If you need to get chocolate from Illinois and take it back to wherever you're returning to...this…read moreis THE place to get it. I love the little Illinois shaped chocolate, the dark chocolate mint meltaways (they have it in milk chocolate too), their caramel, and other chocolate goodies. My friend loves the Lincoln logs (pretzel stick dipped in chocolate), and their Lincoln penny chocolate (chocolate cast in Lincoln's silhouette with a shiny penny.) They have an awesome caramel popcorn too. As I said, they have great caramel. So who could resist! This is the downtown location.

Ahhh, Pease's...the bane of every parent who had a child at Butler Elementary School right around…read morethe corner, and the most pleasurable part of going to school for said students, Pease's is a Springfield institution. Penny candies are displayed throughout the store, with little bags for gathering your selections. Many hard to find and obscure candies available by the piece - it's a great way to blow your allowance if you are 7 and a great way to blow your breakfast change from D&J if you are an adult. The real draw for most people (nostalgia trips notwithstanding) are the handmade chocolates. Pease's has been making chocolates in Springfield since the 1930's and is still family owned. You won't find chile infused chocolates here, but you will find great old fashioned candies, packaged by the sweetest ladies you ever met, it really is a wonderful place to pick up a gift or a little something for yourself.

I grew up going to Flesor's Candy Kitchen in the 60's-70's sitting at their original soda fountain…read moredrinking handmade cherry colas. The granddaughters of the original owners brought it back to life & it is even better than before, IMO. The candies are quite exceptional, and they are made by hand on-site every day. The chocolates are truly incomparable, but for me, it has always been their caramel. And I've tried a LOT of caramel in different cities & countries, but absolutely nothing compares to theirs. I now live 1000 miles away. But when I visit, I ALWAYS stop to visit the owners & buy a box of my favorites. Luckily, they also ship & I've taken advantage of that more than a few times...for others & myself. If you are even close to the area, go visit this 1901 confectionary for lunch & some divine hand-dipped chocolates & a caramel apple. You will not regret it.

Oh, this is a charmer with great owners and staff. A gorgeous restaurant and candy shop with…read moreoriginal century old elements and incredible food. Gyros, spanikopita, salads, soups, chicken salad, etc. are all exceptional. The chocolates and ice crram are also great (the peanut butter pudding chocolates, turtles, and peanut butter ice cream are faves). I love the green rivers from the soda fountain. Highly recommend!!!

Ellebee's General Store is located on Main Street in Wentzville, Missouri, and it's exactly what…read moreyou would expect from a charming old-fashioned general store. They have all kinds of knickknacks, nostalgic candy, and items you probably haven't thought about since you were younger. It's the kind of place where you can walk around and keep discovering something new. Our favorite part, though, is the boba and coffee drinks! My daughter begs to go to Ellebee's every time we're in town. I usually order the Lavender Brown, which is almost like an Arnold Palmer. It combines tea, lemonade, a little lavender, and honey boba. I swear, this drink is amazing! My daughter usually gets something with mango, and she's always happy with her choice. We also picked up a bear claw and a doughnut, both of which disappeared pretty quickly because they were so delicious. The store continues to grow, rearrange, and find new ways to support the community, which is really nice to see. As long as they keep their signature drinks, we'll always be happy customers and will continue coming back!

Super cute general store! I didn't love my breakfast sandwich but I would definitely come back and…read moretry something else or grab a tea or smoothie!

One of the most unusual B & B's you'll ever stay at. A complete Soda Fountain from the 30's has…read morebeen completely restored. The whole place is filled with memorabilia from when the store operated. Brenda and Wayne are the most gracious Hostess and Host you'll ever meet. Wayne has stories that never ended about the history of the fountain and the town.

