Chocolate Grape
Categories: Wine Bars, Chocolatiers and Shops [Edit]
Neighborhood: Wicker Park2113 W Division St
(between Damen Ave & Hoyne Ave)
Chicago, IL 60622 (773) 772-3990
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m.
Sun 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Music: Juke Box
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
14 reviews
Neighborhood: Near North Side
"This is a great place for any chocolate lover (such as myself). The truffles are flown in once a week from Switzerland and are absolutely…" read more »
44 Reviews for Chocolate Grape
I absolutely LOVED this place! I had a very romantic evening here. We sat outside and ordered a couple glasses of wine and then a 1/2 bottle of Moscato. I really love the fact that they offer 1/2 bottles. The cheese plate was excellent and i enjoyed the variety of crackers and the jam was an added bonus :-) Dessert was great too. And the service? OMG outstanding! Everything was completely perfect. So perfect that I'm actually scared to go back for fear that it won't be as good. lol
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after my boyfriend and I went to mana (light dinner) we walked down to Chocolate Grape because we had heard good things about the place (little off the path but worth it). It was warm and inviting. Our server Jessica was a delight and seemed very knowledgeable...
We ordered 2 flights one red and one white and shared 4 types of wine each. It was fun to talk about the wines and pair them over the Pear Helana and Burnt Grapes which were delicious. I highly recommend always leaving room for another glass of wine and duh dessert after eating anywhere in the neighborhood!
Oh and I hear this was a myth but its true, they have the Doggie wine bag. It is a bag you can use to take the unfinished bottle of wine you purchased and can't finish. AMAZING!
I really, really want to like this place because it's in my neighborhood, but alas I can't. The concept is (obviously) great. The patio and open-window design are great. But, everything on the menu is pretty generic. Wine and cheese are fun to experiment with. Instead, these options are pretty trader joe's (which is fine for your house -- no pretense here) at whole foods pricing.
How could you go wrong with chocolate and wine?? I love a nice piece (or 6) of silky, dark chocolate. Amy F & I briefly stopped in last weekend for some truffles. Here is what we chose:
Cabernet
Sea Salt
PB&J
Coconut
Pistachio
Beautiful looking chocolates with cute, little garnishes indicating the flavor. Thank goodness for the garnish because if this was a blind tasting I would have thought I was eating the same piece of chocolate. The chocolates themselves don't taste like they are infused with flavor...it just tastes like plain chocolate. The PB&J was different because it was a filled truffle (it had a shell and a filling). It was the best of the bunch. It had actual peanut butter flavor.
I don't want to slam Chocolate Grape, but if chocolate is what you want to be known for, it should be nearly perfect. Coco Rouge down the street would be a good example of that....
I do want to come back for dinner sometime. Their savory menu looked great. Scallops, lamb chops, & lobster dishes sound amazing. Their dessert menu looked disappointing-- chocolate molten cake (that is so overdone), cheesecake, creme brulee, chocolate fondue (yawn!)....
Decor is so pretty. I love the color of the walls for a chocolate place; very suiting :)
Again, the chocolates were weak, but I will give them a chance sometime on those scallops!
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What an interesting place. I kinda wanted to dislike it actually. No really, I have an anti-snooty streak from time to time, and just walking by and perusing the menu made me want to fight for the rise of the proletariat. Trendy wine bar + shmancy chocolate, pass thanks.
"Why the four stars?" I hear you ask?
OK, maybe I like smancy chocolate, and I was in an adventurous mood. My partner and I stopped here on the way home from dinner, parked the bikes and got seating in their little patio. The evening was fine, I was full of dinner, and feeling amiable. We ordered just two desserts, no drinks. He got the Cappuccino Creme Brule, and I got the Financier Delight (though I admit I had to come home and Wikipedia "financier").
It was a perfect evening treat. His was visually very cute, served in a coffee mug with foam on top and a biscotti on the side. Mine was a row of four little cakes and two dishes of anglaise to dip them in, one thin and almost-not-sweet deep chocolate, the other thick and creamy-sweet vanilla. Oh man. We cleaned the plates, foregoing only the last step of running our fingers across the dishes to get the last bits of flavor.
