Visitors will be able to taste as much chocolate as they can hold, then vote on the different chocolatiers and their chocolate creations to determine who will be crowned as having Tuscaloosa’s Best Chocolate for 2017. Two runners-up will also be named, and this year an award for best presentation and display of chocolate will be given out. Live music, a cash bar and even a vendor who provides chocolate-flavored wine and beer will accompany the chocolate connoisseurs at the tournament.
Larry Deavers, the director of the Family Counseling Service program, is looking forward to seeing how many people will attend the event.
“I’m excited to see if the crowd this year surpasses the number that attended last year, which was almost 500 people,” Deavers said. “The event has always generated a lot of excitement and has attracted a lot of attention from crowds we don’t normally reach.”
Family Counseling Service seeks to provide accessible counseling services and promotes social, mental and emotional well-being through programming for the people of West Alabama.
Any licensed restaurant or catering service is qualified to compete in the event, and for this tournament all the slots have been filled. This year’s participants include A Cutting Edge Caterers, Peterbrooke Chocolatier, Athena’s Bakery & Boutique, Evangeline’s, Snap Decision Catering, Steel City Pops, Shelton State Community College, Southern Ale House, Another Broken Egg Cafe, Dreamland Bar-B-Que Ribs and Vivere! Chocolates.
In fact, this is the first time Vivere! Chocolates will compete in Tuscaloosa’s Death by Chocolate Tournament. Vivere! Chocolates is an artisan gourmet chocolatier company based out of New Jersey that specializes in custom-made fine chocolates for corporate events and holiday items.
Robert Bowden, creator of Vivere! and a Tuscaloosa native, got the idea for the company when he was looking for a change in pace.
“I’ve always been a foodie at heart,” Bowden said. “And when people asked me why chocolate, I said, ‘Why not? Everyone likes chocolate.’ ”
The tournament is an opportunity for his company to gain exposure in the community for a possible new storefront in Tuscaloosa, Bowden said.
“If I’m serious about becoming a presence in Tuscaloosa, I figure this is a good way to start, and I’m a Tuscaloosa guy so it just makes sense to join the contest,” he said. “Exposure through the contest is a great way to make the people here more aware of the brand.”
In addition to the exposure, Bowden is also looking forward to seeing the other businesses and immersing himself in the community once again.
“I’m always looking to learn, and you can learn just as much from your competitors as they can from you,” Bowden said. “This is one of those special opportunities where you get to put something that you created out into the public, and that’s always a good feeling.”
Vivere! Chocolates and the other competitors will battle it out for the title of Tuscaloosa’s Best Chocolate for 2017 tonight at the Tuscaloosa River Market. Tuscaloosa’s Death by Chocolate Tournament will start at 5:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at the door for $35. May the best chocolatier win.
