Author: Marc

Marc collects vinyl, is obsessed with music, donuts, and has picked up a passion for great service from Jason. His current favorite donut is Carrot Cake from Doughnut Plant.
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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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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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Doughnut Plant: Pride Donut

Every month, Doughnut Plant has seasonal specials. In honor of Pride, the flavor of June is a Pride-themed raspberry yeast donut in the shape of a triangle with rainbow stripes.

When Doughnut Plant announced their monthly special for June, Jason sent me a message and said “we should place an order for the team.” If you don’t know, Jason and I work together and back when our company and team was (much) smaller, we’d regularly order a dozen (or two) donuts for the team on Fridays to help boost spirits and camaraderie before the weekend. That’s a little harder for us to do now that our team is over 100 people, but for Pride, we brought the tradition back.

When our company changed our logo to incorporate a rainbow for the month of June, I stopped by Doughnut Plant on the way to work and said “I’ll take all of your Pride donuts, please.” When I got to the office, I sent an email to the team and said “No matter how you identify, I’m happy you’re here and part of the work family so we can all live, love, and work fearlessly together, 24/7.”

Jason posted a photo of the beautiful treats to Instagram with the caption “Being yourself is something we talk about every day on my team, and is even more appropriate during Pride Month.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByjUL5sn4Ho/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I love sharing my passion for donuts with others and seeing smiles across the office as the sweet treats brighten the days of so many people. More importantly, I’m passionate about creating spaces where people can feel welcome and free to true to themselves. Thank you Doughnut Plant for letting me do both. So, grab a donut and be yourself. You’re always welcome here. Happy Pride, everyone!

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Service Wins

When it comes to running a business, brand reputation and overall experience are as important as the product itself. A donut may be a 10/10, but if the service and experience are poor, that can almost be more memorable than the taste.

In the case of our quest, we look beyond the donut itself and towards the experience and service that comes along with each store and location. Earlier this year, I was on a trek through the Eastern Hemisphere and made sure to stop for donuts at every city along the way. When I arrived in Seoul, South Korea, I found a shop called Old Ferry Donuts. Their aesthetics were sharp, clean, and modern and their donuts were large, yeast-filled concoctions of pure bliss (I had a tiramisu and a peanut butter on my visit which you can see at the top of this post). For a token of my travels, I looked to see if the shop had anything for sale that I could take home and when I saw the staff all had on matching shirts, I asked if one was available for purchase. Unfortunately they were sold out so I settled for a tote bag instead. As I was leaving, a woman ran up to me and handed me one of their branded take-away boxes and some of their stickers as a sign of gratitude and as an apology for not having what I actually wanted to buy. It was such a kind gesture that made me feel excited and acknowledged as a customer who had traveled a long way to their store. I followed their Instagram account and still like their photos with a fond memory of their delicious donuts and cheery customer service.

Recently, I saw a post that showed their shirts had once again become available for sale. I messaged them on Instagram and asked if they would be able to mail one to me in New York. They told me that the shirts would be available soon and if I reached back out in a month, I could order one. I thanked them and told them about my visit earlier in the winter and much to my surprise they replied to let me know they remembered me and would let me know when they were ready for shipping. I sent them my name and address and when the shirts were ready, I got a package in the mail. As if that wasn’t enough, the package not only had the shirt, but more stickers, and a hand-held fan with their custom artwork.

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot from Jason on how to deliver world class customer support, but a lot of it comes down to his motto of “service wins.” A brand can totally capture and retain loyal customers through effective service with human touches. The odds of me being back in Seoul to visit Old Ferry Donuts any time soon are rather low, but I check their social media frequently and only have the best memories and feelings towards their staff and their business. I’ll be a fan of theirs for life and do my best to replicate this moment and quality interaction in my job for years to come.

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Peter Pan: Red Velvet

Peter Pan Donuts and Pastry Shop is a Greenpoint, Brooklyn institution known for their classic aesthetics and old-time vibes.

