Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025 - Full List

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked wth an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25, #21-25, #16-20, #11-15, #6-10, and #1-5.)

• • •

It's been a great week exploring the top sweets in Chicago. Click the links above for longer write-ups and tips. Here's the full list:

(1) Afternoon tea bun at Lost Larson*

(2) Caramel cake slice at Brown Sugar Bakery*

(3) Goat cheese cashew caramel gelato at Black Dog Gelato

(4) Strawberry rhubarb pie at Bang Bang Pie (rotating menu)
(5) Ellen from Alliance Bakery

(6) Bread pudding at Bar Roma*

(7) Valrhona chocolate iced doughnut at Firecakes

(8) Iced housemade chai with ube syrup at Del Sur Bakery*

(9) Panna cotta at Spacca Napoli

(10) Earl grey swirl ice cream at Bartleby's* (rotating menu)

(11) Vanilla sour cream doughnut at Downstate Donuts*

(12) Sour cream dutch apple pie at Hoosier Mama Pie Company (rotating menu)

(13) Cookie dough peanut butter milkshake at Chicago Diner

(14) Authentic drinking chocolate at XOCO

(15) Lemon-raspberry brioche French toast at M. Henry

(16) Purple velvet cupcake at Jennivee’s Bakery

(17) Tiramisu at "Original" Ferrera Bakery

(18) Pecan caramel crisp popcorn from Garrett Popcorn

(19) Death by chocolate sundae at Vaca's Creamery*

(20) Chilled drinking chocolate from Katherine Anne Confections*

(21) Cinnamon rolls at Ann Sather*

(22) Earl grey custard and sea salt caramel Japanese soufflé pancakes at Hanabusa Cafe*

(23) Raspberry pie at Shaw's Crab House*

(24) Tagalong cake at Defloured (rotating menu)

(25) Oreo frosted brownie from Sweet Mandy B's*

Honorable mention: Pretty much anything from Mindy's Bakery*

Gone, but not forgotten: Chai-infused French toast from Orange (R.I.P.)

Favorite non-Chicago dessert spot in Chicago: Jeni's Ice Creams (nationwide, originally from Columbus, OH)

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025: #6-10

Valrhona chocolate iced doughnut at Firecakes

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked with an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25, #16-20, and #11-15.)

• • •

(6) Bread pudding at Bar Roma*: Tart cherries and dark chocolate always go well together; in an expertly prepared bread pudding they are pure bliss. Top it with salted caramel and *mwah* chef's kiss. (I recommend getting the vanilla gelato on the side.) Side note: Bar Roma is my wife and I's favorite date spot. Don't miss their cacio e pepe.

(7) Valrhona chocolate iced doughnut at Firecakes: Without a doubt the best chocolate icing I've ever had on a doughnut. It's definitely icing textured, but it tastes like a bite of fine chocolate. And Firecakes' yeast doughnuts are where it's at, whether this classic or their more creative flavors that rotate in and out, like dulce de leche and strawberry mascarpone.

(8) Iced housemade chai with ube syrup at Del Sur Bakery*: There is no shortage of items with complexity to their flavor at Del Sur, but the best example may be their chai. Their website notes that the chai contains "clove, ginger, black pepper, cayenne, star anise, cardamom, rose water, and orange." I added some of their housemade ube syrup. I have had numerous ube beverages; this one was the truth.

Spacca Napoli

(9) Panna cotta at Spacca Napoli: If you close your eyes, you might think you are eating the silkiest vanilla gelato ever, punctuated by fruit and a balsamic drizzle. This jiggly Italian custard delivers. An elegant ending after eating the best Neapolitan-style pizza in Chicago.

(10) Earl grey swirl ice cream at Bartleby's* (rotating menu): This was a seasonal fall flavor almost a year ago and I dream of it still. The swirl was a tart raspberry, adding a punch to the warm flavor of the earl grey ice cream base. I'm also a big fan of their honeycomb crunch and my wife always brings home a pint of their dairy-free chocolate ice cream.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025: #11-15

Downstate Donuts spread

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked with an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25 and #16-20.)

• • •

(11) Vanilla sour cream doughnut at Downstate Donuts*: My absolute favorite donut from Downstate Donuts is the strawberry rosé, but it's a rare find. The good news is it's only a hair better than this, their most classic doughnut. Downstate incorporates potatoes into their dough, making their cake doughnuts standouts regardless of the glaze/topping. This vanilla sour cream glaze adds a tang to the experience.

(12) Sour cream dutch apple pie at Hoosier Mama Pie Company (rotating menu): As I've said before, Hoosier Mama is the queen of the custard pies in Chicago...but her sour cream fruit pies are even better. I've also had the sour cream blackberry, which would rank equally high on this list. The dutch apple one is just a titch better in my opinion.

