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Darrell’s Donuts: A Tale of Two Brothers (The Ohio Donut Trail)

Posted by CMH Gourmand on February 15, 2012

In the pre Donut Trail days, there was only one donutery that mattered to me. Donald’s Donuts in Zanesville (circa 2010). My job at the time took me to Zanesville every few months. I often had a few minutes between appointments and Donald’s was always in between point A and point B. There was nothing else of notice in the realm of food along my route. Donald’s old, lime green sign lured me in. My expectations were low. I was wooed on my first bite and soon hailed Donald’s as the best in the state. While my donut horizons expanded widely with my waistline since then, I still believe Donald’s is easily in the top five, if not the top three in the Buckeye state. Donald’s kindled an interest in donuts and a belief they could be good.

After so many trips and so much talk about Donald’s I was taken aback when someone finally asked…”but what about Darrell’s?” Huh, What, Where, um really? Yes. Darrell’s is also a Zanesville donutery and the owner is the brother of Donald. This reeked of Urban Legend and Hatfields and McCoys (my kin) or Goumas and Goumas. I noted the story but filed it away. After I heard about Darrel’s it took over a year for me to get there. And while rumors were that there was a rift, such is/was not the case (as updated in 2015 by a son of one of the owners: I’m adding part of his comments below): “the boys did not work for their father, actually the family opened a donut shop in Cherokee NC — Darrell still lived in Zanesville Ohio and was not part of that business. This occurred in the 1950s. Donalds was established in the south end of Zanesville. The business moved from Pine Street to Maysville pike. The current location on Maple opened in 1984 and the opening of Darrells in 1978 had nothing to do with a recipe just his desire to have his own business. Sorry the legend doesn’t live up.”

Darrell’s does not look like much from the outside. This place blends together with other shops in a small strip mall. On the inside, it is homey and is bathed in Americanness. The woman behind the counter was as friendly as she could be and was happy to answer all types of questions about the Donald and Darrell connection (which later turned out to not quite be completely accurate).

What you are all interested in is which is better. That is not an easy question. Passing Zanesville via I-70, which 99% of you will do if you are inclined to pass through, neither place is near an exit. Donald’s is the closer of the two. Driving to Darrell’s I was convinced I had missed it several times and I saw a lot of Zanesville I did not care to see (I was also tricked by a diner that looked great on the outside but served out of the box food on the inside). Darrell’s has a wider range of items to choose from and a significantly friendlier staff. It is the type of place where you would order a donut then lounge around talking high school sports for four or five hours. Donald’s is a grab ’em and go place. I would give a very slight edge to Donald’s in most categories of donuts but Darrell’s does shine in the iced category and in the full customer experience. Darrell’s also serves pastries and makes one of the best counter served brownies in the business.

Donald’s has the cool retro bag while Darrell’s offered me the hand-lettered and illustrated box of donuts. While I was sampling and photographing I made small talk with an elderly gentleman wandering the country. He has just discovered Darrell’s after a very wrong turn and on one bite considered Darrell’s among the best he had anywhere. I supported his choice and told him of Donald’s as an incentive to head back to Zanesville again on his return journey. You can’t go wrong with either place or either recipe. Sandwich a trip to Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl in the middle and one could have a very sweet trip to the Y-Bridge city. As for the split, the end result was two donut shops and two really good versions of Midwestern Maple Glazed donuts, I think we got the best ends of the deal or the feud or whatever the split was and became. If Donald and Darrell have another brother Darrell, then even better, just place the donut shop right by exit 169 if you don’t mind.

1 N Maysville Ave
Zanesville
740.454.0332

Darrell's Donuts on Urbanspoon

Posted in donuts, Ohio Donut Trail, Road Trip | Tagged: , | 11 Comments »

New System Bakery, Chillicothe: Back on the Donut Trail

Posted by CMH Gourmand on October 17, 2011

As October starts to wane I must to make sure your Pumpkin needs are met in full. Let me introduce you to New System Bakery in Chillicothe.

