The Donut: Canadian icon or over-rated?

[merlin]

I do not recall the last time I had a doughnut...not for any health reason, just do not have a hankering for them.

I am with Memo and Badiane when it comes to the automatic doughnut machines...growing up in Montreal it was of course not Woodwards but rather the downtown Eaton's, fifth floor I think with the other food vending machines......

My preference back then were for those big, dark brown crunchy cake doughnuts.

Also used to pick up the very soft maple and chocolate glazed ones in Woolworth's.

However, cannot argue with Deborah either...many Saturday nites, actually Sunday mornings found us in the line-up at the St. Viateur bagel factory en route from the Moustache on Closse Street or Woody's on Bishop or Winnie's on Crescent en route to the east end...."peace offering" to the family for the stumbling and crashing upon arriving home....

[BCinBC]

Matt,

I meant that KK did not originate in Canada, it's just crept in here. I know many people swear by Krispy Kreme, but alas one man's crack is another man's bad brown acid. Or something like that.

PS: If you're talking about the Johnny Zee's in Victoria at the Capitol 6, I used to haunt it as well, but would always reserve a little money for ice cream at that crap restaurant beside it afterwards. Or if very desparate, my last 2 quarters for an apple pie at McDonalds.

[KevV]

Jeez, I've been out of country and then back to Ontario. Never hear of 'Crispy Cream' or whatever it was, nor 'Lees'.

Tim Horton's all over the place here, though. I was stopped recently by someone: 'Hello, do you know where the nearest Tim Horton's is?' Sorry, I said. Guess it's a little like asking for the nearest pub in other countries.

I have to go with the first couple of posters. Yuck - donuts and TH coffee don't compare with pastry and espresso, etc.

And TH's is supposedly some sort of Canadian institution? I'm not sure if anyone has pointed out that it's owned by Wendy's, but it is. And they want to sell it.

Anti-donut brigade ,

Kev

[makanmakan]

i have to say that krispy kreme does absolutely nothing for me.

honey's in deep cove, when they're still warm, the maple glaze.......

kurtis, that is a great tip! i'll have to try that the next time i get a donut hankering. thanks!

[Vancouver Lee]

Chalk up one more vote for Lee's, but should Granville Island ever sink into the ocean I'd get my fix from Tiny Tom's at the PNE.

Except for Lee's, I find that with any hot and fresh donut (i.e. Krispy Kreme, Tiny Ton's) they are terrific when hot/warm, and retched when cold. Why doesn't Lee's suffer from this problem? Their donuts are much better warm, to be sure, but they are at least edible when cool. Does anyone know why?

[Zucchini Mama]

Dough Say Can You See...

Hmm, let's see, If I had to choose between a brioche from Sen5es, an almond croissant from Torrefazione in Victoria and a donut from the Honey Donut Shop in Deep Cove, it would be a hard decision. But regular donuts are always a sugar high that's way too short and a sugar low that's way too long-a big graph for disappointment.

I think I'd rather see Kolachy shops in every city block and country mile rather than T. Ho's. I just found a great quote by Willa Cather, who spells them slightly differently: "If security could ever have a smell, it would be the fragrance of a warm kolache." As for a baked icon of our country, I'd rather have a pastry that smells like comfort, than one that tastes like disappointment.

Zuke

[sanrensho]

Oh, I forgot to answer the original question. Yes, donuts are overrated. Too often served cold and generally too large and too sweet.

Since this is the V-Gullet forum, I elect sushi as the Vancouver (food) icon.

[Stinky Cook]

Donuts are not overated, they are great! I find the best donuts are to be found at Duffins Donut's @ 4898 Main St. Sometimes in the evening I get there and the glazed white donut holes have just cooled down. They are still so tender that they melt on your tongue like a greasy communion wafer. They also make good torta subs there.

Duffins's cheap date dinner for two:

Appetizer: one dozen donut holes

Main course: two torta subs each

Dessert: one apple fritter each

Tim Hortons all have the same flavor profile in each of them, no matter what type. I've heard they are cooked back east and shipped out here now. Lee's are good, but overpriced. I've only had Honey Donuts once, but they were good.