(13) Cookie dough peanut butter milkshake at Chicago Diner: The best milkshake in the city is vegan. From the makers of the famous veggie Reuben sandwich comes a perfect milkshake that tastes like peanut butter cookie dough if it had been named by Yoda. Did I mention it's vegan? It's vegan.

Xoco

(14) Authentic drinking chocolate at XOCO: From Chicago chef Rick Bayliss, this spot offers tasty tortas, ho hum churros and, the best of the bunch, Mexican drinking chocolate. They offer it in classic or Aztec, which has a spicy kick to it. Which is better? Honestly, depends on one's mood. You can't lose.

(15) Lemon-raspberry brioche French toast at M. Henry: I take all of my out-of-town guests to M. Henry. Usually when I go to brunch, I like to split with a friend, so we can get half savory and half sweet. At M. Henry splitting isn't necessary because the morning sugar high of downing all the French toast is well worth it.

Parlor Doughnuts (located in multiple states)

Pictured: Cookies N' Cream, Cherry Cheesecake,
Coconut Cream, and Hibiscus Glazed

I have seen the future and it is Parlor Doughnuts. Just as Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams has grown from a humble Columbus, Ohio operation into a nationwide phenomenon, so will Parlor Doughnuts take over the USA. They are already off to a good start with locations in 13 states. Happily, I have eaten at them thrice: twice in Indiana (including their headquarters in Evansville) and once in Kentucky on my recent tour de south.

So what makes Parlor Doughnuts so special? Creative flavors, new spins on classics, and a donut design that is guaranteed to please.

What is this doughnut design, you ask? Beyond being gigantic, these doughnuts solve the cronut problem. Parlor Doughnuts makes layered doughnuts, fried to perfection with a crisp exterior and a flaky, doughy middle. Whatever they have done to seal the exterior successfully keeps the oil from seeping into the center--my biggest complaint with cronuts. They are neither a yeast doughnut nor a cake doughnut. Appearance-wise, Parlor's doughnuts are like croissants baked into a circle, whereas cronuts looked like doughnuts, only taller. And best of all: ALL of their doughnuts are made in this style, unlike cronuts which were always a specialty doughnut in short supply.

In my three visits to Parlor Doughnuts, I have tried a bunch of flavors: Strawberry Shortcake, Cookies N' Cream, Turtle, Coconut Cream Filled, Raspberry Pistachio, Hibiscus Glazed, Cherry Cheesecake, and their best seller, French Toast. Some of their doughnuts have filling, while others offer creative toppings. My favorites have been Hibiscus Glazed, which is their classic doughnut with no filling, and French Toast, which has cinnamon on top and layers of maple within. A lot of their flavors skew in the dessert column vs. the breakfast column, but for an occasional treat I will make an exception and eat dessert for breakfast.

Another cool thing is that each Parlor Doughnuts location has a unique logo. My only complaint is that the headquarters in Evansville, IN was out of their location-specific XL shirts.

Gibson's Donuts in Memphis, TN

Photo courtesy of Gibson's Facebook page.
My photos from Gibson's are missing, sadly.

Gentle readers, my research is never over. Every time I go on a trip, I research "best desserts," "best ice cream," "best doughnuts," "best bakery," and more. Often I arrive at a place that is good, but is missing that je ne sais quoi that makes it blog-worthy. Sometimes the destination is everything I wanted it to be and more. But rarely do I come across an instant classic, something so positively wonderful that not blogging about it would be a crime. Keep that final category in mind and I ramble on in my next paragraph...

My sweetie and I arrived at Gibson's Donuts between 8am and 9am on a Sunday and were greeted by a line out the door. The kind woman in front of us chatted with us about Memphis before marveling at how my sweet tooth brought us arrive at Gibson's. (My research is unparalleled.) She assured us that Gibson's is home to the best glazed doughnut anywhere. I tried not to pre-judge; I've heard such declarations before. Once our friendly line neighbor reached the counter, she ordered a dozen glazed and single blueberry cake doughnut. My order would be more modest, trying to check all the boxes one finds in a classic doughnut shop (fruity, custard-y, chocolate-y, etc.) in just four doughnuts--two for me and two for my beloved. Oh, and one of them had to be the aforementioned plain glazed, a solid choice for any classic doughnut shop.

Much to our delight, once it was our turn at the counter we were greeted with one free glazed each because we were first-timers, one warm and one room temperature. Both were as good as advertised, though I felt the room temperature offered slightly more of a flavor journey. I'll be honest that I don't remember much about the other doughnuts we got. Why? Because our friend from the line was correct: Gibson's glazed doughnut is home to the best glazed doughnut anywhere. Period.

