The Candy Store's chocolate collection includes edible chocolate boxes from local favorite Charles Chocolates, caramel-chocolate pretzels from Utah, four kinds of malted balls (chocolate mint, peanut butter, chocolate, and ultimate dark/milk/white chocolate combo), and 13 chocolate bars from the United Kingdom, including the ever-popular Cadbury Flake, Nestle's caramel-ly Lion, and the Mars bar (which is more like our Milky Way). Diane's hands-down favorite is an organic, fair trade butter caramelchocolate bar from Austrian chocolate maker Zotter. "It's the best chocolate bar I've ever tasted in my life," Diane swoons.

Perhaps surprisingly, what has a lot of people drooling the most is the black licorice selection. Diane stocks more than 15 varieties, most of which come from Holland, and she says the double-salted licorice inspires its own kind of addict. Diabetics also get their due, with nine sugar-free candies.

Chocolate-covered "river stones"

The most fun offering is the custom-made party favors. Diane will create something for any budget, from small Chinese takeout boxes full of gorgeous chocolate "river stones" (chocolate-covered apricots, marzipan, and almonds) and mini-martini shakers full of chocolate almond nougatine "olives" (the canister can double as a drink maker) to sugar-coma-inducing candy carts you can rent at big events where everyone gets to fill their bags from dozens of sweet treats.

The Candy Store
1507 Vallejo Street at Polk
San Francisco
(415) 921-8000

black licoriceblack licorice

The Candy Store