When an avowed foodie, wine expert and elite eater says that New System donuts are to die for, I listened. The downside is that the New System Bakery has some old school hours. They are closed Saturday and Sunday so being impaired by employment as well as the bakery’s hours (5 am to 5 pm) it took me nearly a year for the stars to align to get myself down SR 23 to Chillicothe for a donut. By donut I mean a box of a dozen or so. It is a tough drive since I passed previous Donut Trail spots.

On a previous donut run, I was close to The New System Bakery at (very) nearby Crispie Creme donut shop. My team and I were happy with Crispie Creme and I wondered if Chillicothe could really have two stellar donuteries. It turns out the citizens of Chillicothe represent quite well on the Ohio donut food chain.

New System is busy by report of customers and employees. The woman serving me said she was worn out and it was only 10 am. She said it was a slow day. The employee also mentioned they frequently run out of most items before they close the doors. What are fan favorites? By report cakes, seasonal holiday cut out cookies, cinnamon rolls, breads and…….

It seems everyone likes everything at New System Bakery. At New System baking comes first and donuts are just part of the spectum of production. The end results are still very good in the donut category. My focus was donuts and I was in luck, there were still some left. At ten in the morning pickings were sparse. I had lucked out, there were still a few Bismarck’s left.

The Bismarcks appear to be the local favorite. While smaller than others of the ilk, the weight of sugar alone in these ticking time bombs of fried doughy goodness would outweigh a Tim Horton’s box. Chillicoth/ians/ites/ers (?) tend to order in advance and in mass, most people steering past my glazed over eyes and senses were picking up boxes. The counter people seemed to know each visitor by name and order. I was clued in to a secret – whenever a glazed holiday cookie appears grab as many as you can and don’t make eye contact with anyone as you leave the establishment.

I did get the last Pumpkin glazed pumpkin donut. It was by far, without a doubt, the finest, pumpkin based donut I have consumed… ever.

The New System itself deserves a mention of two. I am not sure what the system was but it is very old now. The bakery opened in 1920. The interior, cabinets and counters look untouched since the pre prohibition era. Spelled out in large pink letters above the counter is the phrase: Make Your Day Better With Donuts. Okay, no argument there (just try to bake more please). I did not sample a pie but looking at them my instinctive sweet-o-meter indicates they are good. The initials used to identify the pies are a definite plus one on my pie scale as well.

If I had to choose between Crispie Creme and New System, which would win? It depends on the donut. If I could only get one donut, it would be the pumpkin donut at New System, if there are any left.

New System on Facebook
75 East Main Street
Chillicothe, OH 45601-2507
740.773.2885

Posted in bakery, donuts, Ohio Donut Trail, Road Trip | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Lindsey Bakery: A Roundtown Adventure on the Ohio Donut Trail

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 17, 2011

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

Lindsey Bake Shop on Urbanspoon

Posted in bakery, donuts, Ohio Donut Trail, pies, Road Trip | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

Milton’s Donuts, Middletown: Plus Ohio Donut Trail Tasting Parties

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 16, 2011

When one donutery suggests another, I am inclined to listen. Such was the case for Milton’s. A counter person at Bill’s donuts in Centerville suggested we try out this spot. We placed it on the to do(nut) to do list for southwest Ohio. Milton’s was crammed in the middle of a very ambitious day of four donut joints, a Mexican Restaurant, Jungle Jim’s and wholesale bulk frozen meat market.

We arrived late in the day. Looking from the outside we were concerned that the bakery was closed and/or out of donuts. The cupboard was almost bare when we arrived. However even though our sampling was limited we were intrigued by what we did find at Milton’s. The exterior is very strip mall. The interior would best be described as utilitarian. We were impressed by some absolutely gorgeous decorated cakes. Also of note was a self-serve coffee pot. Milton’s had a tray of caramel glazed cake donuts left that caught our attention. We thought these were pretty good. We were able to compile a 1/2 box sampler for donut tasting later. Milton’s also carries apple fritters, donuts holes and the usual assortment of donut standards.

