Sweet Stuff

DONUT BAR

VS

CRAYNUT

By: Chastain Howard

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How sweet it is? Truth be told I have a sweet tooth like half the population of the world, and just like most people, I am always looking to taste the next sweet delight. I was invited by our very Creator and Editor-in-Chief Nikki G. to try one of my favorite sweet treats in her area DONUTS! Now, even though I have a sweet tooth that doesn’t mean that I enjoy all things sweet, I mean I have eaten some sweets that left me gaging and in some cases with a bad aftertaste. But, I was told by Nikki that I would enjoy the Donut Bar, so I decided to try two favorite donut spots in the lovely cities of Temecula and Murrieta, California to see which one I liked the best. As Marie Antoinette never said: “Let her eat cake”!

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Donut Bar | Photographer: Nicole G.

So my first stop was Donut Bar in lovely Temecula, what can I say about this place that hasn’t already been said by the Food Network, the Travel Channel, and just about every southern California publication. I was digging the exterior with its outdoor seating area, and raspberry color (see what I did there? LOL) background with white lettering. I really liked the painted donut with wings, sprinkles, and dripping icing. Yummy and I haven’t even tasted anything yet. Before I walked inside there was this great easel sign that read: (see image below) I am sold, they have mimosas ya’ll and it’s not even Sunday for a brunch. I already knew that I was going like this place.

Donut Bar | Photographer: Nicole G.

I walked in expecting the interior to be nothing but a display case full of donuts, but what I didn’t expect was this place has a merch area and a full-on drink counter. #DELICIOUS. But, hold on I skipped the best part…you guessed it the donuts. The moment you walk in the door you are greeted by the coolest staff, and awesome music, you almost forget that they are there, because (cue heavenly music) your eyes are greeted by the expansive display of delicious donuts.

Donut Bar | Photographer: Nicole G.

I had to close my mouth to catch my drool. My eyes were feasting on the opulent and the most succulent-looking donuts I have ever seen in southern California. The vast array of flavors and specialty donuts this place has is amazing. I was so overcome with excitement I didn’t know which donuts to get, I mean do I go with a classic like a maple or chocolate bar, or do I throw caution to the wind and indulge my taste buds in a specialty donut? So, I decided that since the May The 4th Be With You (for all my Star Wars fans) day passed I decided to go all specialty and choose cute Baby Yoda and R2D2 donuts. To wet my whistle I decided to have a mango mimosa to wash all that flavorful sweet stuff down.

Donut Bar | Photographer: Nicole G.

Aidan holding Baby Yoda and R2D2 Donuts | Photographer: Nicole G.

So, I got to the counter to pay eagerly anticipating the taste of my purchase, I had my sweets rung up by the nicest employee by the name of Aidan. He recommended the mango mimosa and was kind enough to pose for a picture with my Star Wars donuts. I have to tell you, he was the absolute coolest and made my experience at Donut Bar worth another visit.

Now we get to the good part where I get to taste these delights. Both donuts were soft, the interior of the donuts was airy with a good amount of density to them, and wasn’t hard or stale. When I bit into them my teeth just sank right into the dough, it wasn’t chewy, it was very pleasing and didn’t stick to the roof of my mouth and gums. The icing was sweet and flavorful, but not overpowering sweet which would send me to the dentist with a cavity. The overall taste of the donuts I absolutely loved, and another thing I loved was that the icing didn’t fall off the donut when I bit into it. If I had to pick one bad thing about the donut would be that at the end of Baby Yoda’s ears it was a tad bit stale tasting. But, hey overall I loved, loved, loved these donuts, so I rate it a 10 out of 10. If you are looking for a chill, fun, and tasty experience then you have to visit DONUT BAR in Temecula, or if you can’t make it out that way they have multiple locations just look them up online.

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Craynut | Photographer: Nicole G.

My next stop was Craynut just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Temecula. Located in a spacious strip mall area, this exterior was nice with a couple of tables outside. The interior was quaint and cozy and is decorated with splashes of teal, pinks, and greens colors. The decor is subdued, but fun. Overall, I wasn’t too impressed with the look and feel, I think mainly because it is a bit too youthful for my taste.

This donut spot is for the creatives, much like myself, so I was surprised that you can create your own donut. Yay, I have always wanted to create my own donut, I was up for the challenge, but I didn’t know where to begin. For starters when I walked in the counter employee wasn’t helpful, and didn’t greet me as I entered. I just think it had something to do with the fact that it was a bit after 8 in the morning. LOL! I wasn’t assisted with how it all works, although in all fairness it was on the menu display. However, I wasn’t asked if I knew what I wanted and if I had even been there before. So, I had to use my best judgment and create one that I thought would be tasty.

Craynut | Photographer: Nicole G.

I chose an already prepared maple bar and asked to have a created donut with glazed banana topping. Once my donuts were prepared and my purchase was boxed I couldn’t wait to taste my created donut. Ummmm hmmm!

Now the taste, the prepared donut was soft and had a good amount of sponge to it, however, the maple bar was a bit dry and had a stale taste to it. The banana glaze was runny, it’s best to wait a while before eating to give the glaze time to adhere to the donut, the maple bar duel glaze was a bit too sweet, however, the chocolate drizzle was a good complement to the maple icing. Overall, the maple bar was over-fried, but I did enjoy the prepared banana donut. So, my rate for Craynut is a 7 out of 10. If you’re in Murrieta stop by, let your creativity shine and create your own donut.

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Photographer: Nicole G.

Special thanks to Donut Bar, Temecula, and Craynut, Murrieta for the delicious treats.

A very special thank you to Aidan at Donut Bar for his outstanding customer service and awesome recommendation.