCALIBUR put out a triple threat of Chocolate Pistachio Mousse, Vanilla Panna Cotta with Berry Compote and Popping Boba, and a Chocolate Passion Drink.
Chef Gianni Gihanghi of the MANDARIN ORIENTAL served a decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake with Salted Dulce De Leche and Cocoa Crumble,
and another one of my favorite stops, the queens of the cupcake scene, PICK YOUR POISON had Banana Cream Pie, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, and Spiked Arnold Palmer Cupcakes, Get Loopy Lollipops, and Not Yo Mama’s Pudding. BEST cupcakes in town without a doubt!
Awesome evening and looking forward to next year… ALOHA!!!
Unilocal 365 CHALLENGE-(316/365) «I Want Candy!!!»