7th Ave Donuts Cake donut: Earlier in the summer, I had a surprisingly good donut at 24/7 diner/donut shop 7th Ave Donuts in Park Slope, though the icing made it far too sweet. So I’ve been trying to see if ordering simpler donut flavors can recreate the same experience I had eating the custard-like, slightly under baked donut I had a few months ago. This plain cake donut did not do the job at all - it was largely flavorless, like eating a barely sweetened dry pound cake. Do not recommend. 2.0/5.0
brooklyn nyc 7thavedonuts cake donut 2.0
7th Ave Donuts and Diner French cruller: Here’s another donut from a 24-hour shop, this time based in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Mostly diner but partially donut shop, 7th Ave Donuts and Diner has a selection of unfussy classics from glazed to jelly to toasted coconut. I judged the quality of their donuts from their French cruller. Its thick vanilla icing was far too sweet, but the donut itself was surprisingly good, with its toasted exterior, crispy at the edges, but eggy, slightly raw custard-like interior. I would gladly come back fo... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended nyc donut dessert 7thavedonutsanddiner French cruller 3.5
Balthazar Banana Nut Donut: NYC institution Balthazar had a small bakery adjacent to the restaurant where you can grab pasties and coffee to go. Their banana nut donut is very good, with a fluffy texture lightly iced and topped with a banana-nut crumble. I love banana nut bread, and this treat successfully captures its essence in a way that is neither overly sweet nor heavy. 3.5/5.0
desserts recommended balthazar banana nut donut 3.5
Bang Bar Kkwabaegi: This Korean dessert doughnut is available at the new Bang Bar from @momolongplay at Columbus Circle in NYC. Costing under $4, the doughnut is quite sizable for the price and has a really delicious sweet flavor, even from the half without the cream cheese glaze and butterscotch drizzle. The doughnut has a satisfying texture that's less rich than a brioche but still moist and soft, which I actually prefer because you can eat the whole dessert without feeling heavy. The glaze, while sweet, has ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended donut korean dessert cinnamon nyc momofuku bangbar kkwabaegi 4.0
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 ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
sweets dessert portland bluestardonuts buttermilk lemon poppyseed donut 3.0