CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

The donut tasting team arrived in Circleville just after 9:30 on a blustery Saturday Morning. My two tasters had not been to Circleville before. It had been a while for me too. Driving down Main Street all three of us were super smitten by the small town feel at the same moment. It felt like stepping back into time. It felt good maybe even giddy. If we were not at the beginning of a long day of researching, we would have stayed to sit on a bench to talk to town folks, stroll the streets and explore the mom and pop businesses on the stretch. It felt good to feel at home somewhere after just a few minutes.

We liked Lindsey’s just for being in Circleville and we had not even gone through the door. The outside is classic small town Main Street frontage with several handwritten signs on the windows. There is a sign indicating a drive thru – I could not quite figure out how that worked or were it was but I was happy to see the option for donuts on the run. Walking through the entrance, we loved the place. Lindsey’s opened in 1950; it still feels like the fifties inside. The display cases and counter are set up to form a deep U. There were five or six people on the service side ready to answer questions and serve up baked goods. Behind them we could see more handwritten signs and photos of famous politician figures who have come to Lindsey’s to show their endorsement for this home town favorite. Regardless of their politics, it is easy to agree with their taste. Lindsay’s has a wide assortment of all things doughy including cookies, rolls, cinnamon buns, pepperoni rolls (rare in Ohio but ubiquitous in West Virginia so quite a surprise…and pretty good too) and more. It is clear the bakers in the back stay very busy and productive here. Every customer present was a regular with their names and typical orders well-known by the Lindsey’s crew.

We were here for donuts. It seems that all of our questions, deliberate donut selecting and re-selecting then double backing and upgrading to a second box intrigued the folks behind the counter. Our hosts were amused by our mission and made more suggestions based on years and decades behind the counter. The main thing we came for was pumpkin donuts. Lindsay has had made them for over sixty years for a devoted following. People order by the box and worry about the bakeshop running out. Pumpkin donuts are a signature delight in Roundtown (as Circleville is known). In addition to pumpkin donuts, they make pies. Big pies, as in the world’s largest Pumpkin Pie, for the annual Circleville Pumpkin Show. The recipe goes something like this………

For all of my time and photos taken at Lindsey’s I did not get a single donut shot. The donuts are good. The environment is delightful and Circleville has a charm that is hard to describe. This is case where the whole (or donut hole) is greater than the sum of the parts. Come for the donuts and stay for everything else when you drop in at Lindsey’s.

Also of note, we did take a moment for a little side trip to the Oldest Confectioner in the United States just a few blocks away…….Wittich’s

Circleville is worth the trip with plenty to do in between bites.

Lindsey Bakery aka Bake Shop
127 West Main Street
Circleville aka Roundtown
740.474.3871