Unlike so many other up and coming artisanal shops that you’ll read about on this blog, Peter Pan sticks with tradition and it’s apparent from the moment you walk in to the shop. Trays of hand-dipped donuts line the trays behind the counter and the entire staff wears matching diner-esque attire. In a shop where tradition is key, I keep things simple and at Peter Pan, that means the red velvet. Deep-fried and hand dipped in delicious glaze, it’s a classic that leaves no room for mistakes. On the inside, the dough is soft and moist, begging to be torn apart to eat in small bites or to be shared amongst friends. The chocolatey goodness is light and never intense, a classic donut in the truest sense of the term. It’s simple, basic, and totally delicious. A staple that should be in ever rotation.

Score: 9/10

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Du’s Donuts: Chocolate Caramel Brownie

Chocolate Caramel Brownie from Du’s Donuts is a high-concept cake donut from the mastermind Wylie Dufresne.

A rather new player in the scene, Dufresne’s chic shop is a sleek, cash-only spot located in Williamsburg’s luxury William Vale Hotel and the donuts served up are not your averaged fried-up treat. Dufresne puts the same amount of hard work and science into these tasty treats as he does his other culinary creations and the passion comes through in each bite. The Chocolate Caramel Brownie is a rich experience, full of mouth-watering flavors in each bite. The dense cake is topped with crumbled brownie bits and drizzled in delectable caramel which results in an intense, but deeply satisfying treat. This is no light treat, but almost a full meal on its own.

Score: 8/10

Photo courtesy of Du’s Donuts

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Doughnut Project: Black Gold

The Black Gold (aka Brownie Batter) is a classic yeast donut and one of the regulars from The Doughnut Project

Doughnut Project serves up some of the best yeast donuts in the city. Their particular brand is a light and airy mix that feels both satisfying, but not quite too overpowering like some others in this variety. Taking a basic vanilla flavor of dough and topping it with rich, delicious chocolate and sea slat makes for a perfect combination. In addition to the molten chocolatey goodness, the treat is also topped with dark chocolate cookie crumbs and a dash of sea salt which heightens the flavor and takes it a step beyond your classic chocolate frosted donut. Despite the rather large size, the donut is perfectly delightful and hits the spot without leaving you too full – a perfect start to the day or late afternoon snack.

Score: 9/10

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Doughnut Plant: Carrot Cake

The Carrot Cake donut is a standard filled donut at Doughnut Plant.

Doughnut Plant has a wide range of classic cake and filled cake donuts which they’ve been churning out since the mid 90s. Carrot Cake, a rich, dense carrot cake donut with cream cheese filling, is not only a supreme example of such donut, but showcases their ability to combine remarkable texture with a delectable filling for an artisanal creation that is just as traditional as it is exploratory. The vanilla glaze, with bits of walnuts and carrots, pairs brilliantly with the slight spice of the cake which changes things up from the traditional vanilla or chocolate than tend to dominate the scene. It’s daring enough for one looking to expand their palette and still not a stretch beyond a modern classic.

Score: 10/10

Photo courtesy of Doughnut Plant NYC

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Doughnut Plant: Strawberry Cake

The Strawberry Cake donut is the May 2019 Flavor of the Month at Doughnut Plant. 


Like Doughnut Plant’s signature cake donut, the Strawberry is dense and moist. A darker cake makes up the body and gives a subtle and delectable taste, but with just a hint of the fruit flavor. The icing was a bit crunchy and flaked off by the time I got it out of the wax paper wrapping, but I appreciated the lightness in flavor. Not at all overwhelming, it actually left me hoping for something a bit more intense. Unlike some of their other classics, I didn’t see any actual use of the fruit in the donut which may have led to the lack of total flavor. Still, the consistency and texture was fantastic and satiating.

 
Score: 7/10

Photo courtesy of Doughnut Plant NYC

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Hello!

Hello and thanks for visiting Donut Club NYC.

We’re two dudes who are passionate about donuts. So passionate that for the last year, we’ve made it a weekly tradition to try new flavors and old favorites from the best places in NYC. Now, we’re sharing our discoveries with you! Every week, we’ll share updates on the best donuts from NYC and beyond for your reading (and future eating) pleasure.

Thanks so much for reading!