Chocolat By Daniel

Owner is extremely rude and disrespectful. Also, I was told that «after having MY hot chocolate, you will never want any other». I ended up spitting it out in the road and throwing it in the nearest trashcan. Disgusting. I really don’t know how he stays in business. Oh, and don’t touch the glass. The dark chocolate was pretty good, but I would rather not give him any of my money.

The chocolate is amazing but Daniel will hit on your boyfriend while making snide remarks to you if you are a woman. It’s obviously a reflection of his deep seeded mommy issues. Make sure you ask him to repeat things especially about sugar and dark chocolate. He also loves when you touch the glass on his display. Pretend you are hard of hearing so that he actually speaks up in his nasally annoying condescending voice. But the chocolate is really good so we recommend you go if you can handle being treated like crap and over paying for chocolate.

We bought a box of six chocolates yesterday for a gift and had to add one for us, «for the road». Although we have been there several times before, we checked the Unilocal ratings and were astonished at the strong reactions people had to Daniel as a person. We were certainly on guard as we walked toward the showcase at the back of the store, and I was tempted to holler «milk chocolate» to see if I could provoke an outburst.
Our experience was quite pleasant and free of discord. He obviously takes great pride in his work, which is certainly justified, but we enjoyed discussing the various chocolates currently being offered. His selections change so a displayed product might not be available, but we’re dealing with a craftsman making small batches of high-​quality product. The man certainly has a unique personality that we find refreshing, and the intelligent conversation merely adds to the experience of shopping for a quality product from a gifted artist.
Casual conversation at the brew pub next door and with the mail carrier on the street suggested that Daniel is well liked in the neighborhood by folks who interact with him daily. Maybe the people who slammed him in these reviews have come to expect the disingenuous smiley plain-​vanilla greetings from the chain supermarket staff. That would be sad.

The chocolate is phenomenal. Quite the opposite of the owner. He is very rude and arrogant. I highly recommend his chocolate creations but don’t expect friendly service.

Daniel thinks he’s better than everyone because he went to chocolate school in France… who cares?! Get over yourself. You make chocolate for a living; you’re not helping third world countries with hunger or teaching handicapped children. How this man is married is beyond belief.
This guy is extremely DISRESPECTFUL! He emailed me the following message after I kindly expressed my concern for his rude behavior via email after I inquired if he carried a specific kind of chocolate.
This is what Daniel, the owner, said to me…
«I was just getting right to the point in telling you how it is. If you can’t handle it go get a facial and buy a new man purse — you’ll feel better.»
This man disgusts me. DO NOT give him business as he has also been rude to other friends of mine. I reported him to the Better Business Bureau as well. If anyone should feel emasculated it’s Daniel, after all, he makes chocolate for a living.

Fantastic chocolates. Dark only, but unique and delicious. I don’t even buy chocolates anywhere else because I know they won’t compare. Expensive? Not really. They are not the kind of chocolate that you eat a dozen in one sitting and still aren’t satisfied. These are decadent treats. One good piece, eaten slowly and with attention, is all that is needed. The chocolate diablo is to die for.

Wow, I must have been there on the owners bad day. Stopped in after seeing a live broadcast of WGN at the brewery next door. First, the store looked like it was closed. Tried the door and it was open. Walked into a dark store when a tall man came out from the back and turned the light on in the chocolate case. Never said a word to us. Asked if they had any milk chocolate and he acted as though I was asking for something that didn’t exist. I may have tried a piece but with his unwelcoming attitude I didn’t want to give him my business.

Ok so Daniel is a bit asinine but he has every right to be; he certainly knows his stuff! He spent time with me describing each and every chocolate and although I’m a milk chocolate fan he made a believer out of me as his dark chocolates are heavenly. I ended up getting a 6 piece box and devoured them all in less than 10 minutes. I can’t say enough positive things about his chocolate you can tell it’s his true passion and you can taste it in every bite.

On our visit to the downtown farmer’s market this afternoon we stopped in for a taste of some chocolate.
This is «gourmet» chocolate which was only dark chocolate. The selection was very limited and the prices were very high, but the chocolate was divine, truly. This chocolatier is truly a brilliant individual who loves what he does with a very imaginative and creative mind and a dry but not bad personality. We tried a truffle (which was rich and smooth and very good), a coconut chocolate (which had a small amount of coconut but was smooth and rich), and a Cassonova which had good flavor but we could not ascertain what the additional flavor was. The owner told us to read the book so we could figure out what is in it. For these 3 bite size pieces it cost roughly $ 8. There were specialty pieces like a violin (not actual size… about the size of a young child’s shoe) and small tubes of lipstick shapes and the violin was $ 50. I might have been willing to consider purchasing it for $ 25 but $ 50 seemed outrageous to me. I am sure that the owner does not want to sell himself short and deserves to get paid because this is truly an art form. I would maybe buy a couple of pieces here and there but will not go downtown specifically to go to this shop. It really could be very very busy with a huge following if the prices were a tad lower.

