Certainly a hip addition to the Division Street strip, the Chocolate Grape flaunts a vintage, yet warm, atmosphere. The first thing you'll notice upon sitting down is the journal-style menu, made of cork, standing upright on the table. This classy touch is just one of many; the walls are painted a wine mahogany and an old Victorian couch sleeps on the western wall.

Our dinner consisted of two $10 dishes: the shrimp poor boy and the Bucktown Club, both good sandwiches that come with a choice of potato salad, pasta salad or Terra chips on the side. The poor boy was more of a shrimp salad than the fried Louisiana staple we were expecting, but it gets props for the minor health upgrade and for the Romano cheese mixed with cocktail sauce and mayonnaise—kind of a great combination.

My first glass of wine was a Luna Vineyards Freakout unique white, a recommendation from our server and a staff favorite. I have to agree. Though I'm not much of a fan of white wines, this was an excellent choice; it was not too sweet and had a lot of legs.

Upon finishing our meal and our first round of wine, we followed with dessert: chocolate and more wine. I switched to a Rodney Strong Sonoma Valley Merlot and selected a lavender and a cayenne truffle. The truffles were dark and dense, though perhaps the hints of flavor were a little strong. The lavender pines placed in the chocolate were enticing, but not recommended for consumption, and though the cayenne truffle was excellent, be prepared for something overwhelmingly spicy.

This cafe and wine bar is for both the hipster wanting to be a wine connoisseur and the wine connoisseur wanting to be a hipster. The place was packed on a Tuesday night and the clientele consisted of more women than men, but that's not to say the ratio wouldn't change on a Friday or Saturday night: the Chocolate Grape is any date's dream.

Expect to pay a pretty penny over the course of an evening, however, with each glass of wine priced between $8 and $15, and the truffles between $2 and $4 apiece, never mind the pairing options and dinner choices.

Other dessert items are available, as well as petite plates, such as delicately dusted sea scallops.

Centerstage Reviewer: Sondra Morin