Dave's Donut Blog

Good Day Donuts – Mission Hills, CA

2011-10-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

3 ¾ Nadas

There are two approaches to business that I commonly see. The first is: choose a product and make it the best it can be. Let your business be known for the quality and superiority of that one product and push it hard… real hard.

The second way to do business is more of a “fish net” tactic. Throw a broad net and catch whatever you can.

Good Day Donuts surprised me. They were a café, ice cream shop, mini mart, and donut shop all wrapped into one. And the best part is…. They were great at it all, especially the donuts!

Vibe of Shop: 2 ½ Nadas

There was good seating, but it was a little crowded. This is understandable, since it is also a mini mart. Surprisingly they stayed true to the donut, making good use of donut pink in the décor.

Outside Appearance: 3 Nadas

Nestled in a respectable strip mall it felt donut worthy though there was no outdoor seating.

Hours: 4:30am – 8:00pm

Service: The lady was a bit eggy and cold, but the milk was warm.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 ½ Nadas

This is the one redeeming factor that takes this place to the next level. Super moist and fluffy, the glaze was almost perfect but just a little too heavy. The taste of the donut was sweet but not overbearing.

Blueberry Donut? No.

Coffee: 2 Nadas

Watered down and tastes like Los Angeles river water with sediment.

Special: This place was a mini mart so one could buy anything from lotto tickets, to hats and sunglasses, to beer and smoothies, and even full hot meals. One could survive for weeks locked up in this place, though the donuts would most likely go stale pretty quick.

PS. The custard filled chocolate donut was AMAZING!!!

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Do something nice for someone today.

2011-10-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

Today, as I looked through old photos on my computer I was reminded of a good friend who understood my affinity for donuts and wanted to do a kind thing for me. I was in Mexicali for the week with a youth group from Sacramento and we were there to serve a few churches in Mexico. We were staying at a large church that used to be bustling with people, but after a series of bad events it is now a small group of devoted followers of Jesus, trying to keep the church alive. My friend, Julio, is a young college student who leads the music there. He is a very talented musician with a huge heart.

Every time I head to Mexico or other "3rd world" countries I am reminded how fortunate we are here in California. I take for granted how easy it is for me to get clean drinking water, or how convenient it is to get food where ever and when ever I want. If I'm hungry at 1:00am all I have to do is jump in my car, head to Taco Bell, swipe a small piece of plastic, and fill my mouth with food I didn't really need.On that pleasant Mexican afternoon, Julio showed up with a smirk on his face, box of local donuts in hand and asked me how these donuts rated. I was blown away that he would share what little he has with me, only to bring a smile to my face.

Now, today, I am sitting here remembering how great it was to receive a small, thoughtful gift from a friend. I want to challenge you to go do something nice for someone today. It doesn't have to be big. Maybe it's just buying them a donut and giving a compliment. Whatever it is, you may make their day... and yours.PS. The Mexican donuts were tasty, but don't drink the water ;-)

MK’s Jelly Donuts & Pure Water – Sebastopol, CA

2011-10-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 2 Nadas

Now that I’ve been blogging for the past three years about donuts and where to find them, I feel that I’ve really sharpened my donut radar. Once in a while I’ll be surprised, though, as we turn a corner and, BAM! It’s donut time. I had high hopes for this little shop, but alas, they were dashed upon the rocks of self respect for my taste buds and the knowledge quality donuts.

Vibe of Shop: 2 Nadas

Sad to say, but the interior was bland and had no fung shwey. There was enough room to throw country square dance, but these donut slingers poorly executed their interior design. The one redeeming factor was the wall art. The awkward photos of kids made me feel the warm, fuzzy love these Donut Shop Owners must have for their kids.

Outside Appearance: 3 ½ Nadas

I was pretty excited as we drove by this small strip mall. The Donut Shop was tucked in the corner next to an old-school Barber shop and a Taqueria, and the vibe threw the feeling that is was time for a donut party! As I walked by the Barber shop I noticed there were heaps of old dudes getting trimmed up while enjoying telling their tall tales as dead deer heads hung above listening in. There was no outdoor seating but the parking lot was very maneuverable.

Hours: Open 7 Days a week

Mon – Fri (Earlier than you want to be awake):30am - 6:00pm

Sat – Sun 5:00am - ?:00pm

Service: 2 ½ Nadas

The lady wasn’t friendly and the donut baker looked like an Asian zombie.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 2 Nadas

The glaze was great, the fluff was ok, but the flavor of the dough was bad and way too dry.

Blueberry Donut? Yes! They had a blueberry donut but it tasted like a donut from 7 Eleven: overly processed and full of unhealthy preservatives.

Coffee: 2 Nadas

I’m confident there was some amount of caffeine, but it tasted watered down and the flavor was near tree bark.

Special:

Part 1: They sold filtered water at this shop. I think most of their income must come from that because the donuts were not good. Tyson called his old fashion donut Cardboard Diaper flavor.

Part 2: They were promoting a rap contest with a cash prize. I respect that, foo.

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"You woke me up to say the word donut?!"

2011-09-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

Tyson loves the donut.

Mr. T’s Delicate Donut – Modesto, CA

2011-09-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop Rating: 4 Nadas

When you find yourself in the central valley of California, which I personally recommend staying away from, and you are hungry for a donut, go to Star Donuts in Lodi. If you aren’t near Lodi and instead you are in Modesto, go to Mr. T’s Delicate Donut. There’s not much I like about Modesto, but Mr. T’s has now been put on the “Happy Things About Modesto” list.

Vibe of Shop: 4 Nadas

This place has a great balance of clean and classy while still firming holding onto a small town mom-and-pop shop feel. It has plenty of space for eating donuts and conversing with friends, old and new.

Outside Appearance: 4 Nadas

I liked the clean appearance of the strip mall. It felt very classy and tidy. The only thing I would ask for is outdoor seating… although this is Modesto and it is blazing hot most of the year, so never mind.

Hours: 24 Hours

Service: 4 Nadas

Happy. Friendly. Asian. I’d like to be his friend.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 Nadas

Sometimes when you have a birthday someone will surprise you with a wonderful thoughtful gift. Sometimes when I walk into a donut shop and eat a glaze donut, I have that same feeling. This was a pleasant donut with great fluff and moistness. The only thing lacking was that the glaze was too thin.

Blueberry Donut? Yes! And it was good. Mmmmmm.

Coffee: 3 Nadas

Not bad, not good.

Special: I was blown away by the amount of creative donuts such as the Little Feet, Bowtie, Devils Wisp, Better Wisps, and more!

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Selma Donuts (formerly The Bears Den) - Selma, CA

2011-09-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating 4 ¼ NadasWhen I was about 11 years old, I went to Magic Mountain with my best friend, Jeremy. I was challenged to face one of the largest fears in my life up to that point: to ride a rollercoaster that goes upside down. Oh man, I was scared. I followed the line winding back and forth as I watched the coaster do it’s single loop over and over, and then I actually walked back out to the entrance saying I couldn’t do it. Finally my buddy talked me into it so we rode the ride (I think it was called Revolution) and I realized that going upside down on a rollercoaster isn’t that bad at all. In fact, it was fun! I was growing up.

That story has nothing to do with donuts or a donut shop, but later that day as we were walking along I looked down and found a Twenty dollar bill! I, being a good kid, asked my friend’s dad if I should turn it in. He directed me to tell an attendant, and the said I could keep it. I was so pumped! It was like winning the lottery, though I wouldn’t even know what the lotto was until years later. Anyway, finding Selma donuts was like finding that $20 bill. I was driving along an alternate route from Hume Lake to SoCal and, Boom! There it was: an Oasis in this never ending farming community.

Vibe of Shop: 4 Nadas
It had great space for seating and vibing out with friends.Outside Appearance: 3 Nadas
There was no seating outside, and it had the wrong name for it’s sign (The Bears Den), but it was a nice strip mall equipped with pizza shop and laundry.

Hours: 4am – 4pm

Service: 5 Nadas
The gal serving was so friendly and kind. She had a great smile. We had a great conversation about why most donut shops are owned by Cambodian families. Her theory was that it’s passed through relatives. I’ll try and research this further to verify, but dang, Cambodians know how to make good donuts. Nada is Cambodian and he went back home. I miss you, Nada.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 ¾ Nadas
Soooo soft and slightly moist with the perfect crisp glaze and a wonderful flavor that wasn’t overwhelming. It was almost perfect.

Blueberry Donut: Yes!
But sadly, they were sold out by the time we got there.

Coffee: 4 ½ Nadas
Good smooth flavor, and pleasant taste. I enjoyed not having to stop at another coffee shop to rinse out the bad taste as I occasionally do with other donut shop coffee

Special: They make sandwiches and sell cereal.

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Note: I couldn't find Selma Donuts on googlemaps.com so I used the closest business

Yum Yum Donuts – Willow Glen, CA

2011-09-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop Rating: 3 Nadas

Sundays are my favorite days. I’m usually leading music for a church in any given town in California and, as I’ve traveled, I’ve noticed that donut shops must love Sundays also. In my experience, before or after church the local donut shops are packed with early rising church-goers and it makes me wonder how connected Jesus and donuts are. I would love it if, when I get to heaven, God tells me that when he provided mana for the Israelites in the desert, it was actually donuts. On this Sunday I found myself in Willow Glen and after church I was hungry so I wandered until I stumbled on Yum Yum Donuts.

Vibe of Shop: 3 ¾ Nadas

I’ve noticed that there are these posters I see all over the place in corporate donut shops. There’s one I particularly appreciate: “With a donut in each hand anything is possible.” This place was very clean and put together like good chain should be, but I prefer a more vintage donut shop feel.

Outside Appearance: 4 Nadas

This place had a nice corner location with ample parking and a pay phone. The only thing missing is some tables for donut consumption and vibe out time with old friends.

Hours: “24 Hours - Always Open”

Service: 2 Nadas

I can understand that shops get busy and stuff, but I appreciate it when the servers make the customers feel welcomed like a guest in a home. This place was all business.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 3 Nadas

Average. That’s about all I have to say. The balance was off between the fluffiness and moistness.

Blueberry Donut? Yes, but I didn’t try it.

Coffee: 3 Nadas

Sometimes coffee is just coffee and that’s all you need. On this day I didn’t need froo-froo coffee. I was in the mood for black liquid consciousness. This coffee did the job but didn’t impress at all.

Special: I really enjoyed the beautiful sprinkles and bright colored frostings on the donuts. It made me feel like a child again as I smiled in my reminiscent moment.

Also, I laughed at the poster that said Nutrition. I know that they are legally obligated to post nutrition facts but I thought it funny that the word nutrition was posted in a donut shop.

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Heavenly Donuts – Redding, CA

2011-09-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 3 Nadas
Redding, CA, a place that reminds me of the good ol’ days when cowboys walked the streets toting guns and gold-rush miners hit the saloon after finding gold nuggets in streams. I feel that not much has changed here in Redding, except that you can’t take your guns to town anymore. It’s probably a good thing. On this day, I found myself in Redding to attend my friend’s wedding, and Travis Oberg and I spotted this shop while driving through town.

Vibe of Shop: 3 Nadas
My friend Alex hit the nail on the head: “The vibe is not awesome… but it’s clean” – Alex Braica… They had a good donut display but honestly, it was a little too corporate for me.

Outside Appearance: 2 ½ Nadas
They had an impressive presence on the corner of a busy street. The huge sign and bright colors caught my attention immediately and drew me in like a bee to the honeysuckle. The main problem was that there was no place to sit outside and it wasn’t in a strip mall.Hours: 24 Hours

Service: 4 Nadas
The lady, though not of Asian decent, was very friendly and really kooky. I think she likes life, and donuts, a lot. Fun times.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 3 ¾ Nadas
The donut had good fluffiness and a nice crisp glaze. It was decently moist, but there was just something slightly off about it. I couldn’t figure it out, which is disappointing given my donut knowledge and status in the online donut community. I’m only human, afterall.

Blueberry Donut? Yes! But unfortunately it sucked.

Coffee: 3 ½ Nadas
Slightly, almost, questionably, and arguably just about average. I didn’t gag, so that’s always a plus.

Special: Oreo donut looks cool and is a creative concept but don’t be fooled. It tasted like cardboard coco mixed with shaving cream.

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Express Donuts – Lodi, CA

2011-08-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 4 ¾ NadasUp to this point, when I find myself in Lodi, CA, I can only thing of one place I would like to visit, and that is Star Donuts which I have deservingly dubbed, “The best donut east of Santa Cruz.” I say all this because I honestly didn’t think Lodi could offer much more but, boy, I was wrong! My buddy, Tyson, and I were on a hunt for a whiffle ball set when we drove past this little gem. Please, if you have the time, stop here and honor your taste buds by eating a glaze donut.

Vibe of Shop: Insane Nadas
Though there was no donut pink involved, this place embodied the classic donut shop vibe and there was plenty of seating for all!

Outside Appearance: Grungy Nadas
I truthfully wouldn’t have expected such a delicious thing to come out of such a ghetto looking building, but then again, I’m kind of shallow at times and I tend to judge on appearances. My favorite part was the taco truck just outside the door tucked under the shade of the tree in the parking lot. You can have lunch and dessert by walking 10 paces!Hours: Honestly, I was too excited about the tasty donut that I didn't check on the hours. I'll just have to go back... Oh darn. ;)

Service: Kind and Happy Nadas
This lady was amazing! She truly reminded me of a happy aunty who won’t stop feeding me even when I say I’m done and can’t fit anymore in my belly.

Taste of Glaze Donut: Boom-a-licious Nadas
I did not have high expectations but when I took my first bite my jaw dropped with amazement. It was so perfect… moist, fluffy, and perfect glaze.

Blueberry Donut? Yes, and it was amazing. Just ask Tyson.

Coffee: Warm and energizing Nadas
I was so happy to enjoy a cup of joe at this point. Searching for a whiffle ball set is much harder than you would think.Special: When you make donuts this quality and tasty you don’t need gimmicks or specialties to draw customers. The donut does all the promotion itself. Go see for yourself. Be informed: we are getting closer everyday to finding the best donut in the world.

