The Chocolate Lab Opens in Greenwich

Brenwood Hospitality Group recently introduced the J House and eleven14 Kitchen, a multifaceted contemporary hotel respite and dining destination located in Greenwich, CT.  Since opening its doors in mid-May and
announcing the official opening on Sunday, September 23, the hotel and restaurant have been earning rave reviews as a premiere luxury hospitality destination in Fairfield County Connecticut.

In addition to the early enjoyment of the property’s stunning outdoor dining room, bar and lounge areas, as well as the ultra-sleek indoor main dining room and bar, the J House recently introduced Executive Chef Francois
Kwaku-Dongo’s Chocolate Lab, a unique chocolate shop and café located in the J House hotel in Greenwich, CT. Chef Kwaku-Dongo’s pure, rich cocoa creations feature handmade truffles and filled chocolates, all handsomely packaged, as well as pastries, confections, espresso and coffee drinks, and an assortment of premium coffee and loose leaf teas.

Hours: 6:30 am – 10:30 pm

Pastry Chef Didier Berlioz, formerly of La Panetière in Rye, NY, brings his signature nous in the art of balancing texture with sweetness and structure in all of his desserts and confections as tasted with the giant chocolate chips cookies, seasonal fruit tarts, flourless chocolate cake, and the Chocolate Lab’s signature “Chocolate Waterfall” with fresh fruit and sweet accompaniments. A flavorful variety of gelato and sorbet is prepared fresh daily using all natural ingredients.

Chef Kwaku-Dongo is a master of the art of chocolate making and serves as the Director of Culinary Services for
The Omanhene Cocoa Bean Company, a fair trade company and chocolate manufacturer that has pioneered the export of gourmet quality chocolate, manufactured from bean to bar , entirely in Ghana, West Africa. Chef Kwaku-Dongo oversees the culinary operations, new product development, and strategic partnerships within the hospitality and multi-media industries on behalf of Omanhene and its founder Steve Wallace. The Chocolate Lab highlights the “forastero” variety of cocoa bean grown in Ghana, West Africa.  The Omanhene for-profit, value chain business model has been showcased by the United Nations Global Compact as a model of economic sustainability; it requires skilled labor and provides Ghanaian cocoa farmers with a domestic buyer that pays prices far more consistent than the highly volatile world commodity price of cocoa.  Omanhene is credited with inventing a new chocolate category, dark milk chocolate, their flagship 48% cocoa content recipe which is a mainstay in all Chocolate Lab creations. For more information on the cocoa bean process and the methods used by Omanhene and the Chocolate Lab ;

http://omanhene.com/how-to-eat-chocolate/how-we-make-chocolate/

Likened to the art and process of producing quality cocoa beans, the Chocolate Lab is just as passionate and
thoughtful about the coffee they offer. The finest beans from Brazil, Guatemala, and Costa Rica are used in all of the Chocolate Lab’s espresso drinks and daily coffee selections, as well as sold in whole bean form by the pound.

The J House and eleven14 Kitchen has fast become the social gathering destination in lower Fairfield County, as well as a posh and comfortable hotel choice for business and pleasure travel. Contemporary furnishings and eclectic pieces of art are fixtures throughout the property. The
bi-level, 86-room hotel combines high-tech with modern, plush comforts and amenities. The hotel also features meeting and event rooms, private dining, and is unlike anything that exists in the region with a design that brings the indoors outside. The open-air dining and bar areas are protected from the weather by a clever system of trellises and heating units that allow the outdoor spaces to be used for much of the year. The property is adorned with
lush gardens and an outdoor fireplace and cascading water feature, that all combined, provides the space with a unique energy - day and night.

Chef Kwaku-Dongo comes to the J House by way of Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in West Hollywood and Chicago. The Seasonal New American menu incorporates the
Chef’s many global influences, locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, and a nod to sustainable practices. Pure theatre is combined with open-flame cooking in full view, where seasonal flatbreads, roasted vegetables, market fresh fish, and free-range poultry and grass-fed beef preparations take on the wonderful smokiness of the wood-fired hearth. Vibrant salads, comforting pasta
dishes, and artisan foods, such as a revolving cheese selection, round out the innovative menu.

The J House

eleven14 Kitchen

The Chocolate Lab

1114 East Putnam Avenue,
Greenwich, CT

www.jhousegreenwich.com
– 203.698.6980

www.eleven14kitchen.com
– 203.698-6999

www.choc-lab.com