Holly visits her friends, Danielle Lewis & Michael Goldberg at  Chocolate and Vines,  757 University Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607. They indulge their visitors with wonderful parings: coffee and teas, micro brews and wonderful wines, with a wide assortment of custom chocolates and rare cheeses.

Danielle and Micky talk with Holly about some of their favorite New York State wines. Our first visit finds the gang attacking a McGregor Rkatsiteli-Sereksiya with Dark Chocolate Passion Fruit. Watch out… this might get ugly.

Click here to view the video.

Last November the couple started just such a business, Chocolate and Vines, but on University Avenue in Rochester.

Goldberg and Lewis were drawn to the area by the Finger Lakes wine region. Goldberg, 27, brings 14 years of catering experience from working at restaurants in Manhattan and on Long Island. He says he was looking for a different atmosphere with Chocolate and Vines after working in busy kitchens for large parties.

The eatery serves an assortment of desserts, cheeses and wines paired carefully to offset tastes and complement each other. Chocolate and Vines has wines from across the world, with some 20 percent of them produced locally. It also features a number of microbrew beers, and Lewis says she has developed an affinity for local brews.

Prices range from $6 to $8 for individual desserts, and plates of cheese are $8 for a choice of three or $15 for six.

“I’m a big wine fan, having lived in Europe for several years and seen what they have to offer there, but I was raised in a microbrew environment,” says the 29-year-old Lewis, a native of Oregon. “I’m kind of a microbrew snob.”

Some of the beer is local too, like a Bavarian-style from Wagner Vineyard Estates Winery on Cayuga Lake. The entire menu-beers, wines, cheeses and desserts-is meant for exploration, Lewis says.

“When I explain to people what our restaurant is about, it’s really about playing with your food, playing with flavors and mixing and matching and what things blend most compatibly,” she says.

For customers who are not sure where to start, Lewis and Goldberg offer suggestions. Lewis says most people begin with a wine and a plate of cheeses, which include blue cheeses and gorgonzolas.

After a salty start, most move on to an individual dessert like cheesecake or a few pieces of chocolate with tea or coffee. All coffees are French pressed and the tea is organic fair trade, with decaffeinated varieties that cater to the late-night crowd Chocolate and Vines tends to attract. The menu also includes gelatos from Italy and mousses from France.

Chocolate and Vines opened in a 1907 Victorian house that Lewis says fits the shop’s environment perfectly, as does the neighborhood. The ArtWalk creates foot traffic, and the George Eastman House, a little less than a block away, and a handful of nearby theaters also help bring patrons.

Chocolate and Vines is popular for first dates and for crowds leaving shows, people who may have already eaten or are looking for an interesting way to cap an evening.

“We may not be looking for this to be your meal stop, but it is fantastic for after-theater or after-movie fare,” Lewis says. “It’s just a fun and different environment, and we even put a lot of work into the decor and honoring the existing structure to make a welcoming and interesting atmosphere.”

Lewis and Goldberg work in the business full time and have one weekend employee. Based on the first few weeks that Chocolate and Vines has been open, Lewis projects it will make close to $120,000 this year, but she adds that a more accurate number will be available after a few months. The couple is working to get WiFi access for students.

One of the biggest challenges, Lewis says, is dealing with skeptics who say the absence of complete meals will doom Chocolate and Vines.

“One thing I want people to understand is the concept is not about feeding yourself to satiate a hunger,” she says. “It’s about having an experience; it’s about combinations of flavors that many people ignore.

“I’m all about having a quick sandwich on the go, but when you have time it’s nice to sit in a great environment and enjoy combinations of flavors that we’ve spent a few years researching.”

Source: RBJ.net

It’s a wine bar called “Chocolate and Vines,” located on University Avenue in the city.

The menu is simple enough – cheese, coffee, wine, chocolates, and dessert.

Danielle Lewis and Michael Goldberg spent 18 months turning this historic house into a cozy chocolate and wine bar.

Contrary to the idea that small businesses are discouraged in New York State, they say they were welcomed.

“Working with the city was a breeze. They love what we’re trying to do. We’re not here to turn a 100-year old home into an apartment complex and modernize everything. We want to bring back the charm of the home and honor it,” says Michael Goldberg and Danielle Lewis, owners of Chocolate & Vines.

Here’s how they’ve turned this chocolate and wine bar into a success story.

