Dozens of guests gathered in downtown Greenwich Dec. 13 to toast the opening of Chocopologie at 30 W. Putnam Ave. ”“ and to get a taste of Knipschildt Chocolatier”™s offerings.
The store, a pop-up shop scheduled to be open through April 7, is the brainchild of local chef and maitré chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt, who owns the larger Chocopologie café in South Norwalk and a similar pop-up in New Haven.
The Danish chef”™s products have been available in Greenwich for a decade at retail shops like Balducci”™s, Whole Foods and Aux Delices. Now, Knipschildt says he”™s ready to generate foot traffic and create a presence here. Unlike his SoNo location, with its full-course menu, tableside service and ample seating, Greenwich”™s pop-up shop offers counter service only.
“This is very, very close to what we want Chocopologie”™s concept to be moving forward,” Knipschildt said. “It”™s more scaled down than our Norwalk cafe, really embracing chocolate, pastries and desserts. The idea is no food, no service, no chefs, a counter and a small and intimate setting. This is very close to our prototype in New Haven.
“I think this is a conservative, fun, temporary way of checking out the Greenwich market, so to speak, and introducing ourselves.”
The store was holiday-ready with an assortment of truffle gift boxes and themed flavors. Although Knipschildt grew up eating soft nougat and marzipan for Christmas, he”™s “a bit of a gypsy,” using inspiration and spices from his travels across the globe. He”™s invented recipes for cinnamon, pumpkin and eggnog truffles for a seasonal treat that had visitors grabbing for fourths.
“A lot of these flavors come from the savory side from being a chef and knowing what flavors work well together,” he said.
Meanwhile, the store”™s general manager, Christian Wilki who hails from Odense, the same Danish city Knipschildt grew up in, was already looking ahead to Valentine”™s Day.
“I recommend our rosewater chocolate,” Wilki said. “It”™s romantic and we take real rose petals and strain out the juice to put in our chocolate ganache.”
Wilki”™s passion for chocolate is all about “the taste and that you can work with it the way you can, and do so many different things with chocolate,” he said. “There”™s nothing like it.”
