If patience is a virtue, then Marcio Paulucci is a saint, painstakingly creating his luxurious bonbons one careful layer at a time. After working in Michelin-starred kitchens, Paulucci decided to venture into the sweet side of things, opening his own chocolate company out of Black Box Bakery in Edgewater Marketplace. The calm, methodical foil to Willy Wonka’s sporadic creativity, Paulucci’s approach to chocolate-making is all about precision—from hand-painting molds to tempering by touch. His bonbons are a testament to craftsmanship, where every detail, no matter how small, is perfected.
Culinary background: “I studied finance in school but grew up baking with my grandma. I ended up going back to culinary school and then went on to work for Daniel Boulud’s restaurant with three Michelin stars before becoming a corporate chef for Jean-Georges. But it was 17-hour days and never seeing my wife, so I wanted to start my own thing.”
Cooking up chocolates: “It’s all crafted from high-end ingredients like Valrhona chocolate. They’re made in small batches and meant to be eaten within 10 days because there are no artificial flavors or preservatives. Ideally, you store them in a wine fridge. With each chocolate, I’m actually working from the outside in. I start by painting the mold, then layer in the chocolate, the different fillings, and finally, seal it.”
Challenges: “Chocolate is extremely sensitive to temperature and humidity. Often, I have to wait an hour or two with the humidifier or AC running to get the conditions just right. Otherwise, the beta crystals in the chocolate won’t form correctly. A single degree or two can completely change the chocolate—it’s that delicate. I temper by hand, though there are tempering machines, but they cost between six and forty grand. That’s just one reason why the process is so time-consuming. One chocolate takes me three days to make in total, and we have to throw out lots of imperfect ones.”
Flavor town: “The dark chocolate passion mango is my current favorite. But we’re also working on boozy, cheesecake, and vegan lines. I’m also working on a Christmas tree, similar to the Easter eggs we did last year. These specialty chocolates take a ridiculous amount of time to make, and they weigh around three pounds with three distinct layers, but they make a great gift. Once I decide on the flavor for a bonbon, I use my ganache calculator to make sure it will still be smooth and silky and won’t break.”
On the horizon: “Currently, I’m operating out of Black Box Bakery, where I’m a part owner. But I hope to move into my own space soon. In the meantime, I’m launching a standalone Properties of Cocoa website where people can order my chocolates. I’ll be doing the local deliveries myself so that people get to meet the chef. And I’m working on creating flavor cards with descriptions that will come in each box we sell.”
