I was asked by a friend why I travel a few hours in a car from time to time "chasing" donuts (the last I knew, when you "chase" something, it was running from you. I have never had a donut run from me. I've only dropped them, tragically, on the floor.) Neighborhood shops, I have to admit, touch a soft spot in my heart. Well, more like the soft spot of my midsection. The donuts are usually fresh each day, and have a character and flavor all their own.

Read about the latest donut adventure!

Name: Tony's Donuts
Place: Congress St, Portland, Maine
Varieties: Over 10, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties: Molasses... amazing!
Review: There are very few places that I absolutely love. Friendly Toast in Portsmouth, New Hampshire is one place. Million Year Picnic in Cambridge, Massachusetts and anywhere Ben Folds plays are also fantastic. I LOVE Tony's Donuts. It is what it is. No big frills, no espresso, no nonsense. Just great donuts, good coffee and other sweet goodies. No Bagels, no egg sanwiches, no hash browns. I don't want hash browns when I want donuts. I want freaking donuts. A hot plain cake donut from Tony's is as great a joy as a warm Krispy Kreme or a good massage (hey, your idea of joy is different from mine, so get over it). Their crullers are excellent, and on Sundays they make "ropes", a woven raised glazed donut thing to pull pieces off of that is delicious.

The fact that they are on the way home from where I work is a problem, because my steering wheel keeps driving me into their parking lot.

Plain Cake Donut: The best of them all. Soft, nice texture (crinkles), delicious.
Raised Glazed Donut: Good, with a little
Jelly Donut: Lots of filling, soft exterior. Nice texture, also.
Chocolate Donut: Very chocolatey, great glaze, good texture.

Name: The Cookie Jar
Place: Shore Rd, Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Varieties: Over 10, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties::
Review : I pass by The Cookie Jar during the summer to give tennis lessons to people in Cape Elizabeth, and the pull of the donuts is strong here. They always do a pretty good job at what they do, from cookies to cakes and, of course, the hole thing. It's a cute little place you have to be from the area or go through the area to know about.

Plain Cake Donut: Large, lots of texture (crinkles on the bottom). A little bland, but good.
Raised Glazed Donut: Large, a little chewy, but not bad.
Jelly Donut: Large, very full, very soft.
Chocolate Donut: Lightly glazed, lots of texture (crinkles on the bottom), not bad overall.

Name: Grant's Bakery
Place: Sabattus St, Lewiston, Maine
Varieties: Over 10, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties::
Review: In a past life, I delivered furniture for my friend's store. He has three shops, and one is in Lewiston. I passed by Grant's on the way to the store to drop off stuff in the big white cube truck, but I didn't stop in because I knew once I stopped, I wouldn't want to start again. So one morning I decided to try two donut shops listed in the yellow pages in Lewiston.

Here's a hint to the world. Call first, becuase the yellow pages aren't always the best source. I could find both places, but the were "Dunkin's in Disguise"- Dunkin Donuts stores listed in the phone book as another donut shop, but its a Dunkin's. What a buzzkill. So I thought Grant's Bakery would be a sure thing. I came in, and was met by baked goods.... and baked beans. Not my immediate idea of a combination that people would understand, but Grant's had been around for a while, so it must work for them.

Plain Cake Donut: Small, a little dry, just OK.
Raised Glazed Donut: Chewy, not bad.
Jelly Donut: Small, not much filling.
Chocolate Donut: Dry, small, just OK.

Name: Reilly's Bakery
Place: Rt 1, Biddeford, Maine
Varieties: Over 10, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties::
Review : I woke up early on a Saturday morning to go to Reilly's on the advice of a friend, who said that they have great jelly donuts. I had no problem finding the bakery. The store was big and clean, and the girls behind the counter were really nice. They said Reilly's had been there for 95 years, so I figured they must be pretty good. I wasn't disappointed.

Plain Cake Donut: Good- large, soft, great flavor.
Raised Glazed Donut: A little chewy, lightly glazed. Pretty good overall.
Jelly Donut: Large, well filled, soft on the outside, just a little chewy.
Chocolate Donut: Great flavor, good size, good texture.

Name The Doughboy
Place: Route 25 & Route 11, Limington, Maine
Varieties: Over 10, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties::
Review: I love it when someone says "I have the best place to go" or "Oh my God, my favorite place is" because that means at least one person likes their donuts. I got up at 6:30AM on a Saturday morning, with a tennis lesson at 8:00, and it takes 45 minutes to get from my home in Portland to Limington, and 45 to get from Limington to my lesson. I FLEW there. I'm glad I did. It's a cute little place that makes a great donut. Now I know why they're Samantha's favorite.

Plain Cake Donut: Medium sized, soft, good flavor.
Raised Glazed Donut: The best raised glazed since Krispy Kreme. Period.
Jelly Donut: Filled from the top... be careful when eating. Good filling, good donut.
Chocolate Donut: Good flavor, medium sized, a little texture.

