Jonathan Grahm, the 25 year-old chocolatier to the stars, is known for his over 100+ varieties of chocolates, all addictive and all delicious because Jonathan makes them himself, right here in his Brentwood chocolate shop. Jonathan's creativity and passion for the arts began when he was just a mere toddler. Through extensive travel and a childhood in the food business, Jonathan has been refining his palate and identifying unique flavors since the age of 3. Fusing art, flavors, fashion and entertainment together to create his unique and trendsetting revision of Brentwood's historic Compartes Chocolatier, Jonathan's sophisticated vision is uniquely expressed through chocolate.
Jonathan took over his family's chocolate shop, Comparte's, at the young age of 15. At the time, Compartes was already a superlative chocolate shop though rooted heavily in tradition. It's chocolate-dipped glace apricots have been a favorite amongst Brentwood society since the 50s, even supplying Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monroe, but the long stagnated store was in dire need for some youthful flair. Inspired by his trips to childhood vacation spots in Venezuela, Asia, and Europe, Jonathan began developing his own recipes in Compartes' miniscule kitchen. Mixing ingredients, textures and exotic flavors together, Jonathan uses ganache as his canvas creating unique flavor profiles with the purpose of revealing chocolate's many different notes. By re-inventing Compartes while still keeping the traditional favorites that made customers come back time and time again, Jonathan had found his niche. In creating a signature line of truffles based in the European tradition and using high-quality chocolate and seasonal and exotic organic ingredients from around the globe, Jonathan started a trend that many would imitate, but never duplicate. Grahm quickly transformed Compartes Chocolatier into one of the most notable and celebrated artisanal chocolate companies in the nation.
Recently, America's youngest chocolatier has become a cult favorite of the LA scene. From high profile events such as the Golden Globes and Academy Awards to intimate gatherings for Marcia Cross, including her Wedding and Emmy parties, Jonathan has become a favorite among Hollywood elite. Teri Hatcher nick-named him "chocolate boy" and it stuck. Celebrities began flocking to the Brentwood hotspot for their chocolate fix and Compartes became known as the "chocolatier to the stars". Orders for his glamorous gift boxes of exotic truffles pour in daily. During the holiday season lines stretch down the block. Dubbed a "food star" and listed as one of the "top 25 entreprenuers under 25", he's been featured in Bon Apetit, Food & Wine, The LA Times and Saveur. His television appearances include Food Network, CNN, ABC, Bravo, A&E and countless other stations. Though dedicated to his local fan-base, his hip new flavors like smoked sea salt, mango + saffron, kaffir lime + lemongrass, and olive oil + rosemary have made a splash nationwide.
On a recent European expedition to explore chocolate making techniques, flavor profiles and methods, Jonathan came back with a well of knowledge and ideas for his creations. His ever evolving lines now include truffles, chocolate dipped fruits, handcrafted chocolate bars, organic chocolates, homemade marshmallows, toffees, gourmet chocolate gifts and much more. With the addition of Jonathan's new chocolate lounge to Compartes' boutique, where he serves up his homemade Mexican hot chocolate drink, exotic flavored gelatos and his daily temptations, this culinary wunderkind is always creating and finding new inspirations. Due to Jonathan's constant effort to push beyond the boundaries of traditional chocolate-making, Compartes is sure to be a Los Angeles mainstay among gourmands and chocoholics alike for many years to come.