Tiffany Petry and Shane Tracey of Kekau Chocolatier may have opened their latest business venture amid the economic crisis this fall, but they aren’t worried. The couple specialize in three antidotes to troubling times: chocolate, wine and dessert.

Their recently opened Nib, named for the cocoa bean after it’s been crushed, is an elegant yet affordable dessert and wine bar located in the Jefferson Heights neighborhood next to Sweet Life Patisserie.
Complementary to the neighborhood’s community of young entrepreneurs and local businesses that also includes Infinity Mercantile, Better Yet and Laughing Planet, Nib offers a more qusiet and relaxed venue than its bustling next-door neighbor. During the day, it’s open for chocolate sales and provides a cozy spot to savor a cup of coffee, read a magazine and surf the Internet. At night it transforms into an ideal location for first dates, girls’ nights out, a rendezvous with friends and lingering conversations.
“We’re trying to encourage education on the finer things in life – that the trend of staying up late does not mean you have to go to a noisy meat market of a bar where men are always trying to buy you a drink,” Petry said. “You can go to a late movie and stop by afterwards. You can sit and chat until 1 a.m. Or, you don’t even have to go out with the intention of ‘going out.’”
On a brisk Friday evening in November, a multigenerational mix of couples and friends are gathered at Nib. It has the feel of an Italian café with its simple black tables and chairs, large and enticing pieces of art showcased about its intimate interior, and low-key background music that Petry chooses based on her customers’ preferences.
One young pair are on their first date and pass a book of 101 get-to-know-you questions back and forth. They sip wine and share “pure,” a chocolate dessert composed of gel, mousse and glaze. Instead of receiving mints when they finish their dessert, the duo are surprised with two small cups of drinking chocolate.
Behind them is a table of silver-haired couples, laughing heartily about old stories. Tracey, who prepares Nib’s rotating menu of delicacies in a kitchen behind the bar brimming with innovative, Willie Wonka-esque concoctions, explains the intricately platted desserts to the group. Their eyes light up.
“He’s an artist and food is his medium,” Petry, who manages sales and marketing, said. “He changes the menu every week and doesn’t like repetition. For him, keeping it the same would be like painting the same painting over and over.”
During the day when she’s not in school, Fiona, a blonde five-year-old, is the official taste-tester of her dad’s chocolate treats and a proud assistant to her mom. Tracey says Fiona enjoys her position and can already decipher which chocolates are generic-bought versus the real deal. She especially loves the lavender sweets.
Beginning this week, Nib will offer complimentary hour-long introductory classes about the origin and history of chocolate. It will also offer wine tastings in the near future. Nib, which currently exhibits colorful nude paintings and small iconic portraits, is among the venues featured on the last Friday Art Walk. Petry and Tracey plan to showcase a new local artist’s work each month.
In the future, the couple hope to add mixed drinks to their menu. They would also like to create a spot outside for customers to watch desserts being made in the kitchen through glass doors.
“I hope (Nib is) a place people come to think of as their second living room; as a hang out, a place to talk and reminisce,” Petry said.
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