What I found most interesting was that this place has Moxie which was not noticed until we were leaving. Milton’s tag line reads “The Connoisseur in Donuts”…. that alone was worth the drive. They also do a great job doing the ribbon tie on the box. Their bag is pretty cool too.

Middletown itself would best be described as mildly depressing. My erroneous directions to my chauffeur while “Driving Mr. Gourmand” took us to places that were moderately depressing. I believe a return trip, early in the morning for a fully stocked Milton’s is justified as long as we do not linger too long.

Milton’s
3533 Roosevelt Blvd
Middletown
513.422.8612

Since I don’t have a lot to cover for Milton’s, it seemed like a good time to discuss what has been going on with all of these donuts. Typically, we bring back five or six or eight boxes of donuts to Columbus and Gourmand Manor. My tasters and a select group of foodistas then have a donut tasting, trying out and competing various donuts against each other to determine best in show, best fritter, etc. You can get a sense of what happens in the photo below.

Posted in bakery, culinary misadventure, donuts, Ohio Donut Trail, Road Trip | Tagged: , | 5 Comments »

Tremont Goodie Shop: More Than Just A Bakery

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 11, 2011

And now for something completely different…… guest commentary.

Columbus is lucky to have a very large and devoted cadre of food enthusiasts with an unconscious agenda to grow good food in our city. Through exploration, education, encouragement, advice, allocating 40% or more of disposable income to the culinary arts and a good amount of twittering around, these people are guiding Columbus into a more food focused town. I am happy to call many of these people my friends. I am also happy that I can not count all of these movers and shakers with all of my fingers and toes. Indeed, there are that many people escalating eating forward, around and upside down in our town.

My friend Molly Kurth serves on the board of Slow Food Columbus and is vocal supporter of our food community especially her neighborhood haunts Basi Italia, Knead and Cafe Corner. Today she is sharing one of her favorite places since childhood. Photographs are by our mutual friend Kate Djupe who is a chef, photographer, gardener, canner and person extraordinaire.

Frosted Butter Star Cookies. Those four words evoke memories, flavors, moments and smiles for me in a way that few other foods do. Those little cookies, compliments of The Tremont Goodie Shop, represent more than just delicious little baked treats (and they are delicious!). They represent tradition and community and, for me, my childhood. My grandma would take us there on our weekend adventures, letting us pick out a treat or two and, for me it was always the frosted butter star cookie. Those cookies still bring a smile to my face every time I walk in the shop and I can hardly ever walk out without a few in a bag, eating them as I walk out the door.

If you have not experienced The Goodie Shop, let me give you an idea of what you are missing so you can hurry up and add it to your list of “Things I Must Try in Columbus”. Tucked in the Tremont Shopping Center, in an area one of my friends fondly calls the Bermuda Triangle of Arlington, is a business that is first and foremost a family. And, in case you wondered how a business can be a family, let me share a story with you. Back in 2009, The Goodie Shop was going through a transition that was going to force them to close for a few months. It was emotional for the family who had owned it for more than 50 years and it was a sad moment for those in the community who had gotten their birthday cakes, holiday rolls, weekend donuts or just a simple treat while they were in the area. I became one of the fierce advocates posting on Twitter and Facebook about the closing of The Goodie Shop and our hope that it would be saved by those who loved it most. Soon there were posts about selling t-shirts and coming out to support them as they made their best effort to repurchase everything at the mandated auction, which would occur after a community rally to save The Goodie Shop. The outpouring of community support and love was overwhelming, even to the casual observer and an emotional buoy for the people trying to save the business that had become a family for this community.

During the period of time that the shop was closed, my best friends from college were coming to town for our annual girls’ weekend, which was doubling as a baby shower for one of the girls. I was saddened that I would not be able to get my cake from The Goodie Shop and began the search for where I was going to go. In the midst of the search, the returning owners of The Goodie Shop (whose father had owned it years before) reached out and said “we’ll make it for you at our home – just send us pictures of what you want and we will meet you at the Chef-o-nette to pick it up”. Yep, that is what I mean by family.