This doughnut is the perfect mixture of the traditional yeast doughnut found at one of those classic mom 'n' pop doughnut shops (meaty and filling with that hint of something special in the glaze) and Krispy Kreme (sweet, airy, and gone in seconds). But how does Gibson's accomplish such a mixture of meaty and airy? It's just another secret of Memphis, the crossroads of country, soul, and rock 'n' roll.

Downstate Donuts in Chicago, IL

Many of us Chicagoans have been craving the foods we cannot access easily during quarantine due to them being outside walking distance. Imagine my delight when a friend spread the gospel of a new doughnut place that delivers! The purveyor in question is Downstate Donuts, where the doughnuts are made with potatoes. Indeed when the half dozens have arrived at my door, they smelled like potato chips. They didn't taste like potato chips, but there's no denying that smell.

As the weeks continue to pass in quarantine, I've allowed myself to make more than one order to this wonderful establishment and create a list of their donuts, from my favorite to my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, though: all of them are good!

L-to-R: Wild Blueberry, Strawberry Rosé,
Lemon Mascarpone, Vanilla Sour Cream

Strawberry Rosé - My favorite of their offerings, they actually boast that this is their first savory doughnut...but it tastes sweet to me! The strawberry glaze is the best I've encountered.

L.R.P. (Lemon Ricotta Pistachio) - Hot on the tail of the previous doughnut, the layered combination gets better with each bite.

Vanilla Sour Cream - Don't bypass this one just because it sounds simple. This classic is classic for a reason.

Sweet Potato Maple - A delightful balance of sweet potato and maple, I actually prefer this version to their other option Maple Pecan, which has too much going on flavor-wise in my humble opinion.

Lemon Mascarpone - As you have probably deduced by now, in addition to having a variety of glazes, Downstate Donuts also uses different doughs. This particular doughnut is decadent and rich.

Italian Cream Cake - I ate the whole thing, but I'm still not totally clear on what was going on with it. All I know is that it was good. The website says the cake doughnut has coconut milk in it!

L-to-R: Vanilla Sour Cream, L.R.P.,
Chocolate Sea Salt, Brown Butter Chai

Wild Blueberry - The glaze has more than a hint of lemon in it, which sadly overpowers the blueberry, even though there are hunks of blueberries in the doughnut.

Brown Butter Chai - I expected more of a punch of flavor than I got in this doughnut, but when has cinnamon on a glazed doughnut ever been bad?

Chocolate Sea Salt - More salt than I prefer on this tasty chocolate glaze. I feel it necessary to reiterate that while this is near the bottom of the list, it still was good!

Salted Peanut Butter - This was the only doughnut of theirs that didn't taste unique to me. I feel I can grab something similar at other doughnut spots.

Delivery from Downstate Donuts is available on Saturday mornings only, so get your orders in before 5pm on Friday this week.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2018 - Full List

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25, #16-20, #11-15, #6-10, #1-5.)

• • •

1.) Strawberry rhubarb pie at Bang Bang Pie (seasonal)
2.) Ellen from Alliance Bakery
3.) Cioccolato at Osteria Langhe (rotating menu)
4.) Goat cheese cashew caramel gelato at Black Dog Gelato
5.) Strawberry mascarpone doughnut at Firecakes (seasonal)
6.) Apple pie at Chopping Block (only at Apple Fest)
7.) Sour cream Dutch apple pie at Hoosier Mama Pie Company (rotating menu)
8.) Chai-infused French toast at Orange (pictured above)
9.) Cookie dough peanut butter milkshake at Chicago Diner
10.) Tagalong cake at Defloured (seasonal)
11.) Panna cotta at Spacca Napoli
12.) Chocolate chip cookie at Publican Quality Meats
13.) Authentic drinking chocolate at XOCO
14.) Stuffed French toast at M. Henry
15.) Almondolas from Amy's Candy Bar (seasonal)
16.) Katie cakes at Taste of Heaven
17.) Purple velvet cupcake at Jennivee’s Bakery
18.) Pumpkin cupcake at Molly's Cupcakes (seasonal)
19.) Tiramisu at "Original" Ferrera Bakery
20.) Pecan caramel corn from Garrett Popcorn

21.) Cheese and honey gelato from Frio Gelato 

22.) Cherry pie from First Slice Pie Cafe 

23.) Strawberry milkshake at Allende

24.) Mango Italian ice at Miko’s Italian Ice (closed during the winter)

25.) Coconut bao at Wow Bao

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2018: #1-5

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. (Jump to #21-25, #16-20, #11-15, #6-10.)

• • •

1.) Strawberry Rhubarb pie at Bang Bang Pie
I've said it before and I'll say it again: The best slice of pie I have had in my life. Sadly, these fruits are not always in season.

2.) Ellen from Alliance Bakery
The Ellen is a layered pistachio, white chocolate and cinnamon mousse dessert. It is delicate, which means you have to pretend to be eating it daintily while you shovel it in your face.

