September 1, 2010
Here are some pics from our first confectioner’s showcase starring Nina Wanat of Bon Bon Bar. Thanks to those of you who came, it was a lot of fun and a huge success! If you couldn’t make it this time, we’re planning on having more events like it in the future. Stay tuned….
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August 22, 2010
Mark your calendars, everyone! That’s right, The Candy Store is throwing another party and you are all invited. We would love if you could join us for another fun-filled night as we party with Nina Wanat of Bon Bon Bar. She will be doing a special candy tasting of her delectable treats. If you are not yet familiar with her candies, you will quickly become a fan after just one bite.
At The Candy Store, we are all about supporting local and small companies as much as possible (Diane and Brian are really great about discovering new creative talent). Nina is a confectioner here in the Bay Area. Once a week we receive orders of her passion fruit and vanilla bean marshmallows, caramel nut bars, and cult favorite (and The Candy Store exclusive) caramallows (trust us, we have a special name for these). And every week we sell out. Not only is everything she makes yummy and of the highest quality ingredients, but Nina herself is so sweet and we love her. Stop by and meet her, hang with Diane, Brian, and me, and maybe even discover a new favorite candy.
What: The Candy Store’s Bon Bon Bar Event
When: Thursday, August 26 from 5 – 7pm
Where: The Candy Store, 1507 Vallejo Street (at Polk)
Why: Did you see the photos above?, Champagne, You LOVE The Candy Store
See you there!
~Liana
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July 5, 2010
We recently had a contest on The Candy Store’s Facebook page, where we asked our fans to tell us why they should be President of our fan club. We announced the winners (there was a tie) at our 3rd anniversary party a couple of weeks ago and presented them with delicious candy prizes. We got so many wonderful submissions, and wanted to share just a few of our favorites with you:
| Â | From Cathy C: |
| Â | I think I’m the Candy Store’s biggest fan because I don’t think you could find someone who loves candy more than me (other than you and Brian.) I love candy and sweets so much that at my wedding I insisted on having a wedding cake, a dessert buffet AND a candy bar that was provided by The Candy Store! I still remember the first time I walked by the store March or April 2007 and when I first walked by it was closed (it was the evening) and I was like “WHAT IS THIS PLACE! It’s a candy wonderland.” I went back the next day when you were open and I felt like I’d stepped back in time, back to my childhood, only an even better childhood than the one I’d had, a childhood where stores like yours existed on every corner and you could go every afternoon and literally buy happiness with a few dollars. I love that that is what your store brings to the neighborhood and I hope you open one up in the Richmond soon. I love every piece of candy you’ve got in the store and I think I’ve sampled them all. I feel like your store is literally the happiest place on earth. Happy third anniversary! I’m so happy for you and I’m so happy that I’ve been able to watch and partake in the growth these past three years!!
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| Â | From Jonathan: |
|  | The Candy Store is a happy little turquoise paradise. When I walk in, I am surrounded by dozens of jars of bright, colorful candy from across the globe. Local? Gluten-free? Organic? Not available outside of Japan? They’ve got it. Each selection is hand-picked by the Candy Store’s team of candy experts who have taken the time to learn the origin and ingredients of each candy. Diane has a PhD in candy and the uncanny ability to tailor recommendations based on each customer’s personal candy preferences. Liana adds her keen sense of style and will arrange your candy into an elegant and tasty gift. Brian makes kick-ass brittle. For the past three years, San Francisco has been a little happier thanks to the Candy Store. Congratulations on 3 years. See you tomorrow!     |
| Â | From Cathy B: |
|  | OK I’ll play your game D. I’m your biggest fan and I’ll tell you why. Not only did you and your store become family to me when I was new in the ‘hood, my kid is basically 1/2 chocolate raisin – and you were my crack dealer during those 9 months. I love that you guys are passionate about what you’re pushing, stock everything I grew up on and listen to your repeat clients (i.e. getting rid of those organic choc raisins in favor of the processed ones cos they just taste better that way). I’m such a fan I get my friends to hand-deliver me Brian’s coconut brittle and Summerdown mints when I’m 100 miles away. Watch out for that P&L statement of yours, it’s gonna take a mean incline – we’re moving back in 2 weeks. Can’t believe it’s been a year since your last birthday! Love yer guts!    |
| Â | From Jen: |
|  | I want to submit to be the President of the Candy Store Fan Club!I love having Candy Store as an addition to the Polk Street shops. Of course, I totally adore the candy, but I love how it’s become a gathering place — it’s always fun to walk in and chat with you and Brian and Liana, take friends there, or pick up little treats for the people I love. I really appreciate your passion for the candy, and the things that I’ve learned from going in over the past three years.  Â