Step One: Danielle says small businesses must be prepared with applications and documents, from the liquor authority to the City of Rochester.

“As soon as they ask for anything you need to be really on it, and then they’ll move along right with you,” says Lewis.

Step Two: Build a nest egg, and assume that everything will cost more and business will be slow for the first year.

Chocolate and Vines is thrilled to be handicapped accessible, as you can see by the lift here. But Danielle and Michael found out what a lot of new small businesses find out. Installing the lift to become compliant can cost a lot more than you plan to pay.

Total cost $14,000, but it could have been more with an inexperienced contractor, which sinks many new businesses.

“It’s the contractors that really make it more or less expensive. It’s about how much preparation and knowledge they have in dealing with the city and the preservation board and making it ADA compliant all at the same time,” the owners say.

All the planning has already paid off.

“People are really excited. And even when they can’t get a table, they’re so happy to see that we’re surviving. They’re happy for us! They’re like, no problem, we’ll call in a reservation next time,” the owners say.

They say to get a seat this Valentine’s weekend, you will need to make a reservation.

Source: 13WHAM.com

Admit it: On more than one occasion, you’ve said to yourself, I’m going to quit work and start my own bed and breakfast/wine bar/restaurant. Danielle Lewis and Michael Goldberg got sick of saying it, so they decided to finally do it.

The result is Rochester’s newest foodie attraction: Chocolate & Vines, located in a renovated house in the Neighborhood of the Arts. Lewis and Goldberg bought the house nearly two years ago and spent 18 months renovating it. They live upstairs, with the downstairs converted into a chic mini-restaurant with seating for roughly two dozen customers.

The menu features wine, cheese, artisan chocolates, desserts, craft beers and French-press coffee. We noticed that the top of each wine section features a New York state selection. It turns out that’s not an accident.

“We wanted to place New York wine right at the top to make sure our customers know there are local choices,” Danielle told me after a satisfying two-hour tour of the menu. “We’ve had so much fun putting the wine list together, and we wanted our customers to have fun deciding what to order.”

Here’s the menu, which is not fully updated — it doesn’t show the by-the-glass McGregor Black Russian Red, which I ordered and is shown in the photo ($15.50 for a glass of Black Russian paired with an artisan chocolate). It’s the only time I’ve ever seen this cult-ish Finger Lakes red offered by-the-glass.

There is much more from New York state, though it’s a wine list to suit worldwide taste. Long Island’s Bedell Merlot headlines the red list. Whites from Hermann J. Wiemer, Prejean and other Finger Lakes producers headline the whites.

A friend ordered a glass of Argentinian Malbec while I pondered a glass of Masi Amarone, ultimately saving it for my next visit, which will also include one of the 18 craft beers on the list. There is even a pair of Finger Lakes meads available.

A visit to Chocolate & Vines nearly requires a taste of the artisan chocolates, so our party sampled the almond marizpan, passion fruit, cookies and cream, and dark chocolate truffle. Even more enjoyable was the range of cheeses on offer, from simple aged gouda to a carmelized Norwegian Gjestost.

There is a room adjoining the dining area that provides a pool table, but I’m not sure it fits. The dining area was packed and buzzing on a Saturday night and the unused pool table made me wonder if that’s a space better suited for more dining.

For now, Chocolate & Vines is open seven days a week, noon to 11pm. Lewis expects that to change eventually, “But for now we want to be always open, always available. We want to build a customer base and introduce ourselves.” They’re off to an excellent start.

Source: New York Cork Report

The owners of the restaurant, Chocolate and Vines, located at 757 University Ave., moved to Rochester from New York City two years ago with dreams of opening a restaurant.

Frustrated with their jobs and tired of the rapid pace of New York City, Lewis, 29, and Goldberg, 27 — who have a combined 20 years experience in the restaurant industry — decided on Rochester before they even visited the city.

“I knew absolutely nothing about Rochester,” Goldberg said.

But the couple already knew what the business model would be.

Chocolate and Vines — which opened in November — offers a tasting menu that pairs specialty wines and microbrews with gourmet chocolates, cheeses and desserts.

Wine pairing restaurants and bars are popular in large cities, but Chocolate and Vines is the first restaurant in Rochester strictly dedicated to this type of menu. “It’s about mixing and matching and making it into more of an experience rather than just a meal,” Lewis said. “We’re a spot for blending different things we’ve found through research and travel and bringing them to one spot.”

