Chances are decent you've got one down the street from you, but when was the last time you stepped into your local donut shop? The answer for me is never. So in my never-ending search for new breakfast spots, I put my local shop to the test.
Probably like everyone else, it's a small space tucked into some strip mall that I pass every morning on my way to work. It seemed like the rest of the town was still asleep when I was headed out Sunday morning, but as I pulled into Pulaski's Donuts, near Inwood and Lovers, it was obvious somebody was awake. There were cars in the lot and people were hustling in and out, a good sign in the dead of morning.
Walking into a place called Pulaski's, I was a little surprised when I was greeted by an Asian man behind the counter. My dismay quickly subsided when the aroma started to invade my nostrils, the sweet smell of pastries and sugar making me salivate. Standing in a dining area no larger than a bedroom I was presented with the day's options behind a glass display case: sausage rolls, long johns, donut holes, and a multitude of brightly frosted donuts with sprinkles. I opted for the classics; three glazed and three chocolate. With six donuts and a total under four dollars, I took my donuts to go, as everyone else had too. The only dining table in the shop was about the size of a cutting board already occupied by a man talking to himself.
The smell of the donuts wafting through my car was driving me crazy; I would have torn the bag apart in the parking lot if not for the customary food porn photo that I had to take. I started with the glazed donut, and when I was finally able to take a bite, it surpassed every preconceived notion I had of donuts. It was soft but slightly toothsome, and the crisp sugary exterior started to dissolve in my mouth as soon as I made contact. I moved on to the chocolate donut -- delicious as well. (I don't think I need to explain the merits of a well made chocolate donut.)
Pulaski's is good, and from now on if I'm ever buying donuts, I'm headed straight there. It took a couple of really good donuts to remind me that something so simple can be so satisfying. I know the neighborhood donut shop is no real secret, but it feels good to have a local spot that can elevate something so basic to call my own.