Let them eat cacao

Amy Verner

Amy Verner

For Kelly Kimmel, chocolate offers "endless possibilities." As in, whether to drink it or bite into it; to pair it with lemon-basil-mint filling or salted liquid caramel; to mould it into a cellphone or a heart-shaped cup; or to indulge first thing in the morning or late at night.

Some time within the next 10 days, Ms. Kimmel will be presenting these possibilities as MoRoCo Chocolat, the ultimate haven for chocolate connoisseurs. Positioned as a "chocolate boutique, salon and cocoa bar," MoRoCo, located in the heart of Yorkville, brings the best of Paris to Toronto.

This includes rich sipping chocolate inspired by the famed Rue de Rivoli café Angelina and macarons as good as those at Ladurée, the patisserie that has been making the confections since the 1930s. Not to be confused with coconut macaroons, these are the colourful sandwich sweets consumed by Marie Antoinette in Sofia Coppola's film.

Incidentally, above the baroque-style crest that Ms. Kimmel designed with an illustrator are the words "Let them eat cacao." The logo is embedded with personally significant pictographs, from a single stiletto to a smiling "frog prince," the unofficial mascot as determined by daughter Montana, now 14.

Details so painstakingly conceived are the result of a two-year project, according to Ms. Kimmel, who had every plush piece of furniture custom-made, with the exception of reupholstered chairs from the King Edward Hotel ballroom.

"I envisioned a place where you could go at 3 or 4 in the afternoon with a girlfriend to have something small," she says, noting that MoRoCo will be open until midnight on weekends. "Pastry houses all over Europe have always existed, but this is how I like to see it. There's meant to be an element of rock 'n' roll and amusement."

What customers will see upon entering is a glossy white and lavender retail and takeout area, followed by a dark mauve and black salon. Mirrors, crystal chandeliers and Swarovski-studded loveseats are as decadent as the strawberry balsamic truffles. A glass vitrine boasts a chocolate purse, dubbed the "Kelly bag."

Named after the first two letters of her children's names (she has a 10-year-old son, Rory) plus the "co" from "cocoa," the restaurant features a small savoury menu of salads, sandwiches, quiches and frittatas (expect lunch for two to range between $60 and $80). A selection of champagnes by the glass confirms that MoRoCo is not catering to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory crowd.

"I don't want to say it's not child-friendly, but it's for a mature experience," says Ms. Kimmel, who is in her late 30s and has dabbled in interior design.

Pastry chef Iris Roteliuk and general manager Vince Antonacci are her supporting players. Long-time friend Brian Greenglass has given ongoing support (he was responsible for finding the 3,600-square-foot Yorkville space).

MoRoCo is a place that film-festival-goers will eat right up. Ms. Kimmel has cleverly addressed issues of privacy with an area (featuring audio-visual equipment) that can be curtained off, while corner banquettes feel comfortably VIP.

If there is any downside to a preoccupation with chocolate, Ms. Kimmel hides it well. Being a guinea pig for months on end has not adversely affected her envy-inducing physique, although she insists she's packed on a few pounds.

"Iris was in my house every day for three months!" she exclaims, referring to the period when Ms. Roteliuk was creating and testing recipes in Ms. Kimmel's kitchen. "Every time I walked in the door, there was that chocolate aroma."

Surely, her children must not have minded. "They are thrilled," she says. "After-school snacking will never be the same again." Adults, this applies to you too.

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