Here’s a heady recipe: Take 25 of the city’s finest chocolatiers. Add 800 sweet-toothed fans and a host of celebrity judges bestowing chocolate accolades. Blend well. Serve with an endless supply of chocolate martinis. Such were the ingredients for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s annual “World of Chocolate” benefit. Commemorating World AIDS Day, the event was billed as a “celebration of life, love and chocolate.” “It’s a combination of people’s love for chocolate and their desire to help,” explained AFC executive director Mark Ishaug. It was indeed love at first bite as guests chomped from station to station. Judges (including WBBM-TV’s Bill Zwecker, Telemundo’s Leda Santodomingo and Ina’s Ina Pinkney) were to dish out awards in four categories. The crowd agreed when the eatery Rushmore won the Loco Cocoa award for its chocolate-goat cheese soup and Aria snagged best presentation for its live, chocolate-dipped Adonis.
