Tale of the Tape
Dandelion Chocolate vs. Chocolate Lab. Go.

Well, look at that. Turns out it’s an epic week for chocolate. Tomorrow brings a new chocolate factory in the Mission called Dandelion Chocolate. Two days later, Chocolate Lab, a new café from Recchiuti Confections, opens its doors in the Dogpatch. Herewith: your primer for telling the two apart...

The Players
Dandelion: Two Stanford alums who sold a tech startup to Comcast in ’08 and got into the chocolate-making business two years later. (That old story.)
Chocolate Lab: The pastry chef who launched Recchiuti Confections in 1997.
Edge: Draw. There are no losers here, really.

The Vibe
Dandelion: It’s a functioning chocolate factory housed in a former garage that’s also home to Craftsman & Wolves and Abbot’s Cellar. Grab a stool at the counter and watch the chocolate-makers... make chocolate.
Chocolate Lab: True to its name, it’s got a turn-of-the-century-apothecary vibe with blown-glass beakers and test-tube-shaped lights.
Edge: Dandelion. It’s like Willy Wonka’s, but for dates.

The Goods
Dandelion: Chocolate in familiar form: bar, hot chocolate, brownie, cake and pudding. Also, a not-so-familiar form: cacao-pulp smoothies.
Chocolate Lab: Chocolate cakes, sundaes, truffles and custards, plus savory offerings like tartine sandwiches. Oh, and beer, wine and sherry cocktails.
Edge: Chocolate Lab. You know, because of the whole beer thing.