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The Best Donuts!

Friends,

When folks ask about my donut blog, I generally start by saying it’s not really about donuts. Well, not today! Today I lean-in, full boar... it's all about the donuts. Not too long ago, a good friend sent me an article on the best doughnuts in every state. Rather than nit-pick the criteria used, variety sampled or judges’ credentials—which smacks of donut snobbery, an oxymoron—I thought I’d love to sample some of these outstanding donuts, filing the information for the moment opportunity came knocking. As luck would have it, an opportunity presented itself this week in the form of my brother-in-law’s move to Connecticut. Three of these best-in-state donut purveyors were (roughly) on the route.


  1. False Start. Olsen’s Bake Shop in Omaha, Nomaska was supposed to be the first stop. Alas, it was not to be. We found out the hard way they’re closed on Sundays. Plan B, Donut Stop & Coffee Shop, was boarded-up. It felt like Superbowl XLVIII all over again: we kept yelling Omaha, but seemed unable to score some donuts.

 


  1. ​​Score. Fortunately, Hiland Bakery, Iowa’s best donuts are only a few miles down the road in Cedar Rapids (a 2,000 mile road trip does skew the definition of “few”). Breakfast plans became lunch plans and soon enough I was enjoying their famous "crack donut" – an innocent-looking powder donut filled with a creamy surprise. Sometimes the real deal is even better than the hype. Case-in-point.

​ 

  1. 4th and Inches. The final stop came our fourth day on the road, a mere hour before reaching our destination. Neil’s Donuts in Middletown had some amazing Boston cremes, not to mention a helluva pink frosted donut (move over Homer Simpson!). Parking with a moving truck and car trailer hitch in tow was a different matter.


It was great sampling some awesome out-of-state donuts. It was also good validation that the donuts we have in the Denver area are right up there with the best. That said, I must go to Pueblo and find-out how Banquet Schusters Bakery stole the crown from so many worthy local contenders. Just give me a minute to catch-up on some Z’s.


Happy Friday!

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