Donuts are great.

About halfway between this place and the other place where I sometimes hang out up north, there is the ultimate Donut store. It’s one part of a two part chain, and it’s everything you could want in a Donut emporium. It’s called the Donut Dip. It opens early at 5 am, (3 am on Christmas Eve) and the place was packed every time I went there. Admittedly that was only two times, and it was before 9 am. This particular family run business opened in 1957. The store was the first that was designed and built specifically to be a donut shop. In fact, it was featured in an architectural magazine and was considered to be a state of the art facility. It still is. All the donuts are stacked in shelves on the back wall of the store so that you can see them clearly.

Everything is freshly baked that day. There are at least 8 young attractive girls behind the counter in the morning, who are always pleasant, patient and helpful. It’s like walking into donut heaven. You get quick service. There are about 40 different varieties, and that’s not counting the pastries and breakfast sandwiches. Of course they have coffee. It wouldn’t be a donut shop without freshly brewed coffee. On Saturday I bought three donuts. Apple filled, chocolate cake and coconut crusted. It cost me less than five bucks as I recall. I didn’t eat them right away, and so they were a little bit hard two hours later when I got to my destination. That’s the thing with donuts. You have to consume them right away. They were still fine though three days later when I ate the apple one. Pro tip – 10 seconds in the microwave…

The Donut Dip is located in Springfield, Mass. pic related

This whole donut thing for me started back in San Francisco where there was a donut shop half way down 25th street in the Mission. It’s probably still there. I would go in at four in the afternoon, not realizing that donuts are a morning thing here. I would order 2 or 3, and the lady would give me six for the same price. Nobody eats donuts in the afternoon except Australians who aren’t aware of the fact that it’s essentially breakfast food. It was great if you want to put on weight in a hurry I guess. The attraction to donuts came back in Hawaii last month. Over in the industrial area on the way to the airport there is a donut shop tucked away in a desolate food hall. It’s called the Paradise Bakery and they have some of the best donuts on the planet in my opinion. They don’t have as many varieties as the Donut Dip, but what they lack in that aspect they certainly make up for in the quality of their product.

Paradise Bakery with the Creme Brulee in the bottom left hand corner….I’ll have nine thanks.

Their donuts aren’t cheap, but they’re almost unbelievably good and decadent. I went there twice and ordered the same thing both times. It was called a Creme Brulee, which is a donut filled with vanilla cream and topped with a sugar glaze. It was unbelievable. I’m not the only person who loves this place. For example.. “Would give more stars if I could! We went here twice in the 5 days we were in Kona! We went back because the donuts were amazing but so was the staff! They told us how they run the farm where they grow the fruit used in their donuts and her sister and husband own the shop!” They usually sell out by midday, that’s how popular they are.

Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ can’t compete. Their product is mass produced and expensive. If you want authentic American donuts, you must find an independent place. There’s usually one in every town, you just have to look. They have funny names like the Donuttery, The Donut Hole, Randy’s, (near LA airport and has a gigantic donut on the roof, you can’t miss it) Dot N Dough etc etc. If you arrive in the afternoon and they are about to close you might even get six for the price of two. Be careful out there.

What was I made for? To eat donuts obviously.