Valentine’s Day is decidedly not a Jewish holiday. But that hasn’t stopped Upper East Side’s Neto kosher chocolatiers going all-in on this celebration of love.
For V-Day, the small chocolate boutique on 197 East 76th St. — which is run by Amir and Sima Sharon, an Israeli husband-and-wife team — are selling their small-batch, handcrafted truffles, pralines and molded chocolates. Many of these treats are decorated with Valentine’s themed imagery, like hearts and flowers, in an assortment of sizes and boxes.
“Valentine’s Day may not be a Jewish holiday, but chocolate knows no boundaries,” Amir said. “It’s a universal symbol of love and celebration and we embrace the joy it brings. We love being part of people’s sweetest moments.”
Valentine’s Day, along with Christmas and Purim, is a busy time for Neto, who create 16 flavors of truffles, including blood orange, passionfruit and coconut, as well as February’s flavor of the month, strawberry, in honor of V-Day. Their pistachio and rose marzipan truffles are inspired by Amir’s Iraqi roots, while the Earl Grey and cherry chocolate flavors are a nod to Sima’s Russian heritage.
Neto — its name is an acronym for the Sharon children’s names: Noa, Erez, Tamir and Oren — quietly opened its Upper East Side storefront in September 2023, more than a decade after the Orthodox couple almost inadvertently started their chocolate business at their Marine Park, Brooklyn home in 2012.
That year, Sima made chocolate for mishloach manot, baskets of food that Jews traditionally give out on the holiday of Purim. The chocolates were a hit among their friends, and a local restaurant, now defunct, took notice, and asked Sima to make chocolates for them.
Thinking they could turn Sima’s cottage industry into a full-fledged business, the Sharons bought some equipment, including small tempering machines, pans, molds and a home mixer, creating a makeshift chocolate lab in their dining room and kitchen.
“We got a lot of samples and developed the recipes for a year,” Amir, 50, said. “The whole house was a mess.”
They ordered Belgian callets (small chocolate discs), chunks and bars of varying intensities (55%, 60%, 70% cacao), from sustainable and fair-trade cacao farms from several countries in South America.
“To find a good chocolate you need to test a lot,’” said Amir, who tried a lot of chocolate, while Sima, 48, experimented with flavors and combinations.
In April 2013, the couple decided it was time to scale up. They rented a factory space on Nostrand Avenue in Marine Park, and soon they were selling their handcrafted kosher chocolates to local caterers, stores and synagogues.
From the get-go, kashrut certification was an important consideration. The Sharons were also dedicated to keeping their products pareve/vegan, so that their chocolates can be eaten and shared after holiday celebrations or parties, which often involve meat.
“For kosher and vegan customers, finding high-end, artisanal chocolate can be a challenge,” Amir said. “There’s a common perception that kosher or vegan chocolates don’t meet the same quality standards as conventional ones, but we are here to change that. Our goal is to elevate those standards — to craft chocolates that stand proudly alongside any premium brand, without compromise.”
That’s not always an easy task, however. “It is so hard for us to source good ingredients that are also kosher,” Sima said. “It’s a challenge and a longer process for items that are both kosher and vegan.”
Fortunately, the hard work paid off: In 2016, Neto’s pistachio marzipan praline and blood orange pralines garnered bronze and silver awards, respectively, at the International Chocolate Awards. Both entries competed in a category that also included chocolates with dairy.
Creating delicious chocolates without the use of any animal products is “an unexpected benefit,” said Amir.
“Vegans who find it have faces like they hit the lottery,” Sima said, “because they are so limited with what they can eat.”
In response to what the Sharons perceived as growing demand — at catered events, Amir said, guests would ask, “where can I get more of this?” — they opened their storefront in September 2023.
The couple scouted several locations across Manhattan and ultimately chose the Upper East Side. “Beyond just business potential there was something about the neighborhood,” Amir said. “When we walked through the streets, we felt at home. It had the right energy, the right balance of local charm and vibrancy.”
“We’re not looking for the tourists,” he added. “Tourists are welcome, of course, but that’s not our main goal here. I want to build a [lasting] clientele.”
At their storefront — where a series of vitrines display individual chocolates, giving the appearance of a chocolate museum — customers are invited to sample as much as they’d like. “Before you buy, you can taste,” Amir said.
“I really feel that tasting is such an important part,” Sima added.
During the buildup to Valentine’s Day, Neto’s new, larger factory — located just a few blocks from their old factory; they moved in late 2023 after the landlord for the first factory sold the building — is operating in “full production mode,” Amir said.
After all, the romantic potential of fine chocolate is not lost on the couple. Even though the Sharons spend all day working with chocolate, every evening they sit together and enjoy some tea and chocolate.
“There’s something about the warmth of the tea and sweetness of the chocolate that makes everything slow down and just be in the moment,” Amir said.
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