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| Â | From Abby (6 years old): |
|  | I am The Candy Store’s biggest fan because… I get to write my name in the book and I already know where The Candy Store is. I visit a lot. And they are very nice to me. And they let me take my time. I tell all my friends about The Candy Store. And my friends sometimes want to go there. I like the owners, and also Liana. I go to a lot of other candy stores, but this one is the best!   Â
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| Â | From Krista: |
|  | How do I tell Nick I love him? Zaanse licorice. How do I tell Nick Happy Birthday and that he’ll always be a kid at heart? Candy legos.How do I say, “sorry babe”? Monkey heads…he can never stay mad when he wears a smile that big. How do I make up for not cooking? Fried egg gummies for brunch. How do I tell Nick to have a safe and happy trip? A turtle, snagx, pig tail, wine gum, monkey head, coke bottle medley with a side of lavender candy.Â
Why do I love The Candy Store? It’s a part of my sweet romance. Â
Â
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June 16, 2010
Come celebrate The Candy Store’s 3rd Anniversary with us. We would love to have you there to thank you for your support over the past three years and want you to come party with us. Oh, and not that you need a reason, but there will be food, champagne, prizes, and candy (of course!). We are also very excited to have local confectioner Happy Goat (we’re all in love with it) join us for a special tasting.
What: The Candy Store’s 3rd Anniversary Party
When: Thursday, June 17 from 5 – 8 pm
Where: The Candy Store, 1507 Vallejo Street
Why: Food, Champagne, Door Prizes, Candy!
Plus, a special tasting courtesy of Happy Goat
See you tomorrow!
ps – There’s a special contest for all of our fans on Facebook. Check it out because there’s a huge prize for the winner!
~Liana
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May 26, 2010
Having recently attended the ISM candy show in Cologne, Germany, we have to admit we were a bit underwhelmed by the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago. Though it is the largest candy show in North America, it is much smaller than ISM, and most of the brands are familiar ones. That said, we’re glad we attended and did manage to reconnect with some of our favorite confectioners, as well as find a couple of new products for the store. And we are having a great time just being in Chicago!
One of the highlights for us was simply meeting the people behind the Boyer Candy Company. Their Mallo Cup is a store favorite – probably the candy Diane mentions the most when asked about her favorite candy growing up. At the store, we carry the Mallo Cup and also their Peanut Butter Smoothie, but have had a difficult time getting their plain Peanut Butter Cups. After hearing Diane’s impassioned pleas, however, they promised to make it happen. We’ll be sure to let you know as soon as our first shipment arrives!
Another old-school confectioner that we connected with at the show was NECCO. As many of you know, the company recently switched to using all-natural flavorings and colorings in their iconic NECCO wafers (and conversation hearts). It was a bold move that has met with mixed success – as you might imagine, there has been a bit of a backlash from some loyal fans of the candy (especially those who loved the lime flavor, which was nixed in the transition to natural). The company has held the line, however, and in fact they are about to introduce more changes to their candy line-up, improving the quality of the ingredients in another of their classics, the Clark Bar, and also adding a new Clark Bar Dark, made with dark chocolate. These new incarnations of the Clark Bar are made with all-natural ingredients, including real peanut butter and actual chocolate instead of a compound coating. As a store that sells a lot of nostalgic candy (including our fair share of NECCO wafers and Clark Bars), we are often wary of change in the candy world. But we’re going to go on record here in saying that we believe NECCO is moving in the right direction. All natural flavors and colors will eventually be the norm – many candy makers are already forced to manufacture separate lines of all-natural candies for some European markets. And both of the new Clark Bars are quite delicious to boot. Of course, we’ll still probably have to maintain a separate stash of artificially-flavored NECCO wafers in the back…
Unlike, say, the Fancy Food Show, the Chicago show is not known for showcasing an abundance of high-end chocolates. We were surprised, then, when a small chocolate company, Hoja Verde, contacted us a few weeks back asking us to visit their booth when we were at the show. We went to see them, and, wow, are we glad we did! Hoja Verde makes a small line of dark chocolate bars from high-quality Arriba beans grown in small plantations in Ecuador. We will be carrying all four of their bars, ranging from 58% to 100% cacao (that’s right, finally…a 100% bar for those of you who have been bugging us to carry one). Even the darkest bars retain the fruitiness of the shade-grown Arriba beans – after tasting these bars and those made by Claudio Corallo (also sold at our store), you will rethink the myth that Criollo beans are the only ones worthy of playing in the high-end chocolate game. Look for Hoja Verde’s amazing bars on our shelves in a couple of weeks.