3.) Cioccolato at Osteria Langhe
Their menus change, but look for it if you go. The dinner I had there was my favorite ever in Chicago, though again the menu changes. All I can say is that while I ate this I understood chocolate in a new way.

4.) Goat Cheese Cashew Caramel gelato at Black Dog Gelato
When I moved away from Chicago for a brief spell, this dessert was the last thing I ate before driving out of the city. The things it does to my taste buds is borderline erotic.

5.) Strawberry Mascarpone doughnut at Firecakes
As I've said before, my second favorite doughnut of all time. This one is seasonal, though, so if you go when it's out of season, grab the Valrhona Chocolate Glazed yeast doughnut.

Gone But Not Forgotten: Endgrain in Chicago

While going through old blog posts, I happened upon a draft of a post about Endgrain, a restaurant opened by the man some credited with launching the doughnut craze in Chicago. Endgrain was my obsession for a while, even if inconvenient for carless Chicagoans not on the Brown Line. I was saddened a couple years ago when it shuttered.

Endgrain founder Enoch Simpson was more than serious; he wanted people to give doughnuts the respect they deserve. Simpson talked the talk in a Guide to Doughnut Tasting, which, excepting the two bizarre and confusing opening sentences, offers some doughy insight into Chicago's grease-gone-gourmet obsession. Simpson also walked the walk, making the best overall textured doughnut menu in the city.

At the start, there were a mere four doughnut options for customers to choose from: the Butterscotch Bacon—their one constant—and three rotating selections. On most days, there was a jelly doughnut, a chocolate doughnut and a traditional doughnut with a unique glaze, what my waitress called a "vanilla doughnut" and what I'm calling a "rogue doughnut."

The Doughscuit.

After some time, Simpson decided that, rather than jumping on the cronut bandwagon, he’d make his own doughnut hybrid: the Doughscuit, a doughnut-come-biscuit filled with crème frache. It was buttery, sweet and creamy. This was followed by an alternative takes on his creation, including the German Chocolate Doughscuit. The original Doughscuit would go on to win the FirstAnnual DonutFest in Chicago, though I personally preferred the German Chocolate variety.

Despite the Doughscuit’s accolades, I always felt the crown jewel at Simpson’s Endgrain were the jelly doughnuts, which I wrote about in my review of the best of Chicago doughnuts. Put simply, it was the perfect jelly doughnut. And now, sadly, it is gone. My second favorite doughnut at Endgrain was the Butterscotch Bacon, a rare beacon of light in the bacon-doughnut craze. Their version had a gooey butterscotch coating, topped with crispy bacon. In my visits, I also tried Mochanut, Blackberry Peppercorn, Peaches 'n Cream, Nutella Milkstout, Chocolate Turtle and Salted Caramel.



Endgrain, you are gone, but not forgotten!

Marry, Boff, Kill: Doughnuts in Austin, TX

While in Austin, a small group of people with diverse genders and sexual orientations played the game "Marry, Boff, Kill." In this game, three subjects (usually people) are chosen within a particular category and then you pass judgment on which of these three you would marry if given the option, then whom you would boff, and finally which you would be sentence to death. For example, in my previous entry about Austin ice cream, it's clear I'd "marry" Dolce Neve; I'd also "boff" Lick Honest Ice Creams and "kill" Amy's.

Got the game down? Good! Because it's time for "Marry, Boff, Kill: Austin Doughnut Edition"!

Marry: La Patisserie

Though billed as a hybrid of a croissant and a brioche, La Patisserie's CroBrio felt more to be like a doughnut/brioche mixture. The flaky layers one associates with a croissant weren't present, though nothing was lacking in my enjoyment. It was buttery, doughy, chewy and delicious. The chocolate on top was deep like a ganache. The cream (though billed as being a peanut butter cream) was a light vanilla bean delight. The type of CroBrio being offered changes, but I doubt my extreme desire for the product would. 'Til death do us part.

Boff: Gourdough's

I couldn't resist the urge to try the over the top options at Gourdough's--pronounced like "gordo," the Spanish word for fat--ultimately settling on the Squealing Pig. It was a doughnut piled high with strawberry jalapeno jelly, candied jalapenos, bacon and cream cheese icing. The entire experience was messy, not to mention too sweet. (The cream cheese icing was far more icing than cream cheese.) I felt gross after eating Gourdough's, but I still feel some guilty desire to try a few more of their flavors on the side, even if my heart belonged to La Patisserie.

Kill: Mrs. Johnson's Bakery

Though the hours make this traditional doughnut shop intriguing (7:30pm-noon), the product was not memorable. It appears on most lists of "Austin's must-try doughnuts," but I failed to see why. I love a good spot for traditional doughnuts and, while this one was passable, it wasn't notable nor a must-try, especially for a visitor with limited time on their hands.