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K D's Doughnuts and Desserts - Ramona, CA

2011-08-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop Rating: 3.5 Nadas
You may be thinking “Hey, who is this Tyson character? Isn’t this website called ‘Dave’s Donut Blog? How does Tyson expect me to respect his opinion on donuts and donutry when he has no qualifications that I know of?” – This is perfectly understandable, as Dave is widely recognized as a wordwide virtuoso of all tenets of the donut world and I am nothing more than, well, some guy or whatever. So please take this particular blog as a kind of wikipedia in the world of scholarly donut articles.

I have been taking a break from playing bass with Kokua to do some music at various Young Life properties in California. This gave me ample donut tasting oppurtunities which I took eager advantage of. This particular day I sampled some of the craftsmanship of KD Donuts in Ramona, California – but not alone. In fact I employed the taste buds of three more donut critics: Martin Cachero and AJ Pitkin from San Diego, as well as a donut critic abroad: Sean Pearson, a pastry enthusiast from Phoenix, Arizona.

Overall Vibe of shop: 3.5 Nadas
The exterior had a well designed, clean sign, as well as decal of layered donuts. I should have taken a picture of the decal but I didn’t. Think about it like this: a donut transport airplane broke in two during a flight over Detroit and all the donuts fell into the empty swimming pool of a bygone millionaire who moved to the Bahamas after he closed his automobile manufacturing plant and fired all the employees (that’s why the pool was empty) – and then somebody snapped a quick picture and made it into a window decal. I’m not sure if that’s the way this decal came to be but hey, it’s like a way to understand, you know? The interior wasn’t usual donut shop interior. It had pictures that weren’t of budda or island scenery. A little use of donut pink was apparent - and - surprisingly, there were ample pictures of Ramona, as well as a lot of advertisements for the California Lottery. If your day is going pretty good, why not get a donut, right? And then, your day is really looking up, so why not win the lottery? KD Donuts know how to do a correct sell of the lottery.

Service: 5 Nadas
The service here was like no other service I’ve ever encountered in a donut shop. When we informed the nice woman behind the counter, named Stephanie I think, that we represented a donut blog, she went out of her way to accommodate us – even giving us free donuts! Hooray! That’s another $3.45 towards my future children’s college fund. Her husband came out of the back to give us a tour of the donut case. “The maple bar has a money back guarentee. If you don’t like it, your money back!” Five stars, sir. He even let us take a picture of him holding a donut with Martin, Sean and AJ. He let us behind the counter which was exciting. (See illustration 1.a)Regular Glaze: 2 Nadas
Martin had this one, and he wasn’t impressed. He even called it trash, which is like a slap in the face to any donut. Calling a donut trash is like calling a human being 10 swear words in their own language. I think perhaps KD Donuts has been smitten with the “Krispy Kreme Kurse” where the donuts are delightfully crispy and soft and delicious in the morning, and then turn into a round shaped turd tasting donut in the afternoon, like a werewolf in reverse. Stephanie even told us that we had to come back in the morning. She backed it up by showing that over half the case was empty from the numerous early bird donut consumers. (See image 1.b).

Blueberry Donut: yes.
AJ tried this one. To his disappointment there were no real blueberries baked into the donut, but hey, we were in Ramona, not Monte Carlo. Who do you think you are, man? They also had a regular glaze with blueberry frosting. Yum ahoy! Sean thought this was a top notch donut, adding that it would be better in the morning.

Coffee: N/A
We didn’t try the coffee because it was a flamboyant 207 degrees farenheit outside. Call me what you will, but I wasn’t in the mood.

Special:
Cash only! I like cash-only donut shops. They stay true to American currency. They way it was, and should be. Cash-only is 101 in donut culture.

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Note from the donut blog guru, Dave: Tyson is a good friend of mine. We have been playing music together for a long time and we visited many donut shops together. He is still a donut padawan learner, but I feel he has been adequately trained and his opinion can be taken as near truth. I'll let you know all know when I feel he has outgrown his donut critiquing adolescence.

Christy’s Donuts – Danville, CA

2011-07-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating 3 NadasOn this day, my friends and I found ourselves on a backyard concert tour called the Fire Pit Tour. We were in Danville playing at the Wisenor abode and before the show we needed some refreshment so we headed to their local donut shop just around the corner from their home.

Vibe of Shop: 3 ½ Nadas
When I walked inside I enjoyed the home-like feel of the joint, but I did feel a little cramped. It was like a miniature house for dolls, but with donuts.

Outside Appearance: 4 Nadas
Nestled in a nice nook of a strip mall and surrounded by a thrift store for old people, I enjoyed the seating outside, though at the time it was occupied by a mom and her children. I wish they weren’t there because it was a beautiful day outside and I wanted to enjoy my dough nugget in the sun.

Hours: Mon-Fri 5:30am-5pm, Sat 6am-2pm, Sun 6am-1pm

Service: 4 Nadas
The servers were kind and helpful… and Asian. Always a plus.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 3 Nadas
I visited this place with my friend, Kent, and his kids and I had high hopes because he built it up as his regular stop. I’m sorry, Kent, but they just didn’t bring the excellence I was hoping for.Blueberry Donut? Yes
I’ve heard it said that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover and in the same way I will say: You can’t judge a donut by it’s glaze. This donut looked great but was just average. Again, I’m sorry, Kent. I wish I could give a higher rating for your sake. Maybe it’s just because we came later in the day, but a good donut should hold it’s it’s course til the end of donut day.

Coffee: 3 Nadas
Average, but it didn’t make me gag so that’s always a good thing.

Special: My favorite part about the shop were the old movie posters and random decorations on the walls. Also, I enjoyed the polka dot wall paper.

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Donut Rising - Chico, CA

2011-04-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 4 Nadas
In my extensive donut research I have found that there are 3 categories of donut shops: corporate shops (Krispy Kreme, Dunkin Donuts), small family owned shops (Ferrell’s Donuts, Dunlap Donuts), and crazy boutique shops (Voodoo Donuts, Psycho Donuts). Donut Rising falls in the last category and does the “boutique donut thing” well! I loved the thought and planning that went into the décor and I love the interesting and creative approach to the donut flavors. Chico, being a rootsy college town and the home of the successful and creative brewery, Sierra Nevada, I wouldn’t expect less of their donut culture. Donut Rising is quality and a great donut stop!

Vibe of Shop: 4 ½ Nadas
When I walked in, I was floored by the décor. The use of donut pink was skillfully balance with the bright green and checkered floors. One can’t help but smile and feel a little crazy when walking into this shop.

Outside Appearance: 3 Nadas
I enjoyed the location, being nestled in a quaint strip mall and being neighbors of Wok’N Roll Hawaiian BBQ. I was disappointed that there was no outdoor seating.

Hours: 7am – 3pm-ish

Service: 4 Nadas
The girl who helped us was very kind and informative and after talking a bit, I found out she was a part owner. For the record, she wasn’t of Asian descent, but she made a killer donut!Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 Nadas
The donut was fully, moist, and the glaze was near perfect. The flavor didn’t necessarily stick out, though. Maybe it’s because I was so excited about trying the bacon maple bar.

Blueberry Donut… I’m not sure. I was so distracted by all the crazy flavors (like Maple Bacon and Chai) that I forgot to look. Coffee: 4 Nadas
It was delicious and simple. I don’t know what else to say.

Special: Obviously, this shop is shooting for creativity and the unique taste niche. I was so pumped on the Chico Chai donut. I would highly recommend it! The Maple Bacon… Mmmmm. Perfect blend of saltiness and sweet. Actually, while we were sitting there discussing the flavors, my friends, Chris, Travis, and I came up with a new twist… We call it the Volcano: a donut with Bacon, Maple frosting, and filled small bits of jalapenos! I can’t wait for someone to try and create it! I would, except I don’t know how to make a decent raise glaze yet. First things first…

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Fluffy Donut - Davis, CA

2011-04-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 3 ½ NadasDavis, CA is a wonderful college town tucked in the middle of farm lands and perfect flat terrain for riding bikes. When you get tired from all the pedaling around town, bike your way on over to Fluffy Donut for some refreshment. I haven’t spent much time in this peaceful town, but I hope to find myself here more in the future so I can thoroughly explore and experience the donut culture of Davis.

Vibe of Shop: 4 Nadas
This place has ample seating and plenty of soft donut pink in the décor that makes me feel right at home. There are large windows in the front of the store that provide for lots of natural light to keep the vibe bright and happy.

Outside Appearance: 5 Nadas
I haven’t found a more relaxing exterior of a donut shop as this. There were tables and chairs, park benches and lots of nice foliage that provided a relaxing feeling.

Hours: 5:30am-5:00pm

Service: 2 1/2 Nadas
The nice Asian man was witty and friendly but super slow. I can understand why as he had to serve donuts and make sandwiches all by himself.Taste of Glaze Donut: 3 Nadas
As the title of the shop states, this donut was fluffy, but a little too fluffy for my taste. The glaze was a little too crispy and dry, and the flavor of the donut was too ordinary. Nothing really stuck out to me.

Blueberry Donut: When we were there they didn’t have a regular blueberry cake donut, but they did have an old fashion blueberry donut. I didn’t try one since I just had a huge burrito and I could barely handle eating any more.

Coffee: 3 ½ Nadas
The coffee had a good flavor but was watered down.

Special: This donut shop doubled as a sandwich shop. I noticed that they kept busy serving as many sandwiches as donuts. This is admirable as they were literally next door to a Subway Sandwich shop.

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Dunlap’s Donuts - Santa Cruz, CA

2011-04-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop Rating: 4 1/2 NadasDunlap’s Donuts, known to my friends and I as 38th donuts, is perfectly located on the corner of Portola and 38th Ave. It’s a few short blocks from the popular surf spots known as the Hook, Pleasure Point, and 38th Ave, which makes this the regular stop after surf sessions. Honestly, there’s not much better than tasty fried sugary dough after paddling around for a couple hours in 50 degree water. Also, I’ve always loved the servers there. I believe it’s run by a Cambodian family and I’ve enjoyed seeing some of their kids grow up over the years (I’ve been going here for a long time).

Vibe of the Shop: 5 Nadas
This is the perfect donut lounge scenario. donuts in the middle, seats all around. No matter what time you get there, there’s a big possibility 2 to 3 older guys will be sitting in the corner talking about the good ol’ days.

Outside Appearance: 4 1/2 Nadas
I love the quaint look, the location, and ample parking, but I wish there were some tables and chairs outside so that one could soak in the sun while enjoying a sugary morsel.Hours: I’m not sure the exact hours, but I do know that they are open earlier than you want to be awake, and they stay open til at least 8 at night. Definitely not 24 hours.

Service: 5 Nadas
Every time I go in the lady named, Linda, serves with smile… either her or her son, who is also super cool.

Taste of the Glaze Donut: 4 Nadas
Honestly I’ve had better, but these donuts are still really tasty. It has good moistness/fluffiness/density ratio and the glaze is not too thin and not too overbearing.

Coffee: 3 Nadas
Santa Cruz has such a great coffee culture so if you want excellent coffee all you have to do is walk about 200 yards north to Coffeetopia or walk a block south to the award winning Verve Coffee. The coffee at Dunlap’s is just average but it does the job and it’s cheap!

Blueberry Donut: Yessssss!!!! And actually this is the blueberry donut that I use as the standard for all others. I believe that this is their strength. It could be that a blueberry donut is the perfect post-surf snack, though.

Go surf and get a donut!

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A letter from a fellow donut connoisseur

2011-03-29T23:52:00.000-07:00

*Note* Ben is my good friend and trusted donut critic. He and I have visited a few shops together and discussed the intricacies that make up a great donut, so I give my validating approval to whatever he says. Ben, I'm sorry to say that you really missed out. I recently visited Trisha's, and though the smell was not strong, the taste nearly drove me crazy. These little guys are "Lightning in a Bottle." We'll just have to go there together sometime soon and share in the donut experience.

From an email Ben sent me....

I read Andrew's guest donut blog about the pier 39 donuts, and I'm kind of angry.

When I was in New Zealand, the mini donuts were a life changing experience. Between the two islands, I only found them in the very first city and very last city I visited. And believe me...I looked. I only found the second mini donut shop because I smelled it. Kristen and I were walking through a mini-mall and the smell hit me. I got so excited I nearly lost bowel control. We were right next to a bakery, so I turned and stepped inside...and the smell ceased.

"They're not here...we must keep looking!"

I returned to the promenade and followed my nose a few doors down. Heaven again. Lightning in a bottle.

Then, on Kristen's birthday (last Thursday), I went to pier 39. I saw the mini-donut shop. And I didn't buy them. Because that smell was absent. I walked all around the shop, searching for that haunting fragrance. Nothing. I stuck my head as close to the window as I could, and still nothing. I saw some people buying and eating them, and they didn't look quite as sparklingly brilliant as the New Zealand ones. So I didn't buy them, because I couldn't risk putting mediocre mini donuts in a mouth that had tasted such sublime excellence.

And then today I checked your blog, saw that post, and wondered if I had missed out on more lightning in a bottle. And now I'm conflicted and therefore, as I mentioned above, angry.

Miss you brother. Take care!

-Ben

Dunlap’s Donuts - Santa Cruz, CA

2011-03-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop Rating: 4 1/2 NadasDunlap’s Donuts, known to my friends and I as 38th donuts, is perfectly located on the corner of Portola and 38th Ave. It’s a few short blocks from the popular surf spots known as the Hook, Pleasure Point, and 38th Ave, which makes this the regular stop after surf sessions for my friends and I. Honestly, there’s not much better than tasty fried sugary dough after paddling around for a couple hours in 50 degree water. I’ve always loved the servers there. I believe it’s run by a cambodian family and I’ve enjoyed seeing some of their kids grow up over the years (I’ve been going here for a long time).

Vibe of the Shop: 5 Nadas
This is the perfect donut lounge scenario. donuts in the middle, seats all around. No matter what time you get there, there’s a big possibility 2 to 3 older guys will be sitting in the corner talking about the good ol’ days. On this day my friends, Travis, Josh and I were trying testing out our "old man" legs... The gentlemen next to us weren't very keen on us sitting so close to them while the rest of the shop was empty. :)

Outside Appearance: 4 1/2 Nadas
I love the quaint look, the location, and ample parking, but I wish there were some tables and chairs outside so that one could soak in the sun while enjoying a sugary morsel.

Hours: I’m not sure the exact hours, but I do know that they are open earlier than you want to be awake, and they stay open til at least 8 at night. Definitely not 24 hours.

