I am proud to say that as of 10:55 this morning, I do.
The Donut Man has been on my Los Angeles Bucket List for a while now. Jim Nakano’s creations have been featured on Huell Howser, Jonathan Gold’s 99 Things to Eat in L.A. Before You Die, and most recently, the L.A. Times. Unfortunately, it isn’t exactly around the corner from me.
Enter Ngoc and Matty, who are just as crazy about donuts as I am! Abe doesn’t like them (I know, say WHAT?!?) plus he had to work. So our little trio drove the 40 minutes to Glendora without him.
Sweet….
…Jesus….
…have mercy…
It really was like church! We parked ourselves on the lawn next door with the other customers. Every few minutes you’d hear someone yell out, “Oh my God!”
Ordered 5 things to split between the three of us, which cost about $10.
First, the Tiger Tail, since it was the easiest to share
This was, essentially, a very long glazed donut with chocolate (video recipe here). A solid start.
Next, the strawberry donut, which he is famous for.
All I have to say is – HALLELUJAH!!!! Every jelly donut I’ve previously had is now hanging its head in shame. Fresh fruit is where it’s at, and as you can see, there’s nothing canned or preserved here.
A palate cleanser – Apple Fritter, still warm. Seriously mind-blowing perfection.
We had some trouble figuring out which one to tackle next.
Ngoc had the brilliant suggestion of saving the Chocolate Peanut Butter as our “dessert donut,” which almost made me pee my pants from laughing.
There’s no bathroom at The Donut Man, by the way. Nor are there any knives. We wound up passing these around, taking bites like we were in a drug circle.
PEACHES!!! They just came in season, so if you’re reading this now get your ass there pronto!!! Raw and firm, the stone fruits added an unexpected bite to its gooey soft pillow. I can’t imagine how long it must take to peel all of them…
And finally, our “dessert donut”
We were expecting it to be filled with MORE peanut butter frosting, but alas, there was none. Not that it needed it.
That was a religious experience. Jim Nakano isn’t the Donut Man, he is the Donut GOD.
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
holy donut love!!!!! okay. imma gonna go to there. for SURE.
omg the fresh peaches! I would love to try that out. YUM!
Oh my god! I need to get myself over there soon.
Boy do I want a donut now! If you ever go to Portland you NEED to visit Voodoo Donuts- Anthony Bourdain went there/it’s famous for their wacky yet delicious donuts!
Went to college near Glendora, and now live in the Portland area. Voodoo donuts, while tasty, puts a smile on your face because of the whimsy of what they produce. Donut Man puts a smile on your face because of the donut. If it’s only about deliciousness, I’d take Donut Man every day of the week.
that sounds amazing! P.S. when I read, “Enter Ngoc and Matty, who are just as crazy about donuts as I am! Abe doesn’t like them…” I thought you meant he didn’t like your friends, aww. Haha duh Hallie, Abe doesn’t like donuts…
Dessert donuts for life!
good god woman
i don’t know if i should love you or hate you right now!
I am not a donut person but boy I would like to munch down some of those strawberry and peach donuts right now. Thanks for the pics…..
ohhh my gosh those donuts look heavenly…
HAHA, love the comment about it being like church and the “Oh My God’s!” I think I would have referred the experience to something a little more R rated but either way, these look mind-blowing!
Hysterical!! Can’t wait to go there.
muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust. gooooooooooooooooo!
This is incredible! Each one looked more delicious then the next!
I am seriously drooling!
Lynn, this is such an incredible post!!! I love that I can seriously tell how AWESOME of an experience this way. Heck, I don’t even like donuts (lol, I’m on Abe’s side on this one). But I KNOW those donuts you tried are not like other donuts. Those make me want to eat them and be a part of your drug circle lol!
XOXO!
http://www.ohonemorething.wordpress.com
Acting: http://www.lynnchen.com Food: http://www.theactorsdiet.com Body image: http://www.thickdumplingskin.com
I wish I knew the donut man after looking at those goodies. Does he deliver to the East coast
Just kidding, sort of…
I’m reading this as I bake up some mini donuts. I really can’t fathom how anyone can not like donuts. It’s not a coincidence that circles are a Biblical sign of perfect and donuts (and pizza and pancakes and other cakes…) are round. Just saying…
oh. my. the strawberry donut looks delightful. and the peach one, wow.
Donut drug circle…that had me laughing
And now this place is on my bucket list so yeah, I need to get out to LA! I like how everyone was saying “Oh my God” haha. I think I would have a mouth gasm if I were to just have one bite of one.
PS-Did hubs have a bad donut experience or just doesn’t like them? Trying to wrap my mind around that….
OMG, every single one of those donuts looks amazing! I love that you shared a huge variety, so much more fun than having to choose just one.
It’s like there are all these foods I want to eat but there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to get them all in. Does that make sense??
Oh my god! That peanut butter donut looks amazing. One of these days I am going to have to venture out to Glendora for a donut.
I bring people there for the strawberry donut every summer!
Abe doesn’t like donuts? Wonder if he would have found something he would have liked at the Donut Man?!? I know I would have (and I’m not crazy about donuts either).
Happy Sunday!
Hello! I am a long-time reader, and this is my first comment. I am currently on my last day of a NYC vacation, and your recent trip there has already inspired me to hit up some of the spots you visited (last night we went to Eataly!) And now, you have inspired me to find the best doughnut shop in NYC, so I am about to head out to The Doughnut Plant in the Lower East Side! Thanks for the idea and inspiration!
Ha! So glad to hear. Thanks for reading!!!
Acting: http://www.lynnchen.com Food: http://www.theactorsdiet.com Body image: http://www.thickdumplingskin.com
Adding this to my own list of places to eat! I must meat the Donut God.
i’m sure you’d love it!!!
Oh my…DONUTS!! They looked amazing
haha, this post was awesome. glendora huh? that’s way out there, but it seems worth the trip. where else can you get donuts packed with fresh fruit? amazing! also, the “99 things to eat in LA before you die” article is now bookmarked. thanks for that link!
Wholly Molly!!!
It’s like donut heaven.
Oh man, TRUTH, people! The Doughnut Man’s treats are the best anywhere in the country. I used to travel around the world 36 weeks out of every year and I’ve had doughnuts from India to Holland, Florida to Canada, and without doubt this small shop’s treats have been the best bar none. I’ve had doughnuts in Paris, Lichtenstein, Tokyo, pretty much everywhere but Australia and this one small shop is simply the best.
There is a reason why people from around the world stop in here when they’re in Southern California, and a reason why people are willing to pay more for these treats. When it comes to sheer quality of fillings and vegetable cooking oils and quality control, the results are obvious.
oh lord have mercy those look amazing! i still haven’t been because it is so far, but i feel inspired by your post and by next week I too will know the donut man
HOLY COW!! This is SUMMER! Fruit IN a donut?? OUTRAGEOUS!!
NIce!!! You got almost all my favorites!
Now THOSE look like some Serious donuts worth indulging in!
I’m in sugar-coma just looking at all that glaze… hubba hubba.