Disset Chocolate’s 2022 Ode to the North Fork Box is here, and it’s pretty sweet — and savory.
The box — a collection of eight bonbons each created in partnership with local North Fork businesses— was a hit last year, with chocolates inspired by NoFoDoCo, Lieb Cellars, Aldo’s Coffee and more. This year, the box contains chocolates inspired by Noah’s, Catapano Dairy, North Fork Potato Chips, The Giving Room, Magic Fountain, Main Road Biscuit, Matchbook Distilling and Eccentric Bagel.
Inside the box, chocolate lovers will also find a beautiful map of the North Fork marked with the local businesses illustrated by Mattituck High School senior Ella Glover. Owner Ursula XVII worked with the school district’s art department and had students submit their designs. Twenty kids submitted maps and Disset’s Instagram followers chose the winner out of four finalists.
“She’s amazing,” said XVII of Glover. “You can clearly see her talent.”
XVII has been working extensively to create bonbons that really represent the eight businesses.
“When last year’s box was released, we had already started R&D for this year,” XVII said. “Some things take [about] 16 months to figure out. We started right away. Some partners we had already collaborated with, some have supported us in other ways.”
Check out this year’s chocolates.
Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese, Eccentric Bagel
This bonbon tastes like an everything bagel, for real. “This is New York!” XVII exclaimed.
Lemon Caramel from Lemon Preserves, Noah’s
For this bonbon, XVII incorporated Chef Noah Schwartz’s lemon confit. “Basically, it’s lemon caramel,” she said. “It’s not even sour because of the salt in the confit. All the salt is from the confit.”
Blood Orange Aperitif, Matchbook Distilling
XVII found kindred spirits in Matchbook Distilling, who initially wanted to do a pairing with Disset Chocolate. The bonbon’s got an old-school liquor taste with pieces of blood orange.
Heart “Beet,” The Giving Room
A fully vegan chocolate, this bonbon uses compost of the heart beet juice found at The Giving Room.
Dark Chocolate Caramel Goat Cheese, Catapano Dairy
XVII worked with Erin Argo Burke and Connor Burke to make a bonbon that complemented Catapano’s cheeses, so she added caramel to the bonbon. “How serious and pure do we make the goat cheese?” she said. “I’ll put a whole charcuterie board in there!” XVII joked.
Potato Chips, North Fork Potato Chips
“I always joke with Carol Sidor, ‘Bring over broken chips, we’ll pass them through the belt and we’ll eat chocolate-covered chips!’” said XVII, who bought three cases of chips to figure out how many to make the potato chip filling.
English Butter Toffee Ice Cream, Magic Fountain
XVII said that owner Choudry Ali was one of the easiest collaborators. “I thought, this guy’s not going to have time for me. Meanwhile he greets me every time. He’s amazing,” she said.
Biscuit with Honey Butter, Main Road Biscuit
This chocolate has caramelized white chocolate praline, has biscuit and honey butter inside. “This was the hardest,” said XVII. “You want to do justice to the biscuit everybody loves.”
Check out Disset Chocolate at 28080 Main Road, Cutchogue. The Ode to the North Fork Box is available now.