So, fast forward to 2011, where I have a few friends who have *never* been to The Goodie Shop – what? I know. But instead of berating them (okay, there was a little of that), I organized a mini-tour of the Tremont Center, where we got to sample some of The Goodie Shops classic treats. Emilie Smith, whose mom Debbie Smith, owns the shop, did an amazing job putting together a tasting for us, letting us sample some of the beloved treats and even bringing in Snowville Creamery Milk for us to enjoy with the sweets. Emilie is successfully carrying on the legacy that was created by her grandfather, one that is rooted in the community and the traditions of so many families who grew up here.

So, I will leave you with a few of my favorite treats and hope that you discover a few of your own too:
Molly’s favorites:

Frosted Butter Star Cookies (buy several, trust me.)

Chocolate Frosted Long Johns and Classic Glazed Yeast Donuts
(get there early or pre-order the donuts, when they are gone, they are gone.)

6-Pan Cinnamon Rolls (a must-have for holiday mornings in our house)

Dinner Rolls
(choose your style, so good and one less thing you have to do for Thanksgiving dinner!)

Cream Horns
(light and flaky, one of the few places that still makes their dough from scratch!)

White cake with white Icing
– Miranda, one of Debbie’s daughters, does much of the decorating (if not all of it) and has made some awesome designs – you can check out the gallery online.

Tremont Goodie Shop
located in Tremont Center
2116 Tremont Center
Upper Arlington
614.488.8777
www.theoriginalgoodieshop.com
Hours: M-F 7a-6p; Sat 7a-5p; closed Sundays

Writer and Foodista Molly is a Columbus native who loves sharing her passion for the people and food in her community. After many years living away from Columbus, she is back and discovering how much cool stuff the city has to offer.

Posted in bakery, Columbus, culinary knowledge, desserts, donuts | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

The Original Crispie Creme Donuts: On the Ohio Donut Trail in Chillicothe

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 7, 2011


Welcome back to the Ohio Donut Trail, the ongoing mission to find the finest fried dough in Ohio. During this phase of the intensive research process these are the donuteries at the top of the leaderboard: DK Diner, Auddino’s, and Bill’s.

The donut tasting team took a trip south to dig into the donut heritage of Ohio’s other half, south of I-70. One third of our three stop tour took us to Chillicothe. Our destination was Crispie Creme. Not that Krispy Kreme, it is this Crispie Creme. KK has served donuts since 1937. Chillicothe’s own Crispie Creme has crafted dough since 1929.

This shop serves as a community meeting point and landmark in Chillicothe. The counter is well-worn from elbow scuffs by generations of donut eaters killing time on a stool catching up with neighbors while watching the donut construction process in the kitchen directly behind the service area. All donut styles are represented on the menu as well as some less common variants including Mountain Tops (chocolate frosted doughnuts with a large dollop of creamy icing on top), maplenut bismarks, fudgies and lots of jelly filled and topped treats.

During our visit, we saw four generations of Crispie Creme fans come in together to pick out a box for their clan. The son of the entourage was about five years old. He was given the honor of carrying the box out the door to the pick up truck with the warning “boy, if you drop that box you better run as fast as you can”. At the same time, I had a box in my hands too, so I could feel the responsibility and the fear of crispie creme custody. Neither of us dropped our boxes. I also considered running as fast as I could but since I was not driving I opted to share.

There are some interesting mysteries about Crispie Creme. First what is the Original Recipe they tout on the sign? Alas, I did not think to ask until we were twenty miles away on State Route 35 heading to Bill’s in Centerville. Another mystery involves their merchandising. In an area that would safely be labeled conservative, in a place serving a traditional product as scared as apple pie, hots dogs and Chevrolet, how it that all of their shirts and such are tie-dyed or brightly colored and infused with peace symbols? Could hippies have taken over at some point in the 1960’s with their Sweet Love? This dichotomy works because I made a rare impulse clothing purchase to prove this marketing approach really happened and really worked in small town USA.

