Ryan M.
Yelp
In 1913, the famous French writer Marcel Proust published "Du côté de chez Swann" and unknowingly coined an expression that soon entered the French lexicon: "madeleine de Proust," an idiom used to describe a sensation evoking a pleasant memory, often from one's childhood. For Norman Bates, toasted cheese sandwiches and milk were his madeleines de Proust. For this developmentally stunted sociopath, however, my madeleine de Proust is artisanal candy. My nostalgia for candy stems from the early 80s when an old widower at church (yes, the Antichrist was once forced to attend a Christian church) would hand out artisanal candies purchased from a long-since-shuttered candy store. Candy making, alas, is a dying art, as most consumers seem content with cheap, mass-produced garbage, so artisanal candy has become an increasingly rare treat for me. Imagine my delight, then, when I stumbled upon a YouTube channel called Lofty Pursuits and observed a kindly, heavyset gentleman making candy from scratch and selling it online. I knew right then that I needed some of his candy.
Lofty Pursuits is an old-fashioned brick-and-mortar soda fountain/restaurant/ice cream parlor/candy store located in Tallahassee, Florida. Thanks largely to their popular YouTube videos, they have become best known for candy, though that's only a small part of their business model. Judging by the photos I've seen on Yelp, I can tell they are equally adroit at making ice creams and churning out ginormous breakfast platters. I wish San Antonio had a place such as this, but until that day arrives, I must settle for their myriad candy confections, the only shippable items from their store.
For my first order, I chose 2.75-ounce bagged portions of "Chocolate-Covered Strawberry," "Citrus Mix Image," and "Rhymes with Orange*" candies. All three varieties are outstanding. The chocolate-covered strawberry candies taste of real strawberries and chocolate, the citrus image candies taste of fresh citrus zests (orange, lemon, and lime), and the "Rhymes with Orange" drop candies taste like mandarin orange slices in candy form. I gained an appreciation for all three because I saw the owner make these candies from scratch on YouTube. I loved watching him stir the food colorings into the molten candy and then feed the semi-soft mixture through a vintage 19th-century candy press. Candy making is an arcane science bordering on alchemy, and this fellow is a true alchemist.
At this point, you're probably wondering why I'm awarding four stars and not five. Well, I spent over $20, including tax and shipping, on three small bags of candy, which seems a bit steep despite the quality of the product. Also, the candy arrived nearly a month after I ordered it. I understand that Lofty Pursuits is a small operation and that their YouTube popularity has increased demand, but the wait did annoy me a bit. I'm an ugly American and I demand instant gratification.
Despite my issues with the price and shipping speed, I look forward to ordering more candies from Lofty Pursuits. They are constantly experimenting with new flavors, including several sour drop candies that intrigue me, so I doubt I will ever grow bored with their offerings. If you live in Tallahassee, then why aren't you there right now stuffing your esophagus full of ice cream?
*Side note: the "Rhymes with Orange" candy is a reference to musician/poet Tom Lehrer who once penned a poem that included a word that rhymed with "orange," a feat once deemed impossible. The poem is as follows:
"Eating an orange
While making love
Makes for bizarre enj-
oyment thereof."
The poem works only if you are familiar with the way East Coast freaks pronounce the word "orange" (rnd/). The "rhyme," as it were, is admittedly a bit of a cheat, but I am including it here for reference and because I am exceptionally learned and pedantic.
