Upscale chocolate, wine lounge coming to Westgate City Center
Frank Morris
staff writer
Chocolate and wine: Two of the finest things in life are coming to Glendale when Westgate City Center, at 95th and Glendale avenues, opens in mid-November.
Sweet O Wine and Chocolate Lounge (the O stands for "origine," French for "origin") will offer a full line of handmade, exclusive chocolate candies and truffles, pure chocolate fondues offered in dark, white and milk chocolate, a full line of pastries, a large appetizer menu and grilled panini sandwiches.
The upscale wine bar and chocolate lounge will also sell a line of single-origin chocolate bars from Venezuela, Peru, Madagascar, Tanzania and other exotic locales.
Though many people might not think to pair wine with chocolate, the two actually make an excellent combination, Executive Manager Jeanette Dubreil said.
"The region, the origin, of wine plays into the flavor of the wine, just like the origin of chocolate plays into the flavor of chocolate. Really, when you think about it, the two have a lot of similarities," she said.
"What we'll do is we'll find a wine that will be paired with the chocolates. For instance, mango truffles can be paired well with a white wine," Jeanette said.
And the wine selection at Sweet O will be one of a kind, Lounge Manager John Ferra said.
"You'll be able to come to our store and get wines you won't be able to find anywhere else. We want to make sure our wines aren't ones usually put out in stores," he said.
Though finding the right wines for the shop "has been a lot of hard work," Jeanette said, "It's been fun."
Exclusive wines won't be the only drink offerings at Sweet O. "We'll have chocolate drinks - hot ones for the winter and cold ones for the summer," said Pierrick Dubriel, Jeanette's husband and general manager of Sweet O.
Originally from France, Pierrick trained as a chef in Paris, and has worked in a number of fine dining establishments in France, as well as in the United States.
He's also been the regional sales manager of the gourmet chocolate company Barry Callebaut for the past four years.
A sweet deal
Sweet O is Pierrick's concept. "I'm going to use some of my knowledge to bring to the shop," he said.
This is the couple's first business endeavor, making Westgate the store's premier location.
"The concept is tremendous, and I think people in the West Valley are definitely deserving of this," said Jeffrey Hecht, spokesman for the Ellman Cos., which is developing Westgate.
The 2,000-square-foot shop will seat about 65 people indoors, and an additional 60 individuals on the wrap-around patio, which looks out onto Westgate's Fountain Park.
Guests will be able to sit down and enjoy one of Sweet O's many dishes, such as the Duck Confit Tartine: shredded duck confit on toasted French country bread, topped with truffle oil and duck prociutto, served with mixed baby greens.
Or the Smoked Seafood Plate: a variety of smoked fish, including Scottish salmon, peppered tuna, blue marlin and trout fillets, served with toasted blinis and herbed crème fraiche.
No butter, oil or vegetable spread is used in the making of Sweet O's food selections. Rather, expect cocoa butter. "It's just another use of chocolate, and you'll never notice it," Jeanette said.
The lounge will also feature a small retail area with a variety of wines, chocolates and gift baskets available for purchase.
The price range of Sweet O's goods will vary, Jeanette said. And while mostly high-end, there will be some "very reasonably priced" items as well.
"Upscale? Yes. But it's going to be fun and casual. We want to provide a nice ambiance," Ferra said.
"But we're not going to have buffalo wings at all," Jeanette added.
For information on Sweet O Wine and Chocolate Lounge, visit
www.sweetolounge.com.
Courtesy of the View.