[Memo]

Please don't eat the donuts.

Kristen at Seattle's Schmancy toys, sells realistic hand-sewn, felted donuts by Seattle artist Stuart Bloomfield.

They come in an assortment of (inedible) flavors - including "the nutty monkey".

Memo

Edited October 5, 2005 by Memo (log)

[canucklehead]

Generally I can take them or leave them - but I've got a weak spot for crullers from Lee's on GI (actually - I won't even say no to the ones from Save-On, that is how bad my addiction is). That deep fried choux pastry goodness. So light - you can pretend that they are not bad for you.

Okay - you have to pretend really really hard.

Edited October 5, 2005 by canucklehead (log)

[Keith Talent]

Stopped at the new Duffins at 41st and Knight yesterday. Donuts are still overated, but at the new location you can watch Tony Danza on a 42" high def plasma.

[waylman]

How can donuts be overrated? Who exactly is rating them too highly? I can't say I've ever heard someone, let alone groups of people rave about how awesome donuts are...I mean they are good, but they certainly aren't overrated.

edited so BCinBC understands

Edited October 5, 2005 by waylman (log)

[BCinBC]

Construction workers, cops, owners of Krispy Kreme stock, genius at Wendy's who said one day, "Hey let's take a flier at Tim Hortons, that seems like a good buy."

ETA: I'm reading your last sentence and it's not quite clicking. Could one say that head cheese sucks, but it isn't underrated?

Edited October 5, 2005 by BCinBC (log)

[Feedbag]

Lees and Honey's, the best fried fat and sugar going!

Also, Timmy Ho's chocolate bavarian in a pinch.

By the by, someone asked about Timmy Ho's origin, it

was started by a Canadian hockey player, no? The

chain was sold to an American company a while back,

much to the chagrin of devotees and his family.

[makanmakan]

ok, so i have another question for ye folks.

old fashioned (cakey) donuts or yeasty (bready) donuts?!!

my vote is for the yeasty/bready ones

Edited October 6, 2005 by makanmakan (log)

[Mooshmouse]

...the soft sweet cloud of sweetness at Lee’s Donuts on Granville Island.

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My vote goes for Lee's  on GI - a warm honey dip on a cold day - mmmmm...

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Now that Noah's art classes are no longer of the "Parent And Me" ilk, I find myself with about 30 minutes to stroll through the Granville Island Market each week. It didn't take me long to rediscover the unadulterated bliss that is a Lee's honey-dip doughnut. I ponied up to the counter one morning to find that they had just pulled a fresh batch out of the oven. Nirvana! The other week, I tried one of their coconut-cream-filled numbers and it was even better than I could have expected.

Those little spiced donuts on the brunch menu at Aurora Bistro are pretty fine, too.

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As I discovered just last weekend, Aurora's little five-spice doughnuts are among the newest of my favourite things. The plum syrup for dipping really hits a home run.

[chef koo]

have any of you guys tried harmony donuts on lonsdale in north vancouver? hands down my favorite donut. they do cake donuts. and i hate cake donuts. but i love there cake donuts more than i love other yeast donuts

[sanrensho]

have any of you guys tried harmony donuts on lonsdale in north vancouver? hands down my favorite donut. they do cake donuts. and i hate cake donuts. but i love there cake donuts more than i love other yeast donuts

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According to Google, they're up around 29th and Lonsdale? I'll check them out some time.

[ElizR]

Hi,

I have to confess to being a big doughnut enthusiast, and can add my name to the Honey's fan club. What I particularly like is that they are not over-sweet; kind of an "adult-oriented" doughnut. Will have to check out that place in North Van, too.

[eatrustic]

I managed to pop by Harmony Donuts (Lonsdale at 29th - above the highway) to check them out Saturday while searching for a Mexican restaurant near the Safeway (just off Lonsdale) that seems to have dissappeared..

The place is a bit on the odd side- a sort of a deli with a motorcycle parked beside the display case (inside!).

The donuts are made in a tiny deepfryer (commercial but barely).

They are dense and a very homemade style but don't (IMHO) come anywhere close to Lee's and Honeys. Worth a visit if you live in the neighbourhood but thats about it.