DonutFest

L: This blog's #1. C: The trophy. R: The judge's #1.

Walking into Chicago's first annual DonutFest, it may not have been immediately clear how brilliantly planned out it was. For starters, there were only fifteen bakeries competing, which doesn't seem like a lot for the $32.64 price tag...until I ate my eighth sample and felt my body was in rebellion against what I was doing to it. Luckily, most of the bakeries only offered one kind of doughnut to try, something that had irked me when I first walked in. (My question "How can a bakery be judged on a single pastry?" was trumped by "How could I have even imagined having the room to consume more than one sample per bakery?") Happily, the event stretched across four hours--five for VIP-ticket holders--allowing for much needed breaks for water/OJ and to consider the mistakes one has made in their lifetime. First, the event's accoaldes; then, this blog's more definitive accolades; and last, the full list of entries.

Top 3 (Judges):
Endgrain - Honey-glazed Doughscuit (doughnut-biscuit hybrid sandwiching a crème fraîche filling)
Doughnut Vault - Glazed Doughnut (yeast)
West Town Bakery - Speculoos-filled beer-in-the-batter yeast doughnut with a beer glaze and pretzel topping)

Speculoos-filled w/ beer glaze from West Town.

Top 3 (Audience Vote):
West Town Bakery - Speculoos-filled beer-in-the-batter yeast doughnut with a beer glaze and pretzel topping)
Endgrain - Honey-glazed Doughscuit (doughnut-biscuit hybrid sandwiching a light cream filling)
Donut Den - French Toast Donut (yeast)

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Top 3 (This Blog):

Duck-fried Blueberry-filled from Chop Shop.

Best: Scafuri Bakery - Nutella Bombolini (Nutella-filled yeast doughnut, espresso glaze and toasted hazelnuts)
Runner-Up: West Town Bakery - Speculoos-filled beer-in-the-batter yeast doughnut with a beer glaze and pretzel rod topping)
Honorable Mention: Chop Shop - Duck Fried Blueberry-Filled Glazed Donut (yeast donut hole)

Best Non-Doughnut-in-a-Doughnut-Competition:
Endgrain's Doughscuit
It may have won the trophy from the judges and been the runner-up with the audience, but I'm pulling the it's-not-a-doughnut card. In a room full of gastronomic armchair scholars, palates can often lean toward preference for the unusual. Having had Endgrain's Doughscuit several times before, I didn't get too caught up in the hype of a portmanteau-named creation differentiating itself from the competition in a doughnut festival. To reiterate, I love Endgrain and like a tasty Doughscuit now and then, but (a) their doughnuts are better and (b) the doughscuit is only one-half doughnut participating is a full-on doughnut festival. The main upside of its success (beyond increased exposure for the much deserving Endgrain) is that a cronut didn't win. I am grateful West Town Bakery didn't submit their oily mess "doughssant" (as opposed to "cronut") to get the hype vote.

Firecakes served full Peanut Butter Cup.

Texture Award:
Fritz Pastry - Blueberry Chocolate Crumb

Generosity Award:
Firecakes
West Town Bakery

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All the contenders:
Beavers Donuts - S'mores
Berrista - sugar-free Lemon
Chop Shop - Duck Fried Blueberry-Filled Glazed Donut (yeast donut hole)
City Dough - Cinnamon Sugar (cake) (nostalgia award)

Donut Den - French Toast Donut (yeast)

Doughnut Vault - Glazed Doughnut (yeast)

Endgrain - Honey-glazed Doughscuit (doughnut-biscuit hybrid sandwiching a light cream filling)
Firecakes - Peanut Butter Cup
Fritz Pastry - Blueberry Chocolate Crumb
Glazed & Infused - Maple Bacon Long John

Gurnee Donuts - Glazed Buttermilk

Reuter's Bakery - chocolate glazed (cake)

Scafuri Bakery - Nutella Bombolini (Nutella-filled yeast doughnut, espresso glaze and toasted hazelnuts)

Swedish Bakery - Chocolate Custard Bismiarck
West Town Bakery - Speculoos-filled beer-in-the-batter yeast doughnut with a beer glaze and pretzel topping)