Rise Biscuits and Donuts in North Carolina

Rise Biscuits and Donuts was born in Durham in 2012, eventually opening other locations around North Carolina and even one in Texas. All told, they make a good product on both the savory side of their menu and the sweet. But this is a sugar blog not a biscuit blog, so...onto the last word of the business' name.

Their doughnuts are divided into Old School (traditional doughnuts), New School (fancy doughnuts) and Our School (differs per location, may change). It's not every purveyor of fried dough that offers a simple Cinnamon Twist alongside fad doughnuts (Maple Bacon, Crème Brûlée), regionally specific treats (Cheerwine Icing) and originality (Banana Cake with Nutella). One would expect them to have an endlessly long menu, but they manage such a impressive range with a mere 15 doughnuts to choose from! It's a good problem to have, but deciding can be difficult at Rise. Allow me to introduce the crown jewel of their menu, the Pineapple Basil doughnut.

Incredibly tasty, this doughnut is unlike any I've ever encountered. The pineapple is sharp and tangy, the flavor lasting longer than most glazes. The cream filling offers a counterweight of sweetness, one that doesn't mellow the overall tartness but rather produces another note in the chord. It's all delivered in a delicious doughnut that's topped with pistachios for texture and, along with the basil, adds a light touch of savory. One bite of this doughnut and I knew it was one I would remember. An instant classic.

Sidecar Doughnuts in Costa Mesa, CA

A unique box and a donut band (feat. an alligator tubist and giraffe drum major).

Off to watch surfers from the pier at Newport Beach? For the love of Pete, if you're going to watch other people exert themselves with physical activity, don't ever do so on an empty stomach! Lucky for you, Sidecar Doughnuts isn't far. And just like a surfer waiting for the perfect wave, Sidecar patrons must put in the time to get the sweet rewards, given the long lines out the door. Once those patient patrons reach the front, a new struggle begins: deciding. 

My parents and I managed to narrow our order down to six doughnuts after careful, thoughtful deliberation. All of them were wonderful. And after eating about two doughnuts each, we felt sated and not at all weighed down. We left knowing that Sidecar Doughnuts is indeed worth the hype! Here were our choices (in order of the picture at the top, left-to-right):

Huckleberry: My mom's favorite. A cake doughnut, but light and springy like a muffin. Topped with a tangy huckleberry glaze.

Cardamom Orange: My second favorite. A spiced cake doughnut with a bright, citrusy tinge and streusel topping. Nuanced and tasty, tasty, tasty.

Membrillo y Manchego: Quince and sheep's milk cheese are a first to my personal doughnut history. The thin slivers of Manchego add a hint of salt and fat to the airy yeast doughnut covered in a subtle fruity glaze. 

Choc A Lot: My dad's second favorite. I went back and forth in my brain about whether this was a cake doughnut or a yeast doughnut. Ultimately, my dad and I decided that if a yeast doughnut and brownie had a baby, it would've been this delight. Topped with dark chocolate glaze and cocoa nibs.

Butterscotch Pot De Creme: My dad and I's pick for the best doughnut of the bunch. A glazed yeast doughnut with a few bits of sea salt on top, plus a pool of butterscotch resting in the doughnut hole and fresh whipped cream on top.

Pumpkin: My mom's second favorite. We lucked out and snagged a hot one from a fresh batch. The flavor of actual pumpkin (as opposed to "pumpkin spice") was more present here than in any pumpkin doughnut I've had since pumpkin doughnut holes my mom would make growing up. No wonder she liked it so much!

But, wait, there's more! Donuts on the menu, that is. Salty Caramel, Saigon Cinnamon Crunch, and Country Ham & Egg, a savory doughnut filled with ham, a poached egg and hollandaise. The number one on my list to try next time I go is Butter & Salt, their brown butter vanilla doughnut with fleur de sel.

Sidecar Doughnuts also has a Santa Monica location, with even more locations coming soon.

Union Square Donuts

Right across the water from Boston, bordering Cambridge, is Somerville, MA. Waiting there is an instant entry into my Top 25 to Visit, Union Square Donuts. Though the combination of their hours (closed by 3pm) and my work location (the southern suburb, Braintree) meant I could only visit once during my trip, I have two pretty great reasons to add this place to my list of must-visit Boston-area places. Here they are:

Chocolate Pretzel
An airy pretzel roll with thick crystals of salt on top, topped with a melty, sticks-to-your-fingers milk chocolate. Each bite is delicious and makes you wish you had a little more chocolate. Then you take another bite, but still wish you had a liiiittle bit more. So you chase the dragon until you’ve finished the entire thing, wondering if you should turn around and buy another. This is more of a roll than a doughnut. Don't care.

