Chocolate reign

My Saturday night was spent helping to judge entries in a fund-raiser for Exploration Place called Death by Chocolate. There was everything from truffles to brownies to mousse to martinis to chocolate-covered bacon and even chicken wings and steak bites with cocoa and chocolate-chipotle spices in them.


The judges, however, gave the top prize to the artistic and mind-blowingly delicious chocolate candies from Cocoa Dolce, the best chocolatier in Wichita in my opinion.


Dale and I hung out with Denise, who got the judging gig for us, and our friend Katie.


Katie and Dale enjoying the food and drink.

Some samples of the indulgence we sampled during the night...

White chocolate-covered macaroons.


One of the creative vendors.

The event included a jazz band and ballroom dancers.



And a chocolate-colored casket (Death by Chocolate, get it?)

I did not have one of these grasshoppers but the rest of the gang declared them top-notch.


Katie and Denise with county commissioner Tim Norton.

We ran into Tess and David Knadler, who are at all the fashionable events.


Parting shot of Katie and Denise at night's end.