While the Bay Area may be blessed with comparatively temperate weather year-round, there are still some days when the temperature drops, the sky turns gray or the rain clouds descend, bringing the winter blues with them. That’s when it’s time to make like Harry Potter and chase those dementors away with some chocolate — hot chocolate to be exact.

Here are five stellar spots around the Bay Area for picking up a piping mug of cocoa that’s not just satisfying but also memorable.

Timothy Woods and Adams Holland, a Sausalito-based couple, opened their Palo Alto chocolaterie 12 years ago, drawing its title from a mashup of their first names. Woods initially trained as an architect, and then found his way into the world of food, working as a chef at a farm-to-table restaurant in Fresno before b

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