The Candy Store
Located off-the-beaten-Polk-Street path in Russian Hill, The Candy Store is on every sweets aficionado’s radar. With a gorgeous aesthetic, including an awe-inspiring wall of candy jars comprised of colorful, rare eats, it is no wonder that Target recently came knocking to carry a co-branded collection in the big-box retailer. Co-owner Diane Campbell is absolutely obsessed with candy (and it shows!) priding herself on finding handmade, small-batch confections with a unique story to stock the shelves. At $15 a pound, you can mix and match to your heart's delight in one of its signature blue bins. Want to try it on the house? Hit up its Halloween party on October 31 from 3 to 6 p.m. and fill up a bag with free snacks.

What to get: Big Picture Farms Goat Milk caramels, Swedish sour gummies, pumpkin seed toffee, gummy candy corn, L.C. Good lollipops, chocolate-covered butter-crunch toffee balls, and chocolate peanut-butter malt balls.

The Candy Store, 1507 Vallejo Street (between Polk and Van Ness streets), San Francisco; 415-921-8000.