CONFESSIONS OF A                                                                  
     
RESTAURANT WHORE
A San Francisco Girl's Down and Dirty Adventures in the Culinary Playground

Monday, July 28, 2008

Sometimes You Feel Like a 'Nut (Dynamo Donuts -- San Francisco, CA)

When I was in 10th grade, I stopped eating donuts because I found out how they were made, ie, deep frying. My, how things have changed.

I grew up in the land o' Dunkin' Donuts, and until this day I had not found a superior donut. I was supremely disappointed the first time I ate a Krispy Kreme and promptly fell into a diabetic coma. The "donut shops" that pepper the city always have the same lame offerings, and I was beginning to feel as if the only way to get a decent donut would be to eat some beignets or enjoy a fancy donut on some dessert menu somewhere.

But wait! It's Dynamo Donut to the rescue! I high-tailed it there as soon as I heard they had opened last week.

Awww, yeah, bitches -- that's what I'm talking about. Like A16, and like Bar Jules, I went to Dynamo Donut one day and promptly returned the next. Dynamo lives in a little storefront on 24th St. -- if you didn't know it was there, you might miss it. In fact, I shouldn't even tell you it's there because then you might never find it and there would be more donuts for me.

Sara Spearin, who bakes the goodies and owns the spot with her hubby, Jonny Raglin (you may have heard of him) was sweeter than the donuts and made a fast buddy of Diner #3. She also got her pedigree at Liberty Cafe and Bi-Rite Creamery, and it doesn't really get much better than that in the baked goods department. (Can I get a 'what what, hey yo, what what in here?) I just about got down on my knees and asked her to marry me, except there's the aforementioned problem of Jonny, and, well, Jon.

But the donuts!

OH. GOD. The donuts!

Give me a minute here.

OK, I'm ready.

Day 1: Chocolate chocolate star anise and maple apple bacon. OK, hold up right here: Bacon on my donut?!! Are you the goddess of all artery-clogging goodness? You must be, because that shiz is so delicious that I'll gladly snip a few years off my life for another heavenly bite. This donut is not greasy and it doesn't sit in your belly like a lead sack. On the contrary, this donut with it's springy, yeasty dough and rich maple apple glaze is dangerous in it's consumability. And it has BACON on it. Bacon sprinkles. Made from really good bacon. I tried four different donuts in two days and this was definitely my favorite. This says a lot, considering all the donuts are so finger lickin' good that I am damn glad that I don't quite live in walking distance to this joint.

Now I pretty much have to tie Jon down to get him to agree to a chocolate option over something else. As he laid on the couch on Friday afternoon after a particularly ass-kicking week at work, I shoved a cake-y piece of the double chocolate anise in his mouth as he grimaced. The grimace melted away as he declared: "Oh! Oh! Wow. Oh. Wow. That's good. That's really good. Holy crap. Wow. I love how it's not too sweet. Where are they again?"

And that, my friends, is how we ended up there the following day on our way down to our annual berry picking adventure.

Jon lapped up some of the Four Barrel Coffee ("very good," he says -- and have I ever mentioned that I don't really drink coffee except in Italy? Consider this the moment...). Then we proceeded to inhale the fleur de sel caramel donuts. Surprisingly, these are my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, they still kick the average donut's ass, but it didn't make me want to run away with it like the others did.

The lemon pistachio on the other hand is fucking amazing. These bitches had a slightly sour dough, bright lemon glaze and fresh little pistachio bits. It sounds simple enough but it was truly extraordinary.

The Dynamo folks really have something going with this 2-3 flavors a day shit because I will keep returning for my favorites and keep finding more delicious tasties and then I will have tried everything and liked everything and I will weigh 382 pounds and need a forklift to get out of bed. Come to think of it, staying in bed all the time doesn't sound so bad these days.

xoxo
Joy

"To eat is a necessity. To eat intelligently is an art."
-- La Rochefoucauld

P.S. Here's what I have to say about Bar Jules. Mostly, it's fucking awesome.

5 Comments:

Blogger Green said...

Have you tried the jelly donuts from Trader Joe's? Those are pretty good, for non Dunkin Donuts donuts.

And, since they're from Trader Joe's, they are healthy, like everything else sold there!

7/31/2008 9:09 PM  
Blogger Joel said...

This I think I must try. I only moderately tolerate normal doughnuts, but when they start getting crafty with the ingredients, I am all in. And when those ingredients include BACON? Hook up the I.V.

I wonder if you have heard of Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, OR. Their offerings include a triple chocolate doughnut, which is covered in cocoa puffs, an oreo cookie doughnut, and the my new favorite food group, the Bacon Maple Bar. It is, and I mean no exaggeration here, like pure bacony crack. There is a little something about them on my blog, with some mouth watering pictures. Check it out!

www.sixby10.blogspot.com

8/02/2008 2:05 PM  
Blogger Manger La Ville said...

Super yummy... I just checked them out. Interesting flavors and great coffee. You are not only a restaurant whore but a donut whore. Whatever, keep whoring it up...great blog!

8/03/2008 12:04 AM  
Blogger Cynthia said...

Just wanted to let you know that I finally made it into SF for chocolating at Bittersweet Cafe and dinner at SPQR yesterday (after reading your reviews, I might add). Both were extraordinary; my friends and I had such a great time.

Thanks again for your food writing :-).

8/04/2008 4:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Being from Northboro MA, with a population of 11,000 and 6 donut shops, and sharing similar tastes (crispy cream is not for me) I was excited to try Dynamo.

I thought they were good but not great. Not even close to the cider Donut from the farm stand I will be having on Thursday when I fly to my parents.

Flavors were good, had all three that were available, chocolate spice, lemon pistachio, something else I can't remember (not a good sign). Really liek the less sweat and salty taste.

I love a cake donut but these were to cakey and not fried and crunchy enough for my taste. Kind of like a good bunt cake that gets crispy on the outside.

Nice treat but I still like a Dunkin Donuts chocolate glaze better, especially for the price.

9/08/2008 9:15 AM  

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