Service: 5 Nadas
Every time I go in the lady named, Linda, serves with smile… either her or her son, who is also super cool.
Taste of the Glaze Donut: 4 Nadas
Honestly I’ve had better, but these donuts are still really tasty. It has good moistness/fluffiness/density ratio and the glaze is not too thin and not too overbearing.

Blueberry Donut: Yessssss!!!! And actually this is the blueberry donut that I use as the standard for all others. I believe that this is their strength. It could be that a blueberry donut is the perfect post-surf snack, though.

Special: The decorations in the bathroom are interesting.

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Donut Wheel – Cupertino, CA

2011-02-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

Overall Shop Rating: 4 NadasSome donut shops understand the importance of supply and demand. This shop is conveniently located in the Silicon Valley near some colleges. College students regularly need munchies and a place to study late into the night. Providing for their needs, Donut Wheel is open 24 hours serving donuts and coffee to those who must pull all-nighters to finish papers, or to those who just need a midnight snack.

Vibe of Shop: 4 ½ Nadas
Though there wasn’t much use of “donut pink” this shop had an amazing donut shop vibe. It was super comfortable like a throwback to the 70’s , complete with custom made signs, classic donut shop signs, and a large mounted deer head above the door. There was ample seating and nice booths to chill out in.

Outside Appearance: 3 Nadas

It was not located in a strip mall like most donut shops, but it was perfectly located on the corner with plenty of parking for all. This shop has been around since the 50’s so it has definitely passed the test of time.

Hours: 24 hours

Service: 3 Nadas
The Asian man working in the back wasn’t very friendly. When I couldn’t decide on what donut to taste he got a little impatient. I can understand his point of view, as he has hundreds of donuts to make though out the night. But, I do think friendliness builds a great business vibe. I guess if you’ve been open since the 50’s you can do whatever you want…Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 Nadas
Fluffy, with a good glaze, I thought the donut was a bit on the dry side.Blueberry Donut? No

Coffee: 3 Nadas
Classic donut shop coffee. I wasn’t blown away, but I didn’t throw up either.

Special: I love the deer head above the door, and I love the blunt, random signs.

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Sunshine Donuts – Waterford, CA

2011-01-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Overall Shop rating 3 ½ NadasOnce in a while I find myself playing music in a small town, where, for most people, the town is not usually the destination, but more of a pit stop for food or gas. Waterford is a quaint town on the 132 highway about 30 minutes east of Modesto on your way to Lake McClure or Yosemite. Through my many years of donut experience I knew there would be a donut shop in a town like this, I just wasn’t sure how well it would hold up to the standards of quality produced by competition in larger towns. I was pleasantly surprised at the taste of the glaze donut, but everything else was lacking.

Vibe of Shop: 2 ½ Nadas
This shop was a bit cramped and did not have much seating. Also, the only donut pink I saw were the boxes stacked behind the counter. If I lived in Waterford, CA I would most likely get my donuts to go.

Outside Appearance: 3 ½ Nadas
Located on the highway heading out to Yosemite, I think this location would be ideal for maximum donut sales. Also, this is the only shop in town. They have a monopoly on donut making. The small strip mall (if you can call it that)

Hours: 5am until the donuts are gone or something like that.Service: 2 ½ Nadas
I was not to happy with the service. The Asian lady behind the counter was not very friendly. I expected more hospitality from small town America.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 ½ Nadas
I tasted it first and I knew… So I handed a glaze donut to my buddy… all he could say was, “Oh wow!” This was a great donut. It was fluffy, moist, and the glaze was near perfect.

Blueberry Donut? Yes! And it tasted good… not as good as my hometown blueberry donut, but it was surprisingly good.

Coffee: 3 ½ Nadas
Again, I was pleasantly surprised. The taste of the coffee was nice… And the price was great!!! 75 Cents for a small cup!

Special: I’ve noticed that most Asian-owned donut shops have a shrine to Buddah and a little gold cat statue with it’s paw swinging back and forth. Honestly, I don’t know what it’s all about but I do know that this shop had the best one I have ever seen… There were donuts and coffee on the altar. I couldn’t help but chuckle. God bless them.

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Valley Bible Fellowship Christian School – Bakersfield, CA

2011-01-28T11:29:00.000-08:00

Doing music as a profession calls me to keep strange hours and visit strange places. I’m so thankful for all the opportunities to find new and delicious donuts all over the world. On this particular morning, me and the band had driven through the night to a city called Bakersfield. We had to be up early to play at the school for their chapel, so in order to sleep more we skipped on donuts and coffee. Fortunately for us the school provides donuts and coffee for sale to the kids each morning! What a great idea! I was particularly blown away by the taste of these morsels. I wanted to visit the actual donut shop (Jesse’s Donuts) after we played but we didn’t have time to stick around. My professional opinion would put the glaze donut at a 4 ½ Nada… Near perfect. I will one day visit Jesse’s and give it a proper critique.

Thanks for reading!

Live. Love. Surf. Eat Donuts.
Dave

The Muppets' Swedish Chef Makes Donuts

2010-12-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

The Original Ferrell’s Donuts – Scotts Valley, CA

2010-12-31T12:31:00.000-08:00

Overall Shop rating 2 NadasI usually don’t wake up before 8:30am. Today, I had an appointment to have my car’s oil changed at 7am so I had to be up and out early. After the oil change I found myself with a couple hours before any of my friends would be awake so I thought I would go check out a new donut shop. I found out some Santa Cruz Donut Shop history.

In Santa Cruz there are 5 shops toting the name “Ferrell’s.” I found out that they were originally all owned by the same guy, or by him and his family. According to my source he sold off 2 of them or gave them to a family member who then sold them off. There are the Ferrell’s on Ocean Street and Mission Blvd. After a few years, the original owner wanted to distinguish his shops from the others so he added “The Original” in the name. Too bad for him, the “un-original” shops make better donuts.

Vibe of Shop: 4 Nadas
There was plenty of seating. It felt like a small breakfast café. I wish there was a little donut pink in the mix though.

Outside Appearance: 3 ½ Nadas
I must say that this shop definitely is cute. It is awkwardly located in a lot with auto detailers and auto shops but it sticks out nicely, throwing out a very welcoming vibe.

Hours: Weekdays 5:00am-11:30am, Weekends 6:00am-12:00pm

Service: 1 Nada
The lady seemed grouchy, she wasn’t Asian, and she smelled like smoke. I don’t think I saw her smile once the whole time I sat there and ate my donut.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 2 Nadas
Making the claim, “The Original Ferrell’s” I would expect extreme quality and superiority in the most basic things such as the glaze donut. Instead, I found the donut to be lacking moistness, fluff, and the glaze was slightly too thin.

Blueberry Donut? Yes!!!
The selection is slim and diminishes quickly as they have the donuts delivered so get there early if you want a specific donut. The Blueberry donuts didn’t look as scrumptious as the ones I have found in other Santa Cruz shops but these ones had something special: blueberry icing.Coffee: 3 Nadas
It was just average. Nothing special.

Special: Not much special about this place… although I met a guy who runs the gun shop around the corner. If you need guns, ammo, or archery stuff, it’s real close by.

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Sunny Donuts – San Jose, CA

2010-12-19T17:32:00.000-08:00

Overall Shop rating 3 ½ NadasHappy Holidays! On this cold, blustery, rainy day, I found a warm ray of light in the dark storm clouds. It was a donut shop called Sunny Donuts and it truly brightened my day. I was glad to get out of the rain and dry my bones while enjoying a donut and sipping coffee. I felt right at home as the donut pink counter tops and tables surrounded me like blankets on my bed and an unfamiliar, yet oddly familiar at the same time, asian man hovered behind the counter slinging donuts and coffee. If there was a donut club for men, I guarantee this would be one of the more popular chapters.

Vibe of Shop: 4 Nadas
Great layout. Long shop with plenty of seating highlighted in donut pink. As this is December, there were cute Christmas decorations and a little Christmas tree. I feel like I could spend a lot of time here.

Outside Appearance: 4 ½ Nadas
The appearance of this shop is what originally drew me to this place. I drove by a few days earlier and I made a mental note that I had to come back. I was highly impressed with the location as it is the corner shop in a strip mall, and having wonderful use of donut pink outside as well as in. My most favorite part was the bright donut pink picnic table outside.Hours: Monday – Saturday 5:00am to 10:00pm, Sunday 6:00am to 3:00pm

Service: 3 Nadas
Often when I walk in to a donut shop with camera phone blazing I get suspicious looks from the owners/workers. I wish I knew what they were thinking. Like… “Is he trying to steal our donut secrets?” or “Oh no! Is he from immigration? Act normal… act normal… act like you are legal…” Ha. Anyway, these guys weren’t that friendly. I guess I should be more lenient for some one who has been up all night baking so that I can come pay 75 cents for a donut.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 3 Nadas
The glaze didn’t fully envelop the donut and it was pretty thin. The dough was fluffy, but pretty dry. This was just an average donut. You could find the same quality at 7 Eleven.

Blueberry Donut? No, but they had blueberry filled donuts…. Not the same. ☹

Coffee: 3 Nadas
I ordered a coffee and the man helping me told me it would be a couple minutes until he could fill my cup. I noticed he was making a new pot for me and I had high hopes for greatness. I was only slightly let down when I found that the coffee tasted just average.

Special: This is one of the only donut shops that I have visited that is living in the age of computers and smart phones. I saw www.sunnydonuts.com posted throughout the shop and they also offer free wifi! I while eating my donut I surfed my way to www.sunnydonuts.com and I was impressed at all the helpful information. For example, their donuts have “0 grams of trans fat per serving!” And, they used to be a Dunkin Donuts until they changed their name to Sunny Donuts in 2001. They best part of the website is “Deals” page. They offer multiple coupons, one being a free donut with purchase of a Hot Coffee!!!

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Trish's Mini Donuts - San Fransisco, CA

2010-12-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

Dave's note: occasionally I like to have a guest critic check out a shop and share their thoughts. This blog is by Andrew Penniman, my house mate. I read through this, and though it's hard to believe that he found a donut worthy of 5 Nadas, I can't hold him to my standard of expertise. I have mostly likely tasted hundreds, if not thousands more donuts than he. Still, thank you, Andrew, for taking the time to invest in this blog. We all appreciate it. :)

Overall Shop Rating: 4 1/2 NadasAlthough I have experienced a fraction of the donut shops that Mighty Dave has conquered with incredible valor, I was pleasantly surprised to run into this unique and tasty shop while walking back from a classic San Fransisco dinner of clam chowder in a bread bowl. I could smell the fresh baked mini donuts from two piers away and I followed my nose right to Trish's Mini Donuts.

Vibe of Shop: 3 1/2 Nadas

The shop is walk up only, although there are a few tables outside if you want to sit and enjoy the fresh, hot donuts. It doesn't carry the feel of a tradition shop (no donut pink to be found anywhere) but the donuts they serve up more than cover for the street stand feel.

Outside Appearance: 4 Nadas

They did have a cool sign that was well lit at night, making it easy to spot the source of the delicious smell. The tables outside were clean and provided a good people watching location while we enjoyed the tasty treats.

Hours: Didn't see a sign, although it was around 9 PM that I got the mini mouthfulls of donuty goodness and they didn't look like they were closing down anytime soon.

Service: 4 Nadas

This place was pretty crowded and rightly so, which meant the service was brief but effective. They did go out of their way to make me a fresh batch of coffee.

Taste of glaze donut: 5 Nadas

So they only carry one donut here at Trish's Mini Donuts: The Mini Donut. It is exactly as the name implies. A small version of a regular sized donut, complete with the hole in the middle. As for the taste, it was melt-in-your-mouth, should-have-ordered-more, they-refill-the-bag-for-$2.50 delicousness. I can't recommend enough stopping by this place if you happen to be cruising Pier 39 in San Fransisco. If you have friends, they have a bucket option that could prove tempting if you were one person on a mission to consume as many mini donuts in a day as possible.

Blueberry Donut: Nope

Coffee: 3 1/2 Nadas

It tasted great and as I mentioned before they made me a fresh batch. It was some standard Starbucks drip, but it complimented the minis quite well.Special:

The cool thing about the shop is that you can watch the donuts being made and when they serve them up in the bag, you watch the final process of the cinnamon and sugar being applied right after the donuts are made.

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Brethren Christian High School – Huntington Beach, CA

2010-12-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Overall Morning Rating: 5 Nadas!!!This is a special blog. If you have read all my previous blogs I have mentioned that I am a traveling, working musician. This profession takes me all over the world and I thought I would combine all my traveling with my love for tasty donuts in order to better the world with the knowledge of the location of the greatest tasting donut in the universe! I’m not sure that this adventure will ever end because there is an almost endless supply of donut producers and a limited amount of time in this life, but I vow to do my part so that you may glean my knowledge. And as we all know, knowledge is power.
This brings me to this special donut blog occasion. On this day, Brethren Christian High School invited my band, Kokua, to come and play at their event. The event was a spiritual emphasis day, complete with an all school potluck-style breakfast followed by our music and a special speaker. When I heard “all school breakfast,” I originally thought that there would be a giant grill making pancakes and sausage. Boy, was I wrong! Each class sponsored a table and provided the theme and the food. Lucky for me, many students share my love of donuts!!!

The donuts were tasty! What a great morning! Thanks Brethren Christian H. S.!

This is Dan. He loves donuts.

The Golden Donuts – San Diego, CA

2010-12-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Overall Shop Rating: 2 NadasThe Golden Donut was a golden let down. Today I was craving a donut so my roommates and I went on a search. Upon arrival, this shop was swarming with Senior Citizens like flies on dog poo. Usually this is a sign of tasty donuts and delicious coffee, but today that was not the case. My only explanation can be that, in their old age, these Senior Citizens’ taste buds have died and they are content with eating crap.

Vibe of Shop: 3 Nadas
I sincerely liked the vibe of the shop. Though small and crowded, there was some decent use of “donut pink” and I liked the décor. Visually, it was a little noisy and over-stimulating but I liked the use of foliage to soften the feel.

Outside Appearance: 4 Nadas
Perfectly hidden in the corner of a strip mall, I appreciated the lawn chairs and tables outside. If only they could talk, I’m sure they would have heard some great stories from all the older people who convene there.

Hours: Sun – Fri 4:00am to 3:00pm, Sat 4:00am to 6:00pm

Service: 4 Nadas
The people serving us seemed genuinely nice, but were “all business” when it came to ordering. I think that’s due to the high volume of Senior Citizen customers (they tend to be cranky).

