andSons Chocolatiers’ Signature Collection PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDSONS CHOCOLATIERS
Led by brothers Phil and Marc Covitz, second-generation Beverly Hills business andSons Chocolatiers is reinventing fine chocolate with sustainable ingredients, artful packaging and local collaborations.
In 1983, when it was nearly impossible to find European chocolate in America, Aviva Covitz brought Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland to Beverly Hills. The European-style corner Beverly Hills café she opened in 1995 long served as a go-to spot for European truffles—however, in 2019, her sons Phil and Marc Covitz took over the business and sought to reimagine fine chocolate. “Customer tastes and expectations had changed over the years and, with American culinary arts catching up to the Europeans, it was time for an update,” says Phil. “Out went cliche boxes and sugary treats and in came sublime flavors and artful presentations influenced by our Californian roots.”
Chef Sandy Tran, former executive pastry chef of The French Laundry in Napa Valley, now helms the kitchen for andSons Chocolatiers (and-sons.com) in L.A.’s Arts District—where the culinary team handcrafts treats using sustainable and ethically-produced cacao from international suppliers, dairy and produce from central California and the Santa Monica Farmers Market, and ingredients from artisanal chocolate makers. “Our line of chocolates includes European-style bonbons and modern hand-painted molded bonbons unlike anything else in Los Angeles,” says Phil of the goods sold out of the revamped Beverly Hills shop designed by Nate Berkus. “Our most popular chocolates range from the rich 64% Madagascar Dark Chocolate to the milky Hazelnut Gianduja to the bright Passion Fruit Caramel.”
With a wide variety of flavors and lines from traditional to modern, andSons’ chocolate bonbons and confections make for great gifts. “From the contemporary packaging to the delectable chocolates themselves, we like to make each gift feel as if it is a treasure to unwrap and savor,” says Phil. “Our most popular item by far is our Signature Collection which allows our customers to choose their level of decadence ranging from a two-piece party favor to our extravagant 84-piece box.” Featuring a selection of crowd favorites and seasonal flavors, the collection is wrapped in colorful foil-stamped packaging. He notes, “We also collaborate with artists and local art institutions, such as MOCA and The Huntington Library, to create limited editions.”
For Valentine’s Day, Tran created a collection of heart-shaped ganaches, pralines and caramels presented in a collectible box designed by L.A. artist Alexandra Grant. The collection comes in three sizes—12, 24 and 36 pieces—boasting Grant’s signature “love” symbol, with a portion of sales benefiting Grant’s grantLOVE project for artists and arts nonprofits. Supporting women is in the DNA of the second-generation chocolatier—which is now celebrating its 40th anniversary, and will be announcing new flavors and a special collaboration in the coming months. Says Phil, “We are proud to be female-founded and now have a female-led culinary team to lead us into the next era of our company’s history.”
andSons Chocolatiers’ Valentine's Collection PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDSONS CHOCOLATIERS
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