Editors’ Choice
Harbor Sweets, Salem
Standout Qualities: A love of traditional chocolate making produces classics, like the Sweet Sloops—almond buttercrunch toffee covered with white chocolate, then hand-dipped in rich dark chocolate and crushed pecans—that have long been Harbor Sweets’ calling card.
What’s Unique: Newer chocolate lines like Salt & Ayre bring more exotic flavors with ingredients like Thai ginger sea salt and chipotle salt. Small-batch Gather chocolates incorporate local honey while directing some of the profits toward honeybee protection.
What’s New: Owner Phyllis LeBlanc bought area company Cocoa Santé last year, adding the organic and fair-traded line of hot cocoa mixes to her chocolate line.
85 Leavitt St., Salem, 800-243-2115, harborsweets.com
Readers’ Choice
Winfrey’s Fudge & Chocolates, Rowley
Standout Qualities: A North Shore institution since 1979, Winfrey’s Fudge is still as crowd-pleasing as ever, with a vast selection of candies and chocolate.
40 Newburyport Turnpike, 978-948-7448, winfreys.com