I’d just like to say a few things about donuts.
Like, for example, Krispy Kreme elitism. Yes, Krispy Kreme makes a darn good donut. They definitely have the market cornered when it comes to the original glazed, doubly so, because a hot now original glazed is a whole different experience than a regular (cool?) original glazed.
However, Krispy Kreme is just not the be-all, end-all of donuts. Dunkin’ Donuts is not inferior. It’s just a whole other thing. It’s comparing apples to oranges (assuming that both fruits are battered and deep fried, which probably wouldn’t taste as bad as it first sounds, actually.)
Case in point would be the blueberry donut. At KK, they have blueberry cake, which is one of those twice-fried donuts that is so saturated with yummy oil and sugar that it melts away at the edges. The blueberry cake donut is good, but it is extrememly rich, and not really a great choice for breakfast.
Dunkin’ Donuts, on the other hand, has a blueberry donut that is so unsweet as to be almost bagel-y. It has a thin, hard layer of glaze that is a perfect compliment to the little blue things that make it “blueberry”-y, but the actual donut part is less sweet and dry. Also perfect in munchkin form. And the Dunkin’ Donuts blueberry muffins (not the low fat) are a whole other amazing thing, too.
Of course, that still doesn’t cover everything. There’s Top Pot donuts (now available at Starbucks, but not in Cinnamon Sugar, which is my favorite), Caribou Coffee’s apple fritters, supermarket entities like Entenmann’s, whose chocolate donut with yellow cake is nothing like any chocolate donut from anywhere else…
Yes, this is just a silly post about donuts. But still, it’s important to establish what we’re talking about. Operational definitions, if you will. And with that “Jamesian” link, I have managed to connect this particular navel-gazing, food-oriented, procrastination-themed post to my homework.
Oh, and one more thing! Did you know that when Krispy Kreme stores with the orange “hot now” sign don’t have their light on, it means they’re making OTHER donuts than original glazed hot now, and that you can request some if you ask very nicely? I know. Awesome.
Joel at Krispy Kreme
January 24th, 2009 at 19:25
I can’t differentiate among all those tasty donuts. They are all too calorie laden for me. I wonder if Kashi makes a 100 calorie donut that can be seen by the naked eye.
January 24th, 2009 at 21:24
I love donuts. All of them. We don’t have KK in Maine, so I definitely had several of them when I was at home in December.
Since I’ve been back, I haven’t been near a donut. I’m with mrlwalsh on that Kashi donut. I’ll look forward to that.
January 24th, 2009 at 23:18
I have never had a Krispy Kreme donut. The last donut I ate was a cap’n crunch voodoo donut and it was good but I had an alarming sugar rush and didn’t feel well for the rest of the day. I just saw a TV commercial where all these people were yelling from their roofs (rooves?) about how great Dunkin Donut coffee is.
January 25th, 2009 at 14:37
Why does this thing keep saying that I have more comments than I can see? Where is the phantom fourth comment?
January 25th, 2009 at 20:06
I’ve noticed that about your phantom comments!
Also, is “Joel” a friend of yours, or did you take a picture of a Krispy Kreme employee?
January 26th, 2009 at 15:34
I see you’ve started the semester with the right attitude!
January 26th, 2009 at 17:20
Joel is a friend, my most loyal KK companion.
Tracy, any good donuts in Paris? I guess there you really can be elitist because the deserts are probably amazing. And you do know that the walking cancels the calories, right?
January 27th, 2009 at 16:13
I have not yet had a French donut, but I will start researching right away!
February 1st, 2009 at 13:56
Another thing Duncan does well is the catalog of semi-sweet donuts, which Krispy Kreme doesn’t even attempt, from what I remember of KK. There’s much to be commended about donuts that are underwhelming in their sweetness, as I find the KK “destroy you with sugar” variety ruins my ability to enjoy other taste nuances.
That place in Park Slope I took you and Raj is actually the best semi-sweet donut shop I’ve ever found.
I’m still waiting for the definitive apple fritters. So far, the best one I’ve had I made myself as research for Kira Disapproves, and that sucks, because it’s pretty labor intensive.