In my informal survey of 12 doughnut spots in the Pittsburgh area (I originally had a list of 20-plus to check out, but my editor urged me, for my health and sanity, to narrow it down), I’ve found some decidedly unforgettable winners whose doughnuts truly did make me go nuts, in the best possible way.
Apple Castle
277 PA-18, New Wilmington. applecastle.com
The Apple Castle, a family-owned orchard and farm market, is not “in” Pittsburgh, but doughnuts like these are worth the drive. They’re my gold standard, introduced to me by Ryan Chavara of Thyme Machine fame (a guy who knows a thing or two about doughnuts), and truly the best doughnut I’ve eaten in my adult life.The Apple Castle offers their signature apple spice doughnut in many flavors, but the move is to get six out of your dozen in their “old-fashioned glazed.” That way, the spiced cake doughnut, flavored with a whisper of fall thanks to Apple Castle’s house-made cider, achieves a perfect balance between the sweetness of the judiciously applied glaze and the mellow piquancy of the doughnut itself. The texture of the cake doughnut is substantial but not heavy, a dunker’s delight. The chocolate, vanilla, and maple-frosted are all worth your time, too. And lest you think a dozen is too many, Apple Castle doughnuts will stay unreasonably fresh for at least a day after purchase.
Oliver’s Donuts
4112 Butler St., Lawrenceville. oliversdonuts.com
Some doughnuts rely on toppings and glazes to carry most of the flavor burden, but at Oliver’s Donuts in Lawrenceville, the doughnut itself does the work. Their glazed vanilla cake doughnut tastes and smells like vanilla bean. Their signature huckleberry doughnut is a dream for blueberry doughnut fans like me, the frosting providing a beautifully tart balance to the rich and berry-scented dough. They also feature seasonal flavors and a vegan option, so there’s plenty of variety for your dozen.If you’re a die-hard booster of the yeasted doughnut, you may find Oliver’s Donuts, which uses sour cream in their mix, too weighty in texture, but I say bring it on. These cake doughnuts are substantial, dunkable, and delicious, best eaten day-of to retain optimal freshness. It’s also a cute Lawrenceville moment to visit Market House, grab a coffee and doughnuts, and shop around.
Wild Rise Bakery
Multiple locations. wildrisebakery.com/findushere
Sometimes the criteria for a good doughnut is almost mystical. The simplicity of a doughnut belies its power as an instant mood-lifter. Case in point, Wild Rise Bakery: I was in a bad mood before I took a bite of their lemon doughnut, and then after, I felt better. Plus, if you order online and pick up at their baking facility in Point Breeze, you receive them at a merrily and colorfully graffitied loading dock. Like many gluten eaters, I was skeptical of a gluten-free doughnut, and the texture differs from other offerings. These cake doughnuts are very cakey, moist, and borderline fudgy. The chocolate doughnut was an almost hedonistic experience, best cut with coffee. That said, did I happily house a Wild Rise doughnut while sitting in my car, slurping blissfully from a to-go mug? Absolutely.
Driftwood Oven
3615 Butler St., Lawrenceville. driftwoodoven.com
Finally, one for the yeast fans out there (I’m sorry I called you “yeast fans”). One of the keenest pleasures of a doughnut is the taste of the fryer, the tension between achieving a thin but perceptible crust of golden brown on the outside without oil absorption and heaviness on the inside. Driftwood nailed it, with help from Burghers Brewing Co., who lend their fryers for the purpose, making it a neighborhood effort. Flavors will vary as the doughnut day picks up steam; I tried a Boston creme and a regular “unstuffed” doughnut and ate them so fast. I can’t tell you how long they might last on your countertop.
Though I hesitate to recommend a doughnut you can only get on the last Saturday of every month, trust me when I say, you’re going to want to set a calendar alert for Driftwood’s (and follow their Instagram for updates). Made with naturally leavened sourdough, these beauties are what my homemade pacski can only dream of becoming — pillowy but toothsome, generously rolled in crunchy sugar for a perfect balance of dough to sweetness. As I was taking photos, a guy passed me on the street and asked if they were any good. I replied I hadn’t tried them yet and kept snapping. When I finally took my first bite, I immediately yelled after him, my mouth stuffed: “They’re good! They’re so good!” Driftwood’s is a doughnut that is shout-in-the-street exceptional.
Sandy Boo's Delights at Dana's Bakery
720 N. Homewood Ave., Homewood. facebook.com/sandyboodelights
How is it possible to feel at home in a place you’ve never been before? That’s the vibe I got as soon as I stepped into Dana’s Bakery. It just feels like a neighborhood doughnut shop. The space is lived-in, and comfortable, as one would expect from a business that’s been serving its community as long as Dana’s has, opened in 1979 by Joseph Simmons, now run by Joe’s wife Sandra Bundy Simmons. Patrons chatted amiably with staff; at one point, noticing my camera, Sandra’s sister Donna Ford, piling my doughnuts into a box, pointed to another patron and said “She’s a photographer, too!” If terroir can add to a wine’s bouquet, so too can the warmth and love of a bakery make a doughnut great. And the doughnuts are undeniably great. Yeasted doughnut fans and cake lovers alike will find a favorite at Dana’s. The blueberry cake doughnut was pleasant and bright; the yeasted glazed doughnut had a Krispy Kreme-like ephemerality that, while certainly sweet, melted into a blissful nothingness, nostalgic and heady, as soon as it hit my tongue. The fry on each doughnut was perfect, golden brown. These are the perfect doughnuts to bring into work; there’s a flavor for everyone, and one of my foodie coworkers declared them “the best doughnut I’ve had in the city.” I tend to agree.
Honorable Mentions:
The glazed doughnut from Smoke (available at their Sunday brunch only) about which my yeast-favoring friend exclaimed “fucking delicious” and “hell yeah, this is so fried!”The surplus “almond joy” doughnuts from Thyme Machine they were offering post-service to the crowd of day-drunk Pittsburgh Marathon watchers on Liberty Ave.
The pretzel glazed doughnut from Lincoln Bakery in Bellevue. It’s “pretzel” in shape only, but that shape allows for a pleasant ratio of fried outside to yeasted inside. It tastes of the fryer in the best possible way, evocative of a funnel cake (sans excessive powdered sugar to make you cough).
Unlike the occasion-bound intentionally of a birthday cake, doughnuts are fundamentally incidental, and impulsive. In some ways, checking off a list of doughnut spots is experiencing a doughnut outside its proper context, a context of chance, of the beauty in randomness. The best doughnuts I’ve had were surprises, gifts, and welcome stop gaps at the office when I’d skipped breakfast, or hungered for the balm of something sweet. And in those needful moments, yeast or cake, trendy or old-fashioned, maybe the truth of the matter is ... you can’t go looking for the perfect doughnut. Maybe the perfect doughnut is the one that finds you.
