Continuing the theme of exceptional businesses at the New York State Fair, it’s time to talk about Chocolate Taps.
I believe this is their third year at The Fair, and each year they grow more and more. While they’re still in the same spot they were last year inside The Eatery, they’ve expanded into the space next door, doubling their footprint.
Chocolate Taps has an incredibly large fleet of chocolate machines. They started with two, and when I visited today, I counted seven. New this year? They’ve even added ice cream to the mix.
What’s really cool about Chocolate Taps, beyond the food and the growth, is that they’re bringing in local artists. They hired acclaimed muralist Ally Walker to completely transform their booth, inside and out. My favorite part is probably the large strawberry Ferris wheel she painted on the side of their space. It’s worth stopping to take a picture with even if you don’t order anything.
The item I was most excited to try this year was their Ube and Matcha Ice Cream Strawberry Cup. Unfortunately, their ice cream machine was on the fritz when I stopped by, so I guess that means I’ll have to go back for that one.
But I did keep the strawberry theme going — I got to try their Strawberry Cup collab with Big Mama’s Cheesecake.
I believe this cost around $19 — you get a huge cup of fresh-cut strawberries layered with whipped cream and some of the best milk chocolate you’ll ever have, topped with a huge scoop of Big Mama’s plain cheesecake.
The presentation makes for a great photo or video — which matters to someone like me — but it makes eating the dish a little tricky. Everything tends to fall off the top, and you end up eating the cheesecake first, then the strawberries, when I’d rather get a bite of everything at once.
I’d have liked to see more actual layers — think strawberries, chocolate, cheesecake, then repeat — but it’s absolutely delicious.
Imagine the smoothest, silkiest, richest milk chocolate you’ve ever had coating fresh strawberries, with cheesecake on top. How can you go wrong?
Some of their cups, like the Classic, are easy to walk around and enjoy. Others, like this Big Mama’s Cheesecake cup, you’ll want to sit down for so you don’t spill everything.
It’s been a lot of fun watching this family and this business grow year after year at The Fair. If you didn’t know, the same family also operates Fair Deli.
If you haven’t visited Chocolate Taps, I highly recommend checking them out during The Fair. And hopefully by the time you do, the ice cream machine will be fixed — I still need that Ube and Matcha cup.
