Donut shops

[Paddy]

I was just thinking I have a long history with donut shops.  When I was a kid in high school, I remember us stopping by the Winchell's Donut's in No. Hollywood a couple times a week, while walking home from school.  We'd get their 'Hi-Hat Hamburgers'- double deckers - anybody remember those?

Then, later on after I discovered pot, I'd go to the same Winchell's and order up 6 or so donuts and sit there and eat them sloooowly-one after another.

After I started working, a daily morning stop in the donut shop for coffee, milk and a big cinnamon roll were the order of the day.

When my dad was in the nursing home, I'd get a dozen (or more) donuts every Saturday to take to the staff.  They got to rely on me, and more people opted to work Saturdays.  It was an event.

The local donut shop is a hangout for old guys.  I call them the 'elder statesmen'.  They sit around the table every morning drinking coffee and discussing world affairs.

There's something unique about a donut shop.  It's like no other place.  The smell of freshly baked donuts, the happy activity of the Korean owners,  the camaraderie of the customers.................

[thebaldguy]

Donut shops have all but disappeared over the last 15+ years in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. I don't know why. We used to have Dunkin Donuts, Winchell's, Mr. Donut, BoSa, and most recently, Krispy Kream. All are pretty much gone. I haven't been to a doughnut shop in decades except for a trip to the east coast.

I miss doughnuts shops. Late night post bar, or early morning to work, I liked eating doughnuts.

[Len Budney]

Donut shops have all but disappeared over the last 15+ years in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. I don't know why. We used to have Dunkin Donuts, Winchell's, Mr. Donut, BoSa, and most recently, Krispy Kream. All are pretty much gone. I haven't been to a doughnut shop in decades except for a trip to the east coast.

It seems to be a regional thing. Here around Pittsburgh, we have Krispy Kreme and local chains like Donut Box. Back in central Connecticut, there's literally a Dunkin' Donuts on every other street corner. In the couple miles between my sister's house and my hotel, I passed half a dozen.

--Len.

[HankB]

When I was growing up in Chicago, the best donuts were from a donut shop called "Amy Joy" . . . they were still around when I was in high school, and we used to get our stock there when we were having a donut sale to raise funds for the science club. (If we bought 60 dozen, the cost was down to 90 cents a dozen . . . "Huck Finn" donuts would beat that price by 2 cents a dozen, but they didn't taste as good.)

I remember when Dunkin Donuts came in . . . they were good for about a year, but after that, the regular donuts were ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS out of stock, no matter when you went there . . . but they conveniently had the upscale donuts, which were more expensive.

What I miss from Chicago is the independent bakeries and restaurants . . . both in St. Paul and now in TX I have yet to find a good bakery, and most restaurants are either upscale (i.e., expensive) or chains. (That is, unless you count all the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Mexican independents . . . but I don't like dog.) Chicago had plenty of both . . . I mean where else other than the Chicago/NW Indiana area can you get good things like a breaded pork tenderloin dinner, bacon buns, kugelis, and Lithuanian raisin bread? 

[Perd Hapley]

When my father was young and spry, he owned a few acres further out in the sticks, where he harvested firewood for the basement wood-stove.  My best Saturday mornings were the times we would load the tools into the rusty, beat-up '55 Chevy flatbed, pack a lunch, and head for the nearest donut shop for breakfast.  Glorious times. 

It's not surprising that donut shops have fallen on hard times, lately, especially with all the talk of carbohydrates.  Also, there tend to be Quik-E-Marts all over the place, with donut cases, coffee and milk.  Then, there's this plague called Krispy-Kreme, or however it's spelled.  But they're good if you want your donuts to be perfectly round and perfectly boring. 

If I'm hunting breakfast, I'll usually stop at the supermarket for a sandwich, one or two donuts and coffee.  We've also got a great donut shop in the better part of town.  A place called Lamar's, out of Kansas City, I believe.  They serve some Dazbog Russian coffee.  Good stuff.

[Vile Nylons]

where else other than the Chicago/NW Indiana area can you get good things like a breaded pork tenderloin dinner, bacon buns, kugelis, and Lithuanian raisin bread? 

In my Latvian mom's kitchen ...

[Brad Johnson]

Spud Nuts.  Made with potato flour.  Nummy!

Brad

[Paddy]

Then, there's this plague called Krispy-Kreme, or however it's spelled.  But they're good if you want your donuts to be perfectly round and perfectly boring.

Krispy Kreme is indeed overrated, but then so is Starbucks and you like that.  I'da thought you pick up a Krispy Kreme to go with your Tall Mocha Grande Frappucino on your way to Walmart. 

Spud Nuts.  Made with potato flour.  Nummy!

Yeah.  There's a name I haven't heard in awhile.  They are yummy.

[onions!]

Yep,donut shops are in the decline.If you'd rather masticate on a bagel however,you're in luck.

