In Marin: Sweets for your Sweetie on Valentine's Day

Right around Valentine’s Day, I always make a special stop at perrenial favorite See’s Candy to pick up some of their marshmallow-caramel hearts for the kids. If you want to get out there now beat the rush, here are some places to pick up some sweet treats for your Valentines:

See’s Candy

See’s is the old California candy standby, with several locations in Marin. Their traditional stores haven’t changed in years, and they often hand out free samples, too. Their candy is definitely a few notches above your garden variety supermarket boxed chocolates.

Sees is also a great place to pick up your chocolate bunnies and other Easter candy. All their locations are open Monday through Friday 10 am–9 pm and 11 am to 6 pm on weekends. The long-standing location on Fourth Street in San Rafael is closed, but there are plenty of other locations in the county to choose from.

• The Mall at Northgate, San Rafael, (415) 491-9729
• Town Center Corte Madera, (415) 927-4430
• Vintage Oaks Shopping Center, Novato, next to Jennie Low’s Chinese restaurant, (415) 892-0381

Powells’ Sweet Shoppe

If you haven’t been to Powell’s Sweet Shoppe in downtown Novato, you’re if for a treat. If you find yourself in Novato's Old Town area, you need to stop by and check it out—it's a candy wonderland chock full of truffles, gelato, and stuff you probably haven't seen since you were a kid. Read our article for more info. Powell’s is at 879 Grant Avenue in downtown Novato. (415) 898-6160. Hours are Monday–Saturday 10 am–9 pm and Sunday 10 am–8 pm.

Frosting Bake Shop

Frosting Bake Shop in Mill Valley offers a variety of festive red and pink heart Valetine cupcakes in an array of delicious flavors. Frosting tries to use locally produced and organic ingredients, so you can feel good about giving their products this Valentine's Day.

They also offer their one of-a-kind cake bites—bite-sized blend of baked cake and moist frosting shaped in a ball, then dipped in melted chocolate (perfect for a special occasion… like Valentine's Day). Frosting Bake Shop is located at 7 East Blithedale Avenue in Mill Valley. Go to their website to see more info.

Other Ideas

In addition, Cost Plus World Market in Corte Madera and Trader Joes (with locations in San Rafael, Novato, and Larkspur) both have some really unique and delicious chocolates, including specialty confections from Switzerland, Britain, Belgium, and France.