There is only one place in Virginia Beach to buy Pittsburgh-area based Sarris Candies - Quintin's Tea Emporium on Virginia Beach Boulevard. This is according to, of course, the owner of shop, who sort of talked me into adding one of the many varieties she carried to my tea order. As she measured my two ounces of rooibos, she explained that Sarris had been voted the best chocolatier in Pittsburgh for sixteen (or maybe seventeen, I have to admit I was distracted by the displays) consecutive years.
Despite their longevity, this had been the first I heard of Sarris, and on seeing the chocolate covered S'mores, I knew I couldn't walk out of there without buying at least one. I spent last week camping with my daughter making s'mores the traditional way, so this seemed a natural choice for comparison.
The S'Mores bar is about half the length of a standard store-bought candy bar, and is comprised of a graham crust base topped with thick marshmallow, all enrobed in sweet milk chocolate. Now, when I make s'mores at home and outdoors I am strictly a purist - I use only Hershey's. As much as I enjoy odd chocolates, I don't feel compelled to experiment at the campfire. Anyway, now that you know this, you'll realize I find it a challenge not to compare s'more candies to homemade goodness. Hershey's has a distinct flavor and, in sampling the Sarris chocolate earlier today, so does this company. What I liked about this variety, as opposed to other chocolate covered mallow-graham treats from other companies, is that the whole package didn't seem overly sweet to me. The graham crust is going to crumble a bit when you bite into it, so be ready. Luckily the chocolate shell keeps everything together so you don't make a complete mess of yourself.
The folks at Sarris suggest microwaving this bar for a few seconds for that authentic "cooked" sensation. I haven't tried that, but maybe next time. I rather liked it straight up, to tell the truth. It's not a bar I would have often - it's sweet enough for an occasional treat.
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