San Diego's Finest Donuts, Northpark, CA

We ran across this donut shop at 12:30am one night when we were getting tacos from a small drive thru taqueria in San Diego. I was all excited to see the sign that said "Open 24 Hours." When I walked over, I was highly disappointed to find that it was closed!!! The real hours are listed below in a picture. We went back the next morning.

So here is my opinion of the place on a scale of 1-5 Nadas*, 5 Nadas being good.

Vibe: 5 Nadas
There were a ton of old men sitting around in the middle of the morning cracking jokes and reading the paper. That is what I am aiming for in about 30 years.

Service: 5 Nadas
The 2 sweet older asian ladies we very friendly and helpful

Donuts: 3 Nadas
The taste was just average. The freshness was just ok. There were no specialty donuts and most importantly, no Blueberry donuts!!!

Coffee: 4 Nadas
It was surprisingly good.

The one thing really going for this place was the price! Only $0.65 for a donut. Amazing.

Randomness: They sell cigarettes

*My Favourite Hometown Donut shop is called Ferrel's Donuts on Ocean Street in Santa Cruz, CA. It is my preference and belief that they make the best original glaze donut. They are open 24 hours a day and the guy who runs the place is named, Nada. So, as I critique donut shops all over the country, I will hold them to the standard of Nada.

Donuts bring people together

Last night I was at a Taqueria in San Clemente eating a torta and telling my friends about this new donut blog when I heard a lady next to me say, "Excuse me. Are you talking about donuts?" I turned and said "Yes I am."

Then she continued in her tired but excited voice, "If you're looking for the best donut, there is this shop just up the street in the little shopping center. It has the best tasting donuts I've ever had. It's run by this asian couple and they are the hardest workers. They are there 365 days out the year. And there is this other shop down that way in the other direction... They have a great maple bar..." And so on.

Ha. I was loving it. As we continued to talk I noticed this lady had a few bags in the seat opposite her and she was drawing in a journal sketch pad. She didn't seem to be there just to have a meal. Just as I noticed these things she sheepishly slipped in, "I'm homeless." She never asked me for anything or gave me any looks trying to pressure me into anything but I felt that she was hungry, not for food, but for conversation.

After a bit I looked down at my mound of food and remembered the $5.00 in my wallet... We ordered 2 more tacos and enjoyed the rest of the night. Thank God for donuts, tortas, and conversation.

In The Beginning

Hello, and thank you for taking time to read my Donut Blog. This is how it started.

In the USA there are many industries with with businesses ranging from large corporations to small 'mom and pop' shops. Some are recognized for their high grossing profits, and others for their beneficial contribution to society. One extremely overlooked industry is the local Donut Shop.

Everywhere you go, in almost every strip mall, there is an asian* couple working hard through out the night to bring us fresh nuggets of joy... These small savory bundles are Donuts. Yes, our culture has fought and fought to stop the consumption of carbs, but not even Mr. Atkins can foil the underground, grassroots support of the Donut.

I, Dave, am but one small citizen in the fight to keep it alive. I am willing to sacrifice the $0.75 and clogged arteries in order to bring you the truth. I will answer the question that burns in us all: Where can I find the world's best donut?

For my occupation I am currently a traveling musician which allows me the opportunity to scour and investigate starting in beautiful donut state California. The shops will receive ratings on things like vibe, friendliness, cleanliness, coffee quality, and of course the savoriness of the donut. If you have any shops to recommend, please email me and I will try and make a visit.

Thank You and please, go eat a donut.
Donut Dave


Note:
*I am not racist. I actually am of asian decent as well. It is just my observation that 19 out of 20 donut shops are owned and operated by a person or persons of asian decent. This is probably why I have a deep and growing love for my asian brothers and sisters.