Simonson says he's been passionate about cooking since he was a kid, but only entered the world of professional food production when he started Chocolate Lab after a career as a schoolteacher. His truffle recipe comes from a Valentine's Day gift. "My husband made truffles for me for Valentine's Day," he explains, adding that the confections were so good, he wanted to share them with the world. "It's just the two of us that know the recipes," he notes (though his husband is not involved in the business).
The truffles are hand-rolled and hand-dipped, with a thinner shell than that of many other truffles, which allows the creamy, flavorful ganache centers to stand out. Simonson says that since founding Chocolate Lab, he has always used savory ingredients in his flavor blends, like a recent pineapple-habanero truffle, along with fair-trade chocolate and organic cream.
His emphasis on matching savory ingredients with chocolate will take on a new form as he prepares to launch a lunch and dinner restaurant where nearly everything on the menu will include chocolate. "For me, it's about taking something I like and finding a way to make chocolate work with it," Simonson explains.
This will soon be Denver's newest destination for chocolate and chocolated-themed cuisine.
Mark Antonation
Chocolate Lab will have a full bar and room for twenty guests inside. A sidewalk patio with an additional sixteen seats will be added later in the summer, once the permitting process is complete. Until recently, Chocolate Lab shared a kitchen with New World Cheese, which went out of business at the beginning of March.
Simonson is moving quickly to change the space over, since he has been unable to make and sell retail chocolates since the closing. He expects to open the restaurant in about two weeks, and will offer lunch and dinner seven days a week in addition to selling truffles and other housemade confections.
