Modern Willy Wonka

It's not too often that a chocolatier makes his own chocolate. But that's exactly what Tyler Levitetz does at his new 5150 Chocolate Co. in Delray Beach.

A graduate of the L'Art de la Pâtisserie program of the French Pastry School in Chicago, Levitetz turned his apartment into a makeshift chocolate factory. After several failed attempts, he realized he needed to focus on the cacao beans to be successful.

He now "works closely with our farmers to create an environment that provides a generous living wage in return for the finest quality cacao," according to his website.

Levitetz decided to share his delicious creations by opening 5150 Chocolate Co., a "bean-to-bar chocolate factory focused on challenging tradition and pushing the limits of imagination."

The flavors, all made from raw cacao beans, are tempting. White chocolate Key lime pie with a graham cracker coating, milk chocolate bars with Kansas- or Texas- style barbecue flavor, and a Hennessy chocolate bar filled with green apple pop rocks are just a few of the items showcasing Levitetz's talent and creativity.

He also has a wicked sense of humor: His website notes that, when he asked other chocolatiers if what he was doing was crazy, they all said yes. And yet he marched forward undeterred.

Certainly, his work employs the experimentation of a mad scientist - and we can't wait to see what else his new business has in store.

5150 Chocolate Co. is located at 1010 N. Federal Highway, Delray Beach. For more information, call 561-901-3351 or visit 5150chocolate.com.