June 16, 2006

The Candy Man Can

Windy City Sweets

Hey, doc, our symptoms are back. Excessive salivating cured by schools of Swedish Fish. Rumbling stomach soothed only with stacks of licorice sticks. Cold, clammy palms warmed by holding a pack of Nerds in a vise-like grip.

Sounds like a classic case of chronic candy fixation.

The Rx? Windy City Sweets, the Boystown boutique that sells more than 600 confections. Maybe you’ve passed by the place. (They’ve been around since 1983, after all.) But have you been inside this hidden gem lately? Glass canisters overflow with gummy worms and bears. Candy flows from long, clear dispensers on the wall. Willy Wonka’s factory should be so tempting.

The super-smiley staff makes almost half of the available sweets, including chocolate-walnut fudge, chocolate-macadamia-caramel patties, and hand-dipped glazed fruits. There’s lots of nostalgic penny candy for grabs, like Pixie Stix, Candy Dots, and Whirly Pops.

They’ll do custom gift boxes, so you can put everything you crave in one tidy package.

Now make the trip, take two (or ten), and call us in the morning.

Windy City Sweets, 3308 North Broadway Street, between Buckingham Place and Aldine Avenue (773-477-6100 or windycitysweets.com).