The Great Doughnut Hunt
Written by joythebaker on October 13, 2008 – 11:11 pm -
There are endless things for a young, single girl to do in a big city like Los Angeles. There’s shopping on Melrose. There are afternoons at the beach in mid October. There are concerts, countless happy hours to attend, and an array of ridiculously pretentious clubs to try to get into.
Yea…. those are all things that most normal twenty something girls might find the time to do. I’d like to consider myself a special breed. When I had a free morning a few days back I decided to go doughnut hunting. Yes, I made up a new sport. It involved just a few things: doughnut shops, milk or coffee, and an empty and willing stomach.
Wanna play? The beauty of this game is that you can do it in any city on any given morning.
This year’s doughnut hunt was inspired by the crazyinsane (new word) doughnuts I made a few months back. They were painfully good and inspired me to… well… bring doughnuts back into my life any way I could.
I picked five Los Angeles doughnut eateries (I only made it to three before my pants button busted) and put my doughnut tasting skills to the test. Here’s what happened (before my pants burst).
Say hello to the Doughnut Hut in Burbank. They’ve got a clever retro sign and colorful, tiny little shop. The outdoor seating is charming and incidentally, bee infested. Seeing as this was my first stop, I opted for not one, but two fine doughnuts: one standard sprinkle and another orange colored find.
It turns out orange colored, passion fruit- esque doughnuts are not exactly the way to go. The troubled look on my face was only intensified when I realized that this particular doughnut tasted like an old churro, if a churro were a shoe. Not ok. The sprinkle doughnut, however, was perfectly cakey, and divine with milky coffee.
I stopped at the Donut Prince simply because there was the cutest old couple sitting in the window. Old people know doughnuts. They’ve been around long enough to know. They’ve eaten more doughnuts that I have. It’s simple mathematics.
It turns out that old people do have doughnut wisdom. I, on the other hand, should not have ordered two more doughnuts. Despite the shoe like taste of the passion fruit doughnut at the previous shop, I did manage to devour it.
Not sure if I can make it through these two doughnuts. Like a true champion- I do. Doughnut count: 4.
No doughnut adventure would be complete without a trip to Krispy Kreme. But, Krispy Kreme Drive- Thru!? Oh the sheer gluttony. Even after 4 doughnuts, two cups of coffee and a mini carton of milk, I managed to get out of my car to eat more doughnuts. Success!
Walking into Krispy Kreme is like walking into doughnut Disneyland. It’s just magic. Somehow, no matter how many doughnuts I try, Krispy Kreme is always my favorite. They’re perfectly over sweet and literally melt in your mouth. I think I went through at least two in the blink of an eye. Ahhh…. sweet sweet doughnut adventure.
I literally have to hold my heart after a bite of Krisy Kreme doughnuts. Is there such a thing as soul mate doughnuts? Doughnut count: 7 ok…. probably more like 9.
I should make it known that shortly after this picture was taken, I fell into a deeply satisfying doughnut coma. Thank you Carsen for being my able photographer and eager doughnut tasting partner.
My doughnut adventure inspired a new doughnut flavor. It’s today’s most popular cupcake flavor transformed into doughnut form. I’ll share soon.
So…! When’s your doughnut hunt?
Tags: doughnuts, Joy the Baker, los angeles
Posted in Bread, Breakfast, Thoughts | 65 Comments »
thank you for this post! last year i was addicted to donuts after having my first child and moving back to CA after a 4 year stint in the midwest (no real donuts there). donuts were my depression food. but…if you’re ever i downey, i think that there is one on every block here. just like old folks, hispanics like their donuts. the BIGGEST cinnamon bun is on one at firestone and rives. but…my all-time most favorite donut haunt is at newport beach overlooking the ocean. cheap coffee and the flaky butterfly “donut” (more like philo dough, i think.) thanks for all of your wonderful goodies. can you come and cook for me and i will knit/sew/crochet/draw you something??!!!?
I would love to go doughnut hunting! My favorites are the chocolate sprinkle or French cruellers.
Sari- Now that sounds like an office I could work in! Soooo fun!
Brittany- I used to go to a really yummy doughnut shop on my way to work every morning when I lived in Seattle. It was a bit on the ghetto side, but sure had some fine doughnuts. Of course I can’t seem to remember the name of it right now…. figures.
