By Chris Ramirez

Published: Wednesday, October 3, 2012, 9:30 p.m.
Updated: Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Chris Weck's friends call him Wonka. And, for good reason.

He's always had a sweet tooth.

“Nobody can be in a bad mood when they go into a candy shop,” says Weck, 32, owner of Sinful Sweets Chocolate Co. in Lawrenceville.

The North Side resident acknowledges living out every kid's dream and every dentist's nightmare each morning.

He's up at 9 a.m. stirring huge, warm vats of deep-brown, melted chocolate. From there, he adds his culinary touch, turning them into tiny chocolate works of art.

“I knew early on that I wanted to work with food,” Weck says. “I love the impact it has on people.”

Delicacies that have the most impact are his chocolate turtles, his peanut butter “smore & smores,” and his palm-size, roasted-pecan toffee bars.

Many of his goodies, he says, are from generations-old recipes that have been in his family after they emigrated from Scotland.

Weck grew up in Staten Island, N.Y., and entered the Coast Guard out of high school. As a child, he learned the tricks of the candy trade from his uncle, Robert Hunter, who ran a chocolate company in Chicago.

“Whenever I wanted ... I got to eat chocolate and all sorts of candies for nothing,” he recalls with a chuckle. “Talk about being a kid in a candy store.”

Now, some years later, it's Weck who's managing the candy shop. We're not talking store-bought morsels; Sinful Sweets' chocolates are hand-dipped and made with high-grade cocoa. Some portions cost $10.95 to 19.95 per pound.

There's even chocolate bacon and chocolate-covered potato chips for the adventuresome and a saltier palate.

Weck opened the business in November at a storefront on Butler Street. But that will change. The shop soon will relocate to 901 Penn Ave., Downtown, near the theaters and the convention center.

Fear not, choco fans: Weck says his menu won't change with the new digs.

If anything will be different, it's that he intends to sell some of his chocolates in pre-packaged boxes to best accommodate a more on-the-go Downtown crowd.

“This is the kind of food that makes everybody happy,” Weck says.

Sinful Sweets Chocolate Co., 4415 Butler St., Lawrenceville. Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Details: 412-235-7865, www.sinfulsweets online.com

Chris Ramirez is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at cramirez@tribweb.com or 412-380-5682.

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