A Kid in a Candy Store

Every now and then, I’ll see something that brings me back to my childhood and makes me long for those simple days filled with summer camp and Slip ‘n Slides. Sometimes just the sound of an ice cream truck passing on a hot day reminds me how excited I used to get when as a kid I heard it making its way down my block. This past weekend the mere sight of a candy store evoked those same memories.

Welcome to Candyland! The Port Jefferson Frigate has every imaginable candy, cookie, cake, fudge, ice cream, gelato, pastry and frozen yogurt concoction you could desire. If you plan on visiting Port Jefferson, this place is a must. Be warned, though, once you enter you may never want to leave. This bustling store is filled with youthful excitement from both candy obsessed children and sugar loving grown-ups looking for a delightful treat.

I have stopped in a few times before, mainly for ice cream. But on this visit, I really took the time to appreciate everything the store had to offer. Thankfully, I was sufficiently satiated after indulging in a half-baked chocolate chip cookie and brownie crêpe for dinner earlier.

But one particular corner of the store still caught my eye.

As a child, I wasn’t a huge candy lover, although I had a few favorites. The candy corner in this store was incredible – even Willy Wonka himself would have been impressed! What I loved about it the most, aside from the vast array of candies, was that each generation of adults could probably find a candy that would make them reflect on their childhood the way that certain candies from my era did for me.

I remember as a child always enjoying Ring Pops, Nerds, Bubble Gum Tape, Sweet Tarts, and Pixie Sticks – old friends I hadn’t seen in a while–and now I found them all living together right in front of my eyes. I couldn’t resist purchasing two Ring Pops just for old time’s sake. The mere thought of donning a watermelon or blue raspberry flavored candy on my finger brought an immediate smile to my face.