Chocolate and Vines

January 31, 2011 by Nina

Over the weekend, Julian and I spent the day in Rochester. We wanted to try a new place, so we went to Chocolate and Vines (which was recommended to me). This is a really interesting idea. They sell truffles, chocolate cakes, cheese plates, wine, beer, and hot drinks. When we walked in the place seemed so perfect. It was dimly lit and a candle at each table, simple, but elegant. We were escorted into a back room that was lit by a tacky overhead lamp, with a pool table in the middle of the tiny room. This setup was awkward and unpleasant. We ordered hot chocolate, the Mascarpone (layer of chocolate with mascarpone cream topped with amaretto crumbs and chocolate curls), and the Chocolate Caramel Pyramid (chocolate mousse with caramel center). I thought the Mascarpone was great, although I don’t particularly like amaretto and the flavor is overpowering so I would not suggest getting it unless you really like amaretto and the chocolate pyarmin’s mousse was wonderful, but the sponge cake on the bottom was not such a great complement. The hot chocolate was okay. It was a bit of a chocolate overload, and would have been better with ice wine or some other drink.