Audra Stuckey, who recently dined at Chocolate and Vines, was impressed with the service and the menu choices. “Everything was amazing,” said the Rochester resident. “They are very helpful and make sure you get a good drink and dessert pairing.” The 1,200-square-foot restaurant has a modern décor mixed with Old World charm — colorful stained glass windows, aged wood floors, gold stenciled walls and eggplant suede seating.

There’s also a billiards room, which holds special meaning to the couple, who met playing semi-professional pool.

Employing two part-time employees, Lewis and Goldberg said they hope to hire more workers as the weather improves and seating increases with the outdoor patio and porch (the restaurant currently seats 32), which was restored to its original luster during the extensive renovations.

The house — originally built in 1907 — went through 18 months of renovations. Throughout the process, Lewis and Goldberg had to work closely with the city’s preservation board. But because it was important to uphold the historic and unique touches of the house, they went through a number of contractors. “We were a headache for a lot of people for that year and a half,” Lewis said. “This was not an easy job.”

But it seems the city is pleased with the restorations and the new business.

“This is the essence of what the Rochester community is all about,” Mayor Duffy said about the business in a released statement. “Michael and Danielle have created a one-of-a-kind restaurant in our city and they have added to the vitality of the Neighborhood of the Arts.”

And the menu isn’t the only thing that’s unique about Chocolate and Vines. While the restaurant inhabits the bottom floor, the couple lives upstairs. “We have none of the overhead,” Lewis said. “We own the building, we live here, we work 90 percent of the hours — we’ve cut out a lot of the costs that 99 percent of other restaurants have to cover.”

Source: Democrat and Chronicle

Owners Danielle Lewis and Michael Goldberg moved from Brooklyn to Rochester last year specifically to open a pairing establishment, something that has proved popular in Manhattan. They immediately fell in love with the Neighborhood of the Arts and a Victorian house built in 1907 on University Avenue, where Chocolate and Vines now resides.

“We liked the cozy feel of opening it in a house,” says Lewis. “It’s like we are welcoming people into our home for a relaxing evening of wine, cheese, chocolate, and conversation.”

Chocolate and Vines is located at 757 University Ave. Hours are Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Sunday noon-11 p.m. For more information, call 340-6362.

Source: City Newspaper

A specialty restaurant opened in Rochester’s neighborhood of the arts.

City leaders joined owners Danielle Lewis and Michael Goldberg for the grand opening of Chocolate and Vines on University Avenue. It serves desserts, bonbons, and cheeses paired with wines, specialty beers, and microbrews.

“This is a huge dream for us to be opening this restaurant. It means a lot to us. I hope it will mean as much to you. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. Who doesn’t like chocolate and wine?” said Lewis.

Lewis and Goldberg said they moved to Rochester from Brooklyn to be near Finger Lakes wineries. They have a combined 20 years experience in the catering and restaurant service business.

“This is the essence of what the Rochester community is all about,” said Mayor Duffy. “Michael and Danielle have created a one-of-a-kind restaurant in our city and they have added to the vitality of the Neighborhood of the Arts. Not only will this be a destination for our residents, it will draw customers from throughout the community who are looking for a distinctive and exceptional dining experience.”

Lewis and Goldberg moved to Rochester from Brooklyn to be in close proximity to the Finger Lakes and the many fine wines produced there. They visited the city and were completely won over by the Neighborhood of the Arts and its historic homes and buildings. “No other establishment in the city currently offers these pairings,” said Goldberg. “This type of restaurant has been very successful in Manhattan and on the West Coast. Chocolate and Vines will provide an elegant and tasteful alternative to the hustle and bustle of the typical night out.”

The owners worked on this project for eighteen months prior to the opening, the restaurant operates out of a structure that was built in 1907. Lewis and Goldberg worked with the City’s Neighborhood and Business Development Department to obtain necessary Preservation Board approvals for renovations and the turn of the century home is now fully ADA compliant. The owners were careful to honor the history of the home, replacing old trim inside with exact replicas of the originals and restoring the spacious front porch to its original configuration, for example. The restaurant occupies 1,200 sq. ft. on the first floor.

Goldberg brings 14 years of experience in the catering business and Lewis has six-plus years in restaurant service and management. Four jobs have been created and catering and wine tours are possible in the future and would lead to additional hires.

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