How to Make Chocolate Without Oompah-Loompahs OR That's Some Good Candy...

There is something incredibly wonderful about well-made candy. After all, if we really just wanted the sweet taste and energy we could eat spoonfuls of sugar. In the end it'd be much cheaper and have the additional bonus of helping the medicine go down.

Well-made candy is an art. Not just because of the carefully crafted flavor artistry in the initial recipe, but also in the production of the candy. After all, everyone wants another piece of candy, so just making one incredible truffle isn't enough. Pans of these need to be made, and every one has to have that texture and taste combination of the original.

Enough talking. Let's get to the Good's stuff.

HAH! I'm so clever...

The name Good's isn't just a boastful title. It's one of those kismet circumstances where the owners of this small candy shop are actually named Good. In fact, the Good family has been making good candy since the 1940s, and with a few obvious exceptions most of the confections and candy are made in-house.

It's a Good house.
(Okay, I'll try to limit the puns...)

So let's take a look inside! Those of you in the audience who are faint of tastebud may want to turn away, for you will probably be craving candy by the end of this post.

First stop: Pictures of chocolate.

Taking a picture of a chocolate camera with a camera.
Artsy, or just weird?

Their chocolate just by itself is incredible, so they made it into a hundred awesome shapes for almost any occasion.

I didn't count, so maybe "a hundred" is a hyperbole...
...but not by much.

Say, for example, your team won the local basketball tournament. Or say the only trophy you got is the "Thanks for trying!" trophy. (This is more likely if I was allowed on your team.) I'd feel a lot more triumphant/mollified if this was the trophy.

Also I would never pass the ball. Ever.

And these go on:

For the record, you gave me chocolate AND a pun!
Awesome.

My favorite themed set: The police one with handcuffs and a badge.
It's the perfect way to say, "Sorry for speeding!"

But say your tastes range beyond mere chocolate. Aside from the fact that chocolate should never really be described as "mere," they still have you covered.

Google has Google+. Good's has Chocolate+.
...I would much rather go to a Chocolate+  hangout.

Squadrons of truffles in formation.
(Side note: "Truffle" is a fun word.")

That one in the center has chocolate, toffee, and coffee flavor.
You heard me.

Yes that does say "Chocolate Covered Oreos."
Pro tip: Drool isn't good for your keyboard.

Literally yards of chocolate.
And yes, that is a correct use of "literally."

But let's take a step back from the chocolate and take a step towards cynicism. How do we know the chocolate is made right on the premise?

Short answer: Because they show you.

And it smells AMAZING.

Seriously, off to one side is a lovely little walkway where you can go back and watch them make things from behind sanitary plexiglass.

Because if there wasn't plexiglass I might just grab me a handful of vanilla creme...
...I mean, come on, it's right there! Taunting me!

And this isn't some show to make them look good. This is their actual production floor, which means sometimes they're making things, sometimes they're not...

The packaging and decoration line just waiting for tastiness.

Sadly, there are no oompah-loompahs, but there's also no man behind the curtain here. What you see is what you get.

There is, however, a large chocolate bunny behind a curtain.
Oh, and that spinny thing? That's where they cut the caramels in the box next to it.

But what if you don't like chocolate at all? What if you're in the mood for gummies, jelly beans, ice cream, coffee, or even honey?

They got your back, yo.

Just step this way past the Good's gummy candy...

Past the local honey...

Stop for a second at the Jelly Belly jellybeans and coffee...
(Because they're Jelly Belly and coffee. Duh.)

To arrive at the handmade ice cream counter.
(The ice cream is handmade. The counter was probably prefabricated.)

There's a level of impressive thoroughness to the whole shop.

Right down to the ice cream cakes, take home quarts, and SPRINKLES.
Sprinkles are important, people.

Though Good's is in the same town as me, it actually took me several months of driving by before I went in. It's kind of removed from the beaten path of the city, and not in a particularly walking friendly area.

But eventually I did go in, and I'm glad I did. Now I use their chocolates to celebrate a variety of situations, often to the point of stretching the normal definition of celebratory reasons. ("Because it's Tuesday" is a reason to celebrate, right?)

I end this post with a full disclosure:

Upon asking for permission to take pictures of their store, they presented me with some of the clearance Easter candy (the date being shortly after Easter.) This candy was fudge in the shape of a bunny, and may have skewed my impartiality in this post...

I regret nothing.

...OR it may have just showed that in addition to being Good candymakers, they are also Good people.

I'm gonna throw my vote with the second option.