Taste of Glaze Donut: 1 Nada
I was very, very disappointed in the taste. It was dry, not very fluffy, and the glaze was bad.

Blueberry Donut: Yes.

Coffee: 2 Nadas
I have some advice: “Do at least one thing right.” Golden Donut needs to take that and run with it. If you want to be a donut shop and you can’t make good donuts, at least make good coffee. Maybe their strength is in their ability to bring people together… well, this is a donut shop, not Bingo Night at the YMCA.Special: Marketing. This was the first shop that recognized the potential in promoting to churches and schools. “Quantity, not quality” must be the way they operate.

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Donut Den – Crestline, CA

2010-12-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Overall Shop rating: ?This trip brought me and my band to the mountains of Crestline,CA near Lake Arrowhead. The town was a cute mountain town and I did not expect to find a donut shop in such a small community town. I was so pumped to see the Donut Den as we drove through town. We couldn’t stop at that time so we made a special trip later only to find the shop closed, looking as though it’s been closed for business for years. I asked a local about it later and he said that it’s still open but run by a crackhead. I don’t think I’ll be going back for a donut there. Who knows what finds it’s way into the dough….

Vibe of Shop: Creepy

Outside Appearance: 1 Nada
This place looked like an old, forgotten run-down log cabin with all the windows boarded up. I wonder what really went on inside… We may never know.Hours: ?

Service: ?

Taste of Glaze Donut: ?

Blueberry Donut: ?

Coffee: ?

Special: There were really cool benches made out of tree logs outside. They reminded me of Lincoln Logs.

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It's somewhere around there...

K D Village Donuts - Ventura, CA

2010-11-30T15:42:00.000-08:00

Overall Shop Rating: 3 NadasI am continually amazed at the consistent success of the donut industry. No matter where I travel I always seem to spot multiple donut shops in every town, usually one in every strip mall. On this day, I was traveling through Ventura and had to pick up my friend, Daniel LaPoint. This shop was an easy and obvious rendezvous so we decided to enjoy a donut in the process.

Vibe of Shop: 2 Nadas
Some shops feel like “home.” This shop was a home converted into a shop, but without the “home” feeling. Although, I believe the owners actually live in the back, so it is a literal home, and it probably feels like “home” to them…. Just not to me. That could be due to the fact that we visited at 11pm and had to walk through the drive through.

Outside Appearance: 3 Nadas
This store wasn't located in a strip mall. It had a lot all to itself, conveniently located on one of the main roads in Ventura. There were plenty of homes and apartments within walking distance, a desired location for any local business.

Hours: 24 Hours
Though the inside area of the shop is not open past 10pm, you may conveniently walk or drive along the side of the building for 24 hours service.

Service: 5 Nadas
Even in the late hour when we visited this fine establishment the person helping us was helpful and cheery. He even threw in a couple free donuts in the bag! What a great guy!Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 _ Nadas
I was pleasantly surprised at the blend of moist, fluffiness of the dough and the nearly perfect light sugary glaze. To tell the truth, I wasn't expecting such a delicious donut!

Blueberry Donut: Yes!

Coffee: 3 Nadas
Not much to say about it. It was average. On a cold night, it will warm you, and it didn't cause a gag reaction upon consumption.

Special: My favorite part of the shop is the drive thru. I loved the “Please Honk for Service” sign and I couldn't stop laughing at the drive-thru menu. It was grassroots and classy, to say the least. They served coffee drinks and smoothies and highlighted the new flavors well. Ha. I wonder if they would let donutblog.com sponsor a new outdoor menu for them… Hmmmm….

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Kelly’s Donuts – San Clemente, CA

2010-10-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating 4 ½ NadasIn the year 2000 A.D. I was introduced to a man who would change my life forever. His name is Peter Culp. During the summer, Peter and I taught surfing to high school students at a camp called Mount Hermon in Santa Cruz, CA. It was here, on these 5am early mornings that we would consistently head to Ferrell’s Donuts after dawn patrol surf sessions, and it was here that I began to develop my pallet for donuts under the supervision of my friend and donut mentor, Peter.
Now, Peter lives in San Clemente, CA and has a hand full of favorite shops that he regularly enjoys. On this day I was passing through town and asked him to show me what donuts San Clemente has to offer.

Vibe of Shop: 5 Nadas
The shop came with everything I’d want out of a good donut shop… classic donut posters, some good seating for donut consumption, a bit of donut pink in the décor, some signed surf posters of pros who love the donuts, and the most important staple: Old men enjoying donuts and coffee while telling stories of the way things were in the old days. I glimpse into my future every time I see men like that.

Outside Appearance: 4 ½ Nadas
Any donut shop that has a neon sign promoting everything but donuts must be confident that their donuts need no promoting, other than by taste. I found that to be true here. Also, the shop is located in a large strip mall-style plaza that has ample amounts of parking, just in case people rush to donut shops for their donuts just as they rushed to banks for their money during the great depression.

Hours: 5:00am to 5:00pm

Service: 5 Nadas
Asian, friendly, and helpful. Here I don’t so much as see into my future, but I’m given something to strive towards.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 ½
The glaze donut was so close to donut perfection. Great glaze, great moistness, and great fluffiness… but for some reason it was just shy of the mark. I would actually give it a 4 7/8 Nadas but I don’t get that advanced in my fractions for scoring donuts for the sake of readability for the younger donut enthusiast readers.

Blueberry Donut? No

Coffee: 4 ½ Nadas
It was a tasty cup of Joe. It wasn’t bad or old tasting which impressed me since we were visiting later in the day.

Special: They serve Dreyers ice cream, which facilitates potential for monumental donut greatness: A donut-ice cream sandwich!!! Doesn’t that just make your taste buds dance and your stomach turn?

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Solana Donuts - Solana Beach, CA

2010-09-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 4 NadasMy name is David Matsumura. I love donuts, I love Jesus Christ, I love surfing, and I love music. Everyday, I try and fill my day with these four things. I want to inspire and help others do the same. Today, donutblog.com is venturing into a new area. We are proud to announce that we have sponsored our first musical artist, Tyson Mostenbocker. He is currently working on a new EP that should be released in November 2010. I’ve heard it, and it is sounding great. He mixes cool guitar parts with smooth vocals and great story telling… and he has a killer mustache! Check it out for yourself (the music, that is)! Solana Donuts is his local donut shop. Together we visited and talked music and surfing over delicious donuts.

Vibe of Shop: 4 ½ Nadas
I loved the classic feel of this shop. Great use of “donut pink” and plenty of space for seating, or a dance party. There was a disco ball hanging above the donut case making me wonder what goes on in this shop after hours… I also really loved the amazing painting of a tropical beach on the wall.

Outside Appearance: 2 ½ Nadas
It was kind of tucked away in a 2 story strip mall. The outside wasn’t very inviting but I did like that there was the Fish House right above. Fish and Donuts…. Mmmmm.

Hours: Mon – Thurs 5:00am to 9:00pm
Fri – Sat 5:00am to 10:00pm
Sun 6:00am to 12:00pm

Service: 4 ½ Nadas
I believe the lady who served us was named Thim. She was fantastic. She was the perfect asian donut shop owner who runs the front of the store while her husband bakes donuts in the back. I’ve seen this “set up” often and it seems to work well.Taste of Glaze Donut: 3 ½ Nadas
The donut was nice and fluffy and the glaze was great but overall it was a bit dry.

Blueberry Donut: No

Coffee: 3 Nadas
The coffee was just average. It did the job, but didn’t impress me.

Special: 2 things:
1. I love it when donut shops make giant donuts. I would never eat one, but I love looking at them. Here they had a giant raised sugar donut.2. On this day I ordered an apple pastry. It was amazing! The glaze was perfect and the apple filling blew my mind.

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Baker Tom's - Hilo, Hawaii

2010-09-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 4 ½ Nadas Hilo, Hawaii is a town that blends perfectly the hometown country feel and island paradise. There are so many “mom and pop” shops owned by locals that you would never need to go corporate for any meal… or donut.
I spent 2 months hanging out in Hilo with my Grandma, Uncle and Aunty in the Spring of 2010. I searched but could not find a donut shop in this town. Instead I was blown away when I was introduced to the Hawaiian version: the Malasada (originally the Portuguese version of the donut).

Vibe of Shop: 5 Nadas
I loved the vibe. It’s so local and friendly, filled with Aloha.

Outside Appearance: 5 Nadas
This is one of the most unique bakery shops I’ve ever seen. It’s a few miles out of town on the country highway on the way to Waimea. The shop is a converted auto repair shop turned bakery. One garage bay has become the store front and the other has become the lounge.

Hours: 6am-6pm Weekdays, 7am-6pm Weekends

Service: 5 Nadas
I loved that Baker Tom’s mom was the one that served us. I love the personal family touch. Baker Tom’s dad hangs out in the garage turned lounge next door. Amazing.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 Nadas
Technically this wasn’t a glazed donut, and they didn’t even have glaze in the traditional sense, but I didn’t care. I loved the Blackberry, the PB&J, the Canadian Bacon & Cheese, the Lilikoi, and more. Wow!

Blueberry Donut? No, but who needs a blueberry donut when you have a plethora of filled malasadas. You could have breakfast, lunch, and dinner all here inside this wonderful dough… if you can handle all the grease…

Coffee: 3 Nadas
The coffee was good but nothing special. There is a great local shop down the road called Sharky’s that I suggest if you want quality coffee.

Special: I’ve already talked about all the special donuts/malasadas. Instead I want to point out the special advertisement posted on the board at the shop. It’s for the Neuter Scooter. It comes to Spay/Neuter your cats right at your own home.

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Krispy Kreme Doughnuts - San Diego

2010-09-23T19:24:00.001-07:00

Overall Shop Rating: 4 NadasJust as I prefer a local Taqueria over Taco Bell, I usually choose a small donut shop over a corporate chain, but when it’s late and other Taquerias are closed, I choose Taco Bell. This was that night.

Vibe of Shop: 4 Nadas
It kind of feels like you’re in a McDonald’s, but I do really like that you can watch the donuts being made right there on the other side of the window. I wish there were more “Donut Pink” included in the décor.

Outside Appearance: 4 Nadas
The best word to describe the appearance is: Spiffy. The only thing that I didn’t like is that it is so corporate. I guess that’s a personal preference, bit I like smaller “mom and pop” donut shops.

Hours: Honestly, I forgot to look but I know they close at 11pm.

Service: 5+ Nadas
I can’t remember both of their names but Brandon and the girl who helped us were soooo amazingly kind and fun. We had a big order of donuts and Brandon had a smile the whole time. These guys are so cool! Stop by and say hi to them.Taste of Glaze Donut: 2 Nadas
Like I’ve said before, The only way to eat a Krispy Kreme glaze doughnut is warm, right off the conveyor belt.

Blueberry Donut: Yes, kind of…
I didn’t get a regular cake blueberry donut but… I found something sooooo much tastier! Here they had Blueberry Fritters!!! Oh man, it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Mmmmmm.Coffee: N/A
I can’t rate the coffee because the girl who helped me offered to make a whole new pot 30 minutes before closing. I didn’t want her to waste it so I drank the old coffee. Truthfully it wasn’t that good, but I blame that on it being over an hour old. She gave it to me for free, though!

Special: I was blown away at the creativity in donuts that this shop offered. I highly suggest visiting this store, skipping the regular glaze donut and venturing out to try a few of the special donuts like: Blueberry Fritter, Apple Filled, Strawberry Shortcake, and many others.
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A dozen brings smiles

2010-09-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I played at a summer camp near Sonora, CA. One morning my band member, Andrew, and I went into town early and got donuts for all the staff counselors. They were so happy. I love that donuts have the power to bring such happiness.

I saw this in the news paper and loved it!

2010-08-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

Spudnuts - Santa Barbara, CA

2010-07-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 3 ½ NadasIntro: I’m sorry that I’ve taken so long to put a new blog up. This blog is dedicated to my friend, Ben Akina. He has been riding me to put a new one up so I thought I’d give this one to him and… Everyone go listen to his music! It’s called: Stephen, Hero. Look it up online and give it a listen. Ben is so stinkin’ creative and I really like his stuff.

Enough about that, let’s talk about donuts.

I heard a rumor of donuts made from potatoes and I wasn’t sure what to think. This was my chance to test them out for myself.

Vibe of Shop: 3 Nadas
First off, there was not enough “donut pink…” (Hey Crayola, I’m still waiting to see a crayon color named that). Second, the shop was kind of small and cramped. I did appreciate the large windows, which made the shop bright and happy.Outside Appearance: 3 Nadas
I love palm trees and this shop had one out in front, but overall the outside appearance did not stick out at all. The shop blended in too much into the strip mall. Blending in is good if you are a private eye detective or if you are playing paintball or if you are trying to hide from your mom when she wants you to take out the trash… but if you are a business trying to sell donuts, it’s good to stick out just a little bit.Hours: 24 hours!!!

Service: 3 Nadas
The service was average, not overly friendly but not mean either…. And not asian.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 Nadas
I had heard rumors about this donut call a Spudnut, made from potatoes. I thought it was an interesting idea and when I happened to drive by the store I was excited to finally have an opportunity to try it. I was pleasantly surprised at the fluffiness and moistness of the donut, but I do not agree with the sign in the store claiming that they are “The upper crust of the donut world!”

Blueberry Donut?
No, but they had a blueberry filled donut that was pretty good.

Coffee: 2 Nadas
The coffee wasn’t very good. I believe there is a Starbucks

Special: I saw this twist-type donut covered with cherry and custard and it looked so delicious! The only problem was that I couldn’t handle eating a glaze, a blueberry filled, and that, so I’ll just have to let you know how it tastes next time I swing by that shop. Also, they sold lemons, bananas, and cup-o-noodles, ice cream, and sandwiches.

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Gosh, I love donuts.

2010-07-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

But you all knew that already.

I've been busy finding new shops and I have some blogs coming soon. Thanks for reading, and go eat a donut!