I walked into this shop with the intention of purchasing some fine dark chocolates. My boyfriend and I were the only customers in there and the owner gave off such an intimidating vibe that I immediately felt uncomfortable. So, I attempted making some small talk to ease the obvious tension and was treated so rudely by this pompous and arrogant man that I immediately wanted to run out of there. When I asked a question about one of the chocolates he gave a snide remark as an answer and did not appreciate being made to feel stupid just because I’m not a chocolate expert. I was going to spend my money in there, but figured this jerk did not deserve my hard-​earned dollars. I will not be going back. Ever.

All the chocolate truffles are divine! just do it (it’s worth the money!) it will also teach you how to savor! :)

While taking a little tour of Rockford, we stopped in for a snack. The aroma of coffee and chocolate was a welcoming surprise. We were greeted by a male behind the counter who thought he was funnier than he actually was but he got the job (explaining the chocolate) done. I had the absolute pleasure of enjoying margarita, intrigue and one with Kentucky moonshine in it (for the life of me I cannot remember the name). My favorite was the margarita; perfect hint of lime and salt that just makes you happy all over!
Oh one last thing, the not so funny guy behind the counter did give some good advice. He told us to enjoy it slowly. Please do, you won’t be disappointed!

The chocolate here is ‘ok’ nothing more than a Ghiradelli Intense chocolate. Location is nice, too cold for me to enjoy a stay. Biggest problem is the Owner. Attitude and presentation are a HUGE part in owning a business. He was rude to me and he was rude to my wife. I dont get offended easily but trying to enjoy a five dollar piece of ‘ok’ chocolate doesnt help with an attitude like his. Sorry, you just lost a customer. Wont recommend this place.

The chocolate is wonderful but the owner is a jacka**!!! Is extremely rude and makes inappropriate, rude comments to his customers.
I will NOT go to to Chocolat by Daniel is he is there!!!

I am an avid lover of chocolate, and seek out different delicacies from around the globe. When I stepped into this shop I was immediately confronted by the very rude and pretentious owner.
I attempted to ask him a few questions about selections and was answered by Daniel with very rude responses.
If you cannot take the time to answer your patrons questions about expensive chocolates, maybe you shouldn’t be in the hospitality service.
I left the store without purchasing anything, as his attitude was so off-​putting I wanted to leave immediately.

Ok first off I wouldn’t consider myself a chocolate connoisseur, but have had quite a bit of high end chocolate. This chocolate is very dark and has a great flavor. I would say at times it’s so dark that the other flavors don’t come through.
The shop is very nice and comfy. It’s the type of place you want to go after a nice dinner downtown and sit back and enjoy a dessert before heading home. Although I don’t know if you can call it dessert, because the owner told me «My chocolates are not sweet!»
My biggest problem is the attitude of the owner. The last time I was in to get a small box for a special night for my wife, the owner was out and out rude. I asked him some questions about the chocolates and he responded to me like I shouldn’t even be in his shop. He is arrogant, pretentious, and rude. As I was leaving he made an inappropriate comment about my motives for buying the chocolates for my wife. As much as I want to like this place, we will not be back.

we stopped into chocolat after dinner friday, right before they closed. what an adorable little spot! the space is dark and cozy, featuring a vintage display case, lots of original architectural details and plenty of seating at tables or couches.
the woman behind the counter was very friendly and knowledgable about the chocolates. we ordered a variety to share and sat down at a table. they were all excellent, but daniel’s take on the turtle was my favorite. the one complaint I have is that the one made with orange didn’t have much orange flavor.
bottom line, this place is a gem and i will definitely be back the next time i’m in town. rockford needs more businesses like this one.

Great place, with a very nice selection of delicious chocolates and coffee (the Turkish coffee was great!) I loved the ambience and would be a regular customer here if I lived in Rockford. The other reviewers mentioned that the owner was rude (particularly toward children?), but I found just the opposite. He was very helpful and has done a great job bringing such a styled café to the town. He was extremely patient with the families who had young children, even those families who let their kids run around — which I found annoying at 9pm on a Saturday night.
I highly recommend this establishment– keep up the great work.

Daniel is extremely knowledgeable about chocolate and you can taste it in the products… Absolutely delicious and amazing. You can also tell that he studied in France you can hear it in the way he attitude. Just because we don’t know everything about chocolate, doesn’t mean we are morons.
The staff if very knowledgeable about chocolate and it is delicious, just avoid mentioning milk chocolate or Hersheys and you should make it out unscathed.

The chocolate is so incredibly good here. This is a wonderful place to have in downtown Rockford, or an yplace really. So why the 3 stars you may ask?
If the rating system were purely related to the temperament & personality of the proprietor, it would be a 1 star rating, I’m sad to say.
We all need to play to our strengths. Daniel’s strengths are a nicely crafted business model & a fabulous product. After that, he should let the well-​chosen & socially adept counter staff interact with the patrons. He would better serve his business by cooking up new chocolate concoctions in a quiet room devoid of other humans.
I’ve interacted with Daniel several times. He is an awkward fellow. I can deal with that to a point. But really, telling patrons how to stir their cocoa? Repeatedly? Dude, he’s ignoring you. Better step off.
Threatening to kick a child out of the restaurant after she gets out of her chair (not running, not yelling, just wiggling mind you). Really?
Good chocolate. Maybe too much personality.