The donut tasting team tried the donuts and we found them to be good. What we liked more was the character and spirit of this place. There is a lot of history at Crispie Creme and a lot of donuts to sample while you soak in the ambiance of Chillicothe.

47 North Bridge Street
Chillicothe
740.774.3770

Disclaimer and foreshadowing: I anticipate that someone will ask about New System Bakery. I wanted to go but New System is not open weekends and not open late in the day so the Ohio Donut Tour will have to wait for a while on this one. I don’t know what new system New System uses but I can assure you Crispie Creme uses the old system and they use it well.

New System Bakery
175 E Main St
Chillicothe
740.773.2885

Crispie Creme Donut Shop on Urbanspoon

Posted in donuts, Ohio Donut Trail, Road Trip | Tagged: , , | 26 Comments »

Cooks Corner: The Cronut Dog

Posted by CMH Gourmand on February 5, 2011

The Ohio Donut Trail has not been without trials and travails. Mostly, it has involved insane levels of donut consumption and a few double dog dares. During the first donut tasting party someone started a conversation that turned into a culinary quest for me. It goes like this.

A cronut is a glazed croissant from Auddinos. It is absolutely fabulous. It serves as the base of the Cronut dog. So, step one. Go to Auddinos and purchase cronuts.

The vision for the cronut dog was a hot dog served in a cronut with bacon and spicy maple mustard. This is how everything went down. I purchased double smoked bacon at Bluescreek Farm Meats at the North Market. I picked up two hot dogs from them as well. Their bacon is fantabulous! My house smelled like it for four days. I did not have any Twixlen Brand Spicy Maple Mustard so I concocted my own on the spot. I have 10-12 mustards in my refrigerator at any time so this was not so hard. To make this an all Ohio mustard I took two parts Bertman’s Ball Park Mustard, one part Stadium Mustard and Ohio Maple syrup (to taste) then mixed them together until I found the flavor profile I thought would work.

I cooked two long strips of bacon, leaving the bacon pliable enough to wrap around the hot dogs. I then boiled and grilled the hot dogs (this is the proper hot dog cooking technique observed in my household). I did not have a good way to steam the cronut (a hot dog bun should be steamed) because I would lose the sugary glaze in the process so I just cheated and nuked the suckers.

I put all of this together and …BEHOLD! The First Cronut Dog.

I was wary but it was good enough to eat. I ate the whole thing. Nothing bad happened. Really.

This is what I hope to do differently on the next trial. I will use Five Star Hot Dogs (from Cleveland) or Nathan’s Hot Dogs because I think their casing and spicing will work better with the spicy maple mustard. I will also deeply split the cronut then lightly grill / sear the inside, leaving the glazed outside intact but a bit gooey. I will then cut the finished product into bite sized pieces and tooth pick them together to serve as appetizers.

Lesson: don’t double dog dare me, I will so do it!

Posted in donuts, hot dogs | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Reflections on Donut Consumption: The Ohio Donut Trail So Far

Posted by CMH Gourmand on February 3, 2011

This post is sponsored by the letter D. D is for Disappointment. In my younger days when I would run full speed to kick the football of success but found it pulled away at the last possible moment I did not recover so well (ref: Brown, C.). After disconnecting from the world for months on end, I would eventually find myself and my backpack somewhere in Australia, New Zealand or elsewhere roaming the backroads. What I eventually found in my travels is that there are some events I will never understand and very little of what may or may not happen on the big scale can be controlled.

