Candy stores?

Whenever I visit Chicago I make a trip to Cost Plus Worldmarket (we don't have one). My main impetus is for the candy selection (which is not quite as good as it once was). I'm fond of European candy in general and like to try the offerings we don't get in this country (Aero bars, flake bars, etc).

Anyone know of a better source for such items in Chicago? Surely someone does a better job than World Market, some place that is more candy oriented maybe?

I am absolutley amazed at what Cost Plus charges in its food aisles, but then again, living in Chicago means I can find an ethnic market to get things cheaper. Since Europe is a large place, I can offer a few recs without knowing if you are looking for a certain candy from a country housed in the continent of Europe:

Bobak's has a decent sized selection of Polish candies and chocolate, and more gingerbread than you can shake a stick at for prices MUCH less.

Ikea for Swedish stuff.

Not European, but I am a sucker for Asian fruit candies. I'd bet that you'd be pretty happy making a day trip of Ikea's food / candy shop in Schaumburg, and then hopping over to Mitsuwa to peruse their Asian candies.

Bobak's

Ikea Schaumburg

Mitsuwa

Suckers in Roscoe Village has a great selection of old fashioned candies.

A lot of the European grocery stores have a good selection of european candies and chocolates; right around the corner from Marketplace on Oakton is a candy store I haven't been in for some time, but IIRC their bent is imported candy.

Sweet Fantasies Inc
4843 Oakton Street
Skokie, IL 60077-2955
Phone: (847) 673-3257

I haven't been inside, so I can't vouch for its inventory, but I've passed by a new(ish) place called Candyality on Southport and Newport, right next to the brown line tracks. It's in the building where Bobtail used to be, if that helps any.

From what I can tell on the outside, it seems that they have quite a selection, and I did see some "retro" candies that I haven't seen in ages. It might be worth a try, or at least a call.

Candyality
3425 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 472-7800

Gene's Sausage shop has a pretty big selection of euro-candy. It's a fun all-around place!

Gene's Sausage Shop & Delicatessen
5330 W. Belmont
Chicago, IL
773-7776322

I second the recommendation for Polish grocery stores.

Also, here are two places in the Loop for European chocolate, probably not cheaper than Cost Plus:

Hannah's Bretzel
180 W Washington St
Chicago
312-621-1111

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4246 (see the second photo down)


Leonidas (They have other chocolate besides their own pralines)
231 S La Salle St (Bank of America building)
Chicago
(312) 251-8850

Thanks everybody, some good leads.

I've been to a few of these places (I guess I'm more Chicagoan than I thought, for an Iowan

I loved Bobak's at first but was put off by the rude treatment, they clearly would have preferred non-Polish people not stop in. Nice store though.

Loved my visit to Mitsuwa also, but though I have a great love for Asian/Oriental culture (specifically Chinese and Japanese) I've long held the opinion that they no little about desserts (especially the Japanese), at least what most cultures consider dessert sweets. Beans often play to much a role! Ha!

I'll make sure to check some of the others.

Abouna wrote:
Loved my visit to Mitsuwa also, but though I have a great love for Asian/Oriental culture (specifically Chinese and Japanese) I've long held the opinion that they no little about desserts (especially the Japanese), at least what most cultures consider dessert sweets. Beans often play to much a role! Ha!

I'll make sure to check some of the others.

Dessert sweets are different from candies in my mind. I absolutely love Asian hard fruit / gummy candies. They taste SOO much more like real fruit and the flavors are great - plum, honeydew melon, pear, etc... and I dare anyone to have just one pocky stick.

But yes, I've gotten the cold shoulder feeling at Bobak's a few times. I don't care though. For the prices of the stuff I go in there for, I can endure it, and smile. I still brag about the time I bought damn near 40 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs there for 59 cents/lb like four years ago. I felt like I was robbing a bank. Good Luck!!

I've seen lots of eastern European varieties at the Polish groceries. But, not many from England, like Aero's. Some, but they do tend to be more from Poland, Lithuania, etc.

That said, we really do like these a lot. One of the Polish stores (can't remember which) close to Harlem actually had a double aisle, both sides. We spend 25 minutes looking at all of it.

Garden Fresh also has some.

Shop & Save has lots of multi-ethnic sweets, both in a candy aisle and mixed in the various ethnic areas. I think they had British candies; I know they stock other UK products, like HP Sauce and Bachelors Peas.

Meijer has a lot of international candies in its global food aisle, including British candies.

seebee wrote:
Not European, but I am a sucker for Asian fruit candies. I'd bet that you'd be pretty happy making a day trip of Ikea's food / candy shop in Schaumburg, and then hopping over to Mitsuwa to peruse their Asian candies.

While you're out in the Schaumburg area, you might want to run by Valli Produce which sits on the border of Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg . Its been a while since I was there, but I recall they had a lot of European and Latin America chocolates. The store prides its self on their selection of imported products.