Greenup is a small town in the heart of agricultural Illinois, and near where many of my wife's…read morerelatives lived, where her parents grew up. We've visited the area a few times since moving to central Illinois a few years ago, and we always make a point of having a meal at the Candy Kitchen. This place continues the Illinois (at least) tradition of locally owned establishments that specialized in making and serving ice cream and candy. Although I can't figure out why I haven't tried their candy, I have tried their ice cream and their (less sweet) food. On our latest trip, with a pile of relatives, we all stopped at this place, that my in-laws used to call "The Greek's". Since the time my in-laws were growing up, decades ago, the place has changed hands (at least once), but you can tell that the current owners care about quality and service. When we arrived, the place was hopping, but with only one server in evidence we were concerned about how long we'd be there. Within a few minutes, though, there were servers everywhere. Seems that when it was seen how busy the place was, everyone was called in to help. On this latest trip, I had a really good patty melt. My wife had a (huge) pork tenderloin sandwich. We all shared around pretty much all of the various fried stuff, including mushrooms, onion rings, and green beans (!!!). My wife swears by the black walnut ice cream, but I prefer some of their other flavors. They're all made there, and all a lot better than you'll find at the typical ice cream shop or supermarket carton. I'm sure we'll be back to the area and I'm sure we'll be back to Candy Kitchen. If I'm a good boy, maybe I'll get to have some candy next time!

The Raggedy Anne cheesecake is fantastic! The staff are very…read morenice and helpful. We found this restaurant by a very happy accident and we will be returning.

Service was okay, but unfortunately, the food was nasty and bland. The coffee latte tasted cheap…read moreand bland (no flavor and could not taste the coffee), it wasn't even hot, just warm. The bakery items also didn't taste fresh. The place itself is pretty, but honestly, looks are deceiving. The prices do not match the quality of the food, service or portions. For what you pay, it's simply not worth it. I personally would not go back and would not recommend it. Save your money and go somewhere else!

I only came here for ice cream so I don't think there is really much more that I can say other than…read morethe ice cream i had (mint chocolate chip) was good and the price was fine. More generally this is a pretty charming shop, though there are other places in the st. charles historic area that also serve ice cream. i think it's worth a visit if you're coming to this area already

Absolutely hands down the best fudge in the area. Make sure to try the dark chocolate flavor!…read moreAlways excited to stop by and try some truffles as well.

Wife and I had been here before and she grew up in St. Louis so she has been more than me. Parking…read morecan be tricky and don't let a long line depress you. They move pretty quick for being a small place. Once inside you really are back in old St. Louis with candy made there and food that is hot and BIG. Known for the BLT, any sandwich is packed My wife is a malt connoisseur so this is one of the few places she trusts to get it right. Spot on with her chocolate malt Single bathroom might mean a wait but very clean. Once again Crown Candy delivered

Best milkshakes ever! Best BLT ever…read more Well, it needed more lettuce & tomato to balance it out to be honest. Pound of bacon ain't no joke. Ruben is top notch also.

Had a great visit to this one after eating next door. We grabbed some fudge and my wife was able to…read morefind some fun thing for the front of the house going into fall :) Pretty sure we were talking to the owner, she was super nice! We will be back to this one again as well. Near laid out store, lots of seating upstairs with tons of outdoor stuff or things for around the house. Worth a visit :)

Just visited 1904 General Store for the first time…read more I visited downtown Alton yesterday -- for the first time in years. Decided to check out the general store as soon as I saw it -- it's a cool, welcoming old building. The first floor is full of candy, chocolate, fudge, ice cream, and other treats. I picked out some candy and sampled some delicious Belgian chocolate bars. I bought one for me, but I'll be back in a few months for friends' birthdays, and to try the fudge myself. The ice cream flavors (about 8) were all unique -- you aren't getting a simple chocolate or vanilla here. The most common of the flavors available was a rainbow sorbet. I think some of the other flavors were Shipwreck, Pirate's Bounty, and Superman, though I may not be recalling the names accurately. The upstairs is full of home decor items, including a wall decorated to look like someone's front porch. The styles are cute, though not my speed, as I am something of a minimalist. You can read all about their business and the building's Worlds Fair history over on their facebook page. Hope to visit again soon.

All kinds of candy by the lb…read more My faves are chocolate covered gummy bears and triple dark chocolate covered malt balls!!! The summer snow cones are also amazing. The winter hot chocolate is THE BEST!!!

Cute little candy shop with some great options. I liked that you can buy specific flavors of…read moregummies. It seemed like a welcoming place. The housemade candy selection was a bit slimmer than I anticipated, would have liked to see more options there but what I did buy was delish.