For the first installment of this brand new food column I decided to do a public service for everyone and go on a ‘doughnutventure.’ Like any good holy pilgrimage, I could not do this alone, and with two of my closest friends at my side, I began my journey.
First stop: Holey Moley. Holey Moley is a bakery that opened up in the Third Ward’s Landmark building early July.
Walking up to the display counter, I knew instantly I wanted the Bourbon Indonesian vanilla doughnut. My two friends chose the ‘Fat Elvis’ and the notorious PBCB. The vanilla doughnut’s glaze cracked upon first bite; the dense center is specked with fresh vanilla bean and has the subtle taste of bourbon. The Fat Elvis was a classic combination all on its own, with a peanut butter and banana filling inside of a doughnut glazed with more peanut butter and a drizzle of chocolate with crushed peanuts on top.
The PBCB, (not to be confused with the infamous spring break destination, PCB) is an acronym that stands for three of the most delicious foods ever: peanut butter, chocolate and bacon. In doughnut form! While $2.50 for a doughnut might sound a little steep, the quality and product used is evident in every bite — so treat yourself. What the place lacked in seating they made up for in flavor; my two friends ate their doughnuts in a few quick minutes and we were off to our next destination.
There’s only one way to know if you’re at Chubby’s, and that’s if you’ve driven right up to the drive-thru counter. I first had these amazing mini doughnuts on a late-night drive through the East Side and, at $4 per dozen, how can anything go wrong? The mini doughnuts in a white paper bag come in either powder, cinnamon sugar or mixed. Having only three options made it easy to order and we found ourselves ripping the white paper bags open.
Doughnut let Chubby’s mini doughnuts’ small size fool you, these mini doughnuts are made to order making them warm, goopy and unbelievable. Imagine having all the flavor of a funnel cake and summertime in each bite-size ring of dough. The best part about Chubby’s — aside from the little rings of wonder — are their crazy hours: they are open daily from 6 AM to 3AM!
The last stop on our pilgrimage is the mom-and-pop of all doughnut shops, Honeydip Donuts, just across the street from the Mitchell Park Domes on 27th St. The South Side classic whips up around 35 varieties of doughnuts daily.
I decided to try the classic honey dip doughnut, while my two friends tried the Dutch apple and the Bavarian cream. The honey dip has all the charm you need in one doughnut; the inside is moist, and even in the middle of the day, tastes like it was freshly made! The Dutch apple reminded me of an apple pie, making it the perfect fall doughnut, while the Bavarian cream’s rich filling oozed out of the doughnut’s casing with every bite.
On the way back to campus from our doughnutventure, we realized how impossible it was to say who had the best doughnuts. Each was good at what they did, and that was making great doughnuts!