Name The Village Kitchen
Place: 386 Maine St, Poland, Maine
Varieties: Over 10, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties::
Review: There's a cool little smoothie place down the street from me called The Wicked Cafe and Juice Bar. The folks who run it have encouraged me to create this site, and on their suggestion I drove to Poland, Maine one cold Saturday morning. Johnny Cash played in the car stereo, and I was happy just to drive. It took a little while to get there, and I was relieved to find it. The people making the donuts were super nice, and told me how they started making the donuts around 4am. And the donuts? Worth the trip. These donuts have the most character (crinkles and nubiles fom cooking) of every donut I've tried.

Plain Cake Donut: HUGE! Good flavor, not too heavy, lots of crinkles
Raised Glazed Donut: HUGE! A little chewy, but soft inside. Very tasty.
Jelly Donut: HUGE! Lots of filling, soft and well powdered.
Chocolate Donut: HUGE! Large sized goodness, lots and lots of crinkles.

Name Marty's Donut Land
Place: 8 Central St. (Route 133), Ipswich, Massachusetts
Varieties: Over 15, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties::
Review: I took a trip south on a cold Saturday morning, after hearing there was such a place as Donut Land. Imagine it- a place a Donut Guy could go, and say he'd been to, and have it make sense, in a twisted kind of way. After the Lewiston fiasco, I had apprehension about driving for two freaking hours in the cold and finding the shop might not exist. It did, thankfully. It could have just as easily been a hardware store. It was no nonsense, a "here's your donuts and coffee and you'll like it" place. MY kind of place. I don't need or like neon lights, bright colors, and TV's playing while I try to buy my dozen. The ladies behind the counter were great- down to earth and were there to do there job, not mope and pass the time like other places I has been. The funny part of the whole experience was that I felt like I had been there, and then one of the patrons waked up to me and asked my name. I told him, and he swore he knew me from somewhere. Deja vu?....Nah. Just a donut run on a cold Saturday morning.

Plain Cake Donut: Large, textured, big hole in the middle. Good flavor.
Raised Glazed Donut: A little chewy, but large and pretty soft on the inside.
Jelly Donut: Not a ton of filling, medium sized jelly donut.
Chocolate Donut: Very moist, large hole in the middle, very chocolatey.

Name Congdon's Donuts
Place: Rt 1, Wells, Maine
Varieties: Over 15, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties:
Review: I was watching the news and they had a feature on Congdon's. They talked about how long they'd been around, and how everyone in the area loved to go there. I mentioned how I had gone there, and a couple of friends mentioned what good folks they are. All I'll add is that they make a mean donut.

Plain Cake Donut: Very soft, medium sized donut.
Raised Glazed Donut: Medium sized, nice light glaze. Not too heavy, a little chewy.
Jelly Donut: Medium sized, lots of filling, and the cake is very soft.
Chocolate Donut: One of my favorites. Very chocolatey, very very moist.

Name Coffee Time Bake Shop
Place:96 Bridge Street Rt. 1A, Salem, Massachusetts
Varieties:Over 10, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties: Paczki (Poonch-key) are raised donuts, cut in half and filled with jam and whipped cream, and then powdered sugared twice. It's like a bizmark gone berzerk.
Review: I went all the way to Salem, Massachusetts and didn't go to any of the witch stuff. But I did get some wicked donuts. Well lit, clean and a little bit old school, I liked how Coffee Stop looked. The donuts were just as good as how the shop looked. Interested? Go to www.coffeetimebakeshop.net for all the info.

Plain Cake Donut: A little dry, but good flavor. Medium sized.
Raised Glazed Donut: A little chewy, soft on the inside. Not bad overall.
Jelly Donut: Large, well filled. The cake was a little chewy, but very tasty.
Chocolate Donut: Moist, good flavor, medium sized.

Name The Doughnut Inn
Place: 574 Main Street, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
Varieties: Over 15, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties:
Review: One of my tennis students told me to go to the Doughnut Inn. After a trip filled with the songs of Ben Folds, I found myself flying down 495 towards Shrewsbury. The place was very easy to find. In a corner of a brick building is the Doughnut Inn, a neat and clean shop that has been around for about 2 years. The best words I can use for their donuts are "just right".

Plain Cake Donut: Very soft, large sized donut. Lots of crinkling, a little crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside.
Raised Glazed Donut: Medium sized, nice light glaze. Not too heavy, a little chewy.
Jelly Donut: Great! Lots of filling, and the donut outside was a little fluffy, easy going down.
Chocolate Donut: Good flavor, not dry, but not too moist. Just right.

Name The Donut Shop
Place: 314 Central St, Winchendon, Massachusetts
Varieties: Over 10, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties:
Review: The Donut Shop has been in Winchendon for 20 years, and is under new management since Thanksgiving. Its a great little place, and the donuts aren't bad. They have other breakfast foods, but we didn't go for anything except the donuts.

