Candy

As the holiday of love approaches, people will naturally ponder what to get their significant other, or why they’re still single. But whether or not the celebration on February 14 is with a loved one or alone, everyone deserves a bit of candy.A

Nestled on the 700 block of Front Street in Downtown Louisville, sits a small little shop that could send children into a sugar high and adults into a state of nostalgia. Assorted Goods and Candy may be small in space, but one could spend hours in the shop rummaging through the vintage toys, small knick knacks and, of course, the candy.

Intertwined with the potato guns, playing cards, model airplanes and Silly Putty is a wide range of the well known candy brands and sweets that may bring back memories from childhood or give customers the chance to try something new. The ever-changing shelves constantly are stacked with new candy such as Jujubes, Smarties, York Peppermint Patties, Red Hots, candy cigarettes, Jolly Ranchers, Tootsie Rolls, Mars Bars, bubble gum, suckers, cookies and chocolate. The store also brings in candy from all over the world from Europe’s Flake and Crunchie to Japan’s Pocky and High Chew.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Assorted Goods and Candies could be the one stop shop for both a gift and of course the candy.

Just a short drive west of Assorted Goods and Candy, along Boulder’s shop heavy street sits two other candy shops. The first one, which stands out among the shops thanks to the superhero mannequins guarding the front door and nostalgic pictures, posters and memorabilia displayed in the front window, is Rocket Fizz.

Warning: be prepared to have a sensory overload upon walking through the front doors of 1441 Pearl Street. The crowded shop is decked out with candy scattered through the store, lunch boxes and t-shirts hanging from the ceiling and decorations covering almost every inch of the walls. It’s easy to get lost in the small shop, but who doesn’t want to get lost in candy land with cardboard cut-outs of celebrities?

The decorations aren’t the only nostalgic quality to the store. The candy selection is wide, offering a wide variety of rare, imported and hard-to-find candy. Here, lovebirds can pick up Goo-Goo Clusters for the chocolate enthusiast, licorice from all over the world,and salt-water taffy. Here we move into the selections of salt-water taffy at Rocket Fizz offering flavors such as root beer float, chocolate chip cookie, s’mores, cinnamon roll, chocolate malt and hot cocoa.

Drooling yet? If not, just walk a block down to 1300 Pearl Street and enter chocolate heaven at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Breaking away from Buddy the Elf’s favorite shops, and entering a higher brow shop where chocolate is treated as an art form offering bark, chocolate covered fruits and pretzels, fudge, truffles and even boxed chocolate.

Take it from us; go in and buy a sweetheart the Monster Apple, which takes a Granny Smith apple and dips it into caramel before rolling it in roasted pecans. But wait there’s more as they cover the apple in milk, or dark chocolate and drizzle it with white confection.

If you prefer to have something sweet without the pleasurable crunch of something healthy in the middle, splurge for the three-pound box of chocolates. Filled with bite-sized chocolates filled with nuts, caramel, butter creams and meltaways each individual treat comes smothered in milk, or dark, chocolate and splashed with white confections.

For those that want to avoid the busy shops, and screaming children running after lollipops and jelly beans, Piece Love and Chocolate will deliver its gourmet treats right to your door.

On any given day Piece Love and Chocolate has more than 50 different chocolates to choose from, including dairy free and vegan options. Oh yeah, they also make everything without preservatives and from fresh, all natural ingredients. This puts a bit of time limit on when they can be eaten, but don’t kid yourself these chocolates won’t last more than two days.

If the delivery system didn’t win anyone over, the truffle case in the shop at 805 Pearl St will. The glass showcases treats made by chocolate artisans from around the world. The case currently holds chocolates from Oregon, France and Switzerland.