For the Most Delicious Doughnut

Do you ever crave something sweet, salty, crunchy, filling, and ultimately satisfying??

Well do I have the perfect treat in mind for you! It is a doughnut unlike any you have ever had. The Doughnut Plant in NYC has mastered the art of what a doughnut should be. After eating one of these, I am afraid you will be ruined for all others.

I found out about this little gem thanks to a little show I swear by called “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” on the Food Network. It is in the episode called “Sweet Tooth.”

Here’s a clip of how they hooked me in:

Once I added this to my 2011 to do list, I found out that friends of mine had these treats without me!! After my rage subsided, I was pleased to hear it was worth all of the hype and then some. To be sure, naturally I had to go and see for myself.

The store is small and you wouldn’t necessary notice it if you weren’t looking for it. The outside certainly doesn’t scream, HEY COME IN FOR THE TREAT OF YOUR LIFETIME, I guess that’s how they manage the crowds. I got there in the early afternoon one weekday and thankfully was first in line. I had a friend help me navigate so I didn’t make any poor choices, not that there are any. There are two kinds of doughnuts here: yeast and cake. The yeast doughnuts are big and square with a hole in the middle. The cake doughnuts are small, circular, and heavier. Both are to die for.

As I was informed, besides the peanut butter and jelly, the must haves include the very popular tres leches, chocolate black-out cake, and coconut. I also tried the blueberry doughnut which had actual blueberries on top.

As I took my first very sticky bite into the PB&J doughnut, all of my senses were heightened. I think I left my body for a few moments but when I came back down from my delicious high, I couldn’t believe how good this really was. The Neely’s description is dead on…”It’s like going back to childhood.” You only wish the sandwiches you ate as a kid were this good. The nuts on the outer layer provide the salt and crunch. The home-made jam on the inside provides sweetness. The best part is that the jam is all the way through, no blob in the middle as Mark Israel mentions in the above clip. It is a truly original idea of that familiar taste. This doughnut is heavy and after you are done, you feel like you have eaten a sandwich.

I am not surprised that, me + The Neely’s + doughnuts = paradise.

“If Gina says it ya’ll, you can bank on it, it’s the law.” – Pat Neely

Some tips if you go:

Definitely pick up more than one flavor to try and share, but breaks will be needed in between tastings. 

They open at 6:30a.m., which might be a bit early but you will certainly beat the breakfast bunch.  If you go in the afternoon try to be there by noon or so to avoid the lunch crowd. Once they sell out, they close, so don’t wait until the last minute. During the day the most popular doughnuts, like the PB & J, are made constantly so your chances of getting one are good. Getting there and not getting a doughnut sounds like a form of torture to me.

http://www.doughnutplant.com/

For even more PB & J:

If you have an affinity for peanut butter and jelly, you should also go here: http://ilovepeanutbutter.com/

For a review if this places see my previous blog posting:  http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2011/04/for-keys-to-my-new-york-city-part-iii.html

These are both the kind of businesses that make you think, how come I didn’t think of that?!