Doughnuts and Donuts

Welcome, to the Doughnut Plant.

379 Grand Street (near Essex Street)

New York, NY 10002

212-505-3700

Bakery Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Established in 2000 and located in Manhattan's Lower East Side, owner/mastermind/head chef Mark Israel built a gourmet donut institution from the ground-up. This tiny bakery, only 200 square feet, doesn't look very impressive from the outside. In fact, when I first trekked downtown to check it out, I walked right past the storefront. But, if you do make it through the doors, (and IT IS well-worth the cross-town expedition), be prepared for an exceptional culinary experience.

What makes these donuts so exceptional? High quality ingredients and fresh preparation. Here's a snippet from a 2008 Edible Manhattan article titled "Pedestrian Pastry Goes Gastro," which perfectly illustrates this point:

"...Israel fine-tuned his cake doughnut recipe for five years, and has all the flour milled to exacting specifications, simmers his own preserves for the jelly-filleds, and roasts and grinds peanuts for the PB&Js. He changes the fry oil daily, and twice a week hits the Greenmarket for glaze ingredients like strawberries, white peaches and apricots. The coconut custard-filled number is born of fresh coconuts; even the ho-hum-sounding flavors showcase Valrhona chocolate and real vanilla bean. All this trouble for doughnuts? "If you saw what the ingredients cost," confides the master, "you'd know we're charging way too little."

Tres Leches Cake Doughnut (left), Blackout chocolate Cake Doughnut (right).

Yes, these donuts will run you a little more dough than your average Dunkin's or Krispy Kreme (approximately $2.75 each), BUT, ces pâtisseries are savory treats that live up to every penny spent, every calorie consumed, and every sweet bite of heavenly indulgence. Quality over quantity is the name of the game.

There are two main donut varieties: yeast donuts (large and fluffy) and cake donuts (small and dense). Other donut-offspring at the Doughnut Plant include square-shaped jelly donuts, churros, cinnamon buns (these are simply delicious made with plump, juicy raisins), and sticky buns. Flavors are seasonal, but often include Tres Leches, Blackout, Vanilla Bean glazed, Pumpkin, Crème Brulée (this one is even torched on top), Roasted Chestnut, Pistachio, Cranberry, and Valrhona Chocolate.

Yeast Valrhona Chocolate Doughnut

I have a weakness for the little cake donuts - they're about the size of your palm which may sound small, but oh, do they pack a powerful punch. Try the flavors Tres Leches and Blackout...then say hello to a life of spontaneous Doughnut Plant donut cravings.

Good news too! The Doughnut Plant distributes a selection of goodies to local Dean & Deluca, Oren's Daily Roast, Agata & Valentina, Citarella, Zabars, and Joe's Art of Coffee locations within Manhattan.