Valli Produce
850 N. Rosselle Road
Hoffman Estates, IL, 60169

http://www.valliproduce.com/index.jsp

Kim

I know you asked about European candy, but given the thread title, it seems appropriate to mention:

Dulcelandia (5 Chicago locations plus Cicero, Melrose Park, and Aurora)
Aji Ichiban 2117-A S. Chinaplace (Chinatown Mall)

I also like to get Asian sweets at Golden Pacific or at that shop in the NE corner of the large strip mall on Broadway between Lawrence and Ainslie, whose name I can never remember.

You can get pretty good European candies, cookies and other such at

Devon Market
1440 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL
(773) 338-2572

Depending on where you're coming from, I was fairly impressed by the overall [mainly Eastern-]European selection in general (including the candy aisle) at the new(er) Eurofresh Market in Tinley Park [this occupies the spot that used to be a Cub Foods at 159th & Harlem Ave]. This would be somewhat convenient, I suppose if you're coming from Iowa off I-80 and you're on the way to I-57/I-94. This is about ten minutes off I-80, North on Harlem.

Eurofresh Market
16000 S Harlem Ave, Tinley Park, IL.

If you're in the area, there's also a Bobak's at 159th & Wolf Road [in Orland Park] if you're so inclined.

A lot of European fruit markets will have a candy aisle, so try Produce World on Waukegan and Oakton in Morton Grove or the one on Lawrence and Harlem in Chicago; Market Place in Skokie on Oakton and Skokie Blvd; if it still exists, try Black Forest, which is just behind the Produce World in Morton Grove; and I've noticed even the Jewel on Touhy in Niles has a few bars like the Aero and Tiger and such. But my favorite is Produce World. They have rows of the wire bins filled with various chocolates written in Greek, Polish, and Italian, and they're usually yummy and fresh. The little rectangular foil-wrapped candy with the bear on it is good, I believe it was a chocolate-wafer-nut thing. Lincolnwood Produce, on Lincoln and Touhy, has a few things too, but they don't have a huge selection. They also have Turkish Delight. And I'm not sure about these: Jerry's Fruit Market on Milwaukee and Oakton in Niles may have a small selection but go on a weekday mid-morning, because evenings and weekends are CRAZY busy. Then across the street is Alpine Deli in the Oak Mil Mall; they have some nice little sweets from Germany, Austria, and the like. And a bit north of that, on the other side of Oakton, is Oak Mil Bakery (Polish). They have a very small handful of candy there I think, but they're worth checking out for the baked goods and mousse cups, so if you don't find candy, at least you'll find a goody or two. A little further north on Milwaukee, just south of Golf, is Papagalino's Bakery, and last time I went they had rather sizeable confections wrapped in brightly colored foil that were like large truffles; plus their bakery is super yummy and they now have a little cafe next door. And last but not least are Cora Lee Candies and Chocolate Potpourri, Waukegan Road in Glenview and Johns Drive in Glenview (industrial corridor) respectively. They are not European per se, but they have a nice selection of good-ol'-fashioned chocolate shoppe treats. Cora Lee has some Heavenly Hash that lives up to the name and C.P. has some nice trendy truffles like port wine, chai, etc. plus some really high end bars. Oh wait, don't forget Moonstruck, which specializes in European-style chocolates, coffee, and hot chocolate (this place I could live in) which is on Michigan Avenue in the Loop. And Vosges, also on Michigan I believe and Armitage St. too - full of tasty fusion chocolates like curry, wasabi, and other delicious, creative treats. Fox & Obel carries both Moonstruck and Vosges plus a lot of other things worth trying.

I'll stop now.

Good luck.

Pie Lady wrote:Then across the street is Alpine Deli in the Oak Mil Mall

Long gone. Minelli Bros. is in that mall now. They have Italian pastries, but I'm not sure about candy.

Nooooooo!

All my childhood delis are leaving me - that one, Alpine at Six Corners, and now Meyer's in Lincoln Square!

I forgot about Kuhn's in Deerfield on Waukegan Rd. too. They also have an online store.

nshef wrote:I haven't been inside, so I can't vouch for its inventory, but I've passed by a new(ish) place called Candyality on Southport and Newport...

Elsewhere, Gypsy Boy wrote:I'd seen from an old interview that Michael Carlson likes gummy bears. So I got a couple packages and wrapped them up.

Last night I walked by Candyality for the first time and saw a big poster advertising the quality of their gummy bears. Has anyone been? I like me some gummy bears. I don't recall ever seeing anyplace take great pride in them, but I'm curious.

germuska wrote:Last night I walked by Candyality for the first time and saw a big poster advertising the quality of their gummy bears. Has anyone been? I like me some gummy bears. I don't recall ever seeing anyplace take great pride in them, but I'm curious.

I know with costly ingredients, it's sometimes nice to ask for insight, but with the cost of gummy bears being what it is...what the heck Joe? Why not bite the bullet (or the gummy bear, so to speak) and take one for the team?