Dave

Donut Queen - Camarillo, CA

2010-06-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 3 Nadas
In life, however much I wish we were all winners, there must be losers for there to be winners. This shop wasn’t a winner. With high hopes I visited Donut Queen accompanied by my sister. I was excited that the shop is so closely located to my parents’ house. This would have been the perfect place to jump on my beach cruiser and mosey on over for a nibblet but, alas, I don't make a habit of regularly eating donuts that have a rating below 4 1/2 Nadas. Call me a donut snob, call me what you want, but I know what donuts deserve blue ribbons and those are the ones that belong in my belly.Vibe of Shop: 4 ½ Nadas
I was excited about the look of the interior of the shop. Ample seating, good lighting, street views, and good use of donut pink had me thinking that this shop may create a winning donut, but looks aren’t everything. You can’t judge a book by it’s cover.

Outside Appearance: 5 Nadas
The location is great. Right on the corner of 2 busy streets and across for the train station, it has a large bright sign and plenty of parking.

Hours: 24 hours!!!

Service: 3 Nadas
I got the vide that the people running the place didn’t want to be there. Not a very good way to welcome visiting customers, especially donut critics like myself.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 2 Nadas
The donut was dry and stale and the glaze was too thin. What a disappointment. Also, could have been the time of the day, but the selection of donut was very thin.

Blueberry Donut: No

Coffee: 1 Nada
Tasted like dirty mud water… and it wasn’t even that hot. Here’s some advice, Donut Queen: I’ve been told if you have bad beer, serve it really, really cold because the taste buds will not be able to taste it. In the same way, if you have bad coffee, serve it really hot.

Special: They sold bananas, a healthy choice. They also sold cigarettes to accompany your bad coffee, a not-so-healthy choice.

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Lanky's Pastries - Hilo, HI

2010-06-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 4 Nadas
At this point I’ve been away from Santa Cruz and Ferrell’s Donut for over 2 months… I’m beginning to forget what the glaze donut like mana from heaven tastes like. I’ve been in Hawaii since April 7 and it is now June 5. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying all the fresh fish, shave ice, and warm water ocean waves, but I have not been able to find a shop dedicated solely to donuts. Instead, the commonality is the bakery. I understand that this diversifies the products sold and broadens the customer base in towns where populations are smaller than on the mainland. This is yet another reason why I love Hawaiians: They are survivalists, molding and shaping businesses into what works in order to generate income to buy more poi and spam for their hungry families. I respect that. On my last day in Hilo, I was doing errands and I happened on this bakery in a quaint strip mall and I was warmly surprised to find one of my favorite baked goods ever (refer to “Special” below)!!!

Vibe of Shop: 4 Nadas
I like my donut shop/bakeries to feel warm, used, and slightly dirty like home, but still clean. This bakery had the perfect balance. It looked as if it had worked hard for years making many, many loaves of bread and cakes to celebrate births and deaths, love and loss, failure and success… But this place has succeeded. Note: No good seating indoors, but it’s Hawaii! Go sit outside.

Outside Appearance: 5 Nadas
Perfect seating outside for cruising and talking story. The bakery had nice large windows allowing everyone to see the baked goods… a great marketing strategy.Hours: 5:30am – 9:00pm everyday
That’s what the sign says, but I did show up one day in the early afternoon and they were closed. Like any good mom and pop shop, I think they close whenever they feel like taking a break. Again, I respect that.

Service: 5 Nadas
Asian, Friendly, and Happy. I love donuts served with smiles.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 2 1/2 nadas
Truthfully, this donut could use a little help. The dough was not fluffy enough for my taste and the glaze was a bit bland.

Blueberry Donut: No

Coffee: ?
I didn’t have coffee here because right next door there is a coffee shop called Kope Kope, where I performed at an open mic a few nights before. I decided to give Kope Kope my business because they could use the help. Go drink coffee there!Special: Oh My!!! I was blown away! Lanky’s came up with this: Custard Filled Chocolate Donut Hole. Simply, amazing. It’s like jumping in a cool pool in the hot desert, or hitting all green lights on your way to work, or putting on a jacket and finding $20 in your pocket. Man, I can’t even explain to you how wonderful this little nugget was. Perfectly balanced dough, custard and frosting… It massaged my taste buds into pure relaxation and peaceful bliss.

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Happy National Donut Day!!!

2010-06-05T22:12:00.000-07:00

Check this video out! I love it.

Daily Donuts – Sunnyvale, CA

2010-06-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 4 Nadas

Sometimes when you dig through the dirt, you find a gem. Daily Donuts is gem I found while driving home from a gig in the bay area. It is next door to 7 Eleven and almost hidden from plain view, but once you eat from here you will never miss it again!

Vibe of Shop: 3 1/2 Nadas
I loved the checkered floor, even though it was blue instead of pink. My favorite part was the giant refrigerator right in the shop. They didn’t try to hide anything. They just plopped it right there. Ha! Also, there were no tables or places to sit. That was a disappointment, especially after I noticed the TV in the corner playing Vietnamese music videos.

Outside Appearance: 2 Nadas
I was dirty and there are no places to sit and enjoy the donuts, once purchased. Travis and I ended up using a cart with unassembled cardboard boxes as table. It worked.

Hours: 5am – 9pm

Service: 4 1/2 Nadas
Asian, friendly, Aunty-like… What more could you ask for?

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 1/2 Nadas
Wonderfully soft, moist and tasty. I was pleasantly surprised

Blueberry Donut? No.
No blueberry donuts, but they did have blueberry filled. I didn’t try one.

Coffee: 3 1/2 Nadas
I liked the coffee, though it didn’t blow me away. If I had to make a choice between Daily Donuts and 7 Eleven next door, I’d choose Daily.

Special: I really loved all the random signs in the windows. They kept making me laugh. This place really knows how to market!

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Four Seasons Donuts – Camarillo, CA

2010-04-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 5 Nadas

On this day, I was getting an oil change at a Firestone that was part of this large strip mall, and I thought to myself, “What should I do for the next hour?” Luckily, there was a well-placed heavenly oasis called Four Seasons Donuts that extended a friendly welcome.

Ever since I’ve started this donut blog I have been waiting for the day that a donut shop owner recognizes my dedication to their craft, and in return, hands me a free donut. Today, my dream was realized. The best part is that this shop was amazing as well. I’m not giving this shop high scores because of the complimentary apple fritter and free refill on coffee. They really do a great job in making donuts. I talked in length with the owner about the process of making donuts and how her glaze is so much better than others because it’s not too thick and not too sweet. It’s perfectly crafted to bring happiness to your taste buds.

Vibe of Shop: 5 Nadas
It had well planned seating, plenty of ordering options, and the owner was so friendly. As I sat there for 45 minutes waiting for my car, we chatted about life, donut-making, and religion. It was an amazing afternoon.Outside Appearance: 4 1/2 Nadas
Perfect located in a large strip mall, these guys know how to do donuts! They created a little outside patio eating area that was occupied by a rotation of 65-year-old men coming to break up the routine of the day with a donut, a cup of coffee, and old man comradery. I can’t wait until I’m 65 so I can join in the “old man conversations.”

Hours: 5am – 5pm-ish. Honestly, I forgot to take a picture so I could remember, but I do remember it opening really early and closing in the early evening. The owner said that she wanted to get home to her family. “Life is not all about working,” she told me.Service: 5 Nadas
She was a great help and a great conversationalist. I realized that many people came in knowing her by name.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 5 Nadas
Moist, fluffy, and the perfect light glaze made this the best glaze donut that I have found in Camarillo.

Blueberry Donut? Nope. Only blueberry filled croissants

Coffee: 4 Nadas
The coffee was good but it didn’t blow my mind. I’m waiting for that perfect blend that makes my donut filled mouth sing out loud.Special: They had a wonderful cinnamon-type donut that was glazed and frosted and looked amazingly scrumptious. I couldn’t bring myself to eat it though. After a glaze and the complimentary apple fritter, I was done.

One random thing was that people could redeem recycling there. As I sat there a few people walked in with receipts and the lady handed them cash. You can also play the Lotto there.

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Donut Station – Capitola, CA

2010-04-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop Rating: 3 Nadas
Santa Cruz is my favorite surf town in all of CA. There are almost always waves to surf and there are a plethora of donut shops to nourish hungry surfers in their post surf daze. On this day Daniel La Point and I just got done surfing at Capitola and we noticed this quaint little shop tucked away in a corner market. I was excited to discover this shop. I have lived in Santa Cruz off and on for over 10 years and I never knew it was here! It’s like finding a twenty dollar bill in the pocket of an old jacket that I haven’t worn in a while. Yes!

PS. I love the name: Donut Station. It’s powerful… like a locomotive.

Vibe of Shop: 3 Nadas
Great seating arrangements, complete with pink tables and cushioned seats.

Outside Appearance: 2 Nadas
This place is kind of hard to see. It’s in a nice little strip mall though. I would change some things if I owned it, but as it is… it works.

Hours: Mon – Sat: 5:30am to 5pm
Sun: 5:30am – 1pm

Service: 4 Nadas
The man was very fun to talk to and he helped us out kindly, despite our incoherent post-surf babble.Taste of Glaze Donut: 2 Nadas
I was disappointed that a new found gem could produce a donut that was sub-par. It could be that the donuts were old because we arrived here around 4pm, but that’s no excuse. Ferrell’s donuts taste good until the next day!

Blueberry Donut? Yes! I think it’s a Santa Cruz thing. I can find them consistently in all Santa Cruz area shops.

Coffee: 3 Nadas
Simply average. There are so many great coffee shops in Santa Cruz that I would suggest getting your donut and then heading to Pete’s, Mr. Toot’s, or The Ugly Mug. Those are all within a 2 minute drive from here.

Special: When I was in high school I competed on the school swim team. Every day after practice I would come home and munch on what ever I wanted… and a lot of it at that. One of the main staples of my afternoon munchies was neon sour gummy worms and this store sells little baggies of them!!! It took me back home for a moment. Then I remembered how many cavities I have, and how I just had a root canal procedure done. I’m so over sour gummies!

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Allie’s Donuts – North Kingstown, RI

2010-04-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 4 NadasWhile driving through this wooded areas of Rhode Island with Jenn Allen, there’s not much more that I could want than a donut, a cup of coffee, and a good game of cribbage. Jenn directed me straight to Allie’s Donuts and fulfilled my culinary cravings. She even let me win at cribbage!Vibe of Shop: 2 Nadas
There was not much room inside for anything but ordering. I missed the comfort of Ferrell’s tables and familiar smell. I did, however, enjoy the tie-dye decorations.

Outside Appearance: 5 Nadas
This is the cutest donut shop I have ever seen. It’s like grandma’s house. There were great picnic tables around the side to eat and plenty of parking. If I were to throw a donut party, this would be the place!

Hours: Mon – Fri: 5am to 3pm
Sat – Sun: 6am to 1pm

Service: 4 Nadas
Not asian… but I didn’t expect to find many Asians this far east… well, there are Asians in the “far east” but this was the far east of the USA. The helpers were friendly like old ladies from a convent.Taste of Glaze Donut: 2 Nadas
I was not impressed with the donuts thought they were much better that Dunkin.

Blueberry Donut? No, but they had all kinds of different frostings.Coffee: 3 1/2 Nadas
I like my coffee hot, dark, and caffeinated. This worked fine.

Special: They make the largest donut I have ever seen. There’s no way I would want to try and tackle it by myself. If I was trying to become a sumo wrestler, I’d eat it all… but I’d also be wearing a diaper all the time.

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Los Banos Donuts – Los Banos, CA

2010-03-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 3 NadasLos Banos is Spanish for “The Bathrooms.” This town is adequately named. It is perfectly located at a distance between the Bay Area and the 5 and 99 freeways. It makes the perfect bathroom stop. If you’re going to stop to use the bathroom, you may as well stop for a donut!Vibe of Shop: 2 Nadas
I liked the checkered floors but I felt that it was a bit too grungy. There is a fine line between home-style and out right dirty. This erred on the dirty side. The one positive thing: Good use of “donut pink.” I think Crayola should make this a new color of crayon.

Outside Appearance: 4 Nadas
I love a donut shop with a drive thru... especially one that specifically asks you to not walk through it!

Hours: 24 Hours!

Service: 4 Nadas
The guy who helped us was friendly and Asian.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 3 Nadas
This glaze was perfectly in the middle. Not bad, and not epic. I’m looking for that donut that melts in your mouth with the perfect fluffiness, moistness, and light glaze that makes your taste buds scream with ecstasy.

Blueberry Donut: No ☹

Coffee: 3 1/2 Nadas
The coffee was decent. I would put it as comparable to a regular cup of coffee at Starbucks. Special: I loved the drive thru. I’m beginning to realize that most donut shops double as sandwich shops. This place follows suit. I didn’t try a sandwich so I can’t vouch that they are any good. I think they should make a donut sandwich.

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The Nada Rating System

2010-03-04T10:21:00.001-08:00

I realized that some of you may be wondering what is this rating system that I use to critique donuts and the suppliers. Well, for about 10 years I have been frequenting a local donut shop in Santa Cruz, CA called Ferrel's Donuts on Ocean street.

It all started while I was working as a surf instructor for Mount Hermon Christian Camps. Every morning at 5am we would take about 12 students surfing. We all know that the best thing after surfing is a fresh donut and a cup of coffee (Let's be honest, the best thing at ANY TIME is a fresh donut and a cup of coffee). My co-surf instructor told me a little secret as he had been doing this for a couple of years. He made a deal with the guy who worked at the donut shop. Every morning we would bring the 12 students to get donuts after surfing, and in turn, every morning the 2 instructors would get free donuts! This is when I fell in love with donuts. Consumption averaging 5-10 a week, I really got to understand the intricacies of donuts.

The man who we made this deal with is: NADA.

So for the past 10 years I have been popping in saying hi to Nada and enjoying the donuts. I thought it only natural to rate everything against him and his shop, because I truly believe that he makes one of the best raised glazed donuts I have ever eaten! Go check it out sometime.

(I haven't done a complete blog on Ferrell's yet because I'm intimidated. It is the standard for everything else, so I'm waiting for the right moment to unveil the full critique.)

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14,000 views!!!!

2010-02-19T19:31:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it. Thank you all so much for reading.

This is how surprised I was...

This is how stoked I am...

More critiques coming soon...

live. love. surf. eat (donuts).

-Dave

Donut Factory – Sonora, CA

2010-02-14T20:42:00.000-08:00

Overall Shop rating: 4 Nadas

This weekend I am doing music for the Golden Hills Church Junior High winter camp near Sonora. One afternoon we decided to get away from the camp to see what the wonderful town of Sonora had to offer. As we headed to Perko’s Café for lunch we passed a pizza shop called the Pizza Factory. As we continued to drive, making a few smart remarks about the production of pizzas in the factory, my internal donut radar started going off and my eyes were drawn to none other than “The Donut Factory.”

