Chicago surprise ending

I just got back from a work trip to Chicago where of course I had to do a little candy research for dinner this blog.  I planned a stop at the Candyality store at the Shops at North Bridge (http://candyality.com) to find my candy personality (candyality...get it?) which is a fun concept the store says will uncover your personality based on the kind of candy you like.  They say that you're competitive if you prefer sugary candy, a good listener if you like fluffy candy, a negotiator if you prefer crunchy, creative if you like colorful, etc.  While the concept was certainly unique, I found the store to be a little small and not entirely indicative of my candyality.  It was fun to hear the sales girl tell me I was competitive (yes!), loving (no!), and something else I can't remember.  My main takeaway though was that I have multiple candy-personality disorder.  After my research, I headed to...

...the Whole Foods near my hotel to pick up something quick and healthy for dinner (lame I know but I was exhausted, it was late, and my recent research had me craving some carrots and hummus for dinner).  You can imagine my surprise (and delight) when I rounded the corner to make a salad and ran smack into THIS:

YES Whole Foods on E. Grand Ave, YES.  So first, I have never seen a bulk candy display at Whole Foods before (and I weirdly manage to visit a WF in almost every city I pop into) and second, they had a huge selection of Marich bulk candy which is quality stuff.  Marich makes really fresh tasting candy in hard-to-find combinations like matcha green tea caramels, maple brown sugar caramels, vanilla honey caramels, coconut curry cashews, dark chocolate ginger pieces, and my FAVORITE item of theirs: triple chocolate toffee.  So naturally upon seeing this amazing display, the salad went out the proverbial bowl in the name of conducting more research in a very unexpected location.  I swear it's like I have a homing device for bulk candy.  All in all it was a surprise ending to my night but also a sweet one (hehe).  Don't fret if your local WF doesn't carry Marich like the one in Chicago, mine doesn't either (although the animals in New York would probably decimate a display like this) just head online and buy whatever you're normally into, I promise you won't be disappointed: www.marich.com.  

Some of the best chocolate covered pretzels you'll ever eat...

...are in Pittsburgh!  And sold at the airport!  It's a win win for everyone.  I grew up outside of Pittsburgh so was used to seeing Sarris Candies everywhere and took them for granted.  It wasn't until I moved to NYC and read about their chocolate covered pretzels on Hungry Girl that I took notice ("you don't know what you had till it's gone" never rang so true).  HG was right, their 100 calorie packs of milk chocolate covered pretzels are some of the best you will ever try.  It has to do with the ratio of milk chocolate to pretzel, the saltiness of the pretzel, and that the pretzels are never stale.  Huge difference!  Stale chocolate covered pretzels are such a let down.  You get all excited about letting yourself have a little chocolate only to bite into a mushy, chewy, sad, little pretzel.  Night ruined.   Not so with these.  I have yet to bite into one single stale pretzel and this is based on a LOT of research.

Also, these mini milk chocolate pretzel sticks (pictured below) are sold as 100 calorie packs to help save you from yourself (which is a nice added bonus until you look in the trash and realize that you've eaten five two).  But still, I love the built-in portion control that they've got going on here.  Their large pretzels and pretzel rods (all milk chocolate) are all worth trying too.  Finally, if you are into peanut butter then you need to try their peanut butter chocolate pretzels and pretzel rods.  These are a perfect combo of crunchy pretzel, smooth semi-sweet peanut butter and a nice thick (but not too thick!) coating of milk chocolate.

Now the really good news: if you're in the Pittsburgh airport, you can do what I do and STOCK UP! purchase some Sarris chocolate covered pretzels at the Rite Aid store in Terminal D (Delta's terminal).  Or if you're not headed to Pburgh anytime soon, then just order them online: sarriscandies.com.

An adorable throwback in Montauk, NY

It's summer in New York so last week I did what most New Yorkers do and headed out to Montauk for some beach time with friends.  One evening after dinner we happened upon an adorable candy store called THE CANDIED ANCHOR on Main Street (www.candiedanchor.com).  It's the kind of store that catches your eye because it looks just like a candy store should look: whimsical, inviting and fun. 

The two young women working the store couldn't have been sweeter and patiently answered all of our questions ("what's this? Oooo what's this?!")  Inside they had some cute displays of candy that resembles food like raspberries in a berry basket and "olives" in a jar.  These would make great hostess gifts or party favors for a summer BBQ.  

I like my candy shaken, not stirred

One of the more unique items in the store were their chocolate covered swedish fish.  I'm not a fan of chocolate covered gummy bears and swedish fish are my favorite non-chocolate candy so I didn't think I would like this marriage of my beloved Swedish fish and chocolate. At the recommendation/persuasion of my friend I bought a few to try.  They exceeded my expectations.  They were the larger red fish and therefore had that great chewy texture and cherry flavor but with a little addition of chocolate; more flavorful than chocolate covered gummy bears and better texture too.  These are a great gift for someone who loves Swedish fish.  If you're in Montauk, I recommend an evening stop at The Candied Anchor. 

Hello and welcome to my blog!

Hi,

My name is Keenan Kelly and I am a candy enthusiast.  Until now only my close friends, family and boyfriend knew of my interest and curiosity in candy and candy shops.  In any city or country we visit, I often find myself wandering into candy stores and dragging my travel companion along with me to see "what's new, what's different, what they sell, how the store looks" so I have decided to blog about my findings and share the candy-wealth!  This website will be a compilation of my never-ending quest to seek out unique, delicious and interesting candy from around the world.  Come join me!

Your Candy Correspondent,
Keenan