It's important to mention the service here as well. It was a bit late on a Saturday, so the crowd was light, but still, I was impressed at how attentive the service was, and I actually felt like they were glad I stopped by. One of the other tables near us was occupied by some gregarious and wine-infused guys, and even to them, the staff just smiled and chatted and played. Folks who can keep that attitude serving tables late on a Saturday deserve a medal.
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Ha , I will defiantly never go back here again, been here 3 times and 3 times enough, the food sucks , the service sucks, the owners dont even no anything about wine.
This place is a joke, when this place first opened the food was amazing and excellant, now it is no better then Mc donalds , the new menu on there website has lamb??? ithink lamb was outdated sometime back.
Service has always been bad, they just dont seem to know what they are doing.
It would seem to me if you own a wine bar that you would at least have some idea of wine
I will never come back to this place and will not reccomend to anyone
The chocolate grape is fun interesting and has such a great selection of wine & desserts to choose from.We will defintely return.
The people who bemoan what Wicker Park has become probably hate Chocolate Grape. Screw 'em.
Chocolate Grape calls itself a wine and chocolate cafe. That's both an understatement and an overstatement. The wine list is not as extensive as you might expect from a wine bar, though there is a decent selection of dessert wines, which makes sense. There also not a real sense of how to pair the wine and the food, which I fear could lead to some fairly horrible combinations. Our server was very attentive, but not terribly knowledgeable. For example, she didn't know where one of their special wines came from. I'll cut you a little slack for not knowing the whole list (very little), but you need to know the specials. The wine, on the other hand -- an unoaked Australian chardonnay -- was very good.
There's more than chocolate on the menu. I had one of their sandwiches -- the Bucktown Club -- which was excellent, and more than large enough for a hearty appetite. There are a selection of small plates, spreads, and salads, as well as desserts and truffles. I never made it to the sweet stuff. I meant to take some truffles home, but in the frenzy of settling our bill, it slipped my mind.
Our group sat in the private room, called the Truffle Box. It was cute, with both tables and sofas, but loud. I think we pushed its capacity to the limit. The server was nice enough to run separate checks, which really helped, especially for a large group. Unfortunately, she wasn't organized enough to handle several people paying her at once, and it seemed she ended up making more trips -- for forgotten change and the like -- than was really necessary.
Overall, a mixed experience. What I liked, I liked enough to overlook what I didn't. I could apply that statement to my entire life.
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My boyfriend and I went here and the desserts and wine and people were so great. We will be going back regularly. We walked down from a nice dinner at The Boundry, which we will also give a 5 star to
I'll be honest here, I generally do not like any type of fruit messing with my chocolate (over) consumption. No berries or oranges or even strawberries...I know, I know, I'm strange. But for real, I don't need anything healthy mucking up my cocoa pleasure, alright? Peanuts, cookies, butterscotch, ice cream, etc? Ok. NO FRUIT.
So, the name "Chocolate Grape" automatically conjures up somewhat negative visions of lovely chocolate desserts marred by the likes of nature's candy. I get it though, wines and chocolates...clever. I'll forgive the name...
New(ish) spot on Division with a great patio and front seating. I attended a private event (go Yelp newbies!) in the back room...and I think I'd have preferred the front room or patio for better acoustics and mingling opportunities. The back room is a little overlit, and felt a bit...off. I think they are still trying to figure out how to situate it, it has potential.
The staff was FANTASTIC. Truly stellar. Excellent from start to finish with all requests, food, drink, seating, etc. I was very impressed and would return for that aspect alone...
I had a glass of Malbec (mmmm, smooth finish at the end lulls my brain) and a glass of champagne (of course, of course, I know...shocking), which was also good, and a hefty pour. For dinner I had the Structured Salad. EXCELLENT and well presented. I enjoyed much...especially with the fine libations to accompany.