P.S. This post isn't really an attack on Joe, it's more of a test to see what it's like to reply using the new software.

If you are looking for English candy bars, like aero, flake, lion, etc. There is a convenience store on clark street one half block south of Fullerton (at one time it was a Whitehen Pantry but i dont know what it is now) that carries a bunch of different British sweets and biscuits as a courtesy to what is apparently a large-ish english expat community in the immediate area. They used to carry McVities Hob Nob biscuits when they were impossible to get in the States. I havent been there in years as I can now get HobNobs many places. I did enjoy an occasional Flake or Aero bar when i would stop in. I have no idea if they still carry these sweets since it is now easier to get some of more european Nestle and Cadbury products in the states. Good luck

LAZ wrote:Shop & Save has lots of multi-ethnic sweets, both in a candy aisle and mixed in the various ethnic areas. I think they had British candies; I know they stock other UK products, like HP Sauce and Bachelors Peas.

I second the candy aisle and bulk bins at Shop & Save; I think they're the most redeeming parts of the store (at least at the Des Plaines location.) I've seen candies there that I haven't seen anywhere else, and their prices are very good.

Kim3 wrote:While you're out in the Schaumburg area, you might want to run by Valli Produce which sits on the border of Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg . Its been a while since I was there, but I recall they had a lot of European and Latin America chocolates.

I don't know the Schaumburg location, but I'm a big fan of the candy at the Arlington Heights location of Valli Produce. In particular, I like their Italian offerings--the anise candy (not as good as the kind Spacca Napoli gives out but I prefer the shape of the brand Valli carries) and the torrone.

Pie Lady wrote:I forgot about Kuhn's in Deerfield on Waukegan Rd. too.

I'm not crazy about the Kuhn's in Des Plaines, mainly because I've found that I can get almost all of the chocolate products they sell for much cheaper at Marketplace on Oakton (or anywhere else, really). However, I stop in for two Dutch reasons: Wilhelmina mints and chocolate clogs (yes, mini milk chocolate clogs, which have become my signature "funny" gift to friends--scholars of Dutch art--who are off to do long stints at archives in Holland). Now, if only Kuhn's would carry a decent brand of speculaas...

I sometimes go to Fox & Obel for their European candies. Their prices are high in general, but, in Chicago, I've only been able to find my absolute favorite caramels in the whole world there--the fig caramels by Paris Caramels. They also carry Barnier lollipops from France. The fruit ones are easy enough to find in the Chicago area, but F & O also carries the caramel variety, which is a little harder to find in stores.

In the last year, I've been very surprised to find a range of European candy at Jewel--in particular, the Skokie location on Skokie Boulevard and the Wilmette location on Green Bay Road. The candy is located in the ethnic aisles. I've seen candy bars from the UK and also some candy I'd never seen before that had, I think, Hebrew on the wrappers.

Does anybody know if "purple cow" in Beverly is still open? they had a great selection when I was a kid.

Dulce landia has a wide selection of Mexican/south American candy's.

The retail store at brommer's chocolate factory has hundreds of chocolate coated candy's and a nice selection of some of my favorite old school candy's from from growing up like candy cigarettes, bottle caps, Zotz etc...

Also Jerry's fresh fruits and garden in Niles has a decent selection of European candy bars.

http://www.dulcelandia.com/en/

Patel Bros on Devon is a good source of English chocolate, they usually have a selection of Cadbury's etc (in fact most Indian stores do). They also have a selection of Indian candies - there are a variety of these other than the normal Indian mithai from traditional sweet houses. Most common is chikli - a type of brittle & can be made with sesame seeds, peanuts, cashews, pista etc & various sugars (honey, gur etc); there's usually green cardamom flavoring in these too. It used to be sold in small cakes or bars to be broken off, but today you can find it in small packages of little pieces individually like western candies. I also rather like the clear western style hard fruit candies now available - they have some different flavors like mango, melon, jackfruit, tamarind etc for the Indian market. I'm particularly fond of the sweet saunf (fennel) ones.

happy_stomach wrote:I second the candy aisle and bulk bins at Shop & Save; I think they're the most redeeming parts of the store (at least at the Des Plaines location.)

"Most redeeming"?

My favorite parts of Shop & Save are the deli and the international aisles.

LAZ wrote:

happy_stomach wrote:I second the candy aisle and bulk bins at Shop & Save; I think they're the most redeeming parts of the store (at least at the Des Plaines location.)

"Most redeeming"?

Yes, redeeming. I've experienced probably half a dozen times really wild inconsistencies in their products. (I kept wanting to like Shop & Save.) I would never shop there again except for candy. For groceries, I would go to Dominick's before I'd go to Shop & Save.

Wow. The only inconsistencies I've experienced are that you can't always rely on them to stock precisely the same products from visit to visit, but that seems to be true of most of the specialty markets, including Trader Joe's and Costco.