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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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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