OLD TOWN — One of the city's top chocolate shops declares there "ain't no lickin' the Cubs," even as it invites customers to do just that — and take a bite out of the Billy Goat Curse as well.
The Fudge Pot, 1532 N. Wells St., has gone Cub crazy with a giant sucker bearing the Cubs' logo; even as it entices it insists: "Ain't no lickin' the Cubs."
"That's probably about 2½ feet in diameter, and it's got a red C in the middle of it," owner David Dattalo said.
"We also have a goat," he added. "It's probably about 5 inches long by 3 inches tall by maybe 1½ inches wide that's chocolate in 3-D. We can write whatever you want on them, but the ones I have written that are on display say, 'This goat is history.'"
Unlike a lot of businesses jumping on the Cubs' bandwagon, the Fudge Pot knows its history well as an Old Town fixture for 53 years. Dattalo's father opened the place as an outlet for his skill at chocolate.
"His uncle invented the Milky Way bar from Mars," Dattalo said. "I've got some history in my family."
Dattalo himself isn't afraid of history either. He admitted that the giant Cub sucker was revived from its first appearance in 1984.
"I thought that was our year," Dattalo said. "Of course, you know what happened."
Dattalo treasures a recent visit to the store by 1984 National League Most Valuable Player Ryne Sandberg — "one of my favorite players, and he was the nicest guy." Kerry Wood has stopped in as well.
Dattalo actually likes both the Cubs and the White Sox.
"I'm a Chicago fan," he said. "I like to see them both do well."
But "because of the length of time they've gone" without a World Series victory — 108 years to be exact — the Cubs are in another stratosphere.
"There's so much more buzz," Dattalo said. "I think Cub fans are more passionate than Sox fans."
Unlike mercenary ticket resale sites, the Fudge Pot isn't holding Cub fans hostage. The chocolate goats are a reasonable $9.95, small chocolate baseball players with Cub logos are $1.50, and a larger chocolate bear with a C on the chest is $7.95.
A 2½-foot chocolate bat inscribed "The Year of the Cubs 2016" comes with a white chocolate ball with red laces and will set a chocoholic Cub fan back $40.
As for that giant Cub sucker in the window, Dattalo said make him an offer.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.
