Vegan Candy Shop in Lyndhurst - No Whey! Vegan Chocolate Candies

I live in Lyndhurst. And I love my hood. I'm close to work. Close to my running group. Close to freeways. My city is very walkable/runnable/bikeable. I could go on and on and on about why my little suburb is my owner personal slice of heaven, but I won't.

I was excited to notice a new shop in my hood the other day while out for a run - No Whey! Vegan Chocolate Candies, a vegan candy store. It's less than a mile from my house, and, ironically, across the street from a huge non-vegan candy store. (and in the same crazy little strip plaza as my favorite Thai restaurant - Bangkok Thai)

No Whey! Storefront

They just opened and have some crazy hours - 4:00-9:00 pm Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. (and it still looks a little like the Chinese restaurant that was in the same spot for years and years and years) My boyfriend and I dropped in on a rainy Tuesday night and we were the only customers for quite awhile. There was a huge tray of samples (hello, dark chocolate and cranberry bark!) and a small selection of candies and vegan goods on the sales floor. They feature a lot of products from Plant Kingdom, a local-ish energy bar/hemp bar creator.

Our stash of vegan deliciousness

We chatted it up with one of the owners for awhile and you can tell they're really just starting to get the swing of things with their business. (but at least they take credit cards! yay, Square!) They hope to expand their product line and carry other vegan products as time passes/revenue increases. As of right now you can buy some Leahey products (as seen in my photo above), vegan marshmallows, Daiya cheese, and a few other vegan goods. It's a great start, honestly. I really think the sky's the limit for a vegan business in Cleveland...now if only I could get the capital to start my own vegan cafe/juice bar...

Weekly Wine and Chocolate Tastings at Fantasy Candies in Lyndhurst

I like sweet things. More than I probably should. Ice cream. Brownies. Cupcakes. Riesling. Moscato...I could go on forever, really. But you get my drift. If it's sweet, most likely, I'll like it.

I was watching good old Fox 8 in the Morning a few weeks ago and I saw a Kickin' it With Kenny spot featuring Fantasy Candies, a chocolate/wine shop within walking distance of my house. Although I'd driven by Fantasy Candies nearly every day, I'd only stopped in once, years ago, when they were in another location. I was immediately impressed by the selection of chocolates that appeared on my screen and I was even more impressed when they mentioned having weekly wine and chocolate tastings in the store for only $10.

And so I went. Well, we went. Me and the new boyfriend. (more on that in another post) He and I joke that we're fat kids at heart, so before heading out to dinner last Saturday, we dropped by Fantasy Candies in the 6:00 hour for some booze and candy. Who says you shouldn't have dessert first?

We were warmly greeted by Joel, the owner and he got us set up with a plate full of some of his amazing candies and equally amazing wines. He took the time to talk to us about the different wines and how they complimented the various chocolates. Clearly, he knows his stuff. And you can tell how passionate he is about his business. I chatted with him for a little bit about other wine tastings in the area and asked him about business and he was more than happy to talk to me for quite awhile.

We were given 4 generous wine samples and 4 different kinds of chocolate, including Fantasy Candies' signature chocolate, SweetDreams 72, a high cocoa chocolate. I can honestly say that I liked all of the pairings. There was a zinfandel with a dark chocolate, a Riesling with a key lime truffle, a sparkling red wine with a milk chocolate truffle, and a milk chocolate caramel with sea salt with a port. I can honestly say that I liked all of the chocolates equally because they were all so rich and good. I'm not much of a red wine drinker, but the wines paired with the chocolates were all really flavorful and completely complemented the candies.

These tastings are held every Saturday from 6-8 p.m. right inside Fantasy Candies. Plus, there are other special events held intermittently that you can find out about if you follow Fantasy Candies' facebook page or sign up for their email list. They also have a really good sized space for holding private tastings or events. (think ladies night out, corporate meeting, or bridal shower!)

So if you're a sweets lover like me, you like supporting local businesses, and you're looking for something fun and unique to do on a Saturday night, drop by Fantasy Candies!