I've yet to try a custard filled bagel.*blech*

[Thor]

As with many things, the doughnut shops have fallen victim to mass production by the supermarket chains. Just as Home Depot and Menard's (up here in the midwest) have pretty much killed the small hardware stores, the supermarkets are killing the doughnut shops. The sad thing is that the supermarket chains don't always have the freshest doughnuts, just as Home Depot or Menard's doesn't always have the unique hardware selection that some of the small hardware stores would have. My second job was at a Winchell's Donut store. Every night, all of that days doughnuts were pulled from the display cases and became "gratis" for the employees or wound up in the garbage. In the supermarkets, one usually finds doughnuts that are often a day old.

[Len Budney]

In the supermarkets, one usually finds doughnuts that are often a day old.

Yeah, but they're cheaper, so we can eat so many more of them! 

--Len.

[K Frame]

There's a Dunkin Donuts not a half mile from me.

I generally don't eat donuts, though.

I do love Krispy Kremes. It's the texture more than anything, I think. It's like eating the finest silk.

My favorite donut shop of all time is a small Pennsylvania chain called Maple Iced. I'm not sure if they're in business any more or not, but my god they were good.

[Perd Hapley]

Then, there's this plague called Krispy-Kreme, or however it's spelled.  But they're good if you want your donuts to be perfectly round and perfectly boring.

Krispy Kreme is indeed overrated, but then so is Starbucks and you like that.  I'da thought you pick up a Krispy Kreme to go with your Tall Mocha Grande Frappucino on your way to Walmart. 

In case my Dad is reading this (and he's not)  I go to Wal-Mart only very rarely.  Starbucks even more rarely.  Of course, Barnes and Noble serves Starbucks coffee.      And that's a Grande Mocha, thank you, skinny, no whipped cream. 

[Monkeyleg]

Back when my best friend and I were smoking a lot of grass, we'd go to Dunkin' Donuts, but a dozen donuts each, then stop at a convenience store and buy a quart of milk each.

Talk about the munchies.

[Paddy]

Now you've done it, ML.  The resident APS Temperance League will soon be all over you. 

[Perd Hapley]

They started a Temperance League, and didn't invite me?   

[K Frame]

No, no.

It's the APS Intemperate League

Drinking contest at 9, orgy at 11.

[Monkeyleg]

Riley, the amount of stuff I did 30 to 40 years ago still makes me wonder how I'm even alive. Pot, LSD, amphetamines, THC, mescalin, mushrooms, and some stuff that I've forgotten about. I do remember some seeds that had a coating of arsenic on the outside; once the really bad nausea subsided, it was a good trip.

Ask me to explain today why I did all of that, and I can't give a good answer. I guess it just seemed like a good idea at the time.

[auschip]

I like donuts, but prefer a Kolache any day of the week.  You want sweet?  They have sweet (cherry creamcheese anyone?).  You want savory, how about poppyseed.  Prefer a bit of ooomph?  Try the sausage, jalapenos, & cheese. 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

You can't swing a dead cat around DFW without hitting at least a couple of Korean-run donut shops.  Krispy Kreme seems to have tapered off a lot since they were the 'next big thing' here. Still, we've got Shipleys, and Dunkin Donuts has a presence which they plan to expand dramatically over the next few years.

All in all, there's probaby 20 indy donut joints for every franchise.


Regards,
Rabbit.

[Balog]

You can't swing a dead cat around DFW without hitting at least a couple of Korean-run donut shops. 

Regards,
Rabbit.

But they tend to get pissed when that happens.

[doczinn]

Donut shops have all but disappeared over the last 15+ years in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

They all moved to L.A. Every last damn one of them.

[grislyatoms]

I've never been big on sweet stuff. Cake with icing, doughnuts, candy, I really don't care for it. Savory is what tickles my taste buds.

Speaking of doughnut-type bakery items (and Brad's spud nuts made me think of one of these):

I would love to have a real New York-style potato knish, or failing that, a bialy with onion and garlic. Haven't had either in two decades or so.

[Bogie]

If you're camping at Knob Creek, stop by the Freak Show Tent.

We make donuts.

It's a "recipe" my scoutmaster taught us when I was a kid... (he was a POW in Germany, and didn't really like to rough it...).

Get cheap canned biscuits. The small ones, not the big ones.

Get a big frying pan, and put an inch or so of oil in it. Heat oil until it seems hot enough. Toss in a smidge of biscuit. Does it look hot enough? You'll know...

Take biscuits, and turn into donuts. Do it with clean hands.

Fry. Golden is good. They poofty up.

Put granulated sugar and a bit of cinnamon in a paper bag. No, that's not enough cinnamon. Add more. MORE!

Drain donuts on paper towels, then toss in bag and shake.


 

[BozemanMT]

Is there anything donuts cannot do?