Month: July 2019

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Win Son Bakery: Black Sesame Mochi

Located right on the border of Williamsburg and Bushwick sits Win Son, a Taiwanese-American restaurant that since opening in 2016, has slowly been gaining notoriety as one of the borough’s (and probably the city’s) best new places to eat. Their exquisite selection of home-style cooked food is a must try for brunch and dinner a like and there isn’t a thing on the menu I wouldn’t recommend. So, when it was announced last summer that Win Son would be opening a bakery across the street from their restaurant, my mouth began to salivate. Fast forward to today. The bakery still hasn’t opened (originally it was scheduled for February 2019), but with the summer has come a “soft-opening” on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM featuring their first samples: sweet potato soft serve and, you guessed it, donuts! Black sesame mochi donuts to be exact. They also have a full espresso bar serving up Variety Coffee.

As you may have gathered from reading this blog so far, mochi and savory donuts aren’t generally the treats that Jason and I tend to eye, but when your favorite neighborhood joint makes a donut, you’ll try it.

Last week, their selection sold out rather fast, so I made sure to get in line just before they opened as to not miss out on these sweet rounds. As the line stretched down the block, I made my way into the shop, which is clearly in its final stages of preparation (brown paper still covers many of the windows and the whole place still had that new smell mystique), and ordered my mochi donut (currently sold for $2). Served hot and fresh out of the oven, it tasted like the best fried dough I’ve ever had. Covered in powdered sugar, the mochi gives it some extra chew and the black sesame is barely present, only adding a slight, subtle flavor that gives the donut just a little boost. Unlike so many other donuts across the city, this was a perfect breakfast treat that still left me with an appetite. Paired perfectly with strong cold brew or some powerful espresso, it’s the perfect snack to pick up on the way to work or to hold you over while you wait for a seat across the street. When they officially open in a few weeks, you better believe I’ll be back in line to see what other magical pastries these chefs can whip-up and if the rest of their menu is anywhere near as good as this donut, they’ll be near impossible to resist.

Score: 8.5/10

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Stamford’s Finest: A Spotlight on Donut Delight

Hello donut friends, my name is Dorit and I’m guest posting tonight for my friends Jason and Marc in the #nicepeopledonutclub!

Just under an hour north of NYC, tucked away between Greenwich and Norwalk, you’ll find Stamford, CT, one of Fairfield County’s most bustling cities. Stamford has a pretty pleasant mix of a fun downtown atmosphere with a side of quiet coastal New England, and it’s been home for the past 26 years of my life. In those 26 years, I’ve discovered that my hometown has two big gems:

1. The original Colony Grill

2. Donut Delight

I first became Donut Delight’s #1 fan in high school, when I’d sneak out during lunch with a few friends and drive to the most popular (and first that I knew of) Donut Delight location in Stamford on Hope Street. While Donut Delight is somewhat of a chain, 6 of its 7 locations are in Stamford, so it feels pretty local and one of a kind to me. There’s truly no better Saturday morning than one that starts off with a fresh blueberry glazed donut.

Donut Delight isn’t your super fancy over the top donut shop either. They carry a lot of the classics: cinnamon, powdered sugar, jelly, bavarian cream, honey-dipped, and some frosted donuts too. Basically, think fresh and flavorful without the frills – and awesome customer service too! The convenience of the drive-thru paired with friendly staff takes the Donut Delight experience to a level that your average Dunkin’ just can’t reach. 

All in all, Donut Delight is most definitely a stop to add to your next stroll through Fairfield County. If you’re craving the true Stamford experience, a blueberry glazed donut is the way to go. Stamfordians also appreciate the classic chocolate glazed, or (in season) pumpkin spice glazed. Pair it with an almond-flavored iced coffee and a stroll at Cove Beach and you might just be ready to move to the 203! 

If you happen to check out Donut Delight, let me know what you think @Dorito91 on Twitter! 

Love and Donuts,

Dorit

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A Tale of Two Donut Shops

The Donut Pub on 14th and 7th has long been a New York donut institution. Since opening in 1964, this 24/7 establishment has been serving up some of the city’s finest “classic” style donuts. In other words, they’ve been around long before the craft donut craze and their simple treats are still some of the best the city has to offer.

On the inside, the 14th street location has an old-school diner vibe. Racks upon racks of donuts line the fluorescent lit store and counter seats flank the length of the shop giving diners an up close and personal experience with the servers who continuously bring out fresh donuts throughout the day. Everything here is pretty basic from the donuts to the coffee and even the breakfast sandwiches that someone must still order. It’s a bit of a time warp, but that is what gives it its charm. Everything here looks like it’s been this way for decades and while the flavors have stepped up a bit (they offer their own version of the cronut, simply called “croissant donuts”), the shop still has that old New York essence.

Earlier this Summer, however, Donut Pub did something they haven’t done in their fifty-plus years of operation. They opened a second location. Located just off Astor Place, their “downtown” location is almost an exact replica of their classic establishment, but with an apparent upgrade. The layout is the same and so are the donuts, but everything downtown has a whole new shine. The walls are sparkling white and not a faded yellow, the neon glows with classic, bright colors (hitting that sweet spot of nostalgia, but still cool), and the walls are adorned with pleasing visuals. Walls of ceramic donuts line the store giving it a cutting new-edge feel.

The new spot doesn’t have the same character as its older brother and it doesn’t have that same old spirit, but when the donuts are the same and as good as ever, it’s hard to not still feel excited. Having survived for decades on customer loyalty and simple, honest to goodness donuts, it’s nice to have another spot to pick up these wonderful delights and if the new freshness isn’t quite your thing, you can always fall back to the classic, and when you’re there, grab a marble, blueberry, or red velvet glaze. You won’t regret it.

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Seeking local donuts

Whenever I travel, I try to find a local donut shop to check out. As I wrote about last time, they can be hard to find. Sometimes that’s because Dunkin’ dominates and there really aren’t local options; other times, it’s because they are tucked away.

I recently visited Cape Cod, Massachusetts, which is generally dominated by Dunkin’ and a local chain called Honey Dew. However, I got lucky a few years ago when I discovered Chatham Village Cafe and Bakery, where they make classic donut flavors like cinnamon sugar (below), old fashioned, chocolate-iced and Boston creme. Getting a large iced coffee and a truly fresh, homemade donut, then sitting on the picnic tables outside, is an incredible way to start the day.

Chatham Village Cafe and Bakery

This past weekend, I decided to go on another donut trek, this time about 30 minutes north of where I live, to Peekskill, NY. There, tucked into the ground floor of the Peekskill Brewery, is Peaceful Provisions, a tiny outpost for small-batch donuts. From the outside of the brewery, you would never know there is a donut shop inside. But once there, I loved their small, yet impressive selection of donuts, which were mostly filled creations like their special maple pecan donut filled with cherry compote.

  • Peaceful Provisions menu
    Peaceful Provisions menu
  • Peaceful Provisions
    Selection from Peaceful Provisions

Both of these experiences were so awesome, but I had to seek out these locations and really explore to find them. Local donuts definitely exist, but they are not always obvious or easy to find. These spots may not have big signs, ad campaigns or locations in every rest stop on the highway. But when you track them down, they are pretty special.