ITALIA STAFF PICKS		HOT CHOCOLATE by Pamela Lewy Let’s face it, amongst all the talk of diets and post-holiday weight gain, it’s still necessary to treat yourself one in a while. February is the perfect time to pamper your palette with delicious, rich and indulgent hot chocolate. Otto Enoteca Pizzeria 1 Fifth Avenue 212-995-9559 Pastry Chef Meredith Kurtzman’s hot chocolate is the perfect ending to any pizza or pasta meal. Pair a cup of her rich hot chocolate with your favorite gelato flavor and you’ll wish it would stay chilly forever. Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven New!!!!! 350 Hudson at King Street (in lower Manhattan) 212-414-2462 Since 2000, when Jacque Torres opened up his celebrated Brooklyn Chocolate factory, jealous Manhattanites longed for a chocolate shop of their own. After 4 years, their wish came true. Torres Chocolate Haven is the first-of-its-kind chocolate enterprise in New York City and incorporates a manufacturing plant, where visitors can view chocolate being made from 360 degrees, with a chocolate shop in the center. Our favorite is Jacques’ hot hot chocolate – it will blow your mind!!!! City Bakery 3 West 18th Street 212-366-1414 Talk about rich!!! This hot chocolate’s thick and creamy consistency can almost be a meal unto itself…but we at Babbo would rather just eat a little less lunch to save room for their hot chocolate that’s sprinkled with cocoa powdered and accompanied by homemade marshmallows. A classic heavenly combination! Lunettes et Chocolat 25 Prince St. 212-925-8800 What a way to warm up against the chilly new York wind. This fudgy liquid dessert is too good to resist and will warm you up and satisfy a lot more than a regular cup of joe.		• March 02: Greenwich Village • April 02: Greenwich Village Again • May 02: Soho • June 02: Greenmarket at Union Square • July 02: Ice Cream, Gelato, Sorbetto, and more... • August 02: Fromaggiorias • September 02: Brown Bagging It! • October 02: Candy Shops • November 02: Holiday Pies • December 02: Esspresso Stops • January 03: Soup Stops • February 03: Weekday Breakfasts • March 03: Best Burgers • April 03: Rainy Days • May 03: Spring at the Greenmarket • June 03: Summer Berries • July 03: Dining al Fresco • August 03: Tomatoes • September 03: Back to School • October 03: Picking Apples • November 03: Helping Others • December 03: Cookbooks for Reading • January 04: Film Series • February 04: Chocolate Fix • March 04: Wine Bars • April 04: Spring Planting • June 04: Sorbetti • July 04: Hot Places to Keep Cool in the Summer • August 04: Karaoke in NYC • September 04: Culinary Classes • October 04: Apple Pickin' • November 04: Organic Turkeys • December 04: Ice Skating • January 05: Movies for Wine Lovers • February 05: Hot Chocolate