The Best ‘Net Secrets – November 2005

Trick-or-treaters come and go, but a sweet tooth demands satisfaction year round. These sites handily prove that the Internet can satisfy a sugar craving in ways never dreamt of by your local candy store.

http://www.hometownfavorites.com

Big city life may offer superior access to fashion, fine dining and culture, but with a dearth of classic small town and regional treats, even Gotham may seem lacking to the sentimental snack fan. This shop remedies that with a terrific, all-encompassing selection of nostalgic food and drink, including a candy store that may induce flashbacks to childhood. Moon Pies, Fiddle Faddle and Booberry cereal are just the tip of this junk food iceberg.

http://www.chocosphere.com

You have to search pretty hard to find bad-tasting chocolate, but if you get to yearning for something special, this site makes some amazing chocolate really easy to find. Three dozen of the world’s best chocolatiers contribute to the specialty shop, in the form of basic bars, hot cocoa mixes and gourmet confections. This is not the sort of stuff you hand out on Halloween.

http://www.sodapopstop.com

It may seem hard to imagine creating an entire store out of just soda pop, but with entire sections devoted to Root Beer, Cream Soda, Ginger Ale and Sarsaparilla this incredibly well stocked shop starts to make sense. Cola varieties run the gamut, from diet to extra-caffeinated, including a few with allnatural ingredients. You won’t see this stuff advertised during the Super Bowl any time soon, let alone on the shelves of your local supermarket.

http://www.ecreamery.com

Once upon a time, thirty-odd flavors were the benchmark for ice cream. Thanks to this site our choices now top seventy-five, including such exotic tastes as Cardamon, Lychee and Avocado. But that’s nothing—a create-your-own feature lets you combine flavors and add toppings, allowing for virtually endless custom varieties. Plain vanilla will be spoiled for you forever.