Visions of Sugar Plums

To my dear fellow Candy Fiends,

Let me introduce you to Sugar Sugar.

Last Sunday I had brunch at the Grand Cafe (I went savory, with Eggs en Cocotte). While walking toward the restaurant, I had to stop and take a peek at Sugar Sugar. My sweet tooth just wouldn't have it any other way. They were closed, so I pressed my nose up against the glass as long as my dining companion would humor me. It was 10:30am. Time for breakfast, not dessert. But I couldn't help myself.

Of course the host placed us at a table near the window, giving me the perfect view of the shop across the street. Here's a not-so-secret secret: I kept staring at Sugar Sugar all through brunch, just waiting for a phantom hand to appear and turn that "Closed" sign over to "Open." As soon as I saw a flutter of motion behind the glass, it was on.

 

Inside is a wonderland of sweets spilling out of footed pedestal bowls, filled inside glass jars and displayed on trays. There's even a vintage candy dispenser, circa the 1950's or 60's, in the corner of the room. There is such a variety of candy–bars, domestic and foreign; caramels; malted milk balls; gummy worms; lollipops; the list goes on– and it's all presented so playfully, that for a moment I really felt like a kid again. Of course, one of my primary hobbies was going to the store we called "The Milk House" and carefully selecting the exact number and type of candy to equal whatever amount of money I happened to have. It's not surprising that Sugar Sugar is my one-way ticket to nostalgia. Standing before all these choices, I started feeling a pre-candy rush.

Just look how maniacally happy these people are? Wild candy dust was floating through the air! Okay, that's my sister and her friend, who I dragged inside the shop after we finished brunch. They actually look relieved, because by this point I had finally chosen my treat out of the many, many possible treats.

Chocolate Mint Malt Balls.  Do you like the combination of chocolate and mint? If yes, you will die. You really will. These candies look like the precious eggs of a rare tropical bird, but they are far from delicate. The rich chocolate mint shell encases the most airy malted milk ball I have ever tasted. Imagine an Andes mint turned into a biscuity cookie, marrying the creamy and the crunchy in the perfect, pop-into-your-mouth bite. I chose well.

Sugar Sugar is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 11-7, and on Sunday, from 12-5. If you have any Christmas stockings that need filling, you know where to go.