Whether your candy preferences tend toward the sumptuous cocoa swirls of the movie \Chocolat"" or the bizarrely endearing Gobstoppers of ""Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,"" you'll find it hard to resist the sugary lures of Twee & Luliloo.
True, it's nearly impossible to pronounce its tongue-twister of a name-the words mean ""quaint and delicate"" and ""to welcome"" in Old English and archaic French, respectively. But the new old-fashioned candy and chocolate shop at 218 State St. promises to be worth the attempt. Plus, you get to reward your efforts with a mouthful of saltwater taffy. (More on that later.)
Nestled next to the Orpheum, this pink-awninged addition to the downtown business district is a welcome one. Its grand opening on Oct. 29 marked a tiny rebellion against the influx of restaurant chains that has been alarming Madison's small-business purists over the past several years.
Twee & Luliloo's owners are sisters Agape and Charis Hammond and Agape's husband Philip Jaklich. The trio also owns Ideal for You, a gift shop a little further down the road at 103 State St.
The entrepeneurial siblings, who hail from Sacramento, Calif., said they decided to move to Madison a year and a half ago after learning Madison is one of the top five places in the country to open a new business. They said choosing State Street for Twee's location was easy.
""We chose [State] because it's close to everything,"" Agape said. ""State Street's the happenin' place to be.""
The women also had an easy time deciding to make their second business venture a gourmet candy shop. They grew up around a multitude of niche sweet shops in California, a genre they noticed Madison was sorely lacking. Unless you want to trek to chains like Buddy Squirrel at the mall, Agape said, there's just no place to get a good truffle.
The Hammonds said their dad's profession helped them learn how best to cater to Madison's sweet tooth. Their father works in the food industry back in their home state, and the girls frequently attended fancy food shows with him when they lived in Sacramento. This background helps them decide on the best candy and chocolate brands now when they attend shows on their own-they bring home portfolios from the most promising companies to choose a select few brands to stock.
""We get them from all over the world,"" Charis said. ""We're eating a lot of prototypes right now.""
The unique tastes of Twee's three owners help them decide which specific types of sweets to sell. Charis and Jaklich are both especially fond of dark chocolate, so you'll see their preference reflected in the abundance of velvety cocoa-covered treats in the candy case.
The truffles come in an amazing array of flavors, from peanut butter and Irish Cream to Grand Marnier, cranberry and cappuccino. They range from $10.95 to $25 per pound, but you can buy them individually by weight if you choose. Single chocolates cost from about 60 cents to $1.00 apiece.
Don't look for Agape's influence in the array of chocolate choices, however. She makes her own gourmet truffles to supplement their store-bought selections, but she won't eat them.
""I don't do chocolate,"" she said matter-of-factly-a fortunate trait, perhaps, since her days are spent in the constant presence of calorie-laden temptation. Instead of chocolate, she said her favorites are the sour candies against the wall facing the cash register.
Since it's a candy shop and not confined merely to chocolate, Twee & Luliloo's offers a bevy of hard and soft candies as well. Hard French candy, suckers and butterscotch buttons border the walls and counter, and the owners stock 22 flavors of original Salt Lake City saltwater taffy in barrels in the center of the store. They aren't the usual mundane Neapolitan or mint varieties you'll find at chain stores, however. You can choose from flavors that include chocolate chip cookie, raspberry lemonade and mocha chocolate caramel. The owners will even let you grab a sample on your way out of the store.
Gourmet jelly beans also line the store's candy-pink walls, but don't be fooled-they're not Jelly Bellies. These beans are a different gourmet brand, and a sample tasting proves their flavor is surprisingly intense. These are better than Jelly Bellies, the owners insist, and they're right.
In addition to confections, Twee & Luliloo sells pottery made by Agape's husband, part-owner Jaklich. The pastel bowls, urns and plates cost from $5 to $20, and the owners say they make good containers if you're giving candy as a gift.
Agape said they've already noticed a trend in student patrons' buying habits.
""I do find when you guys have tests there's a mad rush in the afternoon,"" she said, smiling.
And even better, Twee & Luliloo offers punch cards. For every 12 pounds of candy patrons buy, they get one pound free.
All the more reason to stock up on Twee's chocolate after a rough day, a tough test-or just because.
