[shaw8700@outlook.com]

We were driving down Hwy 44, right before you get to Hwy 301, and we saw this huge building. When we went inside it was like we were kids in a candy store.

We went to the ice cream counter and we ordered each a cup with one scoop. They gave us a HUGE scoop of ice cream!

After we finished we went back in and looked around. There was a room on the east side of the building and we went in there to see what was up. They had an enormous assortment of chocolates, all priced extremely low. They had really big assortments to use for ??? They also had “bloopers” which had various chocolates that had the papers on them messed up but they said that the quality of the chocolates were unaffected. And they were priced 80% off.

Then we went to the main side and saw every kind chocolate you could imagine. I swear I gained a couple of pounds just walking in and smelling everything.

We asserted some serious self control and walked out with just a bag of Jelly Belly’s. But what a place!

[retiredguy123]

Bloopers? The papers were messed up? I'll bet that would go over great with your Valentine. (just kidding).

[Rollie]

Glad we don't live closer than we do.

Rollie

[Arctic Fox]

IMHO Russell Stover makes the worst chocolates on Earth - I doubt a cacao bean has been spotted inside any of their factories, judging from the taste

[npwalters]

we buy the sugar free bloopers there. Usually about half of what you would pay in another store.

[JoMar]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

IMHO Russell Stover makes the worst chocolates on Earth - I doubt a cacao bean has been spotted inside any of their factories, judging from the taste

Based on the number of folks that go there YHO is probably a minotity, Stovers has been there ever since we have been here, 11 years, and doesn't seem to suffering for a lack of business. More important, what is in YHO the best chocolates here so we can all try the alternative?

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

IMHO Russell Stover makes the worst chocolates on Earth - I doubt a cacao bean has been spotted inside any of their factories, judging from the taste

Oh now artic fox, sir, Bad candy is like bad..............ANYTHING.

Better than nothin'.

We can't have a Belgian Chocolate factory near us so I am glad for ole' Russell Stover.

[Boomer]

This thread is making me hear in my head that Smothers Brothers song about falling into a vat of chocolate. I must give it a google sometime to see if it’s on YouTube.

Btw, Russell S. was acquired by Lindt in 2014.

Boomer

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by JoMar

Based on the number of folks that go there YHO is probably a minotity, Stovers has been there ever since we have been here, 11 years, and doesn't seem to suffering for a lack of business. More important, what is in YHO the best chocolates here so we can all try the alternative?

I'm not Artic Fox but I'll chime in with my own HO:

Peterbrooke in Sumter Landing Town Square
Kilwin's in Spanish Springs Town Square

Lindt and Godiva are better than Russel Stover's, but neither has their own store anywhere around here. Hershey's Kisses are better than Russel Stover's solid milk chocolates but again - no Hershey's store here, you'd have to settle for buying them in Walmart.

See's Candies are not available anywhere except from their own stores/mall kiosks, or ordering online, and there aren't any stores near the Villages. But their chocolate covered toffee (tins of what they call Toffee-ettes) is to die for.

Also - trivial factoid: "Belgian chocolate" has no legal distinction outside of Belgium. But within Belgium, "Belgian chocolate" has specific standards in order to get the label. But anyone outside of Belgium can make their chocolates using the same standard, there's nothing unique about "Belgian chocolate" since they get their raw cacao from the same places everyone else gets them (cocoa doesn't grow in Belgium): Africa, Central America, and South America.

[Boomer]

. . .

[ElDiabloJoe]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

IMHO Russell Stover makes the worst chocolates on Earth - I doubt a cacao bean has been spotted inside any of their factories, judging from the taste

Russell Stover? You mean the candy they sell next to Whitman Samplers at CVS stores? I gotta agree with you, pretty nasty stuff. If you want good, I mean GOOD chocolate you have to either order from See's, have a Christmas time Pop-Up or airport kiosk you can get to, or be handy to one of the gazillions of See's candy stores in Southern California.

[Dotneko]

They also have a discount, frequent buyers card!

[JoMar]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I'm not Artic Fox but I'll chime in with my own HO:

Peterbrooke in Sumter Landing Town Square
Kilwin's in Spanish Springs Town Square

Lindt and Godiva are better than Russel Stover's, but neither has their own store anywhere around here. Hershey's Kisses are better than Russel Stover's solid milk chocolates but again - no Hershey's store here, you'd have to settle for buying them in Walmart.

See's Candies are not available anywhere except from their own stores/mall kiosks, or ordering online, and there aren't any stores near the Villages. But their chocolate covered toffee (tins of what they call Toffee-ettes) is to die for.

Also - trivial factoid: "Belgian chocolate" has no legal distinction outside of Belgium. But within Belgium, "Belgian chocolate" has specific standards in order to get the label. But anyone outside of Belgium can make their chocolates using the same standard, there's nothing unique about "Belgian chocolate" since they get their raw cacao from the same places everyone else gets them (cocoa doesn't grow in Belgium): Africa, Central America, and South America.

As I remember, those that you mentioned don't have the variety or pricing of RS. I love Kilwins but much more expensive. Lindt owns RS. Godiva was owned by Campbell Soup back in the 70's and I had a wife that could be bags of the rejects for a buck a bag......I miss that candy .

[Aces4]

Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate, least lead and cadium...

[laryb]

We would always load up with Ethel M's when we were in Vegas. Always brought back a few pounds of the chocolates with liquor. When we were in Belgium we asked a local where we could buy Godiva and he laughed. He told us that every town had their own chocolatier, and Godiva was something you bought in the market. They were absolutely the best I've ever had. We flew back with around fifteen pounds of "Belgian Truffles", and they didn't last long