So worth it

{ Mast Bros Papua New Guinea Chocolate + Gasoline Alley Kombucha (enjoyed separately)  |  21 March 2013 }

NYC is the be all end all for many, the epicenter of disgust and loathing for others, and for me it's just the place I live. I'm used to its foolishness after all these years—the tourists clogging up the sidewalk, the never-ending cacophony and how the price of every single thing here is quadruple what it would be elsewhere (except for manicure/pedicure specials at Asian-run salons—bless their efficient ways and lovely massage chairs!).

But, sometimes even I can't believe how much I pay to live in a city that may be bad for me (see the comments here). I mean, it's accepted that we pay an absurd amount on rent, on drinks, to unwind and even to escape the city...but even for a blissful moment of escape at my desk I pay a lot—without even blinking an eye (which is the absurd part in this little scenario).

I'm willing to spend a little more when I can on good, clean food and products, but the fact that I didn't even notice I was handing over $9 for a bar of chocolate last week is a little crazy, no?

No! It's actually not (really that) crazy at all because this chocolate is FANTASTIC. I remember passing Mast Brothers on a walk in Brooklyn two years ago (which of course, is adorable), but for whatever reason, I didn't go in and have a taste. But when I headed to a local coffee shop for a kombucha last week and spied these gorgeously wrapped treats, I snapped one up.

Not only is it nice to have a truly locally-made treat, but I love that it only has two (pronounceable) ingredients! And, of course, the taste is amazing. I wish the descriptions were online so you could look at them all, but suffice to say this little Papua New Guinea Dark Chocolate had me at: "After harvest, these beans are uniquely smoked. This post-fermentation process imparts incredible flavor: think hickory smoked bacon and aged scotch."

And seriously, that is EXACTLY what it tastes like. Incredible.

I'll be going back for more, obviously—this is an addiction worth having!