After traveling to the world’s culinary hotspots post-college, including studying in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu and apprenticing with Ferran Adria at El Bulli, Katrina Markoff came to Chicago and opened Vosges Haut-Chocolat.
Her luxury chocolates use indigenous spices, flowers, roots and herbs to create her unique flavor combinations.
Keeping with her philosophy of “bringing peace to the world through chocolate,” Markoff’s business is a certified organic manufacturer and operates on 100 percent renewable energy.
A percentage of sales, including 25 percent of the Grand Hat Box, goes to V-Day, which is a global movement that was started by Tony Award-winning playwrite Eve Ensler to end violence against women and girls.
While in Paris for a food show, Markoff read an article about a woman in Afghanistan whose husband disfigured her with acid as punishment for a sliver of her wrist that was visible and not covered. The story so affected Markoff, she sought out this grassroots charity. “We’ve been working with V-Day for 14 years now,” she says.
According to Vosges, they have given over $170,000 to V-Day and $10,000 to Little Kids Rock.
Along with their Michigan Avenue location, Vosges has stores on Armitage Avenue and in O’Hare airport.