Vibe of Shop: 3 Nadas
It had a typical 70’s to early 80’s feel, but there was one thing missing. There was not enough “donut pink” in the décor.

Outside Appearance: 3 Nadas
The name says it all. That’s what drew me in. “Donut Factory” What a great name. I’d like to have a shirt with that printed on it. Other than that, the outside was bland, like a good Sonora strip mall. Off in the distance were snow-capped mountains. Precious.

Hours: Week 3am – 3pm, Weekend 3am – 2pm
I don’t know who would arrive to buy donuts at 3am but I appreciate the effort. Maybe Sonora wakes up early.

Service: 5 Nadas
The lady was friendly, happy, and Asian. I had to hold back from calling her “Aunty.”

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 Nadas
At 1pm in the afternoon the glaze donuts still tasted fresh! I love it. AND... they were only $0.69!!! That's the best deal ever.

Blueberry Donut? Yes, but they were sold out. That’s a good sign… I deduct that if they are sold out, they must be tasty.

Coffee: 3 ½ Nadas
The coffee wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. It did the job, washing down the donut and glaze.

Special: They had a morsel which they called an apple burrito. It was sooooooo amazing. It was similar to a Home Run Pie in that it was filled with apple goo, but instead of pastry it was wrapped in some sort of tortilla, then deep fried and glazed. It was simply heaven!

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Dinkel’s Bakery and Starbucks Coffee – Chicago, IL

2010-02-11T13:12:00.000-08:00

Dinkel’s Bakery overall shop rating: ???
Starbucks overall shop rating: 4 Nadas

Sometimes to survive you must adapt.

In September 2009 I was driving cross-country from Rhode Island back home to Santa Cruz, CA and I made a short stop in Chicago to visit my cousins. They told me that I absolutely had to try a donut from Dinkel’s Bakery. Unfortunately when we visited, it was closed that day due to a holiday or something like that. I respect a business that is not afraid to take a day off from work to observe a holiday. Life is not all about work, work, work. It’s all about enjoying some time to yourself and about eating donuts. ☺

Since Dinkel’s was closed and I had worked up an expectation for a donut, I walked across the street to Starbucks Coffee to fill the craving. I was pleasantly surprised at what I found.

Vibe of Shop: 4 Nadas
I like the Starbucks corporation. Just like all good donut shops, all Starbucks Stores are the same. I love the familiarity. This particular Starbucks was in a really cool building on the corner of 2 streets.

Outside Appearance: 5 Nadas
The location on the street corner was the perfect location

Hours: 5am – 9pm

Service: 5 Nadas
People who work at Starbucks are friendly and helpful 95% of the time. These guys working today were great!

Taste of Glaze Donut: 3 Nadas
It tasted processed, over-sugared, and like it had too many preservatives in it… but it totally filled my craving for a donut.

Blueberry Donut? No, but I didn’t have many expectations from Starbucks. They are a coffee shop, not a donut shop.

Coffee: 4 Nadas
Just like anything large and corporate, when moving to a larger scale of distribution the quality of the product tends to diminish. The coffee was good, but not amazing like some of the smaller local coffee shops in Santa Cruz.

Dinkels Bakery

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Starbucks

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Beans, Bytes, and Websites – Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas

2010-02-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

Overall Shop rating: 5 Nadas
My interest in donuts is not purely domestic. I am interested in the importance and commonality of the donut internationally. I recently had an opportunity to visit my friend and fellow donut lover, Jennifer Allen. She is working on an Ocean Classroom Schooner currently anchored in Saint Thomas, a US Virgin Island in the Caribbean. She and I had a few days to explore the islands of Saint Thomas and Saint John, and we searched for donuts. Our findings came up short because we kept getting distracted by crystal clear water and long white sand beaches. We did find a couple of places that sold donuts but they were closed on Sundays… I like places that are not all about business. I like it when they take time off to enjoy life. Life is not all about working and making donuts, it’s about enjoying friendship and good donuts.

Vibe of Shop: 5 Nadas
I agree you may be thinking: “This is not a donut shop,” but it is the only place I found that was open and served donuts. That being said, this is one of the coolest coffee shops I have ever seen. The vibe of the building was great! The walls were old brick and rock and the layout was amazing, from the arch entry way to the comfortable couches and tables for lounging. Jenn and I visited here a couple times.

Outside Appearance: 5 Nadas
It may be a little bit of a challenge to find this place because it is nestled in a cute little alley way. It has a nice patio area with tables right out in front of the arch doorway.

Hours: I forgot to check, but I assume sometime from 6am to 7pm.

Service: 5 Nadas
The lady working reminded me of my mom. She was super friendly and a hard worker. If you go there, give her a big tip. She deserves it.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4.5 Nadas
To tell the truth, I didn’t try a glaze donut because they didn’t have a raised glaze.

Blueberry Donut? No. But, beggars can’t be choosers.

Coffee: 5 Nadas
This was the best espresso drink I found on the islands.

Special: This is a great place to sit and play cribbage, or read a book. Take your time and enjoy!

I'm sorry that this map is not very helpful. The shop wouldn't come up on google maps, so just go to this spot near the Vendor's Market and search the alleys!

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The Right Bakery - Hoskins, Papua New Guinea

2010-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Overall Shop rating: 5 Nadas

In November 2009 my friend, Daniel, and I took a trip out to Papua New Guinea to do a couple youth camps for Missionary kids. I did not expect to find a delicious donut in such a remote destination.

Vibe of Shop: 4 Nadas
Not your normal coffee shop… It was actually just the Wright house in PNG. It had a very home-y feel. The best part was the warm tropical air the came through the slatted windows as we enjoyed our donuts.

Outside Appearance: 5 Nadas
There are not many more beautiful places than this. It’s tropical and warm and fairly under developed.

Hours: Whenever she is awake, she can cook.

Service: 5 Nadas
Teresa is the best!

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4.5 Nadas
I was so impressed with the flavor and freshness. The donut had a slightly fruity and sour taste, like a hint of lemon.

Blueberry Donut? Upon request, yes.

Coffee: 5 Nadas
PNG coffee is ridiculously good.

Special: One afternoon the Wright’s had us over for lunch and Mrs. Wright made the most wonderful delicacy I have ever tasted! They were just like cinnamon rolls but instead of cinnamon and sugar, it was made with ham, cheese, and pasta sauce. Mmmmmm…

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Donut Heaven - Sacramento, CA

2010-02-06T11:44:00.001-08:00

4 Nadas

After playing a gig in Sacramento, Dan and I decided to stop and treat ourselves to a post-gig donut. I hadn’t done a donut blog in a while so I thought it would be a good time to venture out and continue my search for the perfect donut. Unfortunately, this was not the day that I would find it. I was, however, grateful to the the sign in the window acknowledging that the store had passed it's food inspections. This donut shop is healthily safe!

Vibe of Shop: 4.5 Nadas
I walked in and instantly I felt at home. That warm familiar donut-pink lined the counter and display, while the ugly, hard, orange seats and tables called to me like a couch in my living room. Home Sweet Home.

Outside Appearance: 3 Nadas
Nestled comfortably in the back of a strip mall in Sacramento, there wasn’t much special about it. It was just normal and average. Actually it was a bit hard to find since it didn’t stick out.

Hours: Mon – Sat 5am – 6pm, Sun 5am – 4pm

Service: 5 Nadas
The guy behind the counter was happy, friendly, helpful, and Asian. Again, it felt like home.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 Nadas
The donuts

Blueberry Donut? No.

Coffee: 3 Nadas
The coffee tasted like… complimentary coffee that you get when you wait for your car to get an oil change at Jiffy Lube.

Special: They had mini Cinnamon rolls. How cute...

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Psycho Donuts – Campbell, CA

2010-02-05T19:04:00.000-08:00

3 Nadas

This donut shop is “Crazy!” Some people take themselves too seriously, and some people not seriously enough. Shortly after Psycho Donuts opened, some people took offense to the irreverent theme and began protesting. I assume the motive of making donuts with names like “Bi-Polar (a donut with 2 separate flavors on each side)” and “Massive Head Trauma (a donut that looks like a head with an injury and jelly oozing out)” was just to be silly and fun, but the problem lies in the fact that there are people out there who have family members, friends, or they themselves have had to deal with these infirmities. The funny thing to me is, that by all the protesting and the ruckus made, it has only made this shop more popular. Even television news programs have highlighted the shop and the resistance against these deliciously and inappropriately themed balls of sugar and dough. I had to check this place out for myself after seeing a news clip on the protests. This is what I have found.

Vibe of Shop: 4 Nadas
This is not a place where I would want hang out, unlike the common donut shop décor that makes one feel welcome and warm in a weird 70’s tile, florescent light kind of way. This shop didn’t have many seats and the X-rays of broken bones and weird spiky-haired skulls made me feel a bit uneasy. They had a cute miniature padded room with an amp and guitar available for shredding on, although there is one stipulation: No Stairway. I must admit: This place was fun for the eyes.

Outside Appearance: 2 Nadas
The location is good and visible in a small corner strip mall, but it is kind of hard to navigate into the parking lot.

Hours: Weekdays 6am – 8pm, Weekends 7am – 11pm

Service: 4.5 Nadas
The girl who helped us was in uniform, an old style nurse’s outfit. She had great pink and purple hair, and her sharp tongue made for fun banter while ordering. Taste of Glaze Donut: 2 Nadas
I tried the most simple donut close to a raised glaze. I wasn’t impressed. It was in the afternoon when I stopped by, but the donut tasted dry and stale. On the other hand, I tried a Key Lime Pie donut and it was great. Also, the cookies on the Nutty Cookie Monster we ordered were all soggy and stale. I like donuts that have a shelf life of freshness of at least 16 hours…

Blueberry Donut? Uhhhhhh…. They had too many weird donuts that I was distracted and forgot to look for the blueberry.
Coffee: 3 Nadas
It was average. I was half expecting it to be spiked with some sort of tranquilizer fluid or something.

Special: Everything is “special” about this place. It would complete the theme if they would offer rides in a short yellow school bus around the block as you ate your donuts.

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Caribbean!!! I've been out and about. Full blogs coming soon.

2010-02-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

For the last week I've been relaxing in Saint Thomas and Saint John, US Virgin Islands. I went in search of a donut shop to blog about so that when you, my loyal donut blog readers, make it out to the Caribbean Islands you would know exactly where to go to fulfil that urgent donut craving. Sadly, I was unable to find a complete shop dedicated solely to donuts. I must admit, though, that I am man with other interests like surfing, sitting on the beach doing nothing, eating sushi and so on, so I didn't do a complete and thorough search of every street of the islands. I did however find a beautiful coffee shop with the best coffee on the islands, in my opinion. And they did have donuts!!! I will do a full blog on them soon. Thank for reading.

Live. Love. Surf. Eat.
-Dave

Please help me!

2010-01-22T18:26:00.000-08:00

Since the inception of this blog, I have had quite a few recommendations on what donut shops to check out. I'm so excited to get out there and see what donuts the world has to offer. If you have any shops I should check out, please email me with your suggestions and I'll try and check it out asap!

Thanks!

live.love.surf.eat
Dave

dave.mats@gmail.com

Rose Donuts – San Diego, CA

2010-01-21T14:06:00.000-08:00

Overall Shop rating 4 ½ Nadas
Shoes and shoelaces go together as donuts with friends.

Vibe of Shop: 5 Nadas
It felt like home. The atmosphere was welcoming and familiar. It was vintage, yet clean. Full, yet not crowded. I liked the wooden swivel seats.

Outside Appearance: 4 ½ Nadas
Conveniently located on the roadside corner of a strip mall, the sign was simple and inviting, and the windows were tastefully painted with advertisements of items served in the store.

Hours: Not 24 Hours

Service: 5 Nadas
The older Asian woman was like a kind, friendly aunty. She had such a warm smile and could really push a donut sale.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 5 Nadas
Soft, fluffy, moist, and perfectly glazed. I couldn’t ask for more.

Blueberry Donut? No. ☹

Coffee: 3 Nadas
The coffee was just average. It wasn’t something I would use in the National Barista Competition, but it wasn’t bad either.
Note the massive chocolate donut on the bottom shelf!

Special: They served submarine sandwiches in this shop, which is located right across the parking lot from a submarine sandwich shop. I thought that was very bold and brave. They also served Orange Bang! Orange Bang is a must if you make it to the San Diego area. It is like having little orange fairies dancing on your tongue.

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Spelling: Donut vs. Doughnut

2010-01-21T13:20:00.001-08:00

As this is the new year, I have decided that I would like to get in shape as a 2010 resolution. Arguably, donuts go directly against this endeavor so I would like to take the time to talk about a few interesting donut topics.

First topic: The Spelling of Donut vs. Doughnut

After extensive research on the Internet (of about 15 minutes) I found a few answers to the spelling question. Doughnut is the proper spelling and, of course, it makes sense because these morsels are made of dough. I believe that when this specialty found it's way to the USA in mid-1800's we as Americans simplified the spelling into the slang word, donut (which I personally like better, anyway).

In my research, today and previously, I looked into the origination of the "Donut, Doughnut, Oily Cake, etc." and I thought it was some very interesting information that I would like to share with you all. Instead of re-writing the whole story I posted the link and I copied the whole article below. Enjoy!

-Dave

"Origin of the doughnut" from: http://www.helium.com/items/953596-origin-of-the-doughnut

By Pam Uher

I was sitting at Starbucks this morning drinking my Mocha latte and biting into a moist chocolate glazed, calorie laden doughnut feeling my cholesterol rise when a light bulb question went off in my mind. Where did the doughnut originate? I wondered almost out loud who invented this tasty morning delight that every doctor tells us not to eat?

Like most food products, especially baked goods, there are many tales and trails that lead to various inventors and places of origination. The doughnut is no exception to that food fact. I will attempt to present the interesting history of the doughnut without eating too many, as I drink my coffee and munch, while relating the various accounts that cite the origin of the fried bakery dough all people love to splurge on when they think no one is looking.

ORIGINS OF THE DOUGHNUT/DONUT

It has been said that archaeologists have found petrified doughnuts at ancient dig sites in various parts of the world, but for the sake of historical veracity I will tell the history of the little fried dough bits starting from the point of recent historical verification (be that recent legends and facts).