I'll be back to sit on the patio and drink my wine and enjoy some chocolate...just ya know, not chocolate covered grapes or anything. Just real chocolate, rich and beautiful...untouched. Oh, and wine. I mentioned that, right? :)
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This is a cupcake only review. While this place may have more than just the devil's sweet temptation such as wine, all I can vouch for are the cupcakes.
I saw the cupcake flight on the menu and I thought "oooo... something that I really enjoy!" And do I enjoy cupcakes - afterall, I'm the inspiration for the ill-fated cupcake crawl for the fall 2007 that ended in the legendary sugar crash and burn to rule them all.
Not only do I adore cupcakes for their sugary sweetness, I do get enjoyment from the sugar rush. Afterall, my name is Jerry M and sugar is my poison.
I was terribly disappointed by the cupcake flight. I got 4 itty bitty unfrosted cupcakes with a selection of frosting off to the side in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. The cupcakes were pretty good in themselves, but an unfrosted cupcake is merely a muffin in my book - the real treat lies in the frosting. And this frosting was nothing more than flavored whipped cream. WHAT?!? You gotta be kidding me - I was expecting rich, sweet buttercream and I got watery, wimpy whipped cream that barely registered in a sugar high if at all.
If I ever make it here again, I'm just going to stick with the wine. Hopefully they won't screw up the wine as bad as they did with the cupcakes!
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I am pretty sure when the owners of Chocolate Grape were planning the decor of this place, sound muffling and acoustics were not high on the priority list. I mean, wine bars are generally low key, chill places that don't tend to get rowdy.
Except bring in a group of 30+ Yelpers for the night and I am sure those poor owners were on the phone first thing this morning to order up an area rug, drapes and fabric to help dull the sound level. That little room was LOUD. Towards the end of the evening I found myself just nodding and smiling at people who were talking to me and I had absolutely no idea what they were saying. The ability to read lips would have come in mighty handy!
Aside from that, the service here was top-notch. Better than many high end restaurants. Everything was done instantly, with no mistakes and always with a smile. Fabulous.
I sampled a curry truffle, the prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe, and the BV Coastal Estates Riesling. The truffle was very smooth and rich, but the curry flavour was so light as to be almost indiscernible. I would have liked to see a stronger punch with that. The cantaloupe was perfectly ripe and went amazingly well with the Riesling. I love how they list all the menu items with recommended wine pairings in the back of the menu.
This is a cool place if you are into wine and want to lounge in a hip, laid back atmosphere. If you don't care for regular bars this might be the better option for you.
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I do not eat chocolate. I don't care for sweets very much at all. Keeping this in mind, I originally thought that I was not going to get much out of this place at all. I was sadly mistaken.
Yes I only had one glass of wine, but it was a damn good Merlot, I must say. What really wowed me about this place was the service I received. We had two servers working the private back room for about 40 rambunctious Yelpers. Catering to 40 Yelpers is a daunting task in and of itself but two people? They did a remarkable job. What was even more remarkable is that they were able to provide us all with our own checks. I can't believe they were able to keep track of us all.
A couple of the gang ordered some food and everything I saw them bring out looked simply fantastic. If this place only delivered sub par service, I most likely would never go back but they went over and above in my opinion and won me over enough to go back.
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Such a nice place to relax after our dinner at our home down the street. Desserts choices were exceptional. We hd the Burnt Grapes -- three times now. Wine choices are super. Service was very good. And we met the owner - nice to see a female owneed business.
I'm not really one for chi-chi wine bars, since I tend to get a bit stabby if I don't eat an actual meal -- and a cheese plate ain't dinner, in my book. So I was leery at first.
But I have to say, the $11.95 Beef Tenderloin plate was actually, bona-fide real food, not "nibbles," and deliciously prepared. I didn't experience the same ignorance others mentioned here -- in fact, our server not only walked us through the difference between two white varietals, but brought us out samples in the cutest mini wine glasses I've ever seen. The mini cupcakes seem overpriced but they're cute and delicious -- and sometimes cute food comes at a premium.
Overall I'd say the place was great for ladies to sip wine and catch up. My husband said, "that place seems like the Chick Lit of restaurants -- I don't read Chick Lit," and boys, he ain't lyin. It's super girlie -- as is evidenced by the number of times I used the word "cute" in this review.
