HUGH CHAN a&e editor
DoUGHNUT TELEPHONE
I trekked through St. Louis in a game of doughnut telephone to find the best doughnut in the 314. After trying a doughnut shop’s recommended doughnut, I asked the workers at the shop where they thought the next best doughnuts were sold and travelled to the suggested location, visiting a total of four shops.
1 Vincent Van Doughnut
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The Vincent Van Doughnut in Clayton carries itself like a hipster café and offers a variety of tantalizing doughnuts, but it is the french toast doughnut that the store prides as being its signature. At nearly three dollars, the doughnut is pricier than many other doughnuts, but the yeast doughnut is massive and almost covers a plate. The icing to doughnut ratio is perfect; each bite of the soft, pillowy dough is complemented by the gooey texture of the beautifully fragrant icing. At first, the cloying sweetness of maple syrup overwhelms any other flavors present in the doughnut, but the icing gradually mellows out to strong notes of cinnamon paired perfectly with the crunch of walnuts and pecans sprinkled atop. With ample amounts of natural lighting, multiple seats available and a variety of delectable doughnut options, it’d be difficult to find a doughnut shop more inviting than Vincent Van Doughnut.
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Donut Drive-In is designed with a retro aesthetic that closely mirrors a mid-century drive-in, but the cute decor is where the fun ends. The tiny shop hardly has enough room for all its customers crowding in front of the doughnut display, and there is nowhere to sit, inside or outside. The shop seems to be devoid of any hospitality; when I asked for a knife and fork, I was told they didn’t have any utensils. Their signature doughnut, the turtle doughnut, is extremely cheap at around eighty cents but also ridiculously small. Other than the rich caramel icing, the doughnut has no redeeming qualities. The dough is extremely dry and reminiscent of a stale grocery store doughnut. While it isn’t the most awful doughnut I have ever tried, it is possibly the most mediocre one. With countless superior doughnut options available throughout the city, Donut Drive-In should never be a priority for doughnut aficianados.
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09.25.19
SPREAD DESIGN BY H. CHAN
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2 Donut Drive-In
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