Many historians give credit to a Dutch sailor named Captain Hanson Gregory (also known as Mason Crockett Hanson) who lived in New England, as being the inventor of the modern doughnut. Hanson's mother, Elizabeth was a fine baker and would make him "olykoek" ("oily cakes") to take on his sea journeys. The cakes she made did not have holes and the story goes that Hanson would impale the cakes on the ship's steering wheel, so he could eat as he navigated. "One story says that the sea captain invented the donut by impaling one of the cakes on the ship's steering wheel, to keep his hands free in a sudden storm, on June 22, 1847". Hanson liked the "oil cakes" better with a hole through the middle, because the center was always doughy gooey and didn't taste like the rest of the cake. From that point on the Dutchman had the ship's cook make the cakes with a hole cut out of the middle and the doughnut was born.

Another legendary twist to the Hanson story is that his mother Elizabeth made the "oil cakes" with fry dough and nuts, which she stuffed into the middle of the cakes. Hanson it is said hated the nuts and punched the center of the cakes out with his ship's steering wheel spindle. Thus the dough and nut cakes became known as doughnuts or fried cakes.

Another tradition says that bakers knew if the fried cakes had a hole cut in the middle of the cake it would cook faster. It was hard to get the fried cakes to cook evenly and the middle was always doughy and not firm like the rest of the cake. Necessity was the mother of invention and a hole was cut in the tasty greasy doughy breakfast cakes.

The Dutch tradition of frying leftover bread dough in hot oil (funnel cakes is an example) came to America with the immigrants. Doughnuts normally are round with a hole through the middle. Dutch fried pastry took on the name doughnut even though many of the food items were not circular like a wheel. Examples of these non circular fried cakes are twisted crullers and apple fritters. It is said by some this braided or twisted fried cake looked like a rope with knots and that is where the word "dough knots" began, later evolving into doughnuts.

In 1872, John Blondell took out the first patent for a doughnut cutter. A new food product industry was beginning to take shape.

During World War I, the doughnut became an American favorite. American soldiers fighting oversees were served doughnuts by the grateful French when liberation came. And according to "Donuts and the Salvation Army" - the Army takes credit for [helping] the popularity of donuts grow. This June is the 70th anniversary of Salvation Army 'Donut Day" in Chicago, established in 1938 to honor the work of the Salvation Army supporting the troops in World War I.

After World War I the fried cake doughnuts began to grow in popularity and a New Yorker named Adolph Levitt invented the doughnut maker machine. The doughnut industry boomed when the 1934 World's Fair in Chicago called the doughnut "the food hit of the Century Of Progress". Levitt was making twenty-five-million dollars annually selling his doughnut machines to bakeries across America in the 1930's.

And in 1948 William Rosenberg opened his first coffee and doughnut shop named the Open Kettle in Quincy, Massachusetts. He changed the name to Dunkin Donuts in 1950 and began opening franchises across the country.

The round little fried pastry took on a life of its own in America, unlike anywhere else in the world. Americans just love grease and fried foods and they must have their daily carbs! Starting in the 1950's many doughnut brands began to roll on to the market such as Krispy Kreme, Dolly Madison and many more. Now every strip mall in America has a donut shop and every Starbucks Coffee Store sells exotic varieties you can hardly resist.

The world has known these little breakfast treats as many not quite doughnuts;
Aebelskiver,the Danish doughnut look-alikes that have a slice of apple inside; Beignet, a French version of the doughnut; Berliners (or Bismarcks), German versions of doughnuts, usually filled with jelly; Kolaches, a Czech pastry with a filled middle and the Zeppole, an Italian style pastry doughnut.

All I know for sure about this tasty pastry is Americans seem unable to live without them and they taste better with a cup of coffee than a granola bar!

Guest Donut Critic, Travis Oberg on Menahga Bake Shop

2010-01-20T12:02:00.001-08:00

Overall, 3 nadas

While in the north Minnesota woods me and Dad were waiting for Loren, who was getting bearings for his fishing boat trailer at the auto shop, and we decided to get a donut for breakfast. The local bakery is the place, Dad said, and already the locals had gathered for coffee and conversation.

We went inside the nondescript building, which outside advertised only "Bakery" to find a plethora people and donut goodies. Breads and the like were all staked in the back room, so i figure they must supply other places in town.

My favorite is the coffee sign taped to the coffee machine. Obviously there have been some messes made....or else they wouldn't need such a strongly worded reminder.

Glaze: 2 nadas
It simply was just o.k.

Coffee: 1 nada
Very bad. pretty much brown water, but at .40 cents. I'm not complaining.

Vibe: 5 nadas
The locals make it what it is. mostly farmers, and woodsman, hunters and other people carved out of wood. Really good chatter about all things local, the place was full.

Specialty item: no Blueberry donut but, they have amazing Finnish Cardamon flatbread. 4 nadas. tasty tasty!

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Freshh Donuts - San Luis Obispo, CA

2010-01-18T15:25:00.000-08:00

Overall Shop rating: 2 Nadas

Freshh Donuts – San Luis Obispo, CA

College towns need certain businesses: taco bell, bars, tattoo shops, coffee shops, more bars, and of course, plenty of donut shops (I would also add sushi but college students tend to be poor). SLO is mainly a college town, but I would not call it a donut town, as Santa Cruz, CA could likely be dubbed. This is the second stop for me in SLO and I have yet to be impressed by a SLO donut establishment.

Vibe of Shop: 2 1/2 Nadas
It was a pretty classic donut lounge: tiled floors, pink décor, and tables.

Outside Appearance: 2 Nadas
There was nothing that drew my attention to this shop except that they spelled “Freshh” with 2 H’s. I think they should have gone all the way with that and spelled “Donuts” with 2 D’s. Or they could have spelled it like this: “Frrrrrrrreshh Donuts” and gone with a Tony the Tiger theme.

Hours: Not 24 hours… and that’s all that matters.

Service: 4 ½ Nadas
4 Nadas for being friendly, ½ Nada for being Asian.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 2 ½ Nadas
It was a donut, but not moist. Pretty fluffy, but kind of stale. I know that the age of the donut drastically affects my opinion of the taste, but I feel that some donut shops make donuts that hold taste longer than others. This one did not.

Blueberry Donut? No.

Coffee: 1 Nada
Dirty mud water add caffeine

Special: They had this donut called a tiger tie or something like that. I’m telling you, “Frrrrrrrresh Donuts…..” It could work. Roar.

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Funny Donut Comic

2009-12-29T22:55:00.001-08:00

My friend saw this and emailed it to me. I thought I would share it with you all!

Making Donuts On My 30th Birthday!!!

2009-10-28T01:49:00.000-07:00

Part 1

Part 2

Donut from a Gas Station

2009-10-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

I was on a cross-country trip from Rhode Island to Santa Cruz and I stopped to visit my Uncle Froggy and Uncle Chris. They knew that I loved donuts so when I woke up in the morning, my uncle had already gone to his favorite donut shop but it was closed! He couldn't come home empty handed so he stopped at gas station and grabbed a donut. Truthfully, I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was! When I go back to Kent, Ohio I will find that gas station and give it a proper critique for the blog.

Thanks for reading.
Dave

PS. I'm thinking about making Donut Blog T-Shirts for fun. Please let me know if you would be interested in one. Thanks!

Dunkin’ Donuts – Stratford, CT (1150 Honeyspot Rd)

2009-10-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 3½ Nadas
I have never seen a donut combo meal… until now. This place really takes donut service to the next level. 2 donuts and a coffee for $2.29 (Combo #1). What a deal! Vibe of Shop: 4 Nadas
This was the largest donut shop I have ever seen. There were so many seats for lounging, and the ordering area was huge, but they still successfully pulled off the décor of a classic donut shop, specifically the ugly tile floor.

Outside Appearance: 3 Nadas
This was like taking McDonalds and making it a donut shop, drive through and all.

Hours: 24/7!!!!

Service: 4 ½ Nadas
They service help was very friendly and fun. We had some laughs together but there was one thing that perplexed me.Dunkin’ Donuts is as much a coffee shop as it is a donut shop and when Jenn asked for a Latte with 2 shots of espresso, they didn’t understand how to make the drink or how to ring it up on the register. I saw a commercial on TV claiming that consumers preferred Dunkin’ coffee to Starbucks coffee. This is what I think: If you’re going to be a donut shop, know how to make good donuts. If you’re going to be a coffee shop, make sure your employees know what a soy double-short white chocolate no-whip mocha is.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 Nadas
This Dunkin’ Glaze was better than my first experience. I think it was fresher. This being my second glaze from Dunkin, I noticed something about it: the glaze donut has a hint of tartness or fruitiness. I wonder what the ingredient is….

Blueberry Donut: Yes! And more… On this visit I tried a Blueberry Crunch donut. It was so delicious. I recommend it if you are looking to branch out.

Coffee: 2 Nadas
I keep hearing these rumors about Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee being amazing… So far, I can only rate the coffee as mediocre. Maybe I am spoiled from all the great quality coffee in Santa Cruz, or maybe the rumors were started by Dunkin’ employees to sell more coffee. All I know is that my taste buds were not impressed.

Special: They sell these little dough nuggets, which are usually known as donut holes.
The Dunkin’ Donut chain stores call them “Munchkins.” At this particular shop, they had jelly filled powdered munchkins… and they were AMAZING!!! Little mouth-fulls of pure joy, like a donut party in your mouth.

View Dunkin' Donuts in a larger map

Donut Nation Revisited

2009-10-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

I recently was driving through Los Banos again and I thought I should stop and see if my first critique was accurate. It was... so if you are curious how Donut Nation fairs against the donut master, Nada of Santa Cruz, look up the older post on donut Nation. Thanks for visiting my site.

Voodoo Doughnut 2 – Portland, OR

2009-09-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: A Creepy 4 Nadas

What do you get when you mix hot oil, sassiness, a little sugar, and flour? Voodoo Donuts.

Vibe of Shop: 4 Nadas

This shop was kind of creepy. It was nice that there was ample space to sit and enjoy your donut but what was strange was the type of seating. They had elementary school desks, a dentist chair, and a coffin bench. I do appreciate the creativity. It goes well with the Voodoo theme. Also present: Adams family pinball machines.

Outside Appearance: 4 Nadas

I forget the movie title, but do you remember the movie where the smiley clown is evil and kills people? Or do you ever notice when an intense gun fight is shown over Bach? I forget what that is called (I think irony) but Voodoo Donuts, a shop with a gothic, twisted and slightly perverted take on donuts, fully embraces pink. Most dozen donut boxes are pink.

Hours: 24 Hours

Service: A slightly gross 4 Nadas

The waitress was friendly, she had cool tattoos, but she had 2 things going against her: 1. She was not Asian, which I am completely fine with me, but Asian Donut People just make me comfortable. 2. She had bushes of hair screaming from her armpits. I kept imagining that a short curly armpit hair would fall on a donut as she reached into the display case to grab donuts. Ew. It grossed me out. (I’m sorry, donut girl, if you are reading this. I don’t mean to hate on your shaving preferences)

Taste of Glaze Donut: 5 Nadas

I can’t deny it. No matter how strange I felt to be in that shop, their glaze donut is amazingly moist, fluffy, and a perfect balance of sweetness.

Blueberry Donut: Who cares?! They have Maple bars with real Bacon, Donuts with Captian Crunch and more. Read the blog on Voodoo Doughnut 1 for more details.

Coffee: 5 Nadas

Stumptown Coffee. Fresh, strong, delicious. Again, read the blog on Voodoo Doughnut 1 for more details.

Special: What made this experience especially creepy was that, on this day, they were hosting a Halloween Luau in the parking lot. There were several Hearse Coffin Cars on display, gothic face-painting booths, cute little innocent blonde children running around with death face paint, a gothic belly dancer and more weird crap. It was really strange. They were trying to raise money so that a little girl could go to Rock and Roll camp, so I do respect that.

VooDoo Doughnut #1 – Portland, OR

2009-08-12T23:23:00.000-07:00

4 1/2 Nadas (Not Family Friendly, though)

When I tell people that I have a donut blog they generally react like this: First they laugh or chuckle, then their eyes light up and they ask, “Have you tried (insert donut shop) in (insert town)?” Everyone has a favorite donut shop or a crazy donut experience. I heard of Voodoo Doughnuts from a few people. I had to check it out. It just happened to work out that I was on a tour (the Banyan Tree Family Tour) stopping in Portland for a few days.
Hold on…
OK. I’m back… So Felix, my roommate, unaware that I was typing this right now, called me to the living room to watch a segment on the travel channel. This is crazy… It was on VooDoo Doughnuts!!!! I’m tripping out right now. Ha.
Anyway, I just learned that there are over 6000 different donuts shops in the USA. VooDoo Doughnuts contributes 2 shops to that number and was started by 2 guys named Cat Daddy and Tres…. And they are crazy. Ha. Here’s my experience with their shop.

Vibe of Shop: 4
This shop has a ton of style. They had amazing paintings, a giant donut, and an underlying pink theme. It is very playful. The only problem is that there is no place inside or out to sit and enjoy the donuts. (I actually took my donuts over to Stumptown Coffee shop to eat them.)

Outside Appearance: 5 Nadas
I loved the vintage brick look. I also loved the little nook, hole-in-the-wall look.

Hours: 5 Nadas
24 Hours!!! This donut shop is perfectly located in the downtown section of Portland known to the locals as “the Bar-muda triangle.” Strategically placed in the middle of multiple bars, as they all close, hungry drunks can grab a donut to soak up the alcohol.

Service: 3 Nadas
This is a pretty popular place, so as I ordered, the service was all business. They had cool style though… Somewhat of a Portland city hippie/hipster vibe. Note: Not predominately Asian

Taste of Glaze Donut: 5 Nadas
This donut was delightfully rich, moist, fluffy, and sweet, although overshadowed by all the specialty donuts.