And finally, the star of the show… For anyone of a certain age, the phrase “Smack It and Crack It” can mean only one thing: Bonomo’s Turkish Taffy. Bonomo’s was the candy of the 50’s and 60’s, but it has not been made commercially since the mid 80’s. We can easily say that, in our store, at least, it is the most asked for of all discontinued candies (of course, Diane’s dad is the one doing most of the asking). There was a rumor a few years back that some guy on Long Island had secured the rights to the name and the original recipe and was attempting to bring the candy back. Since then, Diane has been contacting (i.e. stalking) this poor guy every couple of months to check on his progress. Well, we are happy to report that, as of this summer, Bonomo’s is back, baby! When Diane finally saw the boxes of vanilla, banana, chocolate and strawberry taffy on display at the show, she screamed so loud that heads turned on the other side of the hall. Tears streaming down her face, she quickly filled her bag with samples, but we had to leave quickly before the owner of the company arrived with a copy of his restraining order.
A few more photos from the show:
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April 26, 2010
We’ve got some amazing new chocolate collections in the store. Just in time for Mother’s Day, of course, but really these chocolates would make fantastic gifts for any occasion. We work hard to find these unusual collections so that you don’t have to…
First up: Salt Talks, from Joan Coukos at Chocolat Moderne. Joan’s chocolates have always been a store favorite, and we know that this collection will be no exception – how could it, when it has exquisitely-flavored salted caramels paired with white, milk and dark chocolate? There are sixteen pieces in each of the beautiful art-deco gift boxes. The dark chocolate shell holds their ever-popular salted espresso caramel, familiar to those of us who are addicted to their “Madame X-stasy” Bistro Bars. The milk chocolate shell contains a salted caramel finished with chopped pecans, and the caramel in the white chocolate shell is seasoned with sea salt that has been smoked over Welsh oak, giving it a truly unique smoky flavor. Salted caramel fans, rejoice!
Next we’ve got an amazing ten-piece collection from William Dean Chocolates out of Largo, Florida. Bill Brown, William Dean’s chocolatier, has been wowing the Bay Area recently, picking up a ton of awards at this year’s Chocolate Salon at Fort Mason. If you didn’t get to try them there, or if you did and you want more, our store is now the place to get them. Chocolates simply do not get any more beautiful, or more delicious.
Finally, we’ve found some wonderful new chocolates made by Ococoa in Los Angeles. They’re called Butter Cups, though butter in this case refers not to the dairy product but to various nut butters. Flavors included in this unique nine-piece gift box are: Classic Peanut Butter, Pistachio Date, Sesame Fig, Hazelnut Chocolate, Almond Cherry, Cashew Apricot, Marzipan Truffle, Macadamia Guava, and Sunflower Honey. In addition to being delicious, they also happen to be vegan – when was the last time you were able to give a gorgeous gift box of chocolates to someone who didn’t eat dairy? Of course, vegan or not, if you love dark chocolates, you will love Ococoa’s confections.
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March 15, 2010
The year is flying by so fast. As soon as Christmas ended, I was ordering for Valentine’s Day; and the day after Valentine’s Day, I was ordering for Easter — which is now less than 3 weeks away (Sunday, April 4th). Crazy! Of course, crazy isn’t necessarily bad: few things bring me the kind of excitement that getting new candy does. I think David, our UPS guy, thinks I’m a little off, as I sometimes clap when I see him approaching the store. Easter is pastel and pretty and, in the case of the candy we sell, delicious! I mean, just look at some of the candy in these pictures…how cute can candy possibly be? Some stand-outs this year: milk chocolate and caramel robins’ eggs; sour gummi bunnies (the purple ones taste like grape Bubble Yum!); handmade chocolate-covered marshmallows; Papabubble’s adorable hard candy “barnyard” mix (did you see the pigs’ faces?!); and real Cadbury Creme Eggs — meaning the ones from the UK, not the ones made by and with Hershey’s chocolate. As you probably know by now, I’m also a bit of a marzipan fanatic — if you are too, you’ll want to pick up a box of our marzipan ”chicks and eggs.” We have beautiful Easter boxes (wicker is soooo 2009) jam-packed with delicious treats, or you can customize your own for a gift that is sure to please anyone. My only advice to you is not to wait until the last minute, because I can’t stand to see disappointed faces: Easter is our second busiest holiday season, so stock up as soon as you’re able. Happy spring, and we’ll see you soon!