Brown Butter Hazelnut
A moist doughnut that is also airy, but not nearly as light. The intense sweetness of the brown butter glaze is balanced out well by the husky, nutty flavor of the hazelnuts. I'm pretty sure that if I put on some ruby slippers and clicked my heels together, I'd be transported to a place where I tasted this always. This doughnut is unquestionably a top five doughnut of my life.

Looking forward to my next visit to Union Square Donuts, even if transported there by Kansas tornado.

Post #300: Top 25 to Visit

Time for another clip show.

Here you will find my top picks, revised since Post #200 back in November 2012. As the blog has grown substantially, I've changed the Top 20 tag to the revised TOP 25 TO VISIT tag. (This includes two places I will post about in the next month or two.)

My hope is that you will check this blog when you travel and use that handy-dandy search box on the right to see what I recommend in your destination city. And if I haven't written about that particular place, I hope you sample the best and report back, maybe even write a Field Report guest blog. (While this blog's primary allegiance is with local scoop shops, see my Freezer Favorites for the best of grocery store ice cream.)

Favorite Ice Cream 

#1 Toscanini’s (Cambridge, MA) 

#2 Morelli's (Atlanta, GA) 

#3 Creole Creamery (New Orleans, LA)

Favorite Doughnuts

#1 Mighty-O (Seattle, WA) 

#2 Firecakes (Chicago, IL) 

#3 Union Square Donuts (Somerville, MA)

Favorite Pastries 

#1 Twice-baked almond croissants at Bakery Noveau (West Seattle, WA) 

#2 Kuoing Aman at Les Madeleines (Salt Lake City, UT) 

#3 Made-to-order cream puffs at Beard Papa's (many locations around the world)

Favorite Chocolate 

Toscano Blond, 63% Dark Chocolate with Peach and Apricot

Amadei (Tuscany, Italy; available in fine chocolate stores)

(For others, see The Chocolate Conneisseur's Desert Island List.)

Favorite Fancy Dessert   

Mountain-High Blackberry Ice Cream Pie 

Skyland and Big Meadows Resort (Skyline Drive, VA) 

In addition to blogging about the best desserts from my travels and the occasional recipe (like my creation of the perfect S'mores ice cream), my hope has been to make you laugh along the way. Here are my favorite humorous posts since Post #200:

• Cindy the Cinnamon Witch (A Holiday Tale of Sexism)
• X-Rated Ben & Jerry's (NSFW)
• This Honkey Ice Cream Be Trippin' (30 Rock Ice Cream)
• How to Celebrate a Half-birthday ('nuff said.) 

Thank you for reading and for the emails, texts, Facebook posts and carrier pigeons with your dessert recommendations.

Flavor Battle: DC Doughnuts and Fried Chicken

The spread at Astro Doughnuts.

I was already aware of the chicken and doughnut trend that had hit Washington, D.C. Indeed, when I was in the city for the 2015 NHL Winter Classic, I was able to sample the delights of one of the two market leaders, Astro Doughnuts. Wowed, I vowed to taste the competition, GBD, when next I made my way to the nation's capital. How pleased I was that the opportunity came so soon. The battle was on!

GBD (Golden Brown Delicious)
I arrived in D.C. on my most recent trip via a Megabus into Union Station. Though the temptation was high to go to Dangerously Delicious Pie's Union Station location, I did not pass go and took the Metro straight to Dupont Circle to try GBD (Golden Brown Delicious). While I arrived knowing what chicken doughnut sandwich I would order, The Luther, their doughnuts were another story because of their rotating selection. Looking over their options, I was surprised at how childish the options that day seemed--Funfetti? After less deliberation than I usually need, I settled on a Tres Leches cake doughnut and a Nutella Glazed yeast doughnut.

GBD in Dupont Circle.

I sat at GBD's bar and sampled my doughnuts while I waited for my main course. The Tres Leches had some nice coconut flavor (for some reason), but was a bit limp. It was more impressive than the Nutella Glazed, though, which despite boasting hazelnuts on top had zero Nutella flavor. I was surprised when my sandwich arrived with a huge side of fries. How many fried things could I, should I eat in one meal? The sandwich was fried chicken with two bacon strips served on a brioche doughnut bun. The bun itself was topped with a maple sauce and sprinkled with pecans. It was tasty, but not remarkably so.

Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken
Located near the Metro Center stop, conveniently near two of my brother and I's tourist destinations (Ford's Theatre and the International Spy Museum), the storefront location for Astro Doughnuts is much more modest than GBD's Dupont bar; it is a grab-n-go counter with a handful of sidewalk cafe tables. Their space is so small, the food is delivered up to the store counter on a dumbwaiter from a lower level.

Astro Doughnuts at the Winter Classic.

