Parkside Candy

Built in 1927, Parkside Candy is one of the prettiest confectioneries anywhere. When you walk in, your nose fills with a liquorish cocoa-butter aroma even before your eyes can focus on the stunning interior decor. In a grandiose oval room lined with classic columns and umbrella’d by a domed ceiling, candies are sold from vending stations around the circumference. Soft background music and subtle indirect light create the reverential atmosphere of a fine art museum.

This old-fashioned candy store offers salt water taffy, all day suckers, bon bons of every size and shape, and Buffalo’s favorite spun sugar specialty, sponge candy (also known as honeycombs).

As is true of many of the city’s best chocolatiers, Parkside also is an ice cream parlor, with cozy alcoves and a scattering of tables about the room for dining in. The ice cream repertoire is a full roster of dusty roads, rocky roads, tin roofs, egg creams, peanut butter fudge banana splits, creamsicle frappes, and maple nut sundaes. Top-of-the-line is the Granada Special: five flavors of ice cream, four toppings, toasted nuts, a mountain of whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry.

There is a short sandwich menu, too, but we’ve never tried it. The aroma of chocolate when we walk in the Parkside door is a Siren’s call.