World of Chocolate Sneak Peek: Meet the Chocolatiers!

Al’s Cookie Mixx 

Brown Butter Dark Chocolate Sea Salt cookie  

VSOP Fudge Brownie with Honey Sweetened Goat Cheese 

Chef Alvin Green founded Al’s Cookie Mixx to combine his lifelong passion for baking with his mission to create employment opportunities for adults with autism and other disabilities. Every cookie is handcrafted with premium, preservative-free ingredients and baked fresh with purpose. 

Amy’s Candy Bar  

Beloved Ruby Mendiants: Callebaut Ruby Chocolate with pistachios, dried figs, feuilletine and a hint of smoked salt.  

Amy’s Candy Bar is a woman-owned small business in the Lincoln Square / Ravenswood neighborhood. They specialize in handcrafted chocolates and caramels, in addition they carry a variety of nostalgic and imported candy. 

Blackout Baking Co. 

Blackout Cookie: Chocolate cookie, filled with dark chocolate ganache, milk chocolate chunks, topped with sea salt 

Stout Tiramisu: Creamy mascarpone with lady fingers soaked in an espresso stout reduction, topped with a chocolate lace crisp 

Shana uses her background in fashion design to push boundaries with new flavors, textures, and forms. She strives to create a BLACKOUT-worthy bite. 

Chef Blāque & Steel City Bakery 

“Roots & Threads” – Sweet Potato Dark Chocolate Kadayif Nests & Baklava Bites  

Roots & Threads is a layered dessert inspired by African-American culinary heritage and global pastry traditions. Crispy butter-toasted kadayif (shredded phyllo) is formed into delicate nests and baklava-style cubes, filled with a silky sweet potato and Callebaut 811 dark chocolate ganache. Finished with bourbon-soaked, roasted pecan praline for warmth and depth, this dessert highlights contrast in texture—crunchy, creamy, and rich—while honoring flavors rooted in the African diaspora and the American South.  

Chef Blāque is an award-winning pastry chef, sugar artist, and founder of Steel City Bakery, known for blending refined chocolate craftsmanship with bold urban creativity while uplifting community through education and artistry. 

Chef Enrique Cortés with 4 Armas Mezcal and 606 Coffee Roasters 

Mezcal Sampling with Date: specialty dates, quince, mezcal and dark chocolate ganache, coffee dust and coffee. 

Chef Enrique has participated multiple times in World of Chocolate and is collaborating with some of his favorite companies to bring a well-rounded flavor experience this year. 606 Coffee Roasters has been roasting coffee for the last 20 years and 4 Armas Mezcal is a family-owned business that has been distilling artisanal mezcal from the highland of central Mexico. 

Chocolat Uzma

Kalayan Caramels 

Chef Uzma Sharif, founder of *Chocolat Uzma*, shares her passion for storytelling through chocolate—infusing each creation with flavors inspired by her heritage, travels, and love for the craft. 

Daddy Long Legs of DNA Haus 

Strawberry Crunch: Strawberry and Lemongrass Essence Vodka, Strawberry Soju, White Creme De Cacao, & Ruby Chocolate Custard 

Daddy Long Legs is a Black, Queer, & Non-Binary hospitality professional. A pastry chef turned award winning bartender, Daddy crafts experiences that are immersive, narrative driven and palate pleasing for all crowds. 

Hotel Chocolat 

Signature Velvetised Drinking Chocolate 

Hotel Chocolat is on a mission to make chocolate exciting again and to transform the way it is enjoyed. More playful and more ethical. More cocoa, less sugar. 

Katherine Anne Confections 

Chocolate Truffle 

Katherine Anne Confections was launched nearly 20 years ago in Chicago. Today, she boasts numerous awards and enjoys creating unique flavors focused on Midwest flavors. 

Kilwins 

Caramel Chews and Specialty Fudge: fudge flavors – Chocolate English Walnut, Dubai-Style Chocolate, Chocolate Raspberry, Sea-Salt Double Dark Caramel 

Janel Jackson is a chocolatier behind Kilwins Chicago, where she carries on Kilwins’ original recipes and traditions of handmade chocolates, fresh fudge, and nostalgic sweet experiences. She is dedicated to turning moments into memories through craft, quality, and care. 

Swissôtel Chicago 

Gorgonzola Gateaux: Port wine, rosemary, & bitter chocolate roasted figs 

Adult Chocolate Root Beer Float: Vanilla Bean Ice cream, Moody Tongue Caramelized Chocolate Churro Porter, with triple chocolate tort bites on top 

Dan McGee is the man behind Swissotel Chicago’s culinary confections and creative cuisine. With 34 years in the business, he knows how to create a menu that will leave your guests impressed and their taste buds more than satisfied. 

Thee House of Harvey 

Sparkling Wine and Pinot Grigio 

Thee House of Harvey was born from the pure love and passion to explore what the world had to offer beyond the concrete streets of the South Side of Chicago. Thee House of Harvey’s purpose is to take you on a journey to pour, sip, taste, and explore what love for life in a bottle tastes like. 

Vanille Patisserie 

Walnut Brownie Macaron 

Sophie Evanoff is the owner and operator of Vanille Patisserie.  A French inspired bakery specializing in French Macarons, French Pastries, and custom cakes. 

Zeeshan Shah & Yoshi Yamada 

Masala Chocolate Chai 

Superkhana International is inspired by the flavors of India, plus the flavors of just about everywhere else. 

Shah spent years at Old Town Social and The Bristol honing his contemporary American cooking skills but has been fascinated by Indian cuisine since childhood — his father is from India, and Shah grew up on Devon Avenue eating and hanging out with his dad’s friends. His dad wrote and performed poetry in Urdu and hosted a popular radio show for years. 

Like Shah, Yamada cut his teeth at non-Indian restaurants like Lula Café and Blackbird, but he has a deep love of the cuisine, going back to when he studied and cooked in Mumbai on a Fulbright for 18 months. His interest was piqued when he first visited India at 19 and ate chicken masala in a tiny seven-seat shop. 

Superkhana International (whose name plays on the word khana, which means “food” in Hindi and Urdu) stems from a moment of serendipity. Both Yamada and Shah were thinking of opening an Indian-inspired restaurant; a mutual friend, knowing about their shared aspirations, introduced them to one another. Rather than competing, they went into business together. After five years of pop-up dinners and farmer’s markets, Superkhana International was born, thanks in no small part to support from Lula Café and Marisol chef/owner Jason Hammel, whom the team describes as their “producer.”