But good cute!
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I was tempted by the "Chocolate Grape Obscenity". With a name like that, how could I resist? (it was a fancy name for their molten cake.) The presentation was beauitful, ensconced in a web of colored spun sugar. I was anticipating being overwhelmed in chocolate rapture, overwhelmed by decadence, but sadly, I was left wanting and feeling totally unsated. Obscene? Hardly, more like rated G. As Justice Stewart defined obscenity, "I will know it when I see it"... and I didn't see it there.
One thing I must mention, however, was our server, who I give 4 stars for handling the large crowd, and for drafting separate checks without even asking.
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The desserts here are marvelous and sort of unusual. I noticed they changed their menu and now have only desserts and cheeses and meats and so forth. Specialty breads too...I think. Their wine choices are fairly strong - many of them I mean. The space is cozy. The service was excellent. Bottom line - I'm going back.
This is a cute establishment! I love the decor and the cozy setting of Chocolate Grape. The back private room needs help with acoustics, very LOUD! It was hard talking with fellow yelpers but I still had a good time. I didn't indulge in any chocolate but our bottle of white wine was delish! The staff was very friendly and accommodating.
I want to go back and give their menu (food looked really good) and try some sweet treats. I am a chocolate lover and I love my wine. This place is right up my alley!
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Seeing as how I only pounded some vino and didn't partake in the actual menu, I'm only allowing 3 stars, but I think this joint has potential for another star or two once I get my hands on some of the yummy-sounding desserts.
Good Yelp event location. Chocolate Grape definitely took care of us by having servers constantly making the rounds to ensure enough alcohol consumption. It was good to see a few faces I knew, and make some new connections. See you all at the next event!
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Wine is good. The wicker basket has good hummus but not much to this little snack. I personally think the stuff here is kind of pricey and if it weren't for an event being here I wouldn't have gone. I would drop in for wine if I were in the hood but not for the food.
Oh and the truffle box room has terrible acoustics or lack of or Something..whatever makes it so loud and hard to hear anyone. the sounds just bounce all over the place.
PS. the staff is nice.
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I really want to like this place. I was excited to see it open ... I like the concept ... the ambience inside is really nice ... but the food just isn't very good. I've eaten here twice. Once for cheese -- and it was just ordinary. We had the French cheese platter, and, to give you a flavor for it, one of the cheeses on the plate is Boursin. Now Boursin is good, but it's also something that's available in a box in every grocery store in America. Another time we came for the crepe brunch on Sunday morning. Again ... I LOVE the concept, and I really wanted to like the food, but it just wasn't very good. Maybe they'll reinvent the menu and save what is otherwise a great concept in a good location with a good vibe.
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I didn't realize Chocolate Grape even existed until about a week ago, when I drove by and saw their sign. "Chocolate Grape?" I asked myself, "What the hell is that?" ...When I was in a better, less cursey mood, I deduced that it had something to do with wine and chocolate pairings (yes, all by myself!).
The event last night was quite fun and hardly scary at all. The room was packed and I couldn't understand what anyone was saying unless they said it almost directly into my ear, but you know, that's probably because Yelpers are a loud people in general. I can only comment on the wine; I had two glasses, the Firestone Geverztraminer, and the Cabernet they had on special. Both were good, but I think I may have liked the Cab better (which is surprising to me). Two glasses of wine came out to $16 and change, and while that isn't going to break me, I'm not really in a financial position to come here on a regular basis. I would like to come for a special occasion and try something other than the wine.
Helping to overcome my depression at being financially unstable were servers who were absolutely on top of their game. We didn't ask for seperate checks, and based on a recent thread about such things, I came with cash in my wallet rather than just plastic, but the servers automatically (and somehow) kept perfect track of our individual orders. And I think Deanna will agree, one of them had a really adorable haircut.
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Went to a friend's party here, where we rented out their back room. Nice spread with good wines, chocolate fountain/foudue (or however you call it), crackers/cheese, muffins/mousse. The staff was very nice and attentive and the atmosphere/design was great. Probably a little more on the expensive side for my regular tastes but nice for special events.