-Diane
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February 21, 2010
My apologies for not getting around to the second part of our blog post about London’s swinging confectionery scene sooner, but it’s been a crazy couple of weeks, what with Valentine’s Day and all. Anyway, we returned to London after spending a couple of days at the ISM show in Cologne. This time, we were staying in Knightsbridge, conveniently positioned halfway between our two primary destinations: Rococo Chocolates and the famed food halls of Harrods.
So let’s start with Rococo. Around for more than 25 years, Rococo is an institution in the world of premium chocolates. They now have three locations, but we opted to visit the original store located on Kings Road in Chelsea, and I’m glad we did. It felt like a first store: intimate, a bit worn, and authentic. The staff there was very friendly and extremely passionate about all of the chocolates. We knew we could only bring back a limited number of bars with us, and I can’t tell you how difficult it was to narrow down the selection — every bar we tasted (and I’m pretty sure we tasted them all) was delicious. We finally settled on five different types of bars, all made with organic chocolate: milk chocolate with sea salt, dark chocolate with chili pepper, dark chocolate with Earl Grey tea (my personal favorite — I can’t understand why every chocolatier out there doesn’t make an Earl Grey truffle), dark chocolate with orange & geranium, and (the unexpected hit) white chocolate with cardamom. This last one is now the only white chocolate bar we carry at the store, and it’s a truly inspired combination. In addition to their bars, we sampled fantastic chocolate wafers, many different types of truffles, and their beautiful edible flower arrangements — sadly, all of these are far too delicate for world travel, so we couldn’t bring those back with us. But do come in and try some of the bars — in addition to being unique, tasty and organic, they are beautifully packaged and make for wonderful gifts. And now, on to Harrods…
What can I say: the place is insane. Harrods seems to be a bit of a punch line among London locals, and in our experience the shoppers there did seem to be mostly Saudi tourists. Though we were tempted to visit the “Bulletproof Clothing” section on the 7th floor, we ultimately didn’t stray too far from the food halls — and, say what you will about Harrods, the food halls are amazing. The only other places that we’ve seen that compare to it are the great department stores of Tokyo, and in terms of size, at least, Harrods has them beat. If you’re only interested in candy, I think they’ve got a more interesting selection at Fortnum & Mason (see Part One of this blog post) — but for the full spectrum of food items (fish, meat, cheese, tea, pastries, chocolates, prepared foods, etc.) you have got to check out Harrods. We knew we were in for a treat right when we walked through the doors — we had been traveling all day and had not yet eaten dinner, so we asked one of the women working there if there was a restaurant in the store, to which she replied, “Yes, there are several on every floor.” Why can’t they have department stores like this in the states?
That’s it for this post. I will just leave you with two bizarre images. The first is the package of collagen marshmallows we saw on display at Harvey Nichol’s (note that they also had a cocktail on their bar menu called “Drink Yourself Thin” — vodka and methamphetamine, perhaps?) The second photo is a portion (yes, there’s more to it) of the Diana and Dodi memorial, tucked in between the luxury handbags sections at Harrods — on display is the wineglass that the couple shared at the Hotel Ritz on that fateful evening in Paris…
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February 9, 2010
Don’t forget — Sunday is Valentine’s Day! As always, we have some great gift items at The Candy Store. Below are just a few of our favorites:
| “Devotion” 12-Piece Luxury Gift Box from Chocolate Moderne, NYC. From one of our favorite chocolatiers, dark chocolate shells filled with decadent dark chocolate ganaches. For the devoted dark chocolate fan. |  |
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| Milk & Dark Chocolate Hugs & Kisses. Why not say it with chocolate? |  |
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| Valentine’s Day 9-Piece Assortment from Valerie Confections. Includes 3 amazing flavors: Bittersweet Chocolate with Almond Toffee, Bittersweet Ganache in Bittersweet shells, finished with 23 karat gold, and Gianduja Rocher in Milk Chocolate. |  |
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| Amarena Mon Amour. Also from Chocolat Moderne, the ultimate chocolate covered cherry. Four tart, juicy Italian Amarena cherries finished with a sophisticated vodka-infused syrup. |  |
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| Italian Gianduja Hearts Gift Box. Do I need to say anything other than “gianduja”? Milk chocolate and hazelnut lovers rejoice. |  |
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| The Candy Store’s Valentine’s Day Chocolate Collection. 8 delicious miniature truffles in our stylish gift box. |  |
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| The Candy Store’s Valentine’s Day Box of Four. A perennial favorite for the person who would rather have candy than chocolate. |  |
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