If you’re looking for a place in Galveston to truly understand the concepts of history and food, look no further than La King’s Confectionery on The Strand. If the walls in this 1876 building could talk, they’d tell you stories of candy and catastrophe, sweetness and survival.
“We had 13 feet of water in here during Hurricane Ike,” says manager Steve Montemeyor. “Ten months later, we were open.”
There was never any question La King’s would bounce back. The place is as legendary for its family atmosphere as it is for its generations-old candy and sweets recipes.
“Some of our employees start working for us in the eighth grade and grow up with us, coming back here on school breaks all the way through college,” says Montemeyor.
Patriarch Jimmy King began making candy in the late 1920s, learning from old-world masters who’d immigrated to Houston. Fifty years later, his son, Jack, moved his family to Galveston’s historic district, intent on re-creating an old-fashioned sweet shop where candy was made by hand, and friends gathered at the wrought-iron tables to drink ice cream floats and chew taffy.
There’s something wonderfully fun about a 19th century experience in the bustle of modern times. From the wide wood floors to the ceiling fans circling lazily overhead, from the hundred-year-old taffy roller to the custom-made wood-and-glass candy cases that resemble antiques, La King’s echoes an era gone by.
The candy, however, is a constant. From recipes nearly a century old come buttery banana taffy, sweetly crunchy peanut brittle, rich chocolate-covered confections, yum-inducing ice creams and sherbets. Every Saturday master candy maker Ernest Torres delights onlookers with a taffy show, throwing it on the roller, spreading it about, letting it harden, then cutting it for sale.
“I’ve been making candy for 39 years,” he laughs. “I learned from Mr. King.”
Torres does it all by hand; the day we meet him, he can’t shake out hands, since his are covered in the chocolate he’s using to cover the freshly made peanut clusters.
In addition to the legendary taffy and the homemade ice cream, look for ribbon candy this Christmas, and cranberry fudge. You’ll also find egg nog to help you ring in the season, along with all the chocolate you could ever wish for.
Just walking in the door of La King’s immediately makes the season merry and bright.
“It’s just a fun place to be,” says Montemeyor.
By Holly Beretto
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