Day: June 5, 2016

Ann’s Donuts, Fresno, CA

They're open, they have no public restrooms, and they're serving eggrolls.
They’re open, they have no public restrooms, and they’re serving eggrolls.

Not every stop on my trip is a cultural center. Some are just places where people live.  Not every shop is a donut destination. Some are the workhorses of the morning pastry community, cranking out low-cost cylindrical carbs to feed the locals on their way to work.

Ann’s Donuts is one such place. It’s a humbly-signed place tucked into the corner of a strip mall next to a Family Dollar. The frontage signs let you know that they also serve ice cream, sundaes, and egg rolls (?!). Also, that there are no public bathrooms. Inside, the decor covers all the bases: Framed photographs of WWI aircraft, a poster of different models of Mercedes cars, a Fresno State Bulldogs flag. Some portraits.

I found Ann’s Donuts because I decided to stop in Fresno, and it was on the list as a good donut stop. I knew that Fresno was around the optimal distance from Medford to make for a comfortable one-day drive. What interested me about this particular place was the filled donut holes. Interesting idea – tiny bismarcks.

A very friendly staff member peeks over the selection.
A very friendly staff member peeks over the selection.

I chose six of these filled donut holes – 2 of each flavor (Rasberry, creme, and lemon) and a glazed ring for calibration. Together, it was a little over 2 dollars. I sat next to a picture of a P-51 Mustang and ate them all.

Filled donut holes. Nickel for scale.
Filled donut holes. Nickel for scale.

These are just donuts. The warm environment of Fresno brings out a little more yeastiness than Medford, but on the whole, the holes were a lukewarm experience. They are so small and soft that the glaze is already shattered when you first get them, and the filling is minimal but somehow overflowing anyway. They aren’t something you want to eat while taking picures with your iphone or typing on your laptop – not that most donuts are. This stop inspired me to get some wet wipes from the Family Dollar.

The glazed ring wasn’t bad – they almost never are. Even bad donuts are pretty good. It showed me how good the donuts at Donut Country were. The ring from Ann’s was just a little tougher – a little bit more savory wheat flavor making it seem less sweet. Nothing unforgiveble, and it made me relish my other donut experiences even more.

To sum up, sample life in all its rich variety, but don’t get the lemon filled donut hole, because it tastes the way pledge smells.

Onwards to Phoenix.

Donut Country, Medford, OR

Near midnight, when we checked into the cheapest hotel which didn’t have complaints, Marianne explained to the night clerk / probable owner what we were up to, with the Donut/BBQ tour of the south. Most people, presented with a summary of our trip, respond with “that sounds fun!” The receptionist responded with a flat-toned, “…interesting.” Marianne then asked captain enthusiastic if there were any local donut recommendations and he replied, “no, not really. Wait! There’s Donut Country. That’s pretty good.”

I already had chosen a well-regarded donut location for our stop in Medford – the 5-star “Richard’s Donuts & Pastries” Faced with the choice between Yelp’s darling and the startling positivity coming from the battle-worn clerk, I did the right thing.

Welcome... to Donut Country.
Welcome… to Donut Country.

On the pretension scale, Donut Country sits firmly grounded at the bottom. They make T-shirts, with their slogan rendered in unironic Comic Sans: “This is how I roll.” next to a rolling pin and pink-frosted ring. In terms of execution, they pull off the raised donut damn near perfectly.

Raspberry Filled, Chocolate frosted buttermilk, glazed ring.
Raspberry-Filled, Chocolate-Frosted Buttermilk, Glazed Ring.

I got a chocolate frosted buttermilk and glazed ring. The buttermilk is doomed to be compared to the buttermilk donuts at Sultan bakery, which makes it seem small and tough. The ring, however, is exceptional. Light and fluffy, like a bread marshmallow with a well-set glaze, dry to the touch. You see this same consistency at Krispy Kreme, but something about the dough there makes it seem more like neoprene than cake. Not so at Donut Country – we took a couple more glazed rings to go.

Marianne’s choice was the raspberry filled. Made of the same raised doughmallows as the glazed ring, it’s just as delightful. I told her I wasn’t going to get into pricing as part of my doughnut reviews, since that is covered in depth by Yelp reviews. But this place was a bit of a shock after coming from our local place which charges $4 per. Our whole order with coffee was $5.50. Maybe donuts are also about value? It’s definitely one of the attractions, unless you’re eating at Serious Donut.

Everyones here in the morning!
Everyone’s here in the morning!

Here in Donut Country, all are welcome – despite the large sign asserting their right to deny service to anyone for any reason. Refills on coffee are free, and T-shirts are $10. I don’t think I can even buy a blank T-shirt for $10 anymore, in Seattle. One trait I value in myself is a sense of where the ground is. In my foodie yuppie world, a regular glazed ring is the golden anchor that keeps my aircraft-carrier-sized ego from floating away.