From the Arizona Republic: Phoenix keeps sparking national attention to its restaurants and food scene, and now a popular chocolate shop is getting in on the action.Tasting Table has featured Zak's Chocolate Shop in Scottsdale on its list of best chocolatiers in the U.S. Making the list is no small feat — it includes master pastry chef and chocolatier Jacques Torres, aka Mr. Chocolate, in New York and luxury chocolate maker Vosges in Chicago

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We took Cory McCloskey behind the scenes of our (slightly expanded) micro chocolate factory this past summer.

Click the Heading above to see the 5 short video segments shot live on International Chocolate Day, July 7, 2022 (hence the super high temps on Cory's weather charts!).

For a deeper dive into our process, including how we press and use cocoa butter, you can check out the link for a 30 minute video by

our friends at Foodies Who Fitness.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — What started as a hobby...has landed

Scottsdale's Maureen Elitzak among the country's top chocolatiers...

Click HERE to sign up and be the first to know what's happening at Zak's.

Our small batches come & go, so if we are out of any requested flavors we will substitute for something we hope you will enjoy trying.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR ONLINE STORE

If you have any other questions, just email or call us.

Like coffee and wine, each cocoa bean comes from a unique terroir that impacts its flavor. Zak's Chocolate is giving patrons a taste of true chocolate.

DESIGNED FOR COFFEE (BUT AWESOME IN SO MUCH MORE)

A local collaboration with Iconic Cocktail of Phoenix, Salted Cocoa Nib Mixer is made with Zak's custom roasted cocoa nibs.

"This is a serious chocolate pastry that will make you rethink all previous brownie experiences."

The Food Network included some of our thoughts about what to look for when buying chocolate to eat or cook with.

Click the heading above to read the review...

"Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies." - John Q. Tullius

"Make a list of important things to do today. At the top of your list, put ‘eat chocolate’. 

Now, you'll get at least one thing done today." - Gina Hayes

"Chocolate is nature’s way of making up for Mondays." – Anonymous

These videos are a great introduction to all the magic and really, really hard work done by so many amazing people in the tropics.

Learn what has to happen before cocoa beans arrive at Zak's so we can turn them into chocolate for you to enjoy.

These awesome, short videos were produced by our primary partner in transparent trade, Uncommon Cacao

"Perhaps it was the surplus chocolate that her candy box maker grandfather brought home from the shop.

Or, it may have been the family fudge recipe grandpa passed down to her father.

“That was always a special treat,” certified chocolatier Maureen Elitzak recalls..."

"Zak’s is just one of a growing number of chocolate shops across the U.S. that both make 100 percent of their own chocolate and all of the cocoa beans used are ethically sourced. Its products range from vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free single-origin dark chocolate bars to bonbons, truffles, and even a cocoa grilling rub." 

           Zak's Chocolate featured on the Fox10 Made in Arizona series.

Cinnamon Plum Bonbon - Zak's Chocolate (Scottsdale, Arizona)

"Have you ever had a cinnamon plum bonbon?

If you're near the Scottsdale area in Arizona, look no further, as this happens to be one of Zak's Chocolate's specialties."

Cinnamon Plum bonbon (l) together with Earl Grey Lavender bonbon (r), a lovely couple.

"Some of these foods are farmed — and can be provided predictably in large quantities. Because the foraging climate shifts with the hours, days, weeks, and years, wild foods are more volatile. Some ingredients appear for just a few days a year." Click HERE to read the whole story.

"Barel Cactus: Stout and pumpkin-shaped, barrel cactus sprouts waxy yellow fruit in early spring. These oblong fruits cluster at the top, each looking like a skinless pineapple. 

Where to taste: Try the seeds at Zak’s Chocolate in Scottsdale, where Jim and Maureen Elitzak deploy them for texture in a 70 percent cacao bar. Tamara Stanger of Cotton & Copper has used the fruit in desserts like semifreddo and lemon meringue pie."