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| Martine’s
Chocolates |
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In a tiny space in Bloomingdale’s,
the elegant Martine Leventer creates her French inspired chocolates
right in front of her customers. You can watch as her team of chocolatiers
produce one tiny work of art after another. |
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What motivated you to open a chocolate business? |
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I always wanted to have my
own business—even as a teenager, business fascinated me. I saw
it as a kind of chess game on a worldwide map. And certainly more
important to me, I saw it as a way to connect with people all over
the world and I dreamt of getting to know other people and interact
with them.
This opportunity materialized after I got married to my late husband,
Al Pechenik. The chocolate business had been his life, mostly in big
corporations. I heard a lot about it and visited lots of companies
in Europe with him. It sure helped that I love chocolate! Because
when we envisioned launching a business, I did not hesitate. Even
if it meant leaving my country, France, my family, my longtime friends
and a very successful career in journalism.
After all, I always had a love affair with the United States and with
New York especially. My only condition was “make a difference.”
Remember, I lived in a country full of small chocolate shops—and
very good ones. Who needed another chocolate shop if it was similar
to the existing ones? |
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Martine's favorite
bonbon brings back memories of her childhood in France. Her French
Cherry confection combines a cherry marinated in brandy, enrobed in
a dark chocolate ganache and then perfectly encased in an embossed
dark chocolate shell. |
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Did you have any formal training in chocolate making? |
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Yes — in Europe, Canada,
Mexico and in the shop! |
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Where
do you get your inspiration for the different flavors and textures
you include in your chocolates? |
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I have a large collection
of European books with recipes, childhood memories, some personal
cravings, other people’s cravings … and a way of getting
ideas from things not at all related to chocolate. The main concern
when it comes to filled chocolates is to get the “true”
taste of the filling without “killing” the chocolate taste
— or the reverse.
It is all about “balance” and “contrast” when
it comes to texture — unless it has to be a perfect harmony.
Like music. When it comes to my solid chocolate Creations (very important
to me) the inspiration is closer to art, nature, colors and again
association with things unrelated to chocolate. It’s called
creativity, I suppose. Difficult to explain. |
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If you
had to describe your product line in a couple of sentences, what would
that be? |
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Ever heard of chocolate orgasms?…Well,
it’s been mentioned in the shop a lot of times! But I’ll
try to give you what I assume you are looking for. Martine’s
Chocolates (filled or Creations) are handmade fresh daily right in
front of the customers in each shop: it’s a global chocolate
experience. Both lines can be personalized or/and custom made right
there, all by hand. Martine’s Chocolates are all about uniqueness
in every way. |
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What
is your personal favorite out of all the products you make and why? |
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My personal favorite product
is the next one, because it challenges my creativity. Otherwise, I
have now too many favorites among the filled chocolates and the Creations
to be able to pick just one. But the testament to my childhood memories
is the French Cherry marinated in brandy, enrobed in a dark ganache,
in a dark shell. Mmmmm… |
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