Doughnut places are like pilots; There are old doughnut places. There are bold doughnut places. But there are very few old, bold doughnut places. For different reasons than with pilots, though. The doughnut places on Thrillist’s “Top 33 Doughnut Places” fall into one of these two categories: 1) Old, 2) Bold.
The bold ones are the superstars you read about in the papers. I have been writing each of them their own review, because there’s a lot to say about a place that serves things like a brulee doughnut with a pipette of cointreau sticking out of the top.
The old ones are beloved community institutions. Usually they bake a classic menu of doughnut you would probably find at Safeway, but years or decades of experience have honed their art. For the most part, the doughnuts at a given top-33 old-type doughnut place are comparable to the others – as good as it gets, for those recipes. What makes these places stand out is usually the non-doughnut factor. The environment: the personality, the history, the accessibility.
I’ve been to five doughnut places in the last few days that fall into this category, and I’ve been doing so much other stuff that I didn’t get a chance to call them out. So here they are, all in a clump:
Cafe Du Monde, New Orleans, LA
They only serve beignets here – fried dough, but not doughnuts. I could write a bunch about what defines doughnuts and why I would care about the distinction. Maybe later. Cafe Du Monde is the most famous place I will talk about on this web page, and is also the oldest of the old places (1862).
As is the way of old places: as much as they can, they keep things the same as they’ve always been. The place is adorable, the staff seems to be genuinely happy to set you up with coffee and beignets, and those things are just as you’d want them. Then you sit at your table, drinking your coffee with chicory, dropping clumps of powdered sugar all over your black pants, and watching the foot traffic in the French Quarter – all the while deliriously pleased with the situation.
Gibson’s Donuts, Memphis, TN
Just a hundred feet away from Gus’ Fried Chicken, this was a block to live and die on. Gibson’s is always open; sometimes you want a doughnut at 3 AM. They have made a few ventures into bold territory – they have a stable of fancy-level doughnuts and a seasonal special flavor. This season’s was key lime. It was good, but only subtly different from a lemon filled.
A couple of old timers passed each other in the doorway while I was here – it was clear that there was an ongoing narrative which was advanced each day by an update during their encounter at the doughnut shop, ongoing for perhaps the 50 years the place has been open. This place is well-loved by the locals.
Fox’s Donut Den, Nashville, TN
I didn’t know the backstory behind Donut Den, but Dr. Fox was there when I stopped in, and he cheerfully told me the story of how their T-shirt design was created. I got a cherry turnover and aforementioned shirt, which is a bit reminiscent of something you might see in Bethesda Software’s “Fallout” series. Perhaps as the icon for the “titanic doughnut” perk.
They make good turnovers here, and it was a good thing I got the one I did, because a man in an expensive suit walked in the door behind me and ordered every other turnover in the place. The locals like this place as well, it turns out.
GADS, Bowling Green, KY
The full name is “Great American Doughnut Shop.” We went here because it’s where Marianne got blueberry doughnuts during her college days. The whole time we’ve been going out, I thought the place was called “Gad’s,” as if it were owned and operated by Dr. Gad.
GADS also has the most internal signage using “roll” puns since Donut Country. Without the rolling pin imagery to imply rolling out dough, we can only assume that the way that they roll is referencing a donuts superficial resemblance to a wheel, which is a machine for rolling.
Dippin’ Donuts, Knoxville, TN
Marianne thinks this place’s name is just meant to confuse people into thinking they are going to a Dunkin’ Donuts. I think it’s an allusion to both dunkin’ and the fact they serve ice cream (scooping ice cream is also known as “dipping”). They have some Yelp reviews around their product being handmade, vs the “place up the street” which has everything centrally made and shipped out frozen. I think the place up the street is Krispy Kreme – I didn’t see an actual Dunkin’ near there.
Mainly we went here because we were hungry on the way from Bowling Green to Raleigh. Their top tier doughnut included something called a “doughnut hamburger,” which does not include meat, unlike some of the doughnut hamburgers we’ve been seeing. Instead, it appears to be a bismark in which the top and bottom have been slightly separated. We couldn’t figure out what else was different about it.
Welp. That’s the recent rollup of old doughnut places. They’re just fine, but I’m noticing that I vastly prefer the bold doughnut places. I’m sort of dreading my return to Seattle – we have a top-33 doughnut place in town, but their repertoire is limited to sugared, filled doughnuts. They do them extremely well! But I sure would like another blue corn lavender blueberry.