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Elements of Taste

893 Lafayette Rd.
Hampton, NH 03842
(888) 812-9300
www.hutchinsonscandy.com
Phantom Score of 76
PHANTOM APPROVED


Hutchinson’s Candy is mostly a mail-order business, but caramel corn addicts can get an on-the-spot fix at Elements of Taste. Don’t be distracted by the common candies on the shelf, the specialties of the house are classically spectacular.

Atmosphere: 7 
Elements of Taste is a small family run shop selling Hutchinson’s Candy. Filling the first floor of a converted home, 3 connected rooms display all kinds of confections, crammed into shelves, cases, and tables.
Menu: 8 
Chocolates, truffles, and common candies distract from the all-natural, house-made sweets spun in copper kettles over an open fire.
Appetizers: 8 
Phantom started by snacking on 3 kinds of caramel corn, including the original recipe of fully popped puffs, lightly lacquered in a deeply buttered sugar sheath. The airy freshness became even more contrasty when interjected with the sturdy crunch of toasted almonds or the supple chew of dried cranberries.
Entrees: 8 
Next, some smooth as velvet penuche fudge slowly disintegrated from its soft state into intoxicating brown sugar sweetness, but could use an upgrade from the flimsy tin. The awesome peanut brittle fastened elbow-to-elbow peanuts together into fragile, jagged edged planes.
Dessert: 7 
To finish, a not-so-juicy chocolate covered cherry unlocked a shot of starchy syrupy. But the toasted buttercrunch wrapped crushed almonds and a thin paint of chocolate around a crackly toffee slab.
Portions: 7 
The specialties of the house are neatly packaged but should be available in more than one size.
Service: 8 
The attentive, family-run service comes through in perks like complimentary candy when you walk through the door.
Cleanliness: 8 
All 3 rooms were pleasantly clean, but the confections might stand out more if certain corners were less cluttered.
Value: 8 
Caramel corn is a great buy at $3.50 per 5 oz. bag, and a single serving of fudge is $3.
Location: 7 
Elements of Taste is a happy little find along a high speed stretch of Route 1 in Hampton, New Hampshire, and they’ll gladly ship any order across the country.
Review Date: 3/19/2005