Alvarez is the owner of Ray’s Candy Store, a 24-hour miniature mecca to all things sweet (and fried) in Manhattan’s East Village that he’s been running for more than 40 years. Scattered signage marked with handwritten prices in sharpie is taped up across the walls to serve as the menu. Look around and you’ll find something that calls you: sugar-coated beignets, fried Oreos, fried candy bars, Belgian fries, various sundaes, shakes and towering soft serve swirls, hot dogs, chicken fingers, fried bananas — the menu is exhaustive.
