Robert Steinberg was a family physician, Harvard University graduate, and accomplished cook. After being diagnosed with a form of lymphoma in May 1989, he sold his medical practice and devoted time to things he loved – among them cooking and eating fine food. These interests eventually led to a friendship with San Francisco restaurateur and coffee roaster, Bob Voorhees.

During a casual conversation in 1994, Voorhees asked Steinberg whether he had ever thought about making chocolate. Years earlier, Voorhees had looked into the process, but became discouraged by its scientific complexity. He thought that with Steinberg’s background in both food and science, it would be a perfect fit for him. “Bob loaned me a textbook on chocolate manufacturing, and I became excited almost immediately.” Steinberg said. But the book (and others) raised more questions than they answered for Steinberg, and he began to believe that the only way to truly learn how to make chocolate was to do it.

Discouraged by conversations with chocolate manufacturers in the U.S. who were reluctant to provide much information, he wrote to Bernachon, a small family owned chocolate maker in Lyon, France to ask whether it would be possible to work with them for a short time. “I was nearly certain they would say no, and I still don’t understand why they agreed, but whatever the reason, I think I glowed when the fax came through saying I could spend two weeks working there. It’s safe to say that without Bernachon, there probably wouldn’t be any Scharffen Berger.”

At Bernachon, he was able to see how chocolate was made on a small scale, and to taste chocolate that was distinctly different from any mainstream American or European brand. Steinberg then began to think seriously about making chocolate in the United States. Over the next six months, he went to Europe to look for small machines similar to the ones at Bernachon. He also discussed the project with John Scharffenberger, his friend and former patient. In early 1996, the two agreed to work together. They found their first machine at a chocolate factory in Germany and formed a legal partnership later that year.

Robert not only had a passion for making chocolate, he was truly dedicated to sourcing the best beans, having spent considerable time visiting cacao farms in various parts of the world. He also had a hunger for learning and experimenting with roasting methods, and meticulously blending and grinding beans to develop the best flavor profiles. His ultimate goal was to reveal and deliver the very best chocolate that nature had to offer.

Robert Steinberg passed away September 17, 2008 in San Francisco, with loved ones and close friends by his side. Having lived with lymphoma for nearly a decade, Robert somehow managed to make this last phase of his life an incredible adventure of discovery, dedication, and perseverance.