Raising the Bar

Choco Kitchen sprouts in Prince William

By Warren Rojas

Photography by Hana Jung

Working from home is pretty sweet.

Just ask Woodbridge’s very own Willie Wonka-in-training, Ben Rasmussen.

The self-styled chocolatier has converted his residence into NoVA’s first bean-to-bar chocolate shop. Which means Rasmussen spends hours slow roasting and grinding his Costa Rican cacao beans (Upala)—”It’s great. My house always smells like chocolate!” he jokes—for each batch of his single-source bars.

His current collection includes: a 70-percent dark chocolate bar (manifests dark berries along with the traditional bitter), a 70-percent bar studded with crushed cacao nibs (all-natural crunchies) and an 82-percent bar (sounds intimidating, but proves delightfully smooth).

While most folks (his wife, included) prefer munching on the nib-riddled bar, Rasmussen likes to keep an 82-percent bar handy for an afternoon pick-me-up.

“You know, around 2 or 3 p.m. When you are starting to nod off …”

Potomac Chocolate Co. bars are available locally at UnWined Gourmet Wines & Cigars (Old Town Alexandria, Belle View) and Biagio Fine Chocolate (D.C.) or online at: www.potomacchocolate.com.

(April 2011)