Montclair Chocolate Boutique Opens In Time For Valentine’s Day

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair just got a serious shot of chocolate into its already sweet local restaurant scene.

Vesta Chocolate at 598 Valley Road in Montclair officially opened its doors in time for Valentine’s Day, but the love affair for local chocoholics is expected to continue all year long. (Learn more about this business)

The “artisan, bean-to-bar chocolate lab and boutique” is the brainchild of self-taught chocolate maker Roger Rodriguez and his wife, Julia Choi Rodriguez, a pastry chef and food stylist.

Located in the heart of Upper Montclair, the chocolate shop is housed in a former early 1900’s bank space replete with the original vault that displays Vesta’s artisan chocolate creations. The café and retail shop seats up to 18, and will offer guests a place where they can drop in and enjoy artisanal chocolate, confections and specialty beverages. Visitors can also purchase chocolate and other custom-made gift items, as well as attend special chocolate pairing events, classes or private events.

The owners said they plan to launch an e-commerce business and ship their products to customers nationwide.

Some top-notch sourcing is part of the key to creating the mouthwatering offerings at Vesta. Roger, the grandson of a cacao plantation owner, uses organic beans that come from the Dominican Republic and other Latin American regions. The shop uses only “pure organic and unrefined cane sugar,” and their dark chocolate is vegan, gluten and dairy-free.

• See related article: 5 Vegan-Friendly Restaurants To Try In Montclair

Roger Rodriguez and Julia Choi Rodriguez both have unique backgrounds that they’ve combined to launch their new business.

The following biographies come via a news release from Vesta:

ROGER RODRIGUEZ

“Roger Rodriguez wears many hats. Pastry chef, bean-to-bar Chocolate maker, Chocolatier to name a few. He now joins forces with his wife Julia Choi Rodriguez, a seasoned culinary professional, to open their own chocolate shop, Vesta Chocolate in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. This blend of his professional and personal experiences makes him a truly unique chocolate maker who is celebrated internationally.

“He grew up in the beautiful Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where rich cultures of the native Taíno and European influences wonderfully coexist. His grandfather owned a cacao plantation and his grandmother made the best hot chocolate, so it was only natural for Roger to embrace the culture of chocolate. The indigenous flavors of the Dominican Republic are consistently at the core of his work. His family immigrated to New York when he was a teenager, so he retains a blend of the culture from his native motherland and the melting pot of culture of New York City.

“After studying graphic design in college, Roger enrolled himself at the esteemed ICE culinary school in hopes to marry the synergy between his love for sweet things and his ability to create. He quickly found his sweet spot in the pastry kitchen. After graduating from ICE, he got his first job at Anthos in New York City, where he started honing his skills as a pastry chef. He went on to some of the city’s most respected kitchens such as Jean-Georges, Gramercy Tavern, and Del Posto where he not only grew as a seasoned pastry chef but also learned his passion for working with chocolate.

“While most pastry chefs avoided working with chocolate, Roger was drawn to the challenge and opportunity to explore the infinite possibility of flavor transformation that chocolate offered. Dissatisfied with commercially available chocolate, he sought to create his own to realize the flavors he envisioned. He spent seven years at Cacao Prieto, a small chocolate factory in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Here, Roger applied his creativity and roots creating bean to bar chocolate exclusively using cacao beans from his native Dominican Republic creating a collection of terroir inspired flavors such as Dominican Spice, Orchid, Vanilla + Cassia, and more.

“Roger firmly believes in late Steve Jobs’ philosophy “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” He hopes to keep reimagining the ways he can transport people to a different place, a different dimension through what he creates with chocolate. Lastly, he adds that the very secret to a great chocolate bar is nothing but 100% love.”

JULIA CHOI RODRIGUEZ

“Julia Choi Rodriguez is a long-time creator in the culinary world, first working in advertising on major food brands, then as a pastry chef for top restaurants who turned food stylist.

“Julia was born in Seoul, Korea and moved to the U.S. at the age of 14. Her two distinct cultural perspectives have been at the core of her creative philosophy, and she regularly returns to Korea for inspiration.

“Julia graduated New York University in 2007 with her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and began her professional career in the advertising world as an account executive for major brands such as Baskin Robbins, Quiznos and Bonefish grill, but she found herself yearning to apply her creativity more directly to food and cooking. She enrolled in the baking and pastry program at Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and upon graduation worked for a few years as a pastry chef at top New York City restaurants including Gramercy Tavern, Jean-Georges, and Bouchon Bakery.

“From there she decided to branch out on her own into food styling starting her own business, Baby One More Bite where she married her advertising and culinary backgrounds, styling food for some of the most recognizable brands including, Wendy’s, Starbucks, Guinness, KRAFT, Food Network to name a few. When she is not working on set for clients, she spends her time and skills on set volunteering for nonprofit groups such as God’s Love We Deliver.

“As a child violinist, she once participated in a radio show with Yo-Yo Ma.”

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