Jan 2013

Doughnuttery – New York City

Doughnuttery - New York City

The Astronomer and I devoured a platter of street meat at the corner of 53rd and 6th the moment we arrived on Manhattan soil this past December. It was well past midnight and well below forty degrees at the time, but one forkful of the chopped lamb smothered in white sauce and none of that seemed to matter. Plus, the less-than-ideal conditions made for no lines and instant gratification.

We followed up our late-night snack with a good night’s sleep and awakened the next morning ready to explore and feast some more. After meeting up with my sister-in-law Sonia and strolling along The High Line, we made our way to Chelsea Market for breakfast at the Doughnuttery.

Doughnuttery - New York City

I was alerted to the existence of the Doughnuttery by a press release that serendipitously landed in my inbox a few days before the trip. The stall, which debuted in early December, is a collaboration between pastry chef Katie Rosenhouse and her business partner Evan Feldman.

While the Doughnuttery’s batter and flavored sugars are original creations, the deep-frying setup is fairly commonplace. I encountered identical machinery at Seattle’s Street Donuts back in 2011, as well as at my office building’s holiday party last year. Still, it was pretty mesmerizing watching the tiny O’s being made.

Doughnuttery - New York City

Here, doughnuts are sold by the half-dozen or dozen and are fried-to-order in trans-fat free shortening. There are over a dozen flavor possibilities including “PBCP” (peanut butter, cayenne, and pretzel), “Paris Time” (lavender, pistachio, and vanilla sugar), and “Cacaoboy” (cacao nibs, mesquite and black sugar). “Dough Dips” include pumpkin beer caramel, toffee sauce, and raspberry balsamic.

Doughnuttery - New York City

Upon being removed from the fryer, the doughnuts were transferred to a paper bag and sprinkled with our flavors of choice. We selected “Mulled Apple Cider” and “Speckled Strawberry.” The paper bag was given a vigorous shake to evenly distribute the flavor crystals.

Doughnuttery - New York City

Each doughnut emerged from the bag hot, crisp, and true-enough to its stated flavor. The tangy and sour notes found in both the “Mulled Apple Cider” and “Speckled Strawberry” were a fun surprise.

While the Doughnuttery’s bite-sized rings were certainly festive things, they’re not an essential doughnut experience for visitors like the plush specimens found at Dough in Brooklyn and Doughnut Plant in Manhattan. Additionally, the doughnuts were way overpriced even by New York standards at $1 per piece. Still, if I happen to be in the neighborhood, I’ll never say no to deep-fried dough.

Doughnuttery at Chelsea Market
425 West 15th Street
New York, NY 10011
Phone: 212-633-4359

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5 thoughts on “Doughnuttery – New York City

  1. If anything, I think you were a little too generous to the Doughnuttery’s offerings. The texture of the cake doughnuts aren’t right — there’s no crust, no resistance from the pastry when you bite down on it. And the dry sugars just aren’t as satisfying to me as a well-made frosting or glaze. It pains me to say it, but NYC just isn’t a great doughnut town.

  2. DF – It’s just a different style of deep-fried dough that these type of machines make, ya know? I definitely prefer larger rings with interesting glazes, but these aren’t awful by any means. I think NYC is a great doughnut town. Have you visited Dough in Brooklyn? #SWOON

  3. I haven’t been to Dough and no good excuses (I live in Manhattan), especially having read your post about it. I don’t need fancy glazes. In fact, I’m not a fan of Doughnut Plant at all, which has great frostings but to my taste, greasy and not well-textured dough. The test to me of a good doughnut is how plain ones or very simple sugared doughnuts taste. By this standard, Primo’s in L.A. or Ronald’s in Las Vegas have it all over anything I’ve tried in Manhattan.

  4. DF – Ah, you’re a traditionalist! Primo’s really is somethin! I remember loving their cake doughnuts and buttermilk bars. I will try Ronald’s next time I’m in Vegas. Dough is kinda fancy, which I like immensely.

  5. (I forgot to comment!) The day you posted, cc, one of my NYC BFFs, and #doughnutlover, happened to visit Doughnuttery, and sassed to me about it not being open before 10AM! Crazy!

    I think they’re cute.

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