As for the Topic of the Day...
I prefer Dark Chocolate, but semi-sweet and milk are good too. I like White Chocolate, but mainly as a coating and not on it's own - come on, it just cocoa butter and sugar, you could use it as a moisturizer/scrub.
As for brands... I've grown very fond of some of the boutique brands here in NYC and elsewhere: Chocolate Bar (which just introduced a new line of chocolate bars this week), Li-Lac Chocolates, Jacques Torres, Teuscher, RichArt, etc., etc., etc. -Oh, and Max Brenner Chocolates by the Bald Man has a great "praline" with Corn Flakes and Black Pepper. Try it, you'll love it!
I like Godiva, but I don't love it. However, a former Godiva boutique manager tipped off to the "Belgian stuff", which comes into this country every couple of months. It's the same varieties of Godivas, but they're made in Belgium. Consequently, they're made with better milk, slightly less sugar, and higher quality nuts and fruits. She provided a side by side tasting of the "regular" and the "Belgian stuff", and the flavor differences were very noticeable. I'm not sure if the "Belgian stuff" still exists after the latest overhaul of Godiva's line, but it may be worth inquiring about.
And, I've mentioned before, but... When I came back from Australia, I had one carry-on with 17 pounds of Australian chocolate in it: Cadbury, Freddo Frogs, Rocklea Road, Crunchies, Violet Crumbles, TimTams... even some organic Tasmanian stuff. Soooooo good.