Having already tried their wonderful chicken doughnut sandwich (sriracha-mayo with lettuce and tomato) at the Winter Classic, I set my sights on trying their doughnut selection, which was far more extensive than the food truck menu from months previous. I settled on two. First, a Carrot Cake doughnut: a yeast doughnut with raisins mixed and a sweet (not especially cream cheesy) glaze. It was like a lightly fried cinnamon roll, which despite not tasting like carrot cake, left no room for complaints. Not too heavy, not too sweet.

Second, I had Boston Creme. I didn't have the highest of hopes. Long ago, Boston Creme used to be my go-to doughnut. And as time went on I continued to love the delicious custard, but years of eating cloyingly sweet chocolate glaze frosting took its toll and Boston Creme doughnuts were forsaken for the powdered sugar (or standard glaze) of Bavarian Creme. But when I saw Astros' square doughnut with a hole in it, I gave into its hipster charm and bought it anyway. The first thing I noticed was that the chocolate on top was a lighter color. Then when I took a bite, I realized it was because the topping was the same chocolate used on Boston Creme Pie, not the aforementioned cloyingly sweet abomination. Another plus was how light the doughnut was, like a proper Boston Creme pie's cake layers should be. This is the best Boston Creme doughnut I've ever had, restoring my faith in that particular species of doughnut.

Verdict

GBD's The Luther.
Just look at that maple glaze.

Without a doubt, Astro Doughnuts & Fired Chicken is the better choice than GBD. In all categories--doughnut selection, doughnut quality--Astro has a better doughnut. As for chicken, Astro also wins for quality and for including some lettuce and tomato to add a little something fresh to the fiesta of fried food. The one thing GBD wins at is the maple sauce they drizzled over their doughnut chicken sandwich; Astro, follow their lead on this one.

Astro Doughnuts at the 2015 NHL Winter Classic

 

Though we have been to many games individually, my brother and I have been to only three Chicago Blackhawks games together. The first was Round 1, Game 5 of the 2010 Playoffs against the Nashville Predators when Patrick Kane's shorthanded tying goal with 13.6 seconds left in regulation "charted [the] course for the Cup." It was my first hockey game and turned me into an instant fan. The second was Round 2, Game 7  of the 2013 Playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings where a denied goal in the third period resulted in a near riot until Brent Seabrook clenched the series in OT. Given that both of the Cup-clenching games in our lifetimes happened during away games, my brother reasons that we probably saw the two biggest games in recent Blackhawks history to have taken place at the Madhouse on Madison, United Center. It is only fitting that our third game together take place elsewhere, and what an event it was: the annual New Year's Day NHL Winter Classic outdoor match-up. In 2015, the game took place in Washington, D.C. at Nationals Park, my second favorite ballpark after Wrigley Field.

The day began early, thanks to my brother's wise insistence that we get there with plenty of time to enjoy the pre-game festivities. We wandered around a fan zone full of giveaways (foam hockey stick hats!) and numerous shoot-the-puck challenges (long, long lines!) while a ska cover band played bouncy tunes (horns!). While the home team Washington Capitals had larger representation among the fans, there was no shortage of Blackhawks jerseys making their way through the crowd--and not just my custom "17 SECONDS" jersey. (Man, watching that video never gets old.)

The only downside of getting there early, I bemoaned, was that we wouldn't be able to try one of the places in D.C.'s burgeoning doughnut and fried chicken scene, the most notable of which seem to be Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken and Golden Brown Delicious. Neither were near Nats Park, anyway, but a glutton can dream. Imagine my whooping delight when my brother discovered an Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken food truck in the fan zone. Bless Quenneville's mustache, it was a Winter Classic miracle!

Looking at the abbreviated menu--a choice of three doughnuts and one sandwich option with multiple sauce choices--we settled on a Crème Brûlée doughnut, a Vanilla Glazed doughnut and two of the sandwiches, mine served with sriracha-mayo, both served on a savory doughnut (read: fried dough with no sweetening glaze). The Crème Brûlée was an obvious winner, featuring burnt sugar coating the top of a stylish square doughnut and a tasty custard filling. (Astro's style and full menu remind me of NYC's fabulous Doughnut Plant, where they also feature square doughnuts with filling, plus Crème Brûlée and PB&J doughnuts.) Speaking with southern-born authority, the fried chicken was excellent, though I wish I'd have spiced up the savory doughnut bun with the Old Bay seasoning they offered. I'd eat at their food again without hesitation and will definitely want to try the other flavors, savory and sweet. And, hopefully, I can try Golden Brown Delicious next time I'm in D.C.

The rest of our Winter Classic experience was incredible, up until the very end when it came crashing down like so many complimentary seat cushions being thrown onto a baseball from the stands. But other than that slight, it was a great third game in my brother and I's run of fantastic Chicago Blackhawks experiences together. Go Hawks!

Top Ten Firecakes Doughnuts

How much is that doughnut in the window?

This week, Firecakes Donuts is celebrating its one-year anniversary. In honor of this, they are holding a promotion (Feb. 21 - 28) where every box of doughnuts (half-dozen or more) will include a sealed envelope with secret and wonderful contents. While most envelopes will contain a coupon for a free old fashioned, three will contain a "Golden Donut" good for free doughnuts for a year!

Since they have been my favorite doughnut shop in Chicago since they opened, I am a bit of an authority on their menu. I thought I would help out whomever finds the "Golden Donut" by introducing him or her to the Top Ten doughnuts Firecakes has to offer.

1.) Strawberry Mascarpone - This seasonal doughnut is the best in Chicago and easily top three in my life. A doughnut lightly stuffed with strawberry mascarpone, glazed and topped with two strawberries. Light, sweet, perfect, fresh. Get them while you can this week!
2.) Valrhona Chocolate Iced - You'll be tempted to get the Triple Valrhona Chocolate Cake doughnut instead, but stay simple and go classic. The best chocolate icing to be found on a doughnut because it actually tastes like chocolate, not just shiny black sugar.
3.) Meyers Lemon - Lemon is a category of doughnut I usually ignore, but Firecakes shut me up when they premiered this doughnut toward the end of 2013. Nothing canned about this tiny delicacy.
4.) Chocolate Hazelnut Long John - Not as Nutella-y as one might expect, but this doughnut still contains the maximum amount of richness a person could actually handle.

Strawberry Mascarpone: The best doughnut in Chicago.

5.) Donut Ice Cream Sandwich - A glazed doughnut split open and filled with a rotating menu of homemade gelato.
6.) Honey Glazed - Eating this, you will understand what every other doughnut place was trying to do.
7.) Peanut Butter Cup - This peanut butter cream-filled doughnut that makes me forgive all the less-than-dessert-y peanut butter things I've consumed over the years. And that glorious chocolate on top.
8.) Old Fashioned Buttermilk - The first non-yeast doughnut on this list...and the only Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Doughnut I've wanted to order again. Has a streak of something carmel-y in it.
9.) Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie - This pumpkin cake doughnut with pumpkin mousse and caramelized pecan was memorable even after pumpkin season was over. Mmm...pumpkin season.
10.) Maple Glazed Pineapple & Bacon - The tart pineapple helps this bacon doughnut transcend the grease bomb most doughnut shops serve up.

Sorry, but our princess is in another castle.

"But, wait," you ask, "why not list a full dozen?"

Good question! Because I didn't win (see photo -->) and you're sharing with me...you know, for helping you out with my recommendations. Thanks in advance!

Happy anniversary, Firecakes! Can't wait to see what great doughnuts you think of next!

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)

- - -

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

- - -

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)

Chicago's Twelve Doughnuts of Christmas

Endgrain's holiday doughnuts (r-l): Peppermint (Best!), Mint Chocolate, Gingerbread

'Twas the holiday season and fryers did fry
Colorful, tasty and festive delights!
There's no better way than to cap off the year
With doughnuts resplendent with holiday cheer!

Do-Rite's Hot Chocolate.
Also on their holiday menu:
Chocolate Candy Cane,
Gingerbread Old Fashioned
and Christmas Cookie

I first dash to Do-Rite, whose works I admired.
The best was Hot Chocolate, so rich and inspired!
Choc-o-late Candy Cane also had zeal.
(Christmas cookie and gingerbread had less appeal.)

Endgrain had gingerbread, too--just okay--
Plus two tasty doughnuts with peppermint glaze.
The one topped with chocolate got all of the press,
But I liked the one with red sugar the best.

Then over to Doughnut Vault, teeming with hype,
But they had sold out, which did cause me to gripe.
No chocolate peppermint doughnut for me
Nor gingerbread doughnuts, sold by the three.

Holiday Cookie doughnut from Firecakes.
Also on their holiday menu: Eggnog
and Chocolate Peppermint Bark.

At Firecakes I ended my wintry sojourn.
Their choc-o-late peppermint bark I did scorn
And their custard-y eggnog did drive me away,
But their holiday cookie gave reason to stay.

Twelve holiday doughnuts--so tempting to buy--
But these three wise doughnuts you simply must try:
Number three is Doughnut Vault's Gingerbread Stack.
They have it year round and I've meant to go back!

Endgrain's Peppermint gets second place.
So airy and sweet with a candy cane taste!
But the toasted marshmallow with choc'late so yummy
Made Do-Rite's Hot Chocolate the best in my tummy!

Like Santa, my stomach was giant and round.
So many doughnuts will pack on some pounds!
As I waddled down Hubbard Street, I yelled 'neath my cap,
"Thanks for the doughnuts! Now I need a nap."