The Indulge Los Angeles Chocolate Festival and Pastry Show, held on Saturday February 11th, 2012, gave new meaning to the term "getting chocolate wasted." 

There were chocolates, liqueurs, chocolate-infused liqueurs, and liqueur-filled chocolates. Every combination of the two possible, as well as pure and unadultered versions of each were available in copious amounts, in addition to cakes and other gourmet confections.

The elegant Olympic Collection in West LA was the perfect venue for this deliciously dreamy event. Four hours of decadence and an extra hour for VIPs were more than enough to do some serious damage on any lingering and miraculously intact New Year's resolutions. It was undoubtedly worth every luscious bite.

Guests reveled in unlimited tastings of the finest chocolates and pastries while sipping on bottomless wines, spirits and champagnes. Yes, my friends, this is the stuff dreams are made of.

I faced the "tough task" of tasting and taking stock of all that the event offered, conveniently ignoring the fact that sugar may have been coursing through my veins at a higher ratio than actual blood by the end of the soiree. It's a dreadful job, but someone has to do it, right? (wink wink.)

Walking into the festival with the engraved wine glass I received upon entry, I saw a room full of sweets just waiting to be consumed by yours truly. Needless to say, I got to work, fast. The prominent chocolate supplier Barry Callebaut's rich and creamy chocolate ganache paired perfectly with the skewer of tangy fruits it was served with. The simple and classic combination of berries and chocolate, check.

The Montage resort in Laguna Beach had some of the most unique flavor combinations of the event, including minty mojito macarons; fennel, anise & aged balsamic truffles sweetened with pineapple; and a whole-wheat sponge cake layered with dark chocolate mousse and goat's milk yogurt mousse. The latter came with a honey-filled dropper pierced in the cake. We were instructed to drop the honey in our mouths before devouring the cake so the honey would add sweetness to the otherwise borderline-savory dessert. Whole-wheat desserts, check.

The chocolate came in liquid form, too, including chocolate liqueur and chocolate-infused red wine. There was also a Patron bar where three different types of drinks were all mixed with the new coffee-flavored Patron XO Cafe. It was an interesting combination, but more in line with my tastes were the champagne and the tropical-tasting Hypnotiq. Not surprisingly, the simple red wines best complemented the chocolate-based desserts. It is a classic pairing, after all. The marriage of chocolate and alcohol in its many forms, check.

To counter the onslaught of sugary treats, some offered milk, while others offered cheese to pair with a fragrant and buttery guava paste. Adding a little spice to all the sugar were MasterChef Season 2 finalist Adrien Nieto's mole tacos, a savory creation that was moist and delightful, and a welcome change-up for the tastebuds. Savory items to complement the sweet, check.

Nieto wasn't the only celebrity chef in the house. Carlos Enriquez and Craig Poirier from Bravo's Top Chef Just Desserts served up some of the most interesting textures with a "frozen cotton candy" that had people breathing out liquid nitrogen smoke as they ate the little crunchy, chilly morsels. The chocolate and banana pudding push pops were especially tasty and fun to eat. It was a perfect little bite of creamy pudding topped off with chocolate-covered Pop Rocks to create a crackling sensation in the mouth. Dessert with special effects, check.

Other highlights included chewy Butterfinger brownies by Randy's Brownies and Desserts, and the heavenly vanilla and salted caramel cheesecake by Pacific Cheesecake Company. Even BJ's restaurant represented, providing warm mini chocolate pizookies, complete with rich chocolate ice cream and a Ghirardelli chocolate square on top. Pushing attendees well beyond the threshold of excitement, they also handed out free pizookie coupons to redeem at any BJ's restaurant. Two guaranteed pizookies per person, check.

Vosges Haut-chocolat brought its toffees and bacon chocolate bars to the party, along with the new Naga bar, which has notes of "sweet Indian curry" and crispy bits of coconut. There were also Japanese sandwich wafers made with white miso and mochi called Monaka, distributed by Matsuhisa restaurant. Exotic and global flavors, check.

Of course, what would a dessert party these days be without cupcakes?  There were many varieties to choose from including Goodie Girls Cupcakes, whose owner, Annette Starbuck, was named winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars.

Starbuck also led the first of 3 live chef demonstrations in the ballroom, one floor below the festival. She walked guests through the process of making flavored frostings, such as caramel and coconut frosting. Next, executive chocolatier and pastry chef Jean-Marie Auboine demonstrated how to make pulled sugar candy. The French Auboine, who has worked at the Bellagio and many Michelin-starred restaurants, created whimsical and nostalgic treats for his audience to sample. Dessert lessons from artful masters of pastry, check.

Chef Michael Gillet, who had previously worked at many Ritz Carltons, Beverly Hills' SLS Hotel, and The Sugar Factory in Las Vegas, amused the crowd by peppering jokes in his French accent throughout his live demo. The eager crowd got a taste at the end, and the hazelnut praline with pears and airy hot chocolate mousse created the perfect blend of sweet, salty, crunchy, and smooth.  A combination of hot and cold components added yet another dimension to the dessert. Thankfully, the dessert can also be found at the SLS Hotel. Accessible desserts to keep feeding the sugar addiction, check.

One may wonder, can this event really get any better? Well, it does. The net proceeds from the chocolate and pastry show went to St. Jude Children's Hospital, which is widely known for its wonderful work. All this fun, AND it's for a good cause? Check.

Taking all areas into account, Indulge LA appears to have the makings of one phenomenal pastry and chocolate event. According to Barcelona LA, the ones who dared to dream all this up, the third annual event was a "chocolate, pastry, cakes, and sweets show to indulge all your senses." It is a place where "the world's #1 chocolatiers, pastry chefs, and confectioners come together to put on a great chocolate show in Los Angeles."

Let's just say I had some pretty lofty expectations for Indulge LA, and they were sweetly surpassed. You can check out some video footage from the sinful soiree here.

Got a major sweet tooth? Fear not, the next Indulge LA is already in the works. You can get all the latest information at http://indulgela.net.

In the meantime, the next event is the Beverly Hills Wine Festival, which will serve over 100 wines, beers and spirits at the Beverly Hilton on Sunday February 26th, 2012.

 

You can reach reporter Tanaya Ghosh here or follow her on Twitter.