Sunday, November 18, 2012

Best Donuts & Deli, Clairemont


Yes, yes, I know that I neglected to post a review of a donut shop last weekend. But everything’s fine now, and I’m back on the wagon, checking out local donut shops in my ongoing effort to inform the masses of all the wonderful (and some not-so-wonderful) fried dough that is available for our consumption.
This weekend, I was in dire need of a serious refueling after hitting the trails for a 16-mile run, which is the longest I’ve run in the past three months. There’s nothing quite like the thought of a warm, fresh donut at the finish line to get one through those last few miles.
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In this case, it was more than just donuts that pulled me through that workout—Best Donuts & Deli is not just a donut shop but a Mexican bakery as well. When I walked in, I was surprised to be greeted not by the usual kaleidoscope of icing and sprinkles but by the odd shapes and names of dozens of previously unknown Mexican pastries: calabazas, pan dulce, bollios, pasteles. Half of the racks held these curiosities, and the other half contained a limited selection of raised, cake, and old-fashioned donuts, plus a few crème-filled donuts, fritters, and bear claws. While the selection of donuts was somewhat disappointing, the availability of all the Mexican pastries was a nice surprise.

Could have been much better with a more indiv
We tried out the apple and pumpkin calabazas, which are pastries similar to calzones. I had to try the pumpkin just because it’s the season for pumpkin, but was somewhat disappointed with the bland pumpkin filling, which tasted rather like it came straight from a can. The apple calabaza didn’t fare much better, although both had a nice crust that wasn’t overly sweet. I ended up nibbling the edges of the crust and leaving the pumpkin goo alone after a couple of bites.
Fluff and crunch
The raised donuts, however, were worth the trip to Clairemont. I spotted a raised donut with chocolate icing and chopped peanuts—a combination more often seen on cake donuts—and the blend of light, fluffy dough and crunchy topping was a hit. Also on the menu was an apple fritter with plenty of cinnamon but not enough apples for my taste. When it comes to fritters, I’ve had better; some may disagree, but in my book a fritter should be oozing and bursting with fruit, not speckled with fruit.
One unusual thing about this establishment is that the racks are self-serve: just grab a tissue paper and help yourself to whichever specimens suit your fancy. While this is a nice concept because one can bypass a crushed or misshapen donut in favor of one with a more elegant appearance, keep in mind that plenty of other fingers may have fondled those very specimens, and there’s no telling where those fingers have been. I’d much rather allow someone behind the counter to pick out my donuts with a gloved hand, secure in the knowledge that only the healthiest, cleanest donuts end up on my plate.

I have no idea what these are, but they looked good!
While Best Donuts & Deli offered a good selection overall due to the many types of Mexican pastries, their variety of actual donuts was just average. Taste was average as well, and the self-serve nature of the customer experience was “eh.” Nevertheless, we observed a steady stream of customers, many of whom went straight to the racks with determined expressions, intent on grabbing their favorite calabazas and pasteles before the stocks ran out. We're rating this place as a donut shop, however, and in that regard, Best Donuts & Deli scored 67.5 on the D-Meter, which put it near the bottom of our rankings. Want a calabaza? This is a good place to start. Want a donut? There are plenty of other, better places around town.

Top Ten Donut Meter Scores:
1. Peterson’s Donut Corner, Escondido — 94.0
2. Sunny Donuts, Kearny Mesa — 87.0
3. Savoy Donuts, Escondido — 85.5
4. RB Donuts, Rancho Bernardo — 83.0
5. Donut Haven, Hillcrest — 82.7
6. Super Donuts, Carlsbad — 82.0
7. Danny’s Donuts, Vista — 81.0
8. Christy’s Donuts, Kearny Mesa — 80.0
8. Honey Donuts, Santee — 80.0
10. Golden Donut, University City — 79.3


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