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It started with us being handed what amounted to two glasses of red salt water. Our waitress kindly replaced them with something that wouldn't have flown as house wine on a discount airline. With some warm melty chocolates to help choke that down, I started having a pretty severe allergic reaction causing my face to develop patches of red to which she asked "uh... should I call somebody?". If you've been looking for this experience, run, don't walk.
Go anywhere else in the neighborhood with wine, first, and if you are ready for a trek, take it to Webster's Wine Bar. No chocolate, but you can simulate Chocolate Grape by putting an opened peanut butter cup in your jeans pocket.
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A lovely little place that is a wine and dessert lovers dream. Located deep within "the strip" in Wicker park, this establishment as excellent service, great servers, and a nice patio area (perfect for people watching).
The newbie event was a great success and it was great to see the new faces and make a few new friends.....particularly those from the South............Kidding.....I'm Kidding! *grin*.
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Great decor. Extensive wine collection. Ambitious menu. Skip the cupcake flight but do go with good company to enjoy top-notch service and drink some vino.
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Just came back from dessert........and yumm.....that was TASTY!!
The first impression was already good: the waiter behind the bar looked at me and gave me a huge smile...even though I was with my fiance it made me feel good and welcome. Good point.
We went there on a Wednesday night around 9 or so and there was only 2 tables occupied. So it was pretty quiet, no loud or obnoxious music to cover up the ushered conversations, perfect.
First of all this is a great concept : they chose to make a menu out of fancy desserts and wines. What else can you ask for?!?!? Throw out a little cheese in there and you have a whole list of gumminess. French paradise in the middle of Division street. I had the pear Belle Helene with a 2 oz glass of their suggested prosecco. It was perfect and served like it's meant to be - a whole pear poached in syrup covered in velvety chocolate. A delight. The true winner of the night though were the burnt grapes of my fiance - it was absolutely delicious and accompanied by a nice chocolate mousse and a fragrant glass of Syrah. Yes, it's probably a little hefty for dessert but life is all about pleasure and it's priceless.
To be picky: the spoons, though stylish, are not ideal to degust your dessert. They are a little too deep and narrow...so you have to really lick them with the tip of your tongue to get everything out!! Not really a problem but not very stylish (unlike the spoon) if you are in company... : - )
Chocolate Grape is a cute place, and it has a the private party room is to the left in the back. Actually, I found it by following the sounds of laughter coming from the group of 40 people gathered for the Yelp event. The party room was of decent size but did not seem to fit all of us without bumping into one another. Also, with all the mingling going on, it was hard to hear and stick to one conversation. As much as I was looking forward to this place, I didn't get a chance to try out the food, mainly the desserts. I stuck to the chardonnay special which was really good...hmmm...I think a little too good because it stuck with me the entire night. It was a nice choice for a private party like this. Hopefully, I'll get chance to come back and try what my fellow Yelpers enjoyed!
Edit: I forgot to add to say thanks to our waitresses for keeping up with all of us!
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Such a great gem... I love the idea of a wine and dessert bar. It also could be quite dangerous since I live within walking distance. I loved their Fondue. I went there for a little romantic dessert with my fiance, and boy did it deliver!
We ended up with the Dark Chocolate Fondue with berries, bananas, marshmallows, pretzels, and some other goodies. It was very good, and the wine pairings were a nice touch.
I will come back!
TWO OF MY FAVORITE FOOD GROUPS...
Wine and chocolate, under one roof. Genius!
I went to the Chocolate Grape on the evening of its grand opening and the place was packed. My group and I were able to get seated in the Truffle Box, their private room in the back (they must have known how noisy we were going to be), and despite some to be expected opening night hiccups, we had a great time sampling their wines and petite plates.
Hits:
-Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir, 2005 (extra points for decanting!)
