Rainbow Donuts - Berkeley, CA

On the way to an install at William Stout Bookstore on Solano Avenue, Matt wanted a fancy coffee.  Next door was Rainbow Donuts (San Pablo @ University), what a pleasant surprise! Unfortunately, the best part of this maple bar was the name of the establishment.

Just your standard plab doughnut fare, nothing special.  The glaze was crispy and sweet, the dough was too heavy for my liking. But it did give me the juice to get the install done.  If you find yourself in the neighborhood, you are better off heading up to the UC Berkeley campus to Kingpin. Which reminds me, that place is due for another visit from Team Bloughnut.

Fleur de Lis at Hollywood Farmer's Market - Portland, OR

Team Bloughnut has been hibernating in the Bay Area, but our INTERNATIONAL correspondents have been busy. Here's the latest from our British Columbia Bureau, which had to cross a border to research this posting:

Down in Portland for a wedding, I swung by the Hollywood Farmer's Market this morning. I was surprised to see a stack of gorgeous doughnuts at the Fleur de Lis bakery stand. They specialize in French pastries of all stripes, but I took a chance on a cinnamon sugar doughnut. The yeast is the star here: this was a fluffy and flavorful raised doughnut with an appropriately spicy sugary coating. I don't know if there's anything French about it, but it's definitely tasty.

Thanks to Bloughnut contributor Kelly Mc. for the review.  Have a wondoughful day.

Mighty O at Stumptown Coffee - Seattle, WA

Team Bloughnut took a trip on an aeroplane to the Northwest, home of Filson, Boeing, and Seattle's Best Coffee (as if!).  We hoped to hit Top Pot as required by most Seattle sources but didn't make it.  What we could accomplish was stop for some of Portland's finest coffee in one of their Seattle cafes, where we were (sort of) pleased to find Seattle's vegan doughnut option, Mighty O.

These tasted a lot like a vegan doughnut I have sampled here in the Bay Area: just alright.  The flavors were a yawn (vanilla chocolate and a blueberry mini--75 cents a bite).  "Can they even make a vegan raised?" queries Team Bloughnut associate Hillary K.  That's a good question, with my limited vegan doughnut experience they are always cake.

Here's another question: Do blueberries and yellow cake doughnuts make green?

The final question I will pose to you is a territorial one:  Do you think, based on this neon sign (I love all the neon in the Northwest, by the way), that the Portland-based micro-roasting behemoth Stumptown is trying to represent a little bit of P-Town pride among their neighbors to the north?

These vegan cake doughnuts just don't do it for me. If someone has found a vegan maple bar, vegan chocolate old-fashioned, or a vegan apple fritter, please let me know!

Without coffee, doughnuts just aren't very appealing to be honest

Team Bloughnut gave up coffee for 2 weeks to reset the body and give the Team some time to relax, and we found doughnuts just weren't really on the radar (it's like Mickey without Minnie). But thanks to a certain team member bringing back some Stumptown all the way from NYC's Ace Hotel, Team Bloughnut decided 2 weeks was long enough without the black gold. We're back!

We were quiet, but still busy.  Here are a few photos from a small doughnut adventure at the beginning of my coffee fast.  The first two are from The Jelly Donut in Pleasanton: never trust a doughnut shop next to a Little Caesar's Pizza Pizza, especially if it's spelled 'donut' -- though they do have decent Yelp reviews, and though they did serve up a pretty half-decent maple cinnamon roll, which I have never seen before!

This next pic is from the Pleasanton Fair Grounds, cleaning up after the Alameda County Fair.  Apparently the new rage is competitive tweener sheep riding?!  "The Toughest Sport on Wool" --- maybe the only sport on wool?!

The last shot is another bit of an interlude, paying homage to the King of Bad, bigger than life, Mr. Eastwood himself.  Spotted on 3rd Street in the Dogpatch, San Francisco.

'Til next time, keep it doughy.

King Pin Donuts - Berkeley, CA; and an Interlude

News Flash: King Pin Donuts gives Bob's a run for its money!  Hanging out with Bloughnut fan Aliza R. we stumbled upon this Cal hot spot after hours.  Doughnut holes fresh out of the oven and the greasiest deliciousest maple bar!  I'll be back..

Interlude: I have seen this billboard on Mandela Parkway in West Oakland for years (though they recently added the Kinetic Steam Works banner) and still don't know what to make of it.  Anybody have a clue?  Though, it's kind of a nice little personal mystery.

Bob's Donuts - San Francisco, CA

Bob's brings the heat yet again with another fine showing.  After nearly getting a flat tire Team Bloughnut needed some relief and Bob's delivered.  Apple fritter, chocolate old fashioned, and maple french.  I'm still waiting for the day when Bob's starts slippin' but it wasn't this fine day.

In the window: another satisfied customer licking her chops, or a sidewalk stroller contemplating her next fried dough move?  Bob's: BE THERE.

Bob's Donuts - San Francisco CA

After feverish World Cup action nothing calms me down like a gigantic slice of apple loaf from Bob's.  I recently discovered this little piece of magic: Bob's takes the leftover doughnuts, mashes them up, and creates a giant loaf filled with baked apples and topped with raisins.  At $2.45 a slice it's not cheap but definitely worth it, and a good use of day old doughnuts if you ask this reviewer. 

 The glazed buttermilk evoked oohs and ahhs from the Bloughnut review team.  Bob's delivers, again.