D is for Distraction. I also found the best way to recharge myself and get back on the playing field is to find something to obsess about other than why what I wanted to happen did not. The first time my obsession led to action, I made a binder of mini-restaurant reviews called the Good Food Guide which I pushed onto friends, acquaintances and strangers. My next obsession was ice cream. I wrote my first “big” magazine article about the best ice cream stands places in our state for Ohio Magazine (May, 1998). Then I created a web site about ice cream so I could figure out how HTML worked – Ice Cream Ohio. You may have also read about a few Taco Trucks in Columbus. I blundered into directing my obsession into things I could learn about as a distraction and in return I was saved from roaming the world like an Ancient Mariner trying to figure the unfigurable. I still roam the world as often as I can but for different reasons (mostly to step back from my day to day life in order to find something or someone to inspire me to the next big thing).

D is for Donut. Reading this blog for the last few months you might get the impression that I love donuts. Such is not the case. However, I have found some donuts that I do love. Donald’s Donuts, Voodoo Donuts and Donut World each served as sites for major epiphanies on the repeated ass kicking 2010 gave me. Loosely connecting those dots and observing the power of the D-O-N-U-T on people, I decided that some additional research and discovery was needed. At this juncture, readers, we are at the midpoint of the donut chronicles as I plot out the Ohio Donut trail. My favorite donuts so far hail from Auddino’s, Bill’s and DK Diner.

In the process of donut discovery, I had a donut tasting party at Fortress Gourmand. Here are a few trends that were noted. Few donuts are good after more than a few hours out of the kitchen. The best donuts are still great up to a few days after purchase. Maple glaze seems to be an Ohio thing. Most of the best donuteries seem to offer the maple option. We had an Ohio maple donut challenge and the winner was Bill’s. We had the first Ohio Apple Fritter Throwdown. The results here were mixed. The most memorable comment concerned the DK Diner apple fritter – “Is that a loaf of bread?” It was not but it is clearly the mother of all apple fritters. DK Diner tied for first among fritters with Auddinos which was noted to be the most “applely.” We also decided that the best donuts have a bit of crunch on the outside and a lot of fresh and chewy on the inside (Auddino’s, Bill’s and DK Diner as exhibits A, B and D).

A donut tasting might sound decadent, because it is, but it is more fun than people should be allowed to have. There will be another donutpolooza. There may also be a March Maddness of Donuts where my donut detectives and I will pit the best against the best to determine the finest donut in Columbus and Ohio.

There seem to be a lot of special memories connected with donuts as well as special connections to people and place. College and donuts seem to pair well. Late night dining and early morning road trips line up nicely with these doughy treats. There is always a certain camaraderie connected to donuts. Maybe because donut counters are the great equalizer of the masses just like diners are. Maybe it is because the lowly donut is cheap and fast and easy to share. There is a reason boxes of donuts pop up at any office. A box of donuts offers diversity and democracy to everyone – grab a donut and pass the box on. There seem to be a lot of reasons that donuts do us right.

The D word…… The final question to think about. Is it Donut or Doughnut?

Posted in culinary misadventure, donuts, Ohio Donut Trail, Road Trip | 8 Comments »

Schuler’s Bakery (Springfield): On the Ohio Donut Trail

Posted by CMH Gourmand on February 1, 2011


The Ohio Donut Trail took my loyal band of donut detectives to Springfield, Ohio the home of regional favorite Schuler’s Bakery. Due to some navigation misfiring on my part, we had a nice tour of downtown including the Frank Lloyd Wright designed – Wescott House. Schulers has been in business since 1937 using the slogan “The Home of Homemade.” We hit the original store on Main Street which does not appear to have changed since 1937. I would not doubt that some of the original staff are still working there too. This is an OLD SCHOOL, no nonsense bakery. The color scheme is simple blue and white like many of the old bakeries I have visited on the east coast.

While the taste team and I wandered around the showroom staring at the massive volume of donuts to be had (while snapping photos and chattering away), we were repeatedly asked, with growing urgency…..”Can I help you”. Meanwhile scores of regulars shot in and out engaging in large, complicated orders in record time while we gawked about. Finally, we approached the counter and started ordering to the great relief of all of the staff.