Rachel Hayes- You sure do know you’re doughnuts. I’m glad you’re back in the neighborhood. I would love to get together and swap crafts. Seriously!
Shauna- Doughnuts as hangover food. Seriously perfect!!
Shannalee- I usually take all of my own photos. For that reason, I don’t have many photos of myself, because I’m always behind the camera. On my doughnut hunt I brought along my dear friend Carsen who was in charge of taking all the beautiful pictures that you see, and helping me eat massive amounts of doughnuts.
Dtriv- You’re right. I’m not 400 pounds. But I’m also not 100 pounds. The size I am seems to be my normal body weight. I can’t lose any from it, but as of late, it seems easier for me to add to it. I run. I eat a lot of whole wheat stuff, fruit and veggies. When I go on a doughnut bender, I usually follow it up with a super veggie salad. Does that answer your question?
Cassie- I hope the husband went out and got you that doughnut you would have killed for!
Debbie- Thanks for the Thousand Oaks tip! I’m always on the lookout for a good place that far into the valley!
[...] time I am in Los Angeles, you can bet she and I will be on a bakery extravaganza, kind of like her commendable donut world tour she just embarked one. Speaking with her and Robin have kicked my blogging butt in to motion so [...]
How fun! I wish I could go on a doughnut hunt. Unfortunately, there are NO doughnut places in Iowa City! I never ate doughnuts with any real frequency, but once every month or two I get a craving, and here I’m sunk. No Dunkin, no Krispy Kreme, certainly no independent doughnut shops. The choices are a grocery store that takes 30 minutes to get to on the bus each way or a gas station. Blah. I wonder if Krispy Kreme still does that amaretto doughnut around the holidays. Maybe next year I’ll be able to leave around Christmas time and get one
I am so unbelievably psyched to see that I have been to one of these places (Donut Prince!!!) Yay for Doughnut hunts and the infinity that those sweet little rounds represent.
I remember living in Pomona in 3rd grade – there was a doughnut shop across the street, catty-corner from an Earl Scheib’s.
Their raised sugar doughnuts were sooo good! Doughnuts just don’t taste like that anymore, and I don’t know if it’s me (cuz I’m so old that back then Earl Scheib only charged $19.95!) or if it’s the doughnuts. I think Danny up above might be right about the doughnut mix…
I think it’s time to try your recipe, even if deep frying is kind of scary!
Thanks for letting us share your doughnuts, even vicariously!
[...] are what brought me to this market in the first place, after I read someone’s comment on Joy the Baker’s Great Doughnut Hunt. Obviously, then, they were the first thing I looked for when I arrived. My brother and I got there [...]
the best in LA are Stan’s in Westwood and Fritelli’s in Beverly Hills. and i have gone on many a hut to determine this.
The best in LA are Stan’s in Westwood and Fritelli’s in Beverly Hills. I have discovered this on many a donut hunt.
ahh donut heaven, this is out-of-control tempting!! and an inspiration for us all.
ps do let me know if you have any other suggested hiking spots in the LA area. i’m always on the lookout–especially after the donut binge that i feel coming on (;
Nooo….the orange colored doughnuts should really be banned! The pink ones too, they’re really kinda gross. I have recently caved and become a fan of the Krispy Kremes, they’re tricky and they done got me!
I can’t wait to see your recipe for these cupcake-doughnuts, I have one that we call muffin doughnuts, but they’re still quite cakey even for a doughnut.
There’s a tiny ma and pop doughnut place just down the street from me, they open at 6am and close when they run out. We’ve only managed to get doughnuts there once in the last year, and that one time was at 8am and was very slim pickings! But I miss the apple cider doughnuts from the farm market I worked at when I was younger, made with apple cider that we made right there too. So delicious.
Joy,
I have no choice at this point but to demand a Westside Doughnut Hunt™.
Fritelli’s in Beverly Hills
Stans in Westwood (peanutbutter doughnuts ::::::drool:::::)
Randy’s in Inglehood (The giant doughnut in the Simpsons is based on this place)
Bob’s Coffee and Doughnuts – Los Angeles Farmers Market
Primo’s Westdale Doughnuts on Sawtelle.
(Your boyfriend is not invited)
KRS Juan
[...] Joy the Baker headed out on a doughnut quest, searching for the best doughnut in the greater Los Angeles area. She ate the greater part of nine [...]