-Barossa Valley Shiraz, 2005
-Cocoa & Curry Dusted Sea Scallops (a MUST-HAVE dish..the curry and chocolate flavors will dance on your tongue)
-Decor and ambiance (beautifully designed, a great date place)
-Service (Speed was what you might expect on an opening night, but all in all my server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the wine list so I will cut them some slack as the speed will likely improve as they get their routines down.)
Misses:
-Wine selection (the quality of all the wines I had were excellent, but the aspiring wine snob in me would like to see a bigger selection)
-Portion sizes (I know they're supposed to be petite plates, but I'd still like bigger portions on some of the dishes like the prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe)
Overall, I really enjoyed my evening here. It's a nice change of pace for the neighborhood, the food and wine were excellent, and the atmosphere was fun and lively.
4 Stars with 5 Star Potential.
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I find the disparity in the reviews of this place to be interesting. I think the problem is that Chocolate Grape is trying to be too many things at one time--part chocolate shop/part wine & dessert bar/ part small plates restaurant/ and part creperie (on weekend mornings)... some people are bound to be disappointed. However, I went here for Sunday brunch and was not.
The crepes were delicious-- we had the salmon & dill and the Caribbean peach. The salmon was tasty, but, the peach (which had a dark chocolate and vanilla sauce) was the real hit. I was scraping off every bit of that sauce from the with my fingers. Classy.
I also had a pecan roll, which was good, but next time I'd probably try one of their homemade danishes. They looked amazing.
We also tried their signature mimosas made with different types of fruits. There's even one that's made with pink lemonade-- very whimsical.
As for the chocolate-- I tried three pieces. Good, but not the best chocolate I've ever had. Kind of disappointing, considering "chocolate" is in their name.
All in all (2 crepes, 1 sticky roll, 4 mimosas, and 3 truffles) our total only came to about $50. Which I didn't think was that bad, considering I didn't need to eat the rest of the day.
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On a whim my boyfriend and I stooped here for a drink on our way back to my house after getting frozen yogurt at Starfruit.. (I know frozen yogurt and then wine? What can I say, we have our priorities) We sat outside and had great service by cheerful and bubbly Dani. She was more that willing, even excited, to make recommendations to us about wine and food on the menu. I have recently been shying away from my normal order of a full bodied, dry red wine and experimenting with sparkling wine so I ended up getting a split of a new dry pink champagne that they had just added to the menu. As mortified as I was to have ordered "pink champagne" I actually really enjoyed it. My boyfriend was decided between a tempranillo and a syrah and Dani happily brought him tastes of both. He got the tempranillo and we enjoyed sitting on their patio and browsing the menu for possible foods to order next time. To our surprise Dani walked over with the chocolate lava cake- apparently there had been an extra one made and who we like to have it? Um Yeah! It was great. For some reason I did not expect to like this place and was pleasantly surprised. Their prices are a bit high but for the type of a place they are trying to keep, it makes seance. Maybe we will be back in the future to try some of the items on the menu as well.
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Hmmm maybe 3.75 stars? Is that being too nitpicky? I went only for dessert and cupcakes on a Thursday night, and we were pretty much the only ones there, so I can't speak to the food served here, or really the service.
The wines were alright - I agree with some of the other reviewers that there could have been more options. But it doesn't seem like the Chocolate Grape is trying to be the next Tasting Room or Webster's Bar - if you want to practice oenophilia, you might not want to come here.
I had a good merlot, picked mainly for its cheapness than for it being my favorite varietal. And we ordered a bottle of sparkling rose brut for the table that was like sophisticated grape soda. I actually really loved their pancake flight - though the 6 cakes were tiny, they were delicious sweet glops of goodness. It was my friend's birthday, and they touchingly put little candles on each one. Very cute.
Finally, my other friend found their kids' menu, and they let us order smiley fries. Smiley fries!! I haven't had those in years...
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I went out on a date and she suggested we go to Chocolate Grape, as soon as we walked in i thought the ambiance was perfect for a date.
We were seated right away by a very friendly server out on the patio on a beautiful night. We started off with a glass of merlot suggested by the nice server and we ended up ordering a bottle, then we ordered a cheese plate to share-it was fantastic! after that I got a signature grape salad , i never had a salad with grapes before but i will be back to have it again.
for dessert we had the chocolate fondue and that completed our night.
