On a sunny Sunday afternoon in San Francisco, over a cup of hot chocolate and a luscious brownie, while in the company of my dearest friend, Cioccolata Di Vino was born. The concept grew out of simply sharing such a delicious dessert with a friend in a casual environment and realizing how much richer the experience would be if we could enjoy it with a glass of wine in a warmer setting.

The next day, I hit the book store and started to research my business and all that it would encompass. The following three years consisted of concentrating my experience in restaurant management, spending countless hours reading book after book about chocolate, wine, food, and the restaurant industry in general, and spending an excessive amount of time in the kitchen. This was all backed by both an early and a prolonged exposure to the restaurant industry and an early start in the kitchen.

Growing up at the heels of my cousin in her Italian restaurants, one of my earliest memories is of waltzing behind the bar to make my Italian soda, to the surprise of the new bartender, and politely telling her that I would make the cremosa myself, the way I always did. If I couple that with the comfort and entertainment I found in the kitchen from the time I was given my first cookbook at the age of seven, and the fact that my first job at 14 consisted of a four-year stint baking pastries and making mile-high sandwiches, it's not a surprise that I ended up in the restaurant business. It's just a surprise that it took so long.

With the unrelenting support of my business and life partner, Cioccolata Di Vino opened its doors in January 2009. We pieced our way through the build-out process and are making our way through this lovely economic time. Cioccolata Di Vino is a labor of love and we have put our hearts and souls into every detail of its creation. We set out to create a warm environment that will foster social interaction and communication among friends, loved ones, and neighbors over delicious food and wonderful wine. We hope that our vision enables you to enjoy your time in our cafe as much as we enjoy its continued creation.

— Rebecca and Curtis