Going Gourmet

A reader in Chicago—let’s call him Willy—sent me a clipping from the July 7 edition of the Chicago Tribune, an article entitled “Hole Foods.” (Thanks, Willy!) It features some of the Windy City’s trendy new donut shops, which offer exotic flavors such as lemon-pistachio, coffee cream, PB&J, and crème brûlée. Their prices may be a bit higher than what you’d find in most donut shops, but they nevertheless sell out their small stocks in a matter of hours. When I was growing up in Chicago, all we had were Dunkin Donuts, so it is nice to see some donut shops break the mold and offer more creative flavors. To read the full article, go to:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/ct-dining-0607-doughnuts-20120607,0,585207.column

Crème brûlée, from Glazed
and Infused in Chicago.

This got me wondering when we will see such a “gourmet” donut shop in San Diego. We have plenty of gourmet cupcake shops, but no gourmet donut shops—at least not yet. Some of our donut shops offer imaginative flavors and designs, but PB&J and pistachio donuts? Correct me if I’m mistaken, but gourmet donuts are not to be found in this city. I do, however, believe that sooner or later some clever entrepreneur will realize that donuts are more fun than cupcakes. (Oops, there I go again, bad-mouthing cupcakes, which I actually do like—as long as they are sold at reasonable prices.)

Maple long john with bacon, also from
Glazed and Infused. Sorry, but you'll have to
travel 2,000 miles for one of these.

Now, you might ask me why I don’t just open up my own donut shop and offer these wild and crazy donuts. Well, I’m pretty happy with my day job, and besides, I like eating donuts more than I like making them. Making donuts is hard work, and a donut maker’s day often starts at 1:00 a.m., so that the donuts can be ready for customers when the sun comes up. That doesn’t mean I won’t try out some crazy recipes in my own kitchen, but I’ll stick to small batches that I can share with my friends and family.