Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/51643
STOWAWAY SWEETS Winfrey's Fudge & Chocolates Back in 1979, when the Win- freys' twin baby boys came home from the hospital, life changed dramatically. Each baby weighed just four and a half pounds—less than a gift box of chocolates! The couple decided to stay home to care for their sons. To earn a living, they began making fudge in their home and selling it locally, gradually branching out from there. Since then, the family has grown, and so has the business. Now there are 23 varieties of fudge, 22 kinds of taffy, more than 100 kinds of chocolates, and five locations. Hamilton: 44 Railroad Avenue, 978-468- 7448; Wenham: 143 Topsfield Road, 978-468-0549; Rowley: 42 Newburyport Turnpike, 978-948- 7448; Newburyport: 21 Market Square, 978-465-8200; Stone- ham, 41 Main Street, 781-279- 7448; winfreys.com. Stowaway Sweets Stoway Sweets is a house and candy business in one. The current owners, Alicia and Mike Cannife, have lived upstairs since they bought the business in 1980. They bought it from the Moore family, who founded Stowaway Sweets in 1929 in neighboring Swampscott be- fore moving it to Marblehead. Of all the places we visited, this shop gets our vote for the most romantic setting: Swing open a wooden gate and follow the walkway to the retail room. 102 Step inside and you'll feel as though you've entered an old- fashioned parlor, but instead of couches and chairs, there are rows of glass cases filled to the brim with chocolates. With the exception of a handful, these are all made on the premises. Loyal customers in the early years included Queen Mary of England, Lady Astor, Calvin Coolidge, and Katharine Hepburn, who even had her own card on file that listed all her favorites. During the entire 11-year FDR administration, the White House received weekly shipments. There are letters from the 1930s posted on the wall from the White House housekeeper, Henrietta Nesbitt, singing the praises of their chocolates. 154 Atlantic Ave., Marblehead, 781-631-0303, stowawaysweets.com. WHAT TO TRY: Pralines These are filled with a silky cream and tiny bits of toffee. It's a great combination of flavors—especially that little toffee crunch. Melt Aways The thin chocolate shell collapses as you bite down, and inside is a buttery, not-too-sweet, thick and dreamy chocolate filling. Kings and Queens Each of these delicious creams has a single almond on top. We can just imagine these arriving at Buckingham Palace. WHAT TO TRY: Candied Orange Rind in Dark Choco- late Wonderful, velvety dark chocolate wrapping a moist candied orange rind. Chocolate-Covered Pretzel with Caramel This chocolate concoction is all about a big contrast of textures—crumbly, crunchy pretzels with smooth, creamy caramel. Chocolate with Dried Cranberry, Walnut, and Cara- mel This is like a turtle and bark joined together for a big taste sensation. Simply Sweet Owner Wendy Smith learned the business when she worked at another chocolate store. When practice made perfect, she opened her own shop in the heart of Newburyport. She prides herself on making small batches to keep it all fresh. Smith, who has a following for her unusual chunky bark and chocolate-covered apples, combines good, tasty ingredi- ents that make for those deli-