My assignment? To attend the Chocolate Fantasy Buffet. What was the boss thinking? Honestly, the things I’m asked to do. Well, all right. (Sigh) I guess I can go but certainly not alone. To the serious chocoholic, attending a Chocolate Buffet alone is tantamount to drinking alone. Where’s the fun? So my work colleague Stephanie is joining me along with Megan, who, at 13, is a very discerning chocolate lover herself.

This event is hosted by the Washington Inn, 801 Washington Street, and sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC). The first thing you should know is that we weren’t really sure we’d even be able to get tickets for the event, which is normally sold out very early. As luck would have it, predictions of foul weekend weather worked in our favor. Tickets and cameras in hand, we walk into the Washington Inn a wee bit early so we can get a jump on the picture taking.

Can I just say? Wow! There it is – correction – there they are… twin buffet tables at either end of the room with a fondue buffet in the middle. I am apoplectic with ecstasy. Where do I begin? No, really. Where do I begin? Pastry Chef  Kathy Cressman surely has outdone herself. But no, Stephanie says it was just this incredible the last time she attended a Fantasy Buffet.

I am bowled over by the buffet for a couple of reasons – I anticipate an eating frenzy the likes of which is sure to put my blood sugar levels into hypoglycemic shock. Knowing this, I ate a light lunch (both in calories and portions). But the main reason I’m so impressed is that I have tried to make chocolate recipes. Chocolate cake, chocolate candy, chocolate fondue, chocolate ganache. Mostly, I have failed. Not that any of my attempts were inedible, but they lacked perfection, ingenuity and creativity. The creamy rich taste of a distinctive chocolate combined with the texture of a moist cake which adds to but does not diminish the chocolaty taste has, I must say, eluded me.

You know the movie Chocolat? I could watch that movie 101 times just to see if I can figure out the secret to cooking with chocolate. So, maybe this is my chance. As we three chocolateers are seated, we notice a checklist beside each place setting of the selections offered, along with a rating of  Loved It, Liked It, It was OK. Before we begin, Chef Cressman, obviously a veteran now of the chocolate buffet,  gives us some helpful eating hints. “Take it slow,” is her main tip. There are two identical buffets at either end of the room, she explains. Just in case the word “identical” might be misconstrued, she further explains that each table has the same items on it. “Everybody mounds up their plate” on the first round leaving no room for seconds or even firsts, she cautions. “If you take it slow, you’ll enjoy it more.”

A couple more tips. We are to put the slice of Chocolate Decadence Cake on the plate as is, no fussing or re-cutting. “If it’s too much, cut it in half,” she advises. The Milk Chocolate Bailey’s Boats are always a favorite, she says and urges we live on the wild side and try some things we might not normally try such as the Dark Chocolate Rice Pudding.

While Chef Cressman’s talking, I begin to formulate my dessert eating management program. I think the best way to approach the Fantasy Buffet is similar to that of a wine tasting - do not pile one’s plate with every possible dessert offered but choose only a few. Taste, clear the palette with coffee or tea – then taste another. That way the honored dessert has your full attention. This, I’ve decided, will be my approach.

And then we’re off. Before I tell you about the experience, two of the chocolateers (Stephanie and I) could have ordered from the Chocolate Fantasy Drink Menu which included various Chocolate Martinis ranging from Milk Chocolate to Fudge Kitchen martinis. All $8. Complimentary milk was available for the third chocolateer. Ok. Chocolate Fantasy Buffet here we come.

For a few minutes, I just stand there staring, but I feel the pressure of people behind me. Yet, I can’t move. My problem is I’m afraid to touch the Black Forest Torte, the Chocolate Custard Tart or the Chocolate Decadence Cake because no one else has – the cowards. I’ve experienced this cake cutting dilemma before. I’m not going to be the one to ruin Chef Cressman’s arrangement. The first piece is always the worst to free. I see cake spilling all over the table. I see squished tart and squashed torte. I see….a waitress. “Can I help you?” Yes, yes and yes. Now we’re in business.

With a slice of the Chocolate Custard Tart neatly taking the 9 o’clock position on my plate, I completely throw my “tasting a few” eating management plan out the window and proceed to pile my plate with as many desserts as possible, while simultaneously planning my next pile. I call this new eating management strategy the “pile-on” plan. I do, however, find myself gravitating toward the finger desserts – the Chocolate Covered Strawberry, the Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroon, and the Bailey’s Boat while temporarily ignoring the fondue section.

When I get back to my table, I notice that my fellow chocolateers -Stephanie and Megan -also went for the strawberries and macaroons. Stephanie chose the Washington Inn’s signature dessert the Chocolate Mousse Tower. I stare in envy at her slice of White Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cake and the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. And Megan’s White Chocolate Lemon Tart looks positively yummy. Hold on….I can go back for seconds, and thirds. I do not have to experience dessert envy. And I do return, well for seconds anyway. By the time I start thinking about thirds, I’m pretty much ready for coffee and a nice glass of cool water. Stephanie was ready for her second cup of coffee and Megan switched from milk to ice water.

Here’s the down side of a Chocolate Fantasy Buffet – the reason Chef Cressman urges eating slowly is because, if you don’t, all the tastes start to blend together and it becomes more difficult to discern one dessert from another –I should have stuck to my original game plan. And yet, here’s the up side – those desserts which remain in your taste palette memory banks really stand out from the crowd. Stephanie’s favorite was and still is the Chocolate Mousse Tower. It’s the White Chocolate Lemon Tart for Megan. And the White Chocolate Cheese Cake with Black Berries for me. Although – truth be told – we loved all three equally. As for finger desserts – can it get any better than Chocolate covered Strawberries and those macaroons?  mmmMMMmmmM.

We are so busy eating and comparing, we barely look around the room or pay attention to anyone else. However, once we have a chance to sit back, we notice that Chef Cressman is coming around to each table to chat and we eavesdrop on some of the conversations. One table of ladies has been to the buffet so many times, Chef Cressman knows them by sight. Another couple said they planned their weekend around the Chocolate Fantasy fest.

What I like about the people in our dining room is the diversity. There are couples, groups of ladies, families (not with young children though, most looked to be 9 and up), young people, older people. The women may have outnumbered the men a bit but not by an overwhelming number.

Would I recommend the Chocolate Fantasy Buffet? Oh yeah. It’s a no-brainer, really.  I offer two tips: Reserve your tickets early and “If you take it slow, you’ll enjoy it much more.”

The next Fantasy Buffet is April 29. If you can’t make it – never fear. Two more are scheduled on Oct. 8 and Nov. 18. Be sure to call MAC at 609-884-5404 or 1-800-275-4278 or www.capemaymac.org.