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| - This place is heaven. It's half ice cream parlor, half chocolate store. That phrase "like a kid in a candy store"...well, it had to have been from stepping foot inside.
Here's my suggested plan of attack:
Enter through the left most door, which takes you directly to the start of the ice cream counter. This is regardless of the time of year. Select your ice cream flavor of choice with dark hard cap. Just a suggestion: one scoop is plentiful, but if you have a little extra room in the tummy, then go for a small tyme sundae (anything bigger is just ridiculousness.) You get to walk down the counter and watch as they scoop mass quantities of ice cream into a dish, ladle that decadent dark chocolate on top which will quickly harden into a shell, top with whipped cream, and a cherry and a tuile (one for each person enjoying the sundae!) Honestly, there are no sufficient words to describe their hard cap sundaes. Smucker's Magic Shell is a pitiful imitation.
After you've savored your sundae (and took in all the Steelers and Penguins paraphernalia!), step down into the gift area. There are ceramics, knick-knacks and other cute gift ideas. Towards the back wall, Sarris creates and displays a massive chocolate display with the change of the seasons - very impressive and of course, drool-inducing.
The next section has glass display cases of all their chocolate confections that can be ordered per pound plus a wall of practically every flavor of Jelly Belly jellybeans and old school candies like Necco wafers and Turkish Taffy. Personally, I'd say to hold off if you can until the final room...
This is where I find most of my go-to items - individually packaged chocolates in countless shapes, sizes and forms. Everything from letters to seasonal pieces (i.e. Santas, Easter bunnies, etc.) to occupational molds for doctors, nurses, teachers, etc. These make perfect gifts any time of year for everyone on your list. I always pick up a box of hard cap to go (please note: when available - it does sell out often) and a packet of chocolate peanut butter pretzel rods.
By now, you've walked off some of the calories from your ice cream treat but most likely loaded up your arms with chocolate goodies for later. It's ok, it happens to the best of us and believe me, it's well worth it!
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