And order we did – a giant box was filled with any interesting donut we could find. The first donut(s) that caught our eyes was what we dubbed the Kabab, five donut holes on a skewer. This seems genius and it tasted pretty good too – the perfect snack while driving on the Ohio Donut Trail.

The bakery has a section devoted to day old donuts which are 50% off. Normally I am reluctant to get a donut more than a few hours old because very few have staying power beyond the morning. Schuler’s is an exception. I did not try some of their donuts until 24 hours later and those sampled were as good as day one. The best donut I had was one I am calling the FUDGIE. I thought is was just a standard chocolate glazed old fashioned donut with peanuts. When I bit into the fudgie I discovered it had a fantasticly good 1/2 inch layer of chocolate fudge on top with an inch filling the center donut hole. DAMN! That is my go-to donut at Schuler’s. Honorable mention also goes to Schuler’s glazed blueberry donut and their sour cream donut.

The bakery has all of the standard donuts as well as a large selection of jelly donuts. As the name says this is a bakery not a donutery so while all my attention was on the donuts the various other baked goods looked good as well. People in Springfield swear by Schulers. I do too – DAMN that FUDGIE is GOOD!

Schuler’s Bakery
457 East Main St.
Springfield, Ohio
937.323.4900
www.schulersbakery.com (not open as of February 1st)
Locations on Mitchell St. in Springfield and London, Ohio.

Posted in bakery, donuts, Ohio Donut Trail | Tagged: | 14 Comments »

Bill’s Donut Shop (Centerville): The Ohio Donut Trail

Posted by CMH Gourmand on January 18, 2011

Bill’s was my final stop on a four location (Schneider’s, Auddinos and Schuler’s) Ohio Donut Trail field trip. I heard good things about Bill’s but was running out of steam when I arrived (after some poor navigation on my part). Bill’s is an easy place to miss – the exterior looks like a real estate office. If you were not looking for Bill’s you would drive by and write it off as just some 1970’s era brick office building and seek solace in some subpar sugared fast foodery. I was revitalized when I walked through the door. Bill’s does not look like a donut shop on the outside but the inside is a classic donutery. This may be the most inviting donut shop I have visited. There are old school spinning stools at the counter and a few tables away from the fray of ordering. There is an even larger selection of donuts than alluded to in their website. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. Once I explained what I was doing (eating donuts throughout Ohio), after an initial laugh, they started listing off other places I should visit (including Milton’s Donuts in Middletown). Two offerings locked Bill’s into my top three donut shops of all time. The first donut that caught my eye was the red velvet cake donut with cream cheese icing. I have frequently been disappointed in red velvet in any form. In donut form, I was more than pleased. This donut takes the cake and kicks it in the ass. The other donut that wooed me was the peanut butter cream filled donut with chocolate icing. These two are enough to get me to drive the 85 miles one-way to get there. Since Bill’s is open 24 hours, there is a strong possibility I will do this a few nights this year. A few of the other donuts sampled deserve very honorable mention – applesauce, glazed blueberry and iced caramel. There is a wide selection of beverages available as well as these non-donut items: Cream horns, apple fritters, cinnamon rolls, cakes, brownies, muffins, cupcakes, turnovers and cookies.

Bill’s has been frying donuts since 1960. It started as one shop in downtown Dayton and expanded to multiple locations in the 1970’s. By 1979, the business was consolidated to the current location in Centerville. Bill recently passed away but his family is committed to keeping the business going. The shop has a loyal following to the point that the shop ships donuts across the country for $25.50 for a box of twelve (or you can pay $6 on the spot). Stay tuned, there is a chance that Bill’s may be the best in Ohio (current competitors are Donald’s Donuts, DK Diner and Auddinos Bakery).

Bill’s Donut Shop
268 North Main Street
Centerville, Ohio
937.433.0002
Open 24 hours

Posted in donuts, Ohio, Ohio Donut Trail, Road Trip | Tagged: , | 6 Comments »

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