The Holy Donut
Bacon Cheese
Blueberry
Strawberry Lemonade
Maple
Sweet Potato Ginger
Allen’s Coffee Brandy
Chocolate Sea Salt
Having rounded on a good number of “the best” doughnut shops in America, depending on whose list you trust, a stop at Portland’s famous “The Holy Donut” waited for the last day in Maine, a 9am arrival finding freshly baked batches joining more than a dozen flavors already populating store shelves.
Founded on a vision of something slightly healthier than typical fried dough, the idea to use locally grown potatoes in every hand-cut batch requiring a bit of trial error, The Holy Donut went brick and mortar in 2012 and although the prices trend higher than most chain varieties, so too do the ingredients and attention to details.
Partnering with several local sources for potatoes, eggs, butter and additions to the glaze, those visiting The Holy Donut should be prepared to make tough decisions as to which of the daily options sounds most appealing, but focusing on a mix of classics and novel ideas a half-dozen +1 proves a good way to get an idea of the store’s offerings, first bites of a gooey Bacon + Cheese pocket from a warming unit not dissimilar to Papas Rellenas in terms of texture while the flavor was a significant upgrade on the traditional breakfast sandwich.
Obviously a place where sweeter things are the order of priority, though those expecting the sugar smack of Dunkin or Krispy Kreme may be disappointed, tastes of six rings began with a version studded in Maine Blueberries with liquids used in the bright blue topping, the exterior lightly crisp while insides melted on the tongue almost without chewing.
Not embraced by others in the party, comments about the flavors all coming across as ‘greasy’ perhaps valid, though at worst it may be comparable to Belgian style French Fries, Strawberry Lemonade was noted to be the most widely enjoyed by one due to the ample amounts of citrus while Sweet Potato topped with Ginger tasted a lot like “Thanksgiving” to another, the Chocolate circle a bit more controversial as the sea salt seemed to exacerbate the flavor of the oil while Coffee Brandy and Maple were each well flavored and thoroughly enjoyed all by myself.