Plain Cake Donut: Very smooth, medium sized donut. A little crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside. A great cake donut.
Raised Glazed Donut: Medium sized, nice glaze.A little heavy, a little chewy.
Jelly Donut: Crispy and smooth. Lots of filling, and the donut outside was oft, easy going down.
Chocolate Donut: Good flavor, a little bit dry, but not too dry.

NameDonut Kitchen
Place: 623 Main St, Holden, Massachusetts
Varieties: Over 10, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties:
Review: You know, they can't all be good....
I have found the worst food-like stuff on the face of the earth. I think this might be the dwellings of the anti-donut. Never before have I ever stopped while eating a donut, spit out what I was eating, and then threw away the rest due to the taste and the smell. Donut Kitchen uses two main ingredients in their donuts- one ingredient is NASTY and the other is ASS. Where did these come from?

Plain Cake Donut: Medium sized, heavy, but terrible flavor. Believe it or not, I think they smelled like brimstone.
Raised Glazed Donut: Medium sized ball of chewing gum and paper mixed with bad grease. YUCK!
Jelly Donut: Again with the smell! Heavy, miedium sized, almost stale tasting.
Chocolate Donut: No chocolate flavor, only greasy tasting. Not good at all.

Name Baker Boy
Place: 775 Quaker Highway, Uxbridge, Massachusetts
Varieties: Over 10, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties: Texas sized donut- a triple sized raised glazed.
Review: A cute little place in the middle of nowhere, this could have easily been just a regular sit down diner. The donuts were OK, but after the Donut Kitchen debacle, they tasted pretty good.

Plain Cake Donut: Light, medium sized donut. A little crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Not bad, overall.
Raised Glazed Donut: Large sized, could have had a thicker glaze. It was a little too chewy, too "yeasty" for my liking, though.
Jelly Donut: Large, lots of filling, and good texture. The filling was ample, and very good- jelly, not gel.
Chocolate Donut: A little bit dry, medium sized, a little chocolatey.

Name Verna's Doughnuts
Place: 2234 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Varieties: Over 10, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties:
Review: Never ever judge a book by its cover, or a donut by its maker. Verna's from the outside is a neighborhood place, where neighborhood people get neighborhood treats. Until you have the donuts. These donuts were HEAVEN! Maybe its because they also make cakes, I have not idea. All I know it the raised glazed almost trumped the Krispy Kreme raised glazed as the best of them all.

Plain Cake Donut: Light, medium sized donut. A little crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Lots of cakey flavor, not greasy. Excellent.
Raised Glazed Donut: Light, melty, good glaze, not chewy at all. Melted in the mouth. Delicious.
Jelly Donut: Jelly filled, not gel filled. Almost a yeast exterior, but a little firmer, but not chewy.
Chocolate Donut: Medium sized, very chocolatey. Light, easy to eat one..dozen.

Name:Frosty's
Place: Maine St, Brunswick, Maine
Varieties: Over 10, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties:
Review: Frosty's is a kind of legendary place in Brunswick, having been there for 41 years. The first time I walked in, I was a bit surprised. Its a kind of religious place (of which, I have no problem- its just I usually get doughnuts with a hole, without the "holy".) The lady behind the counter was very nice- like she actually cared about what she was doing. It was refreshing to say the least.

Plain Cake Donut: Soft, a little heavy, a little greasy. Smooth, no texture.
Raised Glazed Donut: A little chewy, a little too sweet and sticky.
Jelly Donut: There was supposed to be filling? Could have fooled me.... The exterior was OK, but where's the filling?
Chocolate Donut: Medium sized, very chocolatey. A little greasy, but super soft.

Name:The Doughnut Plant
Place: 379 Grand Street, New York City, New York
Varieties: Over 10, many filled, powdered and sugared.
Specialties:
Review:I love New York City. I love the places, I love the sights. I don't love the fact that you can't find a doughnut shop worth its salt on the island, except for one.

And that one is the mecca.

I walked to the Doughnut Plant from Madison Square Garden, past CBGB's, MoMA, and other various sights. It was worth every step in the hot summer sun of August. The store front was small, industrial, no nonsense. But the doughnuts were the best. I friendly guy behind the counter was happy to have his picture taken for the site (coming soon!!), and along with coffee they offered watermelon juice which wasn't bad. The doughnuts are made of all natural ingredients, and can be found all over NYC. They're a little pricey, and worth the extra. The best treat was the SQUARE organic strawberry jam filled doughnut. Just awesome.

Plain Cake Donut: Soft, a little light, and smooth, no texture.
Raised Glazed Donut: Very light, very fresh, almost too sweet and sticky.
Jelly Donut: Hands down, my favorite jelly doughnuts. Great texture, not crispy on the outside, soft to pull apart- not chewy.
Chocolate Donut: Large sized, very chocolatey. Delicious.