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Dylan's Candy Bar

Jcesar Nov 5, 2002 03:50 PM

Anyone been yet? Any reports? Are the cookies as good as the Times' article suggests?

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  1. b
    beckhen RE: Jcesar Nov 5, 2002 04:15 PM

    I was impressed with the freshness of normally teeth-endangering chews like Jujyfruits and Dots, and the big selection. Still, when I went I was actually shoved away from one candy display by hysterical, greedy kids (and their parents) who were shoveling gallons of candy into bags and special Dylan's boxes and plastic houses. Go to sate a craving, but don't expect a relaxed atmosphere.

    4 Replies
    1. re: beckhen
      jeri RE: beckhen Nov 5, 2002 07:41 PM

      I strongly agree. Place is frenetic.....loud music, screaming kids.....way too much sugar for the little ones...and very overpriced. A true tourist trap. Candy is candy. I prefer to go to one of the many bin candy stores that have opened up in the city over last few years, a much quieter experience.

      1. re: jeri
        Jessica Shatan RE: jeri Nov 6, 2002 03:44 PM

        FAO Schwarz has had all the MnM colors for years, purple, lavender black, gray etc. I always go there to get pink and blue ones for baby showers.

        1. re: Jessica Shatan
          Caitlin McGrath RE: Jessica Shatan Nov 7, 2002 01:44 PM

          Also, you can order them by the pound in any color they make from m&m Mars via the internet.

      2. re: beckhen
        Stephanie L. RE: beckhen Nov 6, 2002 08:56 AM

        True--go when you know school is in session. I was impressed that they're one of only a handful of stores to stock every Skittles flavor, and they have any color of M&Ms you could want. (You can make a very morbid assortment of blacks and grays.) Liked the selection of old-time candy bars too. I've heard they make good malteds.

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        shortstop RE: Jcesar Nov 5, 2002 08:40 PM

        The cookies at Dylan's are from Ruby et Violette. I ordered a bunch directly from Ruby's as a try-out for possible Christmas gifts - we had them at the office today. We sampled pumpkin chocolate chunk, peanut butter chocolate chunk, lemon white chocolate chunk and what they call "perfect" chocolate chunk - or plain.

        They were flavorful, the pumpkin intensely so, with large semi-sweet chocolate chunks - white chocolate in the lemon, which were the group favorite. Not my style of chocolate chip cookie, more chocolate than cookie, but they're quite good.

        btw, the staff at Ruby et Violette is as nice as could be. My order was late in arriving and they made extra effort to track it down, and make sure it finally arrived.

        Link: http://www.rubyetviolette.com

        1 Reply
        1. re: shortstop
          layla RE: shortstop Nov 6, 2002 03:55 PM

          i agree - i discovered ruby et violette a few months ago walking by (my office/apt are in the hood) and it became my standard gift whenever i went anywhere, partly because the cookies are so delicious, and also because wendy is wonderful. when i read the article in the nytimes, i was a bit upset that the secret was out, but i knew that it was a matter of time...

        2. p
          purplepeppereater RE: Jcesar Apr 3, 2010 10:32 PM

          I do not understand this place. Are people idiotic enough to go here and spend a gajillion dollars on candy? Go to Economy Candy on Rivington, it's been there since the early 20th century - and there's a reason.

          Economy Candy
          108 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002

          5 Replies
          1. re: purplepeppereater
            coasts RE: purplepeppereater Apr 4, 2010 05:10 AM

            this logic could be applied to so many things, including living in New York.

            "Are people idiotic enough to live in New York and spend a gajillion dollars on rent. Go to Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. it's been there since the early 18th century - and there's a reason."

            do you really expect tourists to bring their kids down to the East Village to shop for candy? and if they did, you'd be screaming how the neighborhood has gone to hell just like the West Village.

            1. re: coasts
              bearmi RE: coasts Apr 4, 2010 08:46 AM

              Yeah I think this place is popular with tourists, especially families with kids (sort of like Serendipity 3). It's written up in a lot of guidebooks and it's centrally located in midtown. Also, it's next door to California Pizza Kitchen so while people wait, they may float down to the candy store. I have been there once.... They actually have a good variety of candies and it's nicely laid out but it's not cheap. I think their location and variety are what's attracting the tourists plus Dylan's dad is Ralph Lauren so that certainly helps...

              1. re: coasts
                purplepeppereater RE: coasts Apr 5, 2010 06:19 PM

                actually coasts, that's completely skewed logic -- you live in ny if you can because you want to be in new york. economy candy is a new york store. dylan's is tourist BS. it's like saying why get chocolate at _____ when you could go to the hershey's store in times square? and yes, why wouldn't tourists go to the lower east? there's so much stuff there to do! i know plenty of people who take their kids to the tenament museum... i was taken to the lower east side all the time as a little kid. how many minutes have you lived in new york, 4?

                1. re: purplepeppereater
                  coasts RE: purplepeppereater Apr 5, 2010 07:01 PM

                  we've probably both lived here long enough to know that there's the New York we live in and there's the New York that the average tourist sees while visiting. i'm guessing you don't spend your weekends in Times Square or visiting the Statue of LIberty. i can't tell you why more tourists don't go to the lower east side, but frankly i'm glad they don't. let them have their Dylans.

                  1. re: purplepeppereater
                    heWho RE: purplepeppereater Apr 6, 2010 11:41 AM

                    You should be singing the praises of Dylan's for keeping tourists away from places like Economy Candy. How annoying would it be if you couldn't get near Economy on a weekend because it was overrun by tourists?

                    If I'm ever in the neighborhood and get a craving for some hard-to-find candy I'll stop into Dylan's. I picked up a few packs of Willy Wonka's Bottle Caps a couple of weeks ago because I had the oddest craving on my way up to Central Park. I might've paid what, 50 cents over retail? Well worth it imo

                    Economy Candy
                    108 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002

              2. c
                City Kid RE: Jcesar Apr 6, 2010 12:29 PM

                I don't frequent Dylan's, though I've been there and also to Economy Candy. People who focus on the cost are missing the point: While both Economy Candy and Dylan's have great stuff, Dylan's is set up like a fantasy candy land for kids. It's brilliant marketing and attracts kids like the pied piper -- and not just tourists.

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