See's Candy @ NEw Park Mall - Indulging in Chocolate

The other day, Mahi & I went down to our good 'ol New Park Mall. This mall is the one closest to our current location. It isn't a very big mall, in fact, by American standards, it's a pretty small mall. That’s where I introduced Mahi to See's Candies - my favorite candy store. The stores are typically black and white and project a very retro look. The service too is very old-fashioned - a lot of warmth and coziness, with a strict adherence to their motto - "Quality Without Compromise".

There are over 100 different varieties to choose from, and the candies have no additives / preservatives - only fresh ingredients, procured from across the globe.

The first See's Candies store & kitchen was opened on Western Avenue in Los Angeles in November of 1921 by Charles See. The sparkling clean, black and white shop was designed to resemble his mother Mary See's home kitchen.

By the mid-1920's See's had expanded to twelve shops, and further expanded to thirty shops during the depression. By 1936, See's was able to expand to San Francisco. Mary See died in 1939 at the age of 85, but the company kept growing.

Following World War II, See's Candy Shops grew as California grew, and opened more shops throughout the state. In the 50's, See's established itself with the new and growing phenomenon of shopping malls.

Today See's Candies are sold in over two hundred shops throughout the West, a true sign of their enduring popularity. And, to this day, Charles See's living motto, "Quality Without Compromise" continues to guide the company.

My personal favorite there is the Milk Almonds – these are roasted almonds, coated in chocolate – simply out of this world. We also were exposed to the remarkable service here – the sweet lady at the counter kept giving us multiple samples to try out – in fact towards the end, we had to virtually refuse, for fear of being unable to waddle out of the store !!!