Blueberry Donut? See “Special” below
Coffee: 5 Nadas
In Portland, there is a coffee company called Stumptown Coffee. While in Portland, I visited the Stumptown Annex for a coffee “cupping.” These people take coffee seriously just like how Voodoo Doughtnuts takes donut making seriously. Simply put, the coffee was great.
Special: Beyond the plethora of dirty donut options (ie. Tex-Ass, Cock-N-Balls, the Gay Bar, Vegan Cock, Old Dirty Bastard) this shop had the most creative donuts I have yet seen. Here are some examples:
1. The Voodoo Doll – shaped like a person, covered with chocolate, white frosting draws the face, raspberry filling to imitate blood, and a straight pretzel stabbing the doll in the side…Scarily delicious!
2. Captain My Captain – a raised donut covered in white frosting topped with Captain Crunch Cereal.
3. Bacon Maple Bar – Yes, this donut has real bacon on it! Unfortunately I was unable to taste this donut as they were out of it when I asked. Think about it though, breakfast… Pancakes with maple syrup…Bacon on the side, but the syrup spills off the pancakes and runs all over and around the bacon. This is all that in a donut!
And, yes, they do have simple blueberry donuts.
PS. They sell pink underwear and… they are licensed to legally performing wedding ceremonies in their shop!!! Amazing.

The Original Ferrell’s Donuts – Scotts Valley, CA

2009-08-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

3 NadasIn the past 12 years, I have lived all over Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley. As I explored I discovered there were multiple Ferrell’s Donut Shops. I first fell in love with Ferrell’s on Ocean street, then Ferrell’s on Mission Street. Next I found “The Original Ferrell’s” on 17th which jolted my memory that there was another “Original Ferrell’s” in Scotts Valley on Scotts Valley Drive. This was confusing to me because the word “original,” to me, meant the first one, and there can only be one first one.

On this particular morning I was passing through Scotts Valley on my way to play at a Church and I decided it was time to figure this thing out. I asked, “What’s with the word Original in the name?” She told me that years ago, there were 5 affiliated Ferrell’s Donut Shops (2 of them have since gone out of business). 2 more donut shops opened and somehow legally got the business name of Ferrell’s. The owner of the Original 5 shops wanted to separate himself from the fakes, so he changed the name to “The Original Ferrell’s Donuts.” It’s too bad for him that, in my opinion, the copies are better that the original.

Vibe of Shop: 5 Nadas
One of the more cleaner shops I’ve ever been to, it shows that these people take donuts very seriously. Cleanliness equals pride. Unfortunately, pride does not always equal amazing donuts.

Outside Appearance: 4 Nadas
This place tips cuteness scale but… looks aren’t everything. Tucked between auto shops and business offices, I’m not sure I’d like to spend much time hanging out here.

Hours: 1 Nadas
It gets 1 Nada for only being open occasionally. The hours are slim, but it is in Scotts Valley. There’s not much going on in this town.. 7am-12pm 6 days a week or so.

Service: 5 Nadas
First I must point out: Not Asian, a rarity in donut shops. She was very kind and helpful…. Kind of reminded me of grandma.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 2 Nadas
I tasted the donut and was very disappointed. It was dry and not fresh. I came to find out that the donuts are made in another shop and delivered here in the morning. Boo.
Blueberry Donut? Yes! And the kind with delicious blueberry frosting.

Coffee: 3 Nadas
On a rough morning, this stuff will get you going, but I wouldn’t go out of my way just to taste it (which is what I did for this blog. Ha. I just realized that).

Sunshine Donuts – San Luis Obispo, CA

2009-08-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop Rating: 4 Nadas

I have been playing music in various bands for about 13 years. For about 8 of those years I have had a friend/fan follow and support my music. At the beginning she was in Junior High, and now, in college, she has helped me promote shows and get musical connections. She has been so good to me so I gave her the name, Sarah Lam Superfan. (I hope she’s not offended).
When Sarah heard that I had a donut blog, she immediately started throwing out names of great donut shops. The one she said I definitely had to check out was called Sunshine Donutes in San Luis Obispo. She said that it is open 24 hours which makes it the perfect place for insomniac college students to get donuts at the wee hours of the night. This reminds me a lot of my love, Ferrell’s Donuts on Ocean in Santa Cruz.

Vibe of Shop: 3 ½ Nadas
It was a normal donut shop, kind of small and slightly cramped inside. I did love the “donut bar” area.

Outside Appearance: 2 Nadas
It was kind of boring. I did visit at night so I didn’t really get to see the surrounding area but there wasn’t anything special that made this shop “pop.”

Hours: 24 Hours

Service: 5 Nadas
The service was great! Maybe Colleen, the lady working, was bored, but after eating my donut I told her about my donut blog and how I would love to see the process in which a donut is made. She invited me to the back and walked me through the whole donut making process. It was so fun! After this night, I committed to making my own donut from scratch!
Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 Nadas
I remember this donut being very tasty and moist, but it didn’t blow my mind like others I have had.

Blueberry Donut… Yes!!!

Coffee: 3 Nadas
It was just average.

Special: They had Apple Sauce donuts. I thought this was a but strange, but I am a huge fan of apple sauce. They tasted good.
Thank you, Colleen, for inspiring me to create a perfectly round fried piece of dough. I will take your direction and implement your wisdom and I will make you proud.

Boardwalk Donuts – Santa Cruz, CA

2009-07-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 3 ½ Nadas

I have lived in the great town of Santa Cruz for many years, and one of my fondest memories and current traditions is visiting the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on Monday or Tuesday evenings. I happen to be addicted to sales and discounts, and on these particular evenings during the summer the Boardwalk has decided to make an annual tradition “1907 Nights” where all rides, sodas, hot dogs, and cotton candy are only 75 cents! What a deal!
I have attended these beautiful evenings many times and have ridden the Giant Dipper (I highly recommend this ride) more times that I can count on my fingers and toes, but I had overlooked something special… until a few nights ago. I was walking from the mini golf course to the Giant Dipper with my friend Jimmie Adams, when I noticed something amazing, calling out and challenging me. I had never noticed this before and that could be because my donut radar is more tuned in these days, but there in the window of a food vendor was a glaze donut, about the size of my head!!!!! Oh my goodness, I was in heaven. The first thought that crossed my mind was, “Beauty is fleeting. It is the inside that counts.” What did this massive beauty taste like?
*Note* As I had just eaten a large dinner, I knew that my stomach would not allow me to indulge in a complete head-sized donut, so I shared it with my donut-critics in training, John and Dylan.
Vibe of Shop: 1 Nadas
This wasn’t a shop specifically dedicated to donuts. It is like a country fair at the Boardwalk. Snotty-nosed kids running around and people waking by with giant stuffed animals. It was entertaining but definitely not relaxing as a donut shop should be.

Outside Appearance: 3 Nadas
I love the Boardwalk.

Hours: 3 Nadas
10am to 10pm… It’s a good chunk of the day, but still not 24 hours as I prefer.

Service: 3 Nadas
It’s all business here. Under paid
Taste of Glaze Donut: 5 Nadas!!!
Oh My! When they sell you a donut, they put it in the microwave for several seconds. This really brings out and accents the moistness and flavor. Woo! I loved it.

Blueberry Donut? Unfortunately, NO. But this was about one thing only Giant Glaze Donut.

Coffee: N/A
I forgot to taste it.
For an eventful exhilarating evening I suggest this.
1. Buy 1 or 2 massive donuts.
2. Walk to the Giant Dipper while consuming the donuts.
3. Ride the Giant Dipper 3 times back to back.
4. Puke.

Now that’s what I call fun. ;-)

Star Donuts - Lodi, Ca

2009-07-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating 5 Nadas!!!

“Always Fresh”

It’s rare that sequel to a movie is as good as the original. In the same way, Mom’s cooking is usually our default to what we love and what we are used to. Simply put, Star Donuts blew me (and my taste buds) away. My favourite hometown donut shop is Ferrell’s Donuts in Santa Cruz. If I lived in Lodi, I’d be comparing all donut shops to this place.

Vibe of Shop: 5 Nadas
I loved the florescent lights inside. They reminded me of a 50’s diner. The tables were perfectly spaced and placed. It was homey, comfortable, and fun.

Outside Appearance: 4 1/2 Nadas
I have 2 things to say: 1.) I love the “Star” part of the sign. It’s genius. 2.) Three florescent “Open” signs. Wow. That’s commitment to letting customers know that they are open. I love it. The only thing I dislike is the location being in a strip mall, but that is donut culture, I guess.

Hours: Weekdays 5am – 1pm, Weekends 6am – 1pm
It’s not 24 hours… but I don’t care. They taste and service outweigh the lack of available donut consumption hours.

Service: 5 Nadas
The staff was super friendly and accommodating… and Asian.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 5 Nadas
Amazing. Moist. Sweet, but not overpowered with glaze.

Blueberry Donut? Unfortunately, no. But when there’s an amazing glaze, you need nothing else.
Coffee: 4 Nadas
It was tasty. It wasn’t a gourmet espresso drink from Italy, but it was still great.
Special: This has nothing to do with donuts, but everything to do with Lodi. If you happen to find yourself in Lodi, CA, please visit the Serpentarium. It is a reptile shop with amazing creepy creatures. I really enjoyed it.

Yum Yum Donuts - Madera, CA

2009-07-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

Overall Shop rating: 1 1/2 Nadas

“With a Donut in each hand, anything is possible.”

Live. Love. Donuts. Upon researching this shop I found some amazing facts about chain donut shops in relation to Yum Yum Donuts! Here are some trivia questions:
1. What donut shop chain did Yum Yum Donuts purchase in October 2004?
2. The President of Yum Yum donuts used to work with the President of another large donut chain before he started Yum Yum Donuts. What Donut chain was it?

I love donuts (A). I love experiencing weird unique places (B). I don’t necessarily like Madera, CA (C). This donut shop was in Madera (D). A x B does not equal C, But C equals A x D. And if C is negative, it ruins it all.

Vibe of Shop: 3 Nadas
The inside was normal, but kind of cramped. The tables were super close to each other and the whole time I was there, there was a little girl yelling and crying. Not a very peaceful way to critique a donut. At least they are family friendly.

Outside Appearance: 3 1/2 Nadas
I really appreciated the familiar 1970’s donut shop appearance as I approached the shop. The Yum Yum sign is fantastic.
Hours: 24 Hours

Service: 1 Nadas
Truthfully, I felt like the guy working there had better things to do. It was all business and he was bored.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 3 Nadas
It was just ok. Nothing especially good or bad about it. Middle of the road.

Blueberry Donut? No. But they had super cute princess donuts! That’s great for little girls. Now I want to see some manly He-Man or GI Joe donuts!!!

Coffee: 2 Nadas
Tasted like dirty water.

Special: They had the most inspiring poster I have ever seen… Anywhere… ever… Period. It has become the quote of my life.

Trivia answers:
1. Winchell’s Donuts
2. Krispy Kreme Donuts

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts – Mountain View, CA

2009-07-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

Overall Rating: 3 Nadas On the eve of July 4, 2009 I ventured to the Shoreline Amphitheater to watch my good friend, Jimmie Adams iii, play drums in the 4th of July celebration put on by Bethel Church of San Jose. It was a very impressive production with hundreds of people involved in singing, dancing and playing instruments in front of a crowd of about 7,000. My favourite part, of course, was the 10 minute drum solo Jimmie compiled. That guy is a maniac. Please go see him live if you have a chance. Anyway, this blog is about donuts, not Jimmie Adams so let’s get to it.

After the show, as I was driving back home to Santa Cruz with my girlfriend a familiar glowing sign caught my eye. I remember a few years ago, pre-Atkins diet craze, there was a donut craze where Krispy Kreme’s were popping up like Starbucks Shops. Atkin’s hit, and the Krispy Kreme’s began to go out of business. I didn’t realize that there were any still around so I had to stop and re-live the experience I had about 10 years ago when I first tasted a Krispy Kreme Donut.
*Side note: Krispy Kreme has been around since 1937. Sounds pretty stable.

Vibe of Shop: 4 ½ Nadas
The shop was very clean and sterile, with corporate written all over it. The redeeming factor is that you can watch the donuts assembly line, the whole process of “the life of a donut” from dough to mouth.

Outside Appearance: 3 Nadas
Just average and slightly corporate.
Service: 5 Nadas
The people were very friendly and helpful. When I was taking pictures they would wait to walk in front of the shot. I was pleasantly surprised with their consideration. They weren’t Asian, I expected this of corporate donuts, though.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 1 ½ Nada
I’ve had a 5 plus Nadas glaze here before, but that is when the donut is warm and fresh off the assembly line. This glaze donut was old and cold. It wasn’t very moist or soft. I was disappointed. Their sour crème glaze donut off the line was fresh, warm, and delicious on this night. I think the quality of taste will change depending on what is fresh. In other donut shops, I believe that the quality of the glaze donut will last longer than a few minutes…

Blueberry Donut?
Sort of... They had regular donuts with blueberry frosting and blueberries in it, and it was delicious!

Coffee: ½ Nada
Jenn Allen put it best after tasting it. The coffee tasted like “burnt dish water.”
Special: On this festive night they had patriotic donuts with Red, White, and Blue sprinkles. Also, they had a delicious cinnamon apple filled donut that sent me over the edge. I ate too many. Ha.

Happy 4th of July Everyone. Go eat a Donut.
This is America!

Allbright's Donuts - Santa Cruz, CA

2009-05-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

On a lazy day in Santa Cruz, CA, my friends and I were on a search to purchase some beach cruiser bicycles. We were directed to a shop called Cruiser King where the bikes were too expensive for our taste, but as we parked and walked we were drawn to this donut shop, Allbright’s Donuts. I asked the lady working how old the shop was and she said somewhere around 30 years. I’m telling you guys… Donut Shops are a strong and stable business, especially if you are of Asian decent. ;-)

Vibe of Shop: 4 Nadas
It had that classic 70’s diner vibe, which I like. I really like the seating arrangement.

Outside Appreance: 4 Nadas
I loved the corner location and the color choices. Very inviting.

Service: 2 Nadas
The lady wasn’t that friendly. I assumed it was because she had been there all night making donuts, as it was 2pm in the afternoon when we visited. She helped us, but didn’t go beyond the donuts. It was all business.
Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 ½ Nadas
I was very impressed with the donuts. They tasted fresh and even now, just thinking of them makes my mouth water.

Coffee: 2 ½ Nadas
The coffee tasted in between quality coffee and dirty water. Ha. But it was still drinkable. I’ve had worse.

Special: The size of the donuts were grand. If you’re on a diet, don’t come here…. Well… if you’re on a diet, don’t eat donuts.

Wow!!! Safeway Donut Special

2009-05-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

Check this out! I couldn't believe the price... though the taste was a bit lacking, in a budget crisis these donuts will pull you through!