Easter ‘Eye Candy’

At the , tradition reigns supreme. While over the years  most chocolate-makers have switched  from using  intricate metal molds to plastic, owner Pete Panarites has continued his family’s tradition of fine-chocolate making using the metal molds that once belonged to his father and uncle.

In 1929 his father George and his uncle George Dounias set up shop in Northport and Smithtown, respectively.

 The men slowly acquired the tinned metal molds during these tough economic times, sharing them until the late 1940s, Panarites said. Panarites inherited these exquisitely detailed family molds, which he uses to create 50% of his Easter stock.

 “It’s labor-intensive,” Panarites said of the process of making chocolate bunnies which he began at the end of January to meet the demand.

By Easter, Panarites will have melted down approximately 2,000 pounds of Wilbur’s top-of-the-line chocolate. The finished product is decorated, wrapped in cellophane, and fitted with a bow by Panarites’ sister Georgia Pappias and niece Marlene Niehaus.

 “I still use a very large ladle to scoop out the chocolate,” said Panarites, who was honored in 1988 by the Confectioners’ and Ice Cream Manufacturers’ Association as New York State’s “confectioner man of the year.”

 It’s a product that sells itself, and the reason is quality.

 “The viscosity of the chocolate is high and it’s creamy,” Panarites explained, adding that there are no additives and he doesn’t mix in other chocolates.

Panarites’ best-seller is a one-pound chocolate rabbit sitting on his haunches, but many customers also like to buy his diminutive 2 ½ oz. bunnies to incorporate into holiday place settings.  While milk chocolate is most popular, bunnies also come in dark and white chocolate.

Panarites said he ships a lot of chocolate out-of-state to former residents who are nostalgic for a taste of old-time Northport as well as connoisseurs of fine chocolate who have heard about his wares via the Internet or word of mouth. While his chocolate has been traveled far and wide, its most unusual destination was  Vietnam.

During the Vietnam War, a woman wanted to ship a six-pound solid chocolate rabbit to her son. Despite concerns about the heat, the chocolate rabbit traveled well, was enjoyed by the soldier and his platoon, and Panarites recalls that his father received a thank you note from the soldier’s mother.

To learn more about the history of Northport Sweet Shop, and take a photographic trip down memory lane, visit ithe store's web site.