Bloomington, Indiana turns into a chocolate lover's paradise for one night every year at the Art of Chocolate event. This year, eight local chefs brought their sweet treats for visitors to sample. The event also featured a juried art show, highlighting the notion that beautiful food just tastes better.

Sampling The Goods

Eva Hovis and the other chefs from the Scholar's Inn offered melt-in-your-mouth chocolate peanut butter truffles. Michael Craig of the Indiana Memorial Union presented both sweet and savory options: a dark chocolate and black pepper spice cookie and a grilled brie, Nutella, and basil sandwich.

One of the samples that was going like hotcakes was the vanilla caramel with fluer de sal offered by Tad DeLay of the Limestone Grille. He felt right at home amongst the works of art; he earned a degree in fine arts before attending culinary school and opening his restaurant.

Matt Smith of Truffles Restaurant on the other hand considers himself a crafts person not an artist. While he provided a stunning dark chocolate tiramisu for the event, he says he can be more creative in realm of savory foods. "I feel like there's a lot more freedom (with savory foods). There's a lot less pure science than there is in pastry."

The Perfect Chocolate Martini

The busiest table of the evening was the one manned by the mixologist from the Malibu Grill Janell Lenfert. As she says, "Why eat dessert when you can drink it?" When asked if she considered herself an artist, she joked, "If the product turns out well, then I guess I'd consider myself a pretty good artist!"