Best Restaurant Doughnuts photo
(Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Best Restaurant Doughnuts

The Washington Post Staff  |  Updated 12/13/2012

In the excitement surrounding recent doughnut openings and pop-ups, it's easy to forget that some of the region's best kitchens have been serving deep-fried dough for years. Here are a few of our favorites.

 

Bayou Bakery

Arlington, VA

David Guas has been frying sweet dough in the Washington area since he moved from New Orleans to help open DC Coast in 1998. His resume includes doughnuts at TenPenh and churros at Ceiba. At the Cajun-flavored Bayou Bakery he opened in 2010, the chef naturally focuses on beignets, a Crescent City staple. The airy, fried-to-order confections are served classic-style: hot and topped with a generous dusting of powdered sugar -- so generous that Guas warns customers not to inhale before taking the first bite. Many a beignet neophyte has been sent into a coughing fit after stirring up a sugar cloud.

 

Birch & Barley and ChurchKey

Washington, DC

If you can't wait for the doughnuts at GBD, why not just go to the source for an early taste? At Birch & Barley, MacIsaac is still offering doughnuts at brunch in such flavors as Toffee-Bacon, Lemon-Poppy Glazed and Bittersweet Chocolate. On Wednesdays, a lucky few (10 a night) can still enjoy the fried chicken and doughnut dinners that served as the prototype for the GBD model.

 

Cork Market & Tasting Room

Washington, DC

Cookies, scones and other sweetmeats are stacked on the counter at Cork Market every weekend morning. But we recommend you bypass those caloric distractions and request a handful of the house special: cinnamon and sugar (and vaguely salty) doughnuts that are fried to order every Sunday morning. While you wait for your hot bundle to emerge from the kitchen, pour yourself a cup of Stumptown coffee, a favorite of java nerds that's a rare find in the District.

 

Fiola

Washington, DC

Bomboloni, those bite-size filled puffs from Italy, are not for breakfast at this Penn Quarter newcomer. Here they serve as the closer: warm, sugar-crusted dumplings that come five to an order and conceal a ricotta center. They come with a trio of salted caramels and a scoop of a none-too-rich gelato, so after devouring the bomboloni, diners have one last sweet to nosh on.

 

Jackie's

Silver Spring, MD

Candy-colored sprinkles dot the doughnuts at Jackie's, a fun touch that belies how much care goes into pastry chef Carolyn Crow's confections. They are served warm on Sunday, when diners can choose two of three options, including chocolate, glazed made with fresh raspberries, or dulce de leche, a sticky standout laced with condensed milk. It's as delicate as a honeybun but feels twice as decadent.

 

Lyon Hall

Arlington, VA

The first thing you notice about the doughnuts Lyon Hall offers at brunch is the selection. These aren't simple glazed rounds of fried dough. Expect the frequently rotating list to include mocha glaze, Earl Grey, Asian five spice and citrus poppyseed. The second thing you notice is the size. Post staff writer Tim Carman has referred to the huge, pillowy, light doughnuts as "worth punching your best friend for the last bite."

 

Palena Cafe

Washington, DC

It's not surprising that Cleveland Park's dining mecca also turns out one of the most memorable doughnuts in town. The standard is coated with a simple citrus glaze flecked with lemon rind, but the real allure is its addictive texture, airy and chewy from the yeast added to the batter. Get them at the Palena market early on Saturday and Sunday mornings because they sell out quickly.

 

Rustico

Arlington, VA

When Steve Mannino opened the second Rustico location in Ballston in 2010, he added a personal touch to the pizzeria and beer bar: his grandmother's ricotta doughnuts. Mannino has moved on, but the decadent, powdered-sugar orbs remain on the menu. Living up to the restaurant's name, these doughnuts are heavy and come with a warm fudge dipping sauce that threatens to push the whole endeavor into sweet overload. If you ask, beer director Greg Engert's expertly trained crew will suggest a beer to pair with them.

 

Tabard Inn

Washington, DC

Imagine the ideal yeast doughnut: light, sweet and chewy. That's what they serve at brunch at the Tabard Inn. It's hard to explain the excellence of the doughnuts at the Dupont Circle hotel and restaurant because what makes them great is the lack of gimmicks or contrived flavor combinations. We've seen a table of diners take pity on their uninformed neighbors and share a basket.

 

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