The Sweetest Thing

A A A Comments By Amber Taufen Thursday, Dec 28 2006

Willy Wonka must've had a brother. That's the only explanation for Ned Archibald, executive pastry chef for Keystone Resorts, and his Chocolate Village.

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In its eleventh year of yumminess, the village consists of 2,500 pounds of chocolate formed into a miniature alpine community. Archibald reuses the same Village pieces year after year, but he always makes something new, too. Last year he added a six-foot white-chocolate Christmas tree with hand-blown sugar ornaments. This year, Archibald is changing the tree's color scheme and putting some more presents underneath, but the big addition is a snowman. "He's made out of chopped white chocolate, and he has a dark-chocolate top hat, an orange-chocolate nose, and a scarf with snowflakes on it," enthuses Archibald. "He probably weighs about sixty, seventy pounds. He needs a diet."

The Village, which takes up almost the entire lobby of the Keystone Lodge, will be unveiled today as the culmination of Keystone's 36 Days of Chocolate celebration — an event that includes special dishes dreamed up by other Keystone chefs and a chocolate-crammed spa package. Archibald will also give twice-daily sugar-blowing demonstrations until the Village is taken down on January 2. Visit www.keystoneresort.com or call 1-800-468-5004 for details.
Nov. 17-Dec. 22

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