Halloween has us thinking of candy, which has us thinking about Papabubble, an edgy artisanal sweets shop on Broome Street in the southern fringes of Nolita. The tiny store is the lone American outpost of an inventive confectionery that originated in Barcelona in 1992 and now has a dozen branches around the world, including in Amsterdam, Brussels, Tokyo, and Moscow. In each, the candy is hand rolled, stretched, and sculpted in house, an elaborate process akin to making Venetian latticino glass and resulting in some of the world’s tastiest sweeties (we especially like the lime chili pepper flavor). N.B. Tomorrow we'll be featuring a Steal This Look on the Papabubble interior.
Photos for Remodelista by Seth Smoot, styling by Kendra Smoot.
Above: The tiny storefront is designed to resemble a science laboratory.
Above: The recessed lab area features vessels filled with custom-mixed candy flavorings. One of the owners' favorite sources for oils and natural essences is the Canadian company New Directions.
Above: Tools of the trade, arrayed on a stainless peg board.
Above: The industrial pendant lights were sourced from Perkiomenville Auctions in Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania.
Above: A stainless taffy hook serves as an apron holder when not in use.
Above: A clever way to beautify a utility pipe: wrap it in cotton cording.
Above: A handful of candies arrayed on the shop's marble counter.
Above: Classic lab flasks evoke images of childhood science experiments.
Above: A handmade lollipop with an array of handcut hard sweeties, featuring hearts and other patterns in the center.