The service was great the wine selection was amazing and the food was tasty. I will be back at chocolate grape for sure so i guess i'll see you there!
Chocalate, wine and cheese...oh my. This is what this place has, pretty much and that makes me happy. This is a great date spot. If you don't like an urban soundtrack, this might not be the spot for you. It's right on Division and very close to a hospital..these sounds don't bother me at all, so I had a great experience. and it's dog friendly!
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Ok, I am addicted to sweets so I was super excited about this place. This review will be part one for I will go back at night for wine and dessert.
As for the crepe brunch...skip it. Most people go to Sunday brunch being very hungry. This kind of hungry does not go away when you are fed two tiny crepes. I have had a crepe for dinner from La Creperie and it filled me up, it took up the whole plate. But these tiny crepes didnt even make a dent.
Now, they tasted good, the toasted banana and vanilla cream was yummy, but why so meager? So i got a danish, but that was pretty dull. We wanted a smoothie, the website talked of a peach smoothie but we were told they dont serve it at brunch. Why not? That would have helped satiate the hunger.
We had to ask for tea, it was not on the menu. A point for loose leaf, minus a point for asking for black tea and being served green tea. A point for getting a pot, minus a point for not getting a spoon or cream with the tea.
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I was disappointed in Chocolate Grape. I had tried them at For Love of Chocolate at the French Pasty School in Feb and enjoyed their truffles, but when i went there tonight i was not enthralled by their chocolates. They were hit or miss. I did not even know what I was eating, because our server did not even describe them to us.
We also ordered the mini cupcake flight and chocolate grape dessert, but they were unable to make the choc grape due to kitchen circumstances. I was very disappointed in the cupcakes. They tasted more like dry muffins that were baked yesterday. It was also supposed to be a "flight" and I could not tell a difference between any of them. Also the appearance was nothing special.
My husband and I ordered the same wine and our server brought us a different wine than we ordered. Not a big deal, because I enjoyed it, and ended up drinking them both, but it would have been nice to drink what I ordered.
I understand the grand opening was yesterday and they are still working out the kinks and bugs, so I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and generously them 3 stars.
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After being disappointed in the lack of desserts (no flan!?!) at Angels and Mariachis, we went to Chocolate Grape.
I got a creme brulee and reisling while the wife had a couple of truffles.
First: the architect responsible for installing an alarm that beeps when the door opens directly over a table ought to be fired. Thankfully it was empty so our server (sweet guy, just a tad bit nervous) moved us.
Second: the menu is extensive and helpful in terms of pairing wine and desserts. I thought the wines were on the expensive side: nothing outrageous, but it would be nice to have a range of prices, instead of starting around $12 a glass.
Third: my creme brulee was runny, although the taste was adequate. For a place that focuses on desserts, this was disappointing. The truffles were $2 a pop, tiny and (in my opinion), nothing fantastic. L disagreed, though, and savored both (a curry and a sea salt truffle).
The place has some potential and it was nice to be in a quiet spot, de-yuppified and non-pretentious in decor. I will probably go back and sample some of the food and the chocolate desserts (judging a place called "Chocolate Grape" on their creme brulee may be unfair).
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A friend and I were looking for a new place to try for lunch during a weekend shopping trip in the neighborhood. Chocolate and wine sounded good to us!
The space is warm and I liked that the front windows were kept open on a nice day. There's a nice private room in the back for anyone looking to throw a party. While we were there, it wasn't very crowded. Probably two or three other tables of people. Very relaxing and inviting atmosphere.
After speaking with our server, who was super nice and helpful, we each ordered a glass of the "Freak Out" wine. It wasn't so amazing that I would freak out about it, but still tasty. We also each ordered our own entree - I had a sandwich, my friend had a salad. Both were just ok. They actually forgot the chicken on my friend's salad, but hey - they are still new! To finish off the meal, we ordered two truffles.
If I go back, I would probably share a meal and get dessert or just go for dessert and wine. The peanut butter & jelly truffle was delicious!
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