BEST CANDY

The Velvet Chocolatier

This little jewel box in Stevenson sells superior handmade small-batch chocolate. Look for white chocolate bark studded with blueberries and pistachios or elegant European-style truffles infused with cinnamon and vanilla cream or even—don’t judge—cacao-dipped potato chips. These confections created by Ruthie Carliner, a former Certified Public Accountant turned chocolatier, reminds us that the best candy-making is a true art form. Buy a box (lavishly wrapped in velvet, as the name implies) for your sweetheart—or as an act of self-love.