The Couch Sessions

There are foods which have superpowers. For me, this is candy.

I have so few memories of my dad, but one thing he believed in was giving me the candy my mom waged a war against. Every other weekend was filled with candy normally I'd have no chance of enjoying. There exists a candy store on Rivington and Ludlow which, through some supernatural act itself, is shelter to time's forgotten candy treasures.

Economy Candy is literally packed, from wall to wall, with candy. Every kind of candy imaginable, form multiple countries and forms of sweet, sour, spicy, tangy, tart, chewy, crunchy, fluffy, gooey, crispy and colorful nostalgia. I found relics like Push Pops and old friends like Nerd Ropes amongst heavyweights like Jelly Belly and classics like carmel pecan bunches by the pound.

Economy Candy is the Library of Congress of candy stores. I feel confident, whatever your background or generation, that you can find a candy you thought you'd never see again. And you too can stand outside the store like I did, and teleport to a moment in your childhood, long forgotten, and revive a moment lost in time.

It's difficult to catalogue all they have, since "everything" is both a good and accurate starting point. However, I'd suggest the place if you want an inexpensive, but high-impact gift for a friend. Or if you're in the area, and want to spend 30 minutes in awe of how much candy you're surrounded by. It's also a great place to bring visiting friends and impress them with an example of why New York's is known for the place that has everything.

There's also an easter egg if you can find it. Apparently there is photographic evidence that Jude Law, Mike Myers, Ashley Olsen and some other celebrities have visited the place. Maybe you can identify the others in the photos.

I stood outside today in New York City and relived a minor league baseball game, with my dad and my brother and a baseball glove too big for my hand and a bag of peanuts I felt obligated to eat, chewing a mouthful of the entire Big League Chew bag. I could barely close my jaw. I haven't had Big League Chew since 1995.