Cheapeats, Inc. Blog

Who remembers the old commercial tagline; “Time to make the donuts?” That was embedded in our culture that there is nothing like a great donuts and a cup of coffee. Donuts have come a long way since that commercial and we found a great new donut shop that put those old heavy gut busters to shame.

The Doughnut Project  is the new kid in town and this New Yorker couldn’t be happier. Located at 12 Morton Street, this shop makes taking a stroll to the Village more fun than before. The Doughnut Project is the brainchild of Leslie Pollizotto and baker extraordinaire Troy Neal and together they are making magic. The interior is true Greenwich Village. Black walls, cool art and graffiti by local artists, crystal chandeliers, rocking music and their sleek Square point of sale stand on the counter. Perfect for hipsters and locals alike. We decided to check them out on a sunny Sunday morning and it couldn’t have been more fun.

Waiting behind a couple with a small baby, gave me time to explore the flavor options. Wow!! These aren’t your normal flavors and lucky for me, I got to taste a few.

Bacon Maple Bar – They took the flavors of pancakes with maple syrup and a side of bacon and turned it into a doughnut. So you get salty, sweet, crunch and warmth all in one bite. Within seconds of taking my first bite, I shouted; “Oh My God!”

Olive Oil and Black Pepper – I am a sucker for a glazed donut. That is my favorite flavor because it’s simple yet elegant. If you can make the classic glazed donut properly, you are a genius. And believe it or not, there are a lot of bad glazed donuts out there. So I was soooo excited to try this one. The exterior has the sugary glaze we all have come to love but the inside was so much much. The olive oil gives it a rich and velvety texture that just coats the inside of your mouth. Then the black pepper hits you in the back of your throat. Not a lot, just enough to cut into the sweetness of the glaze. I loved it. If you think glazed donuts are too sweet for you, try this one.

Beet and Ricotta – I know this combination sounds crazy, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE this donut. The outside glaze looks like it’s a fruity, sugary glaze but it’s so much more. All the donuts are your basic yeast based donut. The inside is filled with creamy ricotta cheese from Murray’s Cheese  and the deep fuschia glaze is made from beets. First bite is sweet and then transcends into an earthy undertone that is truly genius. I’m a big lover of beets and never thought that I would like it in a donut and I did. My absolute favorite. If you want your kids to eat beets, give them one of these.

There is also Pineapple with Habanero Peppers – an interesting heat and sweet combo. For chocolate lovers there is the Costanza – which is made with Valrhona Chocolate, salt and pretzels. And then they feature a special of the season. For the kid in you that loves a donut hole, you can purchase a bunch in a classic Chinese takeout container.

To go with these light and fluffy donuts is great coffee. The coffee they sell is from Brooklyn Roasting Company, another local company. All the ingredients are wholesome, fresh and local such as King Arthur flour and beets from the shop up the street. Once Troy can get out of the kitchen, you will find it at the Union Square Green Market and other local Farmers market, picking up items that are in season.

I had a great morning spending time with Leslie and Troy and my donuts and thank you for inviting me to sample a few. Folks all I can say is get your tushy to The Doughnut Project.…STAT!!! You can thank me later.

Happiness, $25 and under.

Tags: cheapeats, Coffee, donut holes, Donuts, Doughnuts, square

This entry was posted by Rosemarie on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2015 at 10:02 am and is filed under American/Comfort, Coffee Shop, Dessert, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, West Village. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.