2017 05 04 12.25.39

Blue Star Donuts Buttermilk Lemon Poppyseed Donut: Portland is pretty serious about donuts. On my latest visit, I saw a much higher percentage of commuters eating donuts for breakfast than I have witnessed in any other city. So when I was about to fly out from PDX and realized there was a Blue Star next to ticketing, I willingly went through security a second time in order to see what all the fuss was about. There were many flavors I was interested in trying, from their strawberry-rhubarb jam-filled pastry to a more traditional donut ring with a drizzle of matcha-latte icing, but this time, I opted for a geometric-shaped donut with buttermilk lemon poppy seed icing. The icing itself was probably the most tart of any lemon donut I've had (which I liked), and the buttermilk added a slightly sourness as well. But the texture of the donut was more like a dense pound cake than the lighter, airier take of Boston favorite Union Square Donuts. For me, most of the joy of eating a donut comes from the consistency, and this one was just not up to snuff. I previously tried another Portland donut institution, Voodoo Donuts, on a prior trip and found it sickeningly sweet, so I can only assume that the donut craze in Portland is overhyped. 3.0/5.0

sweets dessert portland bluestardonuts buttermilk lemon poppyseed donut 3.0
5/16/2017