Sugar Rush
Bring the kids or be a kid!
Don’t tell the dentist, but a trip to Greenville promises plenty of sugary goodness; from old-timey penny candy bins to off-the-wall creations, no tooth will go unsweetened.
Famous for its caramel apples, hand-made chocolates, and candies, it might be easy to miss Kilwins Chocolate, Fudge & Ice Cream (located at NOMA Square on Main Street) and its ice cream counter, which offers more than 40 premium, original, and mouth-watering flavors to choose from. Don’t you dare let that happen…
River Street Sweets ● Savannah's Candy Kitchen is another place that kids will love! Specialty items include sweet, buttery World Famous Pralines®, handmade chocolate Loggerheads (known every else as turtles), homemade ice cream and gelato, and much more. Us? We’ll have some of that unforgettable crunchy, hand-stretched Peanut Brittle—yum!
If candy’s more your style, then look no further than the back of the Mast General Store, where nostalgia will roll over you in waves. Classic candy brands from your childhood surround you while more than a dozen massive wooden barrels offer goodies for every penchant – sweet, chewy, tangy, sour…you name it. The Aussie Style Strawberry Licorice is absolutely amazing, but if you haven’t had Squirrel Nut Zippers (think caramel and vanilla in a peanut-butter type taffy) or Chocolate Ice Cubes (yes, they do melt in your mouth) in a while, you might want to try them first. For a real quirky treat, try a Hammond’s Pigs ‘N Taters Milk Chocolate Candy Bar. It’s filled with bacon and potato chips! Seriously.
Have a hankering for something fresh from the oven? Strossner's Bakery, Café & Deli's pastry cases contain the likes of cakes, pies, tarts, cookies, cupcakes, pastries, bread, chocolates, brownies and more. (How is that even possible?!) So if you go, you really must buy something. Preferably with buttercream icing—we recommend the Purple People Eaters.
If you prefer your sweets with a little more salt, then Poppington’s Gourmet Popcorn (also downtown on Main Street) will really hit the spot—or should we say taste buds? Stop in and tell owners Bob and Rose that you need to try their Tuxedo popcorn pronto. (It’s caramel popcorn smothered with both milk and white chocolate. Yum!) For something a little more “out there,” try the cheeseburger and Bloody Mary flavors. They won’t disappoint!
If it’s another sunny, warm day in Greenville and you need to cool off, look out for the The Nomadik Few’s two ice abodes in Simpsonville and Powdersville. Serving organic, gourmet shaved ice, these two friendly guys dish out 67 classic flavors and 22 specialties that you can mix and match, with all kinds of fun toppings like gumballs and Swedish Fish®. Potterheads, be sure to check out the classic Butterbeer flavor and Clemson fans, they've got you covered with Natty Champs—half grape, half orange, and 100% awesome. (Tiger paw not included.)
Ready for one more high-flying stop? Then grab a table at the Runway Cafe. Parked right on the edge of the tarmac at the Greenville Downtown Airport and adjacent to Runway Park, you can watch the planes prepare for takeoff while your taste buds soar! If the delicious Chocolate Fudge Cake is the cake of the day, order up a slice and hold on tight. As an option, the fried Oreos will make the case for getting an extra order to go.
THAT Something Extra: Chocolate!
Vaughn-Russell Candy Kitchen
For years, Chris Beard’s wife Billi drove his grandfather to Vaughn-Russell Candy Kitchen when Grandpa wanted to buy a box of handmade candy. On one such visit, Billi, a life insurance actuary with dreams of one day owning a small gourmet shop, noticed a “For Sale” sign in the window. That sign didn’t last long. In 1999, the Beards purchased the chocolate shop, a long-standing staple in the Greenville community. Named for the sons of the original founders, the Beards have continued Vaughn-Russell’s tradition of authentic hand-dipped chocolates without changing a thing.
“I’m using the old recipes with the exact ingredients and processes, and I’m working with the same vintage equipment, which allows us to maintain the integrity of the product.” -Billi Beard
About 60 types of candy are offered, each enrobed in milk, dark, or white chocolate and marked with a distinctive drizzled swirl pattern on top that reveals what’s inside. Whether splattered Jackson Pollock–style, dusted with cocoa, or sprinkled with toppings, the selection never disappoints. Newer truffle flavors include Birthday Cake, Triple Chocolate, and Chili Pepper. This is also the home of the trademarked Mint Pecan—Fancy Mammoth pecans roasted, salted, then dipped in mint chocolate—a deliciously happy mistake one of the founders made in the early days but has endured by popular demand.
