Daniel Gorman, Henley
A dozen-plus Nashville chefs share their favorite kinds of Easter candy. (Hint: Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs are a crowd favorite.)
Andy Little, Josephine
Peeps
"My favorite Easter candy is the predictable answer: Peeps. My mom used to always put them in my Easter basket growing up. Then, later in life, I discovered how much better they are when they get stale, so now I still like to buy them, open them up, and let them sit out for a while. The Vanilla Cream flavor is the best, but I recently saw they have a Sour Cherry now, which is disgusting, but I'm going to have to try." 2316 12th Ave S, 615-292-7766; josephineon12th.com
Bart Pickens, Party Fowl
Jelly Beans, Cadbury Eggs, Gold Brick Eggs, Heavenly Hash
"It doesn't have to be a special occasion for me to eat candy—in fact, I could eat Jelly Beans every day—but when it comes to Easter, you have to make sure you're getting a good mix of all the classics, like Cadbury Eggs, Gold Brick Eggs, and Heavenly Hash. Did I mention Jelly Beans?" 719 8th Ave S, 615-624-8255; partyfowl.com
Brian Riggenbach, The Mockingbird
Cadbury Eggs
"I'd say my favorite Easter candy is Cadbury Eggs. My grandmother, Toots, always handed them out, and I have nothing but fond memories of hunting for Easter eggs, and then eating the gooey chocolate delights!" 121A 12th Ave N, 615-741-9900; mockingbirdnashville.com
Bryan Weaver, Butcher & Bee
Hershey's Krackel
"My mom would always get some kind of variety pack from Hershey's that had Krackel, Mr. Goodbar, and Hershey's mixed together. I'd eat all the Krackels and then the Mr. Goodbar and try to pawn off the regular Hershey's on my dad. Sorry, dad! I realize now that the crisped rice in there must have been an early premonition to how much I love the texture of crispy rice nowadays..." 902 Main St, 615-226-3322; butcherandbee.com
Daniel Gorman, Henley
Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs
"I make sure to go grocery shopping during the Easter season just to get my candy. I eat Reese's Peanut Butter Cups year-round—I like them frozen, room temperature, and will event eat them out of my warm pocket—but around Easter, the seasonal egg-shaped Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs for some reason are just better! Maybe it's the higher peanut butter to chocolate ratio.... I don't do much family Easter anymore, but I always remember being a toe-headed little kid in khakis during Easter when I eat them." 2023 Broadway, 615-340-6378; henleynashville.com
Jake Howell, Peninsula
Reese's Pieces
"Reese's Pieces are my favorite candy, hands down. They make an Easter version that I'll probably buy in the next couple of weeks and accidentally crush in 10 minutes. (Don't judge me!)" 1035 W Eastland Ave, 615-679-0377; peninsulanashville.com
Jake Strang, L27 Rooftop Lounge
Jelly Beans
"This is a tough one for me, as Easter has always been my favorite 'candy holiday,' because of the variety of specialty candies that come out around this time. If I had to pick just one, Jelly Beans would be my go to (though Cadbury Eggs and Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs are way up there). Not just jelly beans, though, since you can get those anywhereI'm talking the real fruit pectin jelly beans that cost way too much for just a little ball of sugar. They were always the one thing that I would make last as long as possible as a kid. It never failed, once the Easter basket was empty, you could always find a few stragglers hidden at the bottom under all that plastic green grass." The Westin Nashville, 807 Clark Pl, 629-800-5070; l27nashville.com
Jason Brumm, Von Elrod's
Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs
"I am a Reese's Peanut Butter Egg guy. I always had a thing for chocolate and peanut buttercan you think of anything better? I recently found out, however, that the hydrogenated fat found in normal peanut butter you get from the store takes 51 days to break down in your body! Crazy! Even crazier, I don't care, because I am having one—or more—for sure this Easter!" 1004 4th Ave N, 615-866-1620; vonelrods.com
Jeff Axline, Tavern at Bobby
Cadbury Creme Eggs
"Cadbury Creme Eggs are hands down the best, don't even try to come at me with Peeps. There's something about the addictive, creamy center that makes them so delicious. They remind me of waking up on Easter morning as a kid; plus, they're really only available around this time, so that always gives you something to look forward to. Or stock up—you should probably do that this year!" 230 4th Ave N, 629-702-1639; bobbyhotel.com
Julia Jaksic, Cafe Roze
Cadbury Mini Eggs
"My favorite Easter candy is Cadbury Mini Eggs. They are these tiny chocolate eggs coated with a crunchy sugar shell that has the most addictive texture to them. I usually freeze mine so they are extra crisp, and the coating literally shatters in your mouth, leaving milky chocolate behind. In a lot of ways, they remind me of one of my other favorite sweets, Dragées! (In recent news, they've just released a dark chocolate variety, which are just as amazing.)" 1115 Porter Rd, 615-645-9100; caferoze.com
Molly Martin, Juniper Green
Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs
"I can't imagine anyone coming up with a different answer than Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs. They are a superior candy in every way, not just over all other Easter candies, but over all other seasonal Reese's speciality shapes, which is saying something. The peanut butter filling is barely contained by a thin veil of chocolate, with no hard fluted edges getting in the way like a normal cup. Plus, the filling to chocolate ratio is equal all the way aroundyou just can't get a bad bite. Safe to say, this is a very special time of year for me." junipergreen.kitchen
Rahaf Amer, Walden
Kosher Kinder Joy Chocolate Eggs
"This is the best candy ever! I love it because it has chocolate, wafers, and a delicious, silky cream in the middle that is to-die-for. These remind me of a food version of a Cuban coffee drink, and I love my Cubans—they're what get me through my long shifts!" 4001 Charlotte Pk, 615-800-8517; saltandvinenashville.com
Sarah Gavigan, Little Octopus and Otaku Ramen
Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
"Jelly Belly Jelly Beans remind me of being a kid! My mom always had a mixed bag somewhere in my basket, and I would spend an entire afternoon trying them to find out if there were new flavors." 505 12th Ave S, 615-454-3946; littleoctopusnashville.com | 1104 Division St, 615-942-8281; otakuramen.com
Tony Galzin, Nicky's Coal Fired
Whoppers Robin Eggs
"Typically, I only selectively eat sour gummy candy, so Easter is always a time for me to branch out. The best—by far—are the Whoppers Robin Eggs. They offer a crunchy bite with the perfect malted milk ball in the center. Can you think of anything better?" 5026 Centennial